Venus Williams is getting creative with her home workouts, and we're all invited along for the ride. The tennis star is taking to Instagram Live to share daily at-home workouts, filming at her own house and swapping dumbbells for household items like water jugs and Champagne bottles. (Yes, you're free to pop a couple corks and toast yourself afterwards.) She released her first quick, full-body routine on March 25, and of course we tuned in, followed along, and sweated through the nine simple but effective moves. Even Williams herself was dripping by the end!
Check out the full workout below and keep reading to see how to do each exercise. And if you want to work out with Williams yourself, the tennis legend is aiming to broadcast a workout daily at 12 p.m. ET on Instagram Live.
Equipment needed: Two pairs of dumbbells, one heavy and one light, or dumbbell substitutes like water jugs, water bottles, or wine bottles.
Directions: Start with a dynamic warmup, then do 10 reps of each exercise and three sets of each circuit. If needed, take a short break in between sets. Cool down with a stretching session when you're done.
Hold one weight with both hands, bending the elbows behind your head.
Straighten your arms to lift the weight into the air, then slowly bend the arms to lower.
This counts as one rep. Complete 10 reps.
3 / 9
4Circuit 2, Exercise 1: Lateral Arm Raise
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Stand with your feet-hip distance apart. Hold a weight in each hand so your palms face in toward the sides of your body.
With control, keep your arms straight (but don't lock the elbow), and as you inhale, raise your hands up toward the ceiling. You want your palms to be facing down and your arms to be parallel to the floor. Then, as you exhale, slowly lower your hands back to your body. You should be able to see your hands in your peripheral vision. Your arms won't be directly out to the side but slightly forward.
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Hold a weight in each hand so your hands are facing forward with your palms facing your thighs and each weight down in front of your legs.
Keep your torso straight and lift both arms up, keeping your elbows with a slight bend and your palms always facing down.
Continue to lift your arms until they are slightly parallel to the floor, about shoulder height.
With control, lower the weights down.
This counts as one rep. Complete 10 reps.
5 / 9
6Circuit 2, Exercise 3: Weighted Split Squat
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Stand with both feet together. Hold weights at your sides.
Take a step forward like you're going into a lunge, allowing the heel of your back foot to come off the ground.
Lower until your back knee almost hits the ground. Keep your torso straight and core engaged.
Drive through your feet to push back up to standing.
Lie on your back with bent knees and feet flat on the ground, and place your hands on opposite shoulders.
Keeping your heels on the ground and your toes flat to the ground, engage your abdominal muscles and gently lift your head first, followed by your shoulder blades, coming into a full sit-up position.
Hold the position for a second, and with control, come slowly back down to lying on your back.
This counts as one rep. Complete 10 reps.
7 / 9
8Circuit 3, Exercise 2: Seated Russian Twist
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Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about a foot from your butt.
Lean slightly back without rounding your spine at all. It is really important, and difficult, to keep your back straight, but don't let it curve.
Hold a weight just below your chest. Keep the weight close to you, and progress by moving the weight further away from your body.
Pull your navel to your spine, and twist slowly to the left. The movement is not large and comes from the ribs rotating, not from your arms swinging. Inhale through center, and rotate to the right.
This counts as one rep. Complete 10 reps.
8 / 9
9Circuit 3, Exercise 3: Weighted V-Up
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Lie flat on your back with your arms fully extended towards the ceiling, holding a weight in your hands.
Raise your legs straight up in the air so that the flats of your feet are facing the ceiling.
Keeping your arms straight (locked at the elbows), lift your shoulders off the mat, pushing the weight toward your feet. The crunch should feel like a small pulse upwards, coming from your core.
Lower your chest and shoulders back down, keeping your arms and legs extended towards the ceiling.
