My Favorite Exercises!

Hi everyone!
  With all my posts about working out in the morning and being an enthusiast for bodyweight exercises (but I do have dumbbells and lift weights at home!), I thought I'd share ten of my favorite exercises!

1. Push ups
   I loved doing these in high school and I loved challenging myself with the 1-minute tests. After having my kids though, they became VERY difficult to do. I struggled with even doing one push up on my knees!
  But that's the great thing about push ups, there are many variations to make it suitable for anyone. 
 I couldn't do them on my knees, so I started on the wall, then progressed to my knees, and then finally went for that one push up. I can now do 20-25 in a row. Nowhere near what I was able to do in high school (50+ in a minute- yes, all the way down, all the way up with correct form) but I'm proud of how far I've come.
   Along with the "standard" push up, you can do wide armed push ups, diamond push ups, tricep push ups, and "shoulder" push ups just to name a few and work out different parts of your body!
Awesome, isn't it?

2. Squats
   Gotta love'em. It can be strictly squatting or you can do squat jumps or squat jacks to add a bit of cardio or to work slightly different muscles. Now, I'm no expert, but I find that doing squat jacks make my inner thighs sore the very next day- which I LOVE because it is one of my "problem spots".

3. Burpees!
   Sometimes I call it the hybrid- it's like a mix of push-ups, squats and a jack (jumping jack) so why not? I love it for the challenge, definitely gets my heart rate up, and I find it fun. I find it interesting how I can do 20+ push ups and a bunch of squats but burpees just absolutely KILL me! It's a good way for me to get out of my comfort zone and push my body hard.

4. Leg lifts (and variation)
  I made up that name, I have no idea what it is called and I have heard different names for it...Fire hydrants..donkey kicks..leg lifts..you get the idea. These exercises target the glutes and the hammies. For me, I definitely feel my inner thighs burn on the stationary leg while my butt on the active leg burns. Hurts so good! I like how there are a few different ways to do it to switch it up and of course, work different parts of your legs. You can keep your leg straight to the back or to the side, have it a 90 degree angle and lift up, or keep your leg out to the side and kick.

5. Side Bends
  Again, no idea what it is called...in fact, I made the name up just now because that's pretty much what you're doing, you're bending to the side. You want to keep your hips stationary and your bending from your waist, crunching your ribcage to your hip bone. I like to do this exercises with a 3 or 5 pound dumbbell for the extra resistance but you can definitely do this exercises with no equipment at all. Love how sore my obliques are the next day! Feel the burn!!

6. Shoulder taps (and variations?)
   I learned this exercise from a friend of mine and I'm not sure what it is called either. But basically, you are tapping your shoulders, alternating, and lifting and lowering your arms, resisting with your own force, there are some shoulder shruggings involved, some pulling, slicing.. and a few more exercises...I think it would be easier to demonstrate so MAYBE I'll post a video up? I'm pretty camera shy so we'll see about that...needless to say, this exercise set is an awesome arms/shoulder work out.

7. High Knees
  I hate it and love it. I find it very hard to do! Especially when after a mere 30 seconds, my legs start to feel heavy but I'm doing the best I can to keep my knees up as high as I can. I hate the misery I put myself through doing it but I love how I feel after I complete it..haha

8. Dive Bombers
   I think the only reason why I like this exercise is because it feels new and refreshing other than the fact that it's fun. In my head, I always go, "aaaannddd...woop!" when I "go under". I find it hard to describe the exercise in words..so I will send you to the link I learned it from. I learned it from Zuzana when she was the first bodyrock.tv host (and if you guys love her as much as I do, she has moved onto Zuzka Light- but I like her older workouts more..I'm not sure why...)
Dive Bomber- BodyRock workout

9. Wall Sits
  Oh how I loathe it! But I love timing myself. To this day, I struggle to go for a minute, probably because I don't do it on a consistent basis, but when I do add it to my workout regiment, I aim high...maybe a little too high..haha But it's easy and the timed challenge is what makes it fun, at least for me it does!

10. Planks
  I like doing this exercise while listening to my music, headphones on. I have a timer running and I try to go beyond 1:00 minute. Rest for 15 seconds and repeat. Sometimes  I make it past 60 seconds, sometimes I struggle to last 30 seconds. But whatever the case..it's my "chill" go to workout when I don't feel like working out. Once I start and get my blood flowing, I end up working out full throttle. If not, which is rare, at least I had a good core workout.

So there it is! My favorite bodyweight exercises! Which also gives you no reason to dip out on a workout session! Gym Schwim! You can work out at home! For Free! :)

I may or may not post a workout video of me going through these exercises... ;)
What are your favorite exercises? Are you a gym rat or do you like to workout at home with your own bodyweight? Or maybe you have your own gym equipment you like to use at home! If so, what is your favorite equipment? :)