Jillian Michaels Shares Her Top Three Exercises For 2018
January 18, 2018Jillian Michaels is getting back to basics.
The fitness expert stopped by PEOPLE Now to share her three favorite exercises for the new year. Her picks? The classics: jumping jacks, lunges and push-ups.
For each move, Michaels explains the importance of correct form as well as how to adapt the exercise to your skill level while keeping it as effective as possible.
“How do we take any exercise and not be intimated by it, and what kind of exercises can we do any place, anytime, anywhere?” says the trainer in the above video, before demonstrating examples.
Jumping Jacks
“Basic cardio” is how Michaels describes jumping jacks, showing off three different modifications of the classic exercise, including jump-jack squats for people who want the extra challenge. “It adds a little more resistance.”
Lunges
“You think these things are basic, you’d think they would be super easy, but everyone does them wrong,” she says. The key, Michaels explains, is to not let your hip open. For proper form, keep hips square to prevent the knee from turning in. To make them harder, “add weights, or jump it out,” says Michaels.
Push-Ups
“Push-ups are great because they work your core, your quads, your chest, your triceps,” says Michaels. For beginners, she suggests dropping to the knees to keep proper form. And an important tip, she emphasizes, is to position elbows over wrists and near your body, and to shift forward before you drop down.