These Full Body Workouts Will Get You All The Way Together
Another day (month, year; take your pick), another fitness challenge.
From squat challenges for that eye-catching donk, to routines for crunches to get one step closer to a flat stomach, it makes complete sense that we would want to kick off a new challenge as we inch closer toward our latest goal. I have definitely taken part in countless challenges that work on whatever part of the body I wanted to improve at the time. But I'm definitely here for the ones that can work out and tone my whole physique.
I did a little research and these challenges keep the whole body in mind, especially the parts that we want to work out the most. Let's get to it!
Tone + Cardio = Goals!
Alec Kugler for Coveteur
I came across this full body workout while browsing Coveteur. While it looks like the goal is to draw people in by reiterating no weights are needed, this is a WORKOUT workout. It lasts for 30 days, so this might be ideal for the ladies who like to start a new challenge at the beginning of the month.
It helps you tone every part of your body while getting in that much-needed cardio, rotating five different moves: Jumping jacks with elbow jabs, knees to standing position, kneeling with a side crunch, elbow and shoulder taps, and curtsy lunges with a twist. This one is also great because it doesn't take long to complete each daily challenge, so it can be done before work, bed, or both! Don't stop, get it, get it.
Squats, Lunges, and Planks… Oh My!
Nomi Ellenson
This one is definitely challenging, but it can be done and literally works every part of the body.
It uses classic and traditional go-to exercise moves like our beloved squats, as well as lunges, planks, burpees (God help us), triceps dips, and more. The kicker about this one is that it's actually 31 days instead of 30, but it does give you one day off each week, to make sure your body is getting its necessary rest. I will say, day 31 is nothing to play with as it mixes almost all of the exercises into one and calls for at least 20 reps of each. Still, if you feel good about it, you can always start over again the next day.
Full Body Workout 101.
So, if you're like me, the idea of working out every day, even just for 30 days, can be a little daunting; especially if it's not a part of your regular regimen. Considering that, I was pretty geeked to find this 30-day fitness challenge.
It still works the upper, lower, and midsection of the body, but it's definitely not as rigorous as the others on the list. Based on the challenge, you do 100 Push-Ups on Mondays and Thursdays, 100 squats on Tuesdays and Fridays, and 100 Crunches on Wednesdays and Saturdays. As for Sundays, you can repeat one of these challenges or use it as a rest day. It's your prerogative baby girl! Either way, simply do this in rotation for 30 days and you're one step closer to your goal.
Fitness From The Inside Out!
This challenge from Fitness magazine is definitely one of my favorites. While it's only 21 days (it only takes 21 to change a habit anyway *insert smiley face emoji*), it includes mental exercises for you to take part in before you get physical. Besides, we all know that reaching our fitness and health goals starts from within.
For the first week, you're asked to spend five minutes writing in a journal of how you feel after each workout. Then do two sets of 8 to 12 reps for each move twice a week, plus 25 to 35 minutes of cardio. The challenge continues with similar mental and physical exercises for the next two weeks. I love that it challenges you to document your thoughts and feelings, which could help you figure out what you love and don't love about working out.
…And Another One!
This workout from POPSUGAR is proof that the real battle in developing a workout routine is to just get started! It's only for two weeks and simply requires you to get moving for a few minutes each day. It also rotates three moves – sumo squats, T push-ups, and V crunches.
This is an amazing workout for true beginners who just want to start something without feeling overwhelmed or like they have to live at the gym. This challenge, as well as the others on this list, can be done from the comfort of your own home. The purpose is to get you comfortable with strength training multiple times a week. Then when you go into something stronger, it doesn't seem as drastic. Feel free to repeat this one to get closer to that 30 days. But I'm still clapping it up for you for just getting started!
Burn Baby Burn!
Shape's full-body fitness challenge isn't for the faint at heart. Just looking at it has me like, "okay girl!" with the most sarcastic voice and biggest eye roll I can muster. It's only 30 days and I don't mean to be negative, but get ready for the longest month of your life.
Still, you can do it girl! The moves are full of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which is designed to give you high-packed cardio that helps you burn fat and calories like no other. The moves are a little more complex than others on this list but that's just one reason why they will likely bring about the most drastic results. The key with this one is to keep the momentum after the 30 days are over.
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Featured image by Getty Images
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Charmaine Patterson is a journalist, lifestyle blogger, and a lover of all things pop culture. While she has much experience in covering top entertainment news stories, she aims to share her everyday life experiences, old and new, with other women who can relate, laugh, and love along with her. Follow Char on Twitter @charjpatterson, Instagram @charpatterson, and keep up with her journey at CharJPatterson.com .
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images