The Pre-Party Workout: The Best Way to Workout Before You Work It

Here is a breakdown of my latest YouTube video “The Pre-Party Workout”, where I show you the benefits of getting the body ready for dancing, drinking, and…whatever people do at parties these days. Follow along with the video for the best results! CAUTION:  Keep your warm-up short.  Cardio, although usually a healthy practice before a workout, will make you a little puffy. This workout is designed to give you a pleasant glow, get your heart rate elevated, and give you a bit of flattering definition so that you’ll look and feel your best before going out. Try to get your cardio in the morning or the days before.

This workout works the calves, obliques, butt, shoulders, chest, core, and more.

1. Plies (1 Round of 20) – get up on the balls of your feet. Slowly come down into a squat while staying on the balls of your feet. Try to maintain good posture – imagine you are squeezed between two panes of glass.

2. Dips (1 Round of 20) – sit down and place a step stool behind you. Then, grab the stool and extend your arms keeping your feet on the ground. You should look like you’re about to crab walk. Then, slowly bend your arms at the elbow and extend – you will feel the weight of your body on your arms as you do this. It’s sort of like a backward pushup. Make it harder by lifting a leg.

3. Pushups (1 Round of 20) – I recommend a wide position (feet and hands beyond shoulder-width apart) if you’re looking to get more definition in your chest and shoulders. Make it harder by placing your feet on the stool to get a little elevation.

4. Side Plank Arm Wrap (20 Reps on Each Side) – position yourself on your side and prop yourself up using the side of your forearm. With your free arm, reach up and back and then twist having your free arm wrap across your body. Make it harder by lifting your hips as you reach under.

5. Side Bends (20 Reps on Each Side) – down on all fours (a la pretending to be a dog). Lift and extend one leg back. Then, bring the knee in toward your shoulder. Repeat this motion – it should look like you’re kicking someone behind you. This works the core, back, obliques, and butt!

By the end you should be nice and pumped. Remember to hydrate – and I DO mean with H2O not just with CH3CH2OH (that's vodka...also the nerdiest joke ever). Hydration is key to looking good, feeling good, and y’know that whole survival thing we humans do.

Now go tear it up!