Get Your Summer Body Ready With These 12 Easy Workouts

get your summer body ready

Summer is a great time to meet people, hit the beach, and go to parties. It’s a perfect opportunity for students to unwind after the academic year. The season is ideal for starting a self-care routine, adopting healthy habits and to get your summer body ready. Some people get into hiking or taking up swimming lessons.

But, staying in shape can be tricky with burgers and beer. Many can’t keep up with the routine or train excessively. But those persisting …

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Is Hemp Flower Considered A Drug?

Is Hemp Flower Considered A Drug?

Cannabis users are generally familiar with the name “hemp.” Many people get confused about hemp, marijuana, and cannabis. Hemp is a Cannabis Sativa plant; the herb offers many therapeutic benefits like other cannabis plants. People also eat hemp seeds because of their high nutritious content.

The most popular way to use hemp flowers is to smoke them. But users are more into vaping now as it is a safer way. Manufacturers also use the flowers to extract oil and make …

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A Total Gym Holiday Workout

Naughty or Nice? Slay Both.

A Total Gym Holiday Workout That Challenges and Restores

Maria Sollon, MS, CSCS, PES

Some workouts make you sweat. Some make you stretch. This one does both: Naughty moves that challenge, Nice stretches that recover. All in Total Gym style that “sleighs” the day.

We’re pairing four high-intensity strength exercises, “the Naughty”, with four targeted stretches “the Nice”. These moves are performed in a Tabata-style format.  Each round pushes the body, then restores it, so you leave stronger, more mobile, and energized. There’s no gimmicks, no fluff, just smart, effective training that respects your time during the Holiday “stretch”!

Why Naughty + Nice Works

Traditional workouts separate strength and recovery, forcing you to pick one or the other.  This Total Gym workout allows you to combine both, making this workout quick and effective!

The Naughty:
Each strength move earns its reputation. These moves are meant to make you work hard and make you “burn” through the exercise with high resistance. For the Total Gym, be sure to use the incline setting to balance the resistance you need without compromising good form. It won’t take long to learn that the muscles don’t get to hide, and fatigue can show up fast!

That’s the naughty part: focused, demanding strength work that challenges control, endurance, and form.

The Nice:
Right when the muscles are fired up, you give them what they need most, a targeted stretch that restores length, eases tension, and resets movement quality. No waiting until the end of the workout. No stiffness carried into the next round. Just intentional recovery, exactly when it’s most effective.

By adjusting your incline to match the movement, the Total Gym allows you to:

  • Increase challenge without adding impact
  • Flow seamlessly from strength into stretch
  • Scale intensity and recovery without breaking rhythm

That’s the strategy: work hard, recover immediately, and repeat!  Because training feels better when strength and flexibility are treated as teammates, not opposites.

The result: a workout that feels hard, smart, and balanced all at once.

The Naughty & Nice Total Gym Workout

Put these Naughty & Nice moves on your seasonal workout list.  They’re so bad, you’ll love them!

Tabata Format: 20 seconds strength (Naughty), 10 seconds stretch (Nice), repeat 6–8 rounds per pairing.

#1

Naughty: Single Arm Row (R/ L)

Pull, squeeze, repeat. One arm at a time challenges your back, shoulders, and core. The incline lets you dial resistance up without strain.

Nice: Standing Upper-Back + Shoulders + Lat Stretch

Open the chest, lengthen the lats, and release tension right where it builds during the row.

Tip: Slow and controlled beats fast and sloppy every time.

#2

Naughty: Static HiLo Chest Press
Alternate chest presses in a steady tempo moving in different angles from low to high. Change the tempo to feel the burn you need!  Repeat for the duration! Push strong from the chest in an alternating right/ left press and hold.

Nice: Cable Chest Opener
Stretch and open your chest and shoulders while allowing the cables to assist the stretch. Perfect recovery after a challenging press!

Tip: Keep the Glideboard steady and not moving during the presses.

#3

Naughty: Cable Lat Crunch
Hello core and shoulders on fire! Pull cables towards hips, contract your core, and maintain control through the coordinated motion.

Nice: Child’s Pose / Up-dog Stretch
Flow from lengthening the spine in Child’s Pose into a a heart opener in Up-dog. This flow will help release tension, reset the spine, and prepare for the next round!

#4

Naughty: Reverse Lunge Twist (R/L)
Glide into a Reverse Lunge and simutaniously twist over the front leg. Legs, glutes, and obliques will fire up as you stabilize through the twist.

Nice: Runner’s Lunge on Glideboard
Sink into the lunge to open your hips, and spine.  Use the Glideboard to increase your range of motion as you move into a deeper stretch.

Tip: Engage your core with keep your eyes focused on one spot to maintain balance. (Hold onto the Squat Stand for balance assistance).

Tip: Move with your breath: inhale to expand, exhale to deepen.

Why This Workout Works

  • Efficient: Maximizes effort in minimal time
  • Scalable: Adjust intensity without breaking flow
  • Balanced: Strength and mobility together, so you leave energized, not depleted

This is more than just “burning off” holiday indulgence. This is about training smarter, enjoying your effort, and maintaining your body through a busy season.

Slay Both

Naughty or Nice? Don’t choose — SLAY BOTH!

Train hard. Stretch with intention. Repeat.

This Total Gym strength and flexibility routine wraps both into one holiday-ready session, keeping your body strong, flexible, and moving well season after season.

Happy Holiday to you!

Maria

@groovysweat

(Let’s connect on social)

The post A Total Gym Holiday Workout appeared first on Total Gym Pulse.

Fat Loss: What You Need to Know

fat loss

Losing fat is sought after by many people in the world, not only bodybuilders. This is understandable, as there is a lot of obesity, especially in America. There are a million different fat loss schemes and hacks out there, but most of them are not telling the truth. We are going to debunk some myths regarding fat loss, and tell you what you need to know.

The topics include spot reduction of fat, nutrition and training for fat loss, and …

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Holiday Travel Workout Tips

Make Holiday Travel “Work-Out” Without the Total Gym

Maria Sollon, MS, CSCS, PES

Holiday travel reshapes schedules and surroundings, and training is often the first routine to slip. Between family visits, seasonal commitments, and end-of-year vacations, many people find themselves without access to a home gym.

Consistent training is not defined by equipment, but by intention and movement quality. When the Total Gym stays home, its principles still apply. With a yoga mat, a small area of floor, and purposeful exercise selection, you can maintain strength, mobility, and mental clarity throughout the holidays and into the New Year.

Travel Workout Ideas

These strategies are designed to keep you moving no matter where your travels take you. They are not a formal workout but a toolkit to maintain strength, mobility, and momentum when a home gym isn’t available.

  1. Living-Room Strength
    Bodyweight squats, push-ups, hinges, and pulls that mirror Total Gym mechanics through tempo, angles, and control.
  2. 10-Minute Full-Body Circuits
    Short, efficient circuits that build strength and elevate heart rate—perfect for busy holiday schedules.
  3. Core Without Crunches
    Standing and floor-based core work inspired by Total Gym stabilization principles for real-world strength.
  4. Mobility Between Moments
    Simple mobility flows to counter long drives, flights, and sitting helps keep joints healthy and mobile.
  5. Hotel-Room Stability Sessions
    Low-impact sequences that reinforce balance, posture, and control in small spaces.
  6. The Daily Movement Commitment
    One intentional session per day (5 to 20 minutes) to maintain consistency without pressure.
  7. The New-Year Bridge
    These workouts aren’t placeholders. They’re the connection that keeps momentum alive so January feels like a continuation, not a reset.

The Holiday Travel Workout Challenge

These exercises travel with you. Use them on travel days, between family plans, or while on vacation through the New Year. Whether you’re in a hotel room, a family living room, or a vacation rental, the structure takes the guesswork out of creating a workout while you’re away, allowing you to keep moving wherever you are. Consistency comes from showing up, not from having the perfect setup.

Direction Options:

  • Begin with a dynamic warm-up to prepare your muscles, and finish with light stretching to support recovery.
  • Perform the exercises for repetitions, timed intervals, or weave them into other routines.
  • Mix and match the movements in any combination that works for you best!
  • Add your own variations to keep the workout challenging and aligned with how your body feels that day.
  • To further challenge your muscles, additional movement ideas are available on my YouTube channel: @groovysweat 

Focus: Total Gym–Inspired | Bodyweight | Anywhere

Equipment: mat, timer APP (if timing exercises), space to move, good tunes!

Bodyweight Exercise List:

  1. Squats & Pulses (Option: Knee Up Twist)
  2. Quadruped Hip Circles (both directions & both sides)
  3. Forearm Plank – Superman
  4. Crab Dip Pulses (Advanced: single leg)
  5. Bicycle (bent knees or straight legs)

Check out the video to see a demonstration of these bodyweight exercises.

Strength is portable. With intention, a few simple tools, and the willingness to move, you can maintain motion wherever you are. Keep showing up, finish the year strong, and carry that momentum into the New Year.

Happy Holidays,

Maria

@groovysweat

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What Does A Pre-workout Do?

What does a pre-workout do?

Physical health and fitness have now become a primary concern for many people. It is so as the pandemic has made it clear for most of us that regular exercise, workout, gym, and everything is the key to long life and for the disease-free body. But there are some differences in certain things that we do need to understand.

Regular physical activity and proper exercise are things that will keep your body maintained.

They will help you in keeping your …

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Boring But Big: A High-Intensity Workout

As bodybuilders, we often find ourselves stuck in routines—sometimes they feel productive, but other times, they can be downright boring. That’s where the “Boring But Big” philosophy comes into play. Developed as a high-volume training approach, Boring But Big encourages lifters to put their egos aside, focus on consistency, and genuinely put in the work.

Today, we’re applying this mindset to a high-intensity leg workout designed to sculpt and strengthen your lower body while also reminding you that true gains …

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How to Create a Vision Board to Keep You Focused On Your Fitness Journey

how to create a vision board

Lack of motivation and negative thinking are two of the main culprits behind fitness failure. But, simply repeating to yourself “mind over matter” might not be enough to keep you focused and motivated. What can you do to reach your fitness goals? Maybe you should look into how to create a vision board?

Breaking down bigger goals into smaller wins, educating yourself, and finding guidance can help. But creating a vision board remains one of the most powerful strategies to …

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Essential Workout Supplements: Everything You Need to Know

essential workout supplements

Besides the nutrients we get from our food, there are a plethora of supplements to choose from. These include multivitamins, fish oil capsules, protein powder, creatine, and so on. One trainer tells you to take creatine everyday, while another swears by fish oil capsules. In this article we are going to explore the essential workout supplements for general health and our metabolic processes. Additionally, what to look out for when you purchase them.

Should I Take Multivitamins If I Workout?

…

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Shopping For Supplements: What to Keep in Mind

shopping for supplements

It can be really tricky to choose the right supplement. There are so many diverse supplements available in the market that it becomes easy to select the right one for you. For this, you need to consider a number of things. Whether you buy from an online store or you visit your local market to buy one, you need to research it thoroughly by looking at the effectiveness of the supplement and its reviews. Moreover, is it cost-effective or …

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