It is absolutely essential to have fitness goals. For some, it can be anything from losing weight to gaining strength; others aim to raise the bar in terms of their conditioning level and overall stature. In order to achieve this, you have to put in the work and pushing yourself to the limit every time. Workout Magazine lists nine motivational tips that will help improve your approach toward this difficult yet rewarding venture including pressing topics such as making time to workout as well as changing up your routine to combat boredom.
Sometimes, however, inspiration can come in the form of real life role models or fictional characters who acts as the perfect fitness icons to aspire to be like. It can be someone like former NSYNC member Justin Timberlake or even an iconic video game character such as Lara Croft.
Lara Croft is a timeless fictional character that plays the lead part in one of the best-selling, most highly acclaimed video game franchises of all time, Tomb Raider. She has come a long way from being a pixelated femme fatale of the late ‘90s, to becoming a more refined representation of girl power.
Croft has an image of a beautiful, intelligent, and athletic archeologist-turned-adventurer. She has been transformed into this global icon that actresses such as Angelina Jolie have portrayed and Alicia Vikander will soon play in the new Tomb Raider movie which will be released later this year. Impressively, this same franchise has made its way into the online world with its own officially licensed Tomb Raider slots game, showing that it is still very much relevant in pop culture especially with the upcoming movie release also on its way.
In essence, Lara Croft is a relatable character many people recognize and follow. Above all else, she is a positive role model for change, which is why many look up to the character as a true fitness icon – regardless of whether she is digital or not. That being said, here is a simple bodyweight workout plan for various levels inspired by Lara Croft.
Strength-Building
For Beginners:
10 reps of band-assisted chin-ups for three sets
10 reps of kneeling push-ups for three sets
10 reps of air squats for three sets
25 reps of ab crunches for three sets
For Intermediate:
15 reps of band-assisted chin-ups for three sets
15 reps of kneeling push-ups for three sets
15 reps of air squats for three sets
30 reps of scissor crunches for three sets
For Advanced:
10 reps of pull-ups for three sets
10 reps of push-ups for three sets
10 reps of tuck jumps for three sets
30-second plank for three sets
For Lara Crofts:
15 reps of towel pull-ups for four to five sets
15 reps of clap push-ups for four to five sets
15 reps of tuck jumps for four to five sets
30-second hollow holds for four to five sets
Conditioning
For Beginners:
40 to 45 minutes of outdoor brisk walking. It is important to keep your heart rate up at all times.
For Intermediate:
40 to 45 minutes of light jogging. You can divide this say one-minute steady-paced jog, followed by a four-minute brisk walk; it is up to you.
For Advanced:
Developing speed is critical, as there is no definite time frame for this. The key is to run as fast as you can for 15 seconds and then gear down to a steadier pace for 45 seconds, repeat as many sets as possible.
For Lara Crofts:
This is practically the same as the previous level, only this time you should incorporate 10 burpees after every set. If it proves to be too difficult, you can always do either 15 jump squats, or 15 tuck jumps, or even 10 push-ups.
