Workout Wednesday!

This is what I've been up to lately. It's a slight variation on an old Todd workout I've posted before, but I've found that the two additions (planks and burpees) have really upped the level of soreness the day after I do this routine. Plus it's over in like 20 minutes and who doesn't love doing this workout at 6pm, showering and plunking down on the sofa to watch Wheel of Fortune?

15 push-ups. I have a hard time doing all 15 in standard push up form (I blame my super long body and in no way think it's because I'm a total sissy), but knee push ups are too easy, so I like to do push ups off the stability ball, where I roll onto the ball, on my stomach, and rest with my pelvis on the ball. I go slow and low with my push ups and doing this ensures soreness the next day.
15 crunches on a stability ball, like so: crunch up part way, pause, then crunch up a bit further, hold, then go down. The higher your butt is, the harder they will be. And you don't need to crunch up a whole lot because then you're going to rely partly on momentum and not just your abs.
1 minute plank. An old Pilates instructor noted in class that planks actually seem easier if you've just worked out your abs. Last night I realized this is still true; I did a plank in this order, and then during my second round I did the plank between the pushups and the crunches and was like, ugh, death.
15 tricep chair dips. Todd does his with his feet on one chair and then dips down off another but I always feel like I'm going to fall off and/or break something like a chair or my spine. My energy and focus are screwed up at that point so I sit on a chair, put my feet on the floor far away from the chair, take my ass off the chair and dip down.
15 fold out crunches. Lie on your back, hands behind your head, shoulders off the ground, knees up, shins parallel to the floor. Slowly lower your shoulders and head while simultaneously stretching out your legs straight as possible, all while keeping your low back pressed to the floor. If your lower back rises, extend your legs a bit higher, at an angle, but do straighten them.
15 squats with medicine ball. Squat down while holding a medicine ball. Pause, bounce the ball hard as you can against the floor, then rise up, lifting the ball directly over your head until your arms are straight. To make it harder, when you rise up, do so on your tippy-toes.
10 burpees. Squat down, put your palms on the floor and in an explosive movement, jump your feet back so you're in push-up position. Bring your feet back to the squat position, stand and jump. I'm happy to say that after a few weeks of doing this routine I can do all ten burpees without pausing after jumping up, and can now jump up and land back in a squat to start my next burpee.

Repeat sequence two more times.

Variation to crunches. The second round I do this to my crunches: crunch up, twist upper body left, then right, then crunch down. Make sure you're twisting your body using muscle strength and not momentum.

The third and final round I do this: crunch up high, pause, then lower halfway down, pause, and then go all the way down.