BUF! Signature Workout

Ever wondered what BUF! actually means? We like to think it stands for the way we see our community; Beautiful, Unstoppable and Fearless. But when it comes to getting sweaty? The B, U, F and ! really take on a whole new meaning, coming together to form a killer workout structure.Ready to give it a go?

Here’s how it works…

  • B = Bottom half toning
  • U = Upper half toning
  • F = Flat abs (yes please!)
  • ! = a full-body cardio kicker to burn serious calories and supercharge fitness!

The way we structure these sessions changes every time we run them, from circuits to timed intervals and challenges.Today’s workout is definitely all about taking on a cheeky challenge and the good news is, you won’t need any equipment – it’s all bodyweight so you can do it anywhere.

Let's get into it...

This workout has been designed to be done in one of two ways – complete all challenges together as one big workout you can do a few times per week, or break up the parts and use them as mini home sessions, or targeted finishers for your longer workouts.Every individual section lasts 5-minutes – long enough to kick your butt and short enough to keep you focused!Make sure you warm up well first, with 5 minutes of slow cardio and some dynamic stretching. 

Challenge #1 with Sian

(B)ottom half of the bodyX-Drop SquatsSian Drop 2 Sian Drop 1Start standing tall with your feet together. Jump slightly off the ground, taking your feet wide as you do and landing in a low squat position. From there, jump up again but instead of coming to your start position, land lightly with one foot crossed in front of the other, on the balls of your feet. Quickly jump back out, landing in a squat. Repeat, crossing the other leg in front. Move fast and stay light on your feet, this one is great for getting your heart rate up.Beyonce Hip RaisesSian Bey 1 Sian Bey 2Start by setting yourself up in a reverse all-fours or ‘tabletop’ position, hands and feet flat on the ground and chest facing the sky. Lift one leg slightly off the ground and tuck it under the other, dropping your hips as you do. Next, un-tuck your leg and simultaneously push through the foot still on the ground to drive your hips up towards the sky, kicking the leg that was tucked beneath you as high as you can and squeezing your butt muscles. Repeat, completing half your reps on the same side before switching over to complete the remaining repetitions.Your Challenge:

  • Complete 22 repetitions of each exercise, then 18, 14, 10, 6 and finally just 2 reps of each.
  • For the Beyonce Hip Raises, complete half your reps on each side, for example 22 reps would become 11 on each leg.
  • Finish as quickly as you can, while maintaining good form. What was your total time to complete?

 

Challenge #2 with Leash

(U)pper half of the bodyPush-up to Plank JaxLeash Pushpu Jax 2 LEASH PUSHUP JAX 3Start in a push-up position, hands under your chest and feet straight out behind you. Tuck your pelvis slightly to activate you core and support your lower back, then lower into a push-up. As you come back up again, jump both feet out wide, then bring them back in for your next push rep.Skipping (fast!)Leash SkippingGrab a skipping rope, and turn it over! Move fast. Your challenge: 

  • Do as many reps of push-up to plank jax as you can within 30 seconds, really pushing your limits!
  • As soon as your 30 seconds is up, pick up your rope and launch straight into skipping, moving as fast as you can and again completing as many reps as possible within 30 seconds.
  • When your time is up, go straight back into the first exercise.
  • Every 30 seconds, keep swapping back and forth, building on the count you left off at (for example, if you finished at 10 reps of the push-up, pick up your count at 11 for the second round).
  • Complete 5 rounds of each all up, for a total of 5 minutes.
  • What were your maximum reps per exercise?

Challenge #3 with Cassey

(F)lat absPlankCASS PLANKCreate a strong plank position, resting on your elbows and toes. Squeeze your butt cheeks together and tuck your pelvis a little to fire up your core and make sure there is no sway in your lower back.Bicycle CrunchesCASS BIKE 1 CASS BIKE 2Start on your back, legs just off the floor and hands just by your ears. Use your core to twist your body, bringing your right elbow to meet your left knee. Now quickly turn the other way to bring your left elbow to right knee. Visualise lifting your shoulder across to the opposite hip as you twist and lift up through the core, rather than pulling on your neck.Sit-UpsCASS SITUP 1 CASS SITUP 2Start lying on your back with legs bent to 45-degrees and feet flat on the floor. Use your core to sit all the way up and touch your ankles. Lower slowly, with control – don’t just drop back to the ground, use that core! Your challenge:

  1. Start with 60s in a strong plank. Every time your technique starts to slip, lower your knees to the ground, take a second and return to the exercise.
  2. For the next 3 minutes, alternate between 16 really fast bicycle crunches, then 3 super slow and controlled full sit-ups. Repeat again… and again!
  3. Your challenge is to see if you can keep going between the bicycles and sit-ups, without stopping at all for 3 full minutes: 16 fast bicycles, 3 slow sit-ups, repeat.
  4. When your 3 minutes is up, it’s back to your plank for a further 60 seconds to wrap up. Can you still hold strong, with good form? Remember to keep your glutes squeezed and pelvis slightly tucked, lower core engaged to protect your back. And take little breaks if you need to.

 

Challenge #4 with Libby 

(!) Full-body cardio finisherBurpee StarjumpScreen Shot 2016-04-24 at 9.33.30 PM Libby Star LibbyBurpee StarStart standing tall, then lower down through a squat position to put your hands flat on the floor in front of you. Immediately jump both feet back to land in a push-up position, then jump them back in again. Now jump up from there, landing in a starjump – feet wide and hands up just higher than your shoulders. Return to your start position and repeat!High Knees (fast!) HIgh KneesStand up tall, spine straight. Alternately bring each knee up to your hip level, as if running on the spot. Move fast! Your challenge:

  • This round is called EMOM training; that’s Every Minute On the Minute!
  • You have 60 seconds to complete 8 Burpee Starjumps and 30 High Knee Runs. Start your timer and GO!
  • Once you complete all reps, whatever time you have left in the minute is taken as rest. For example, finish in 40 seconds and you’ll have 20 seconds rest before the next 60 seconds begins. But finish in 55 seconds and you’ll only have 5 seconds to catch your breath, so… move fast!!
  • You have 5 rounds all up.
  • If you’re an advanced exerciser and finishing with too much time to spare, increase your reps to 10 burpees and 40 high knees. Good luck!

Want a little more BUF! action?

Choose your favourite exercise from each section and put it all together in a giant Tabata circuit! That means you’ll have one move from B, U, F, ! and will do them, one after the other for 20 seconds of work, with 10 seconds to rest in between each one. Move fast! Keep cycling through until you’ve done a full 4-6 rounds through each exercise. Yowch ;) This workout was originally published in Women’s Fitness Magazine Australia 

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