Tone Your Entire Body While You Brew Your Morning Coffee

Updated on 8/2/2017 at 2:30 PM

POPSUGAR Photography | Rima Brindamour

You know those mornings when you ignore your alarm and sleep through your workout? All is not lost! If you're an addict a fan of pour-over coffee, you can turn your brewing ritual into a full-body workout. Don't just stand there waiting for gravity to pull the water through the grounds; grab a set of 10-pound weights and strength-train in your kitchen. I've been doing this workout at least once a week (yeah, about once a week I blow off my workout but I make up for it during my brew time), and it keeps you moving. And when you're done, you're rewarded with coffee!

Directions:
Warm up while the water boils. No jumping needed! Plus, you don't want to wake your neighbors, roommates, partner, etc. Mix and match with moves like march with arms circles, walkouts, standing twists, leg swings, and shallow squats.

Use a set of five- to 10-pound dumbbells and do 10 reps of each exercise.

Squats with overhead press
Deadlift with upright row
Push-ups
Seated Russian twist
Side elbow plank with twist, 5 per side

I try to fit in a set with each pour — this might drag out the brewing process a bit, but we're multitasking here! I do about three pours per pot of coffee, so this turns into a three-set workout with mini breaks between sets.

Keep reading if you need a refresher for any of the moves.

Squat to Overhead Press

Stand with your legs just slightly wider than hip-distance apart, arms raised to shoulder height with elbows bent, holding weights by your ears.
Bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair, keeping weight on your heels.
Press the dumbbells overhead as you straighten your knees to return to standing.

Deadlift With Front Row

Stand upright holding your dumbbells in each hand, arms at your sides, with your knees slightly bent.
Keeping your arms straight and knees slightly bent, slowly hinge forward, bending at your hips (not your waist), lowering the weights as far as possible without rounding your back, which should remain straight.
Squeeze your glutes to return to sanding, keeping your back straight. Once you're standing, pull the weights up the front of your body, bringing them to your chin with elbows going wide. Lower the weights to complete one rep.

Work your shoulders and your backside with the double-duty combination move.

Basic Push-Up

A basic push-up, with the hands directly under the shoulders, is a challenge all on its own. Whether you do it with straight legs or knees on the floor, you'll strengthen and tone the muscles in your arms, upper back, and core.

Start in a plank position with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above your wrists.
Take a breath in, and as you exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your chest toward the ground. Stop as soon as your shoulders are in line with your elbows. Inhale to straighten the arms. This counts as one rep.
If this is too difficult, do this exercise with your knees on the floor.

Seated Russian Twist

Work your muffin top and tighten your core with this simple move.

Sit with your heels about two feet from your butt, holding a dumbbell at your chest. Keeping your back straight, lean your entire torso back a few inches. You should feel your abs working to keep you upright.
Without rounding your spine, rotate your ribcage to the left, then return to center to twist to the right. This completes one rep.

Elbow Plank With a Twist

Start in side elbow plank on your right side with your feet stacked.
Place your left arm behind your head, and inhale to prepare.
Exhale, engage the deep abs, and rotate your left rib cage toward the floor bringing your left elbow to your right hand. Hold this a moment, twisting further to deepen your abdominal connection by pulling your navel in toward your spine.