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Work it Out: 5 steps to a leaneryouJIA SINGH 17th May 2014

yms have evolved over theyears to include rock climbingwalls, rowing machines withwater motors, cross fit propsas well as TRX and suspensiontraining ropes. For a newbie,this is pretty daunting stuff,not to mention confusing — soit's fast become a popularexcuse to avoid the gymaltogether.

Hate the gym? Don't have thetime? We hear your excusesand we raise you...five no-prop exercises that you can dotogether for a workout athome or your neighbourhoodpark. Planks, push-ups,squats, lunges and burpees — they're easy, super effective, and all you really need to get fit,and stay lean. Remember to keep a bottle of water with you at all times to stay hydrated.

Yashmeen Manak, fitness professional and owner of Sculpt gym advises, "It's best to startyour routine with stretching and a 5-8 minute warm up that consists of jumping jacks,stationery jumps and donkey kicks. Once your body starts to feel limber and you feel likeyou are raring to go, you can start your workout."

1. Planking

Those who are even remotely fit and have enviable abs will tell you that they've beenplanking. The plank is a perfect exercise that guarantees core stability, whittles yourmiddle and flattens your abs. As the name suggests, the plank requires you to rest on yourelbows in the push-up position, keep your body straight and your belly in. The key here isyour posture, sucking your belly in and breathing correctly. Variations include side planksthat target the obliques/love handles.

{Planks, push-ups, squats, lunges and burpees —they’re easy, super effective, and all you reallyneed to get fit, and stay lean.

2. SQUATS

If you've been ogling fitness model (and Instagram star) Jen Selter's glorious glutes, youshould know that kind of inspired booty comes is a result of hours of squats. The squat

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develops the leg and butt muscles and, over time, may also strengthen knee joints. While itisn't possible to spot-reduce or tone one area over the other, your glutes are a large muscleand if you squat nice and low, maintaining great posture, you'll work your way to a derrièreguaranteed to turn heads. There are plenty of variations of the body weight squats but wesuggest you start by perfecting the standard squat first.

3. Lunges

Lunges are a lot like squats, except that here you've got one leg in front of the other. Donecorrectly, lunges help develop superbly toned and stronger quads, glutes, hamstrings andcalves. You can do walking lunges, lunges with weights, or static lunges with your feetplanted firmly on the ground. A quick word of advice: don't let your knee buckle; this putsundue pressure and makes you more injury prone.

4. Burpees

The burpee is an extremely effective way to burn fat when you're pressed for time. Done inquick succession, you should have a heart rate monitor to make sure you don't overdothings. A full-body workout, a burpee incorporates squatting and push-ups. Squat downfrom a standing position, drop your hands to the ground and jump your feet back to assumea push-up position. Do a push-up. Get back up and clap your hands. Repeat 10-15 times.This exercise primarily targets the quadriceps and the abdominal muscles. Tryincorporating burpees into your daily routine to work up a sweat and get your heart rateup. Remember to cool down after a gruelling session to restore your heart rate.

5. PUSH-UPS

Push-ups are a great way to warm up. Technique and posture are key here — doing push-ups incorrectly can do more harm than good. Great for the shoulders, chest, arms and core,this one's another great fat burning exercise. Quality over quantity is the rule here, and it'salways better to perform less repetitions with good posture, over half-assed push-ups doneincorrectly.

Jia Singh is a Delhi-based food and wellness consultant.

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