If you ask your friends and family about their New Year’s resolutions, we’re willing to bet many of them will say getting more exercise.
Even if it’s a conventional choice, exercise is the most popular New Year's resolution for a reason. Getting active offers tremendous benefits for your mental and physical health, so setting a fitness goal in the new year is always worth striving for.
Of course, resolutions are always easier said than done. Knowing how to start and sticking to your commitment can feel daunting, but we're here to help. Whether you are just starting out, looking to upgrade your routine, or training for a marathon, having a well-rounded collection of effective workouts will be key to your success.
Here at Asphalt Green, nothing makes us happier than helping our community members reach their fitness goals. So, we put together a list of some of our favorite workouts we recommend you try in 2024:
1. TRX Rows
TRX (Total Resistance Exercise) is a set of hanging straps designed to leverage your body weight through various workouts. One of the most popular TRX exercises is rows, which target all the muscles in your upper back while engaging your biceps and core. Since TRX adjusts to your strength, TRX rows let beginners work out their back even if they lack the strength to do a pull-up.
TRX Rows can also help improve your posture and core stability, which can help with injury prevention and improve your day-to-day comfort.
You can access TRX Straps at our Upper East Side and Battery Park City fitness centers. To learn more about how to use TRX on your own, check out our beginner’s guide.
2. Hip Thrusts
Hips don't lie! Hip thrusts target the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and core. Hip thrusts can be performed with a mat and your own body weight or with free weights or a machine for greater resistance.
Hip thrusts are an essential lower-body workout that strengthens the muscles we rely on most for movement. As a result, adding hip thrusts to your routine can boost athletic performance and help you move throughout the day pain-free.
Check out our hip-thrust machine at our Upper East Side campus fitness center and give it a try using our beginner’s guide!
3. Plank Variations
Planks are one of the most versatile and practiced core exercises, making them an AB-solute must for your routine. With countless variations like reverse planks, side planks, walking planks, and more, plank workouts allow you to adjust to your own skill level and target specific muscles within your core.
By strengthening all the muscles in your core, planks can improve your stability, reduce your risk of back pain, and improve your posture. In addition, they can help you build a foundation that will serve all your athletics goals.
4. LAT Pulldowns:
LAT pulldowns primarily target the broadest muscles in your back- the latissimus dorsi muscle. They also engage the biceps, rear deltoids, and forearm muscles.
LAT pulldowns are an excellent option for those looking to build muscle mass and a wider frame or those who struggle with traditional pull-ups. In addition, strengthening your back muscles can improve your posture and overall upper body strength to make you more comfortable each day.
5. Deadlifts
Deadlifts can be the MVP of your workout routine, engaging the hamstrings, glutes, lower back, quads, core, and forearms in a singular motion.
Adding deadlifts to your workout can improve your strength and stability throughout your entire body. For beginners, this can ease everyday movements and help build muscle. For advanced athletes, deadlifts are key to injury prevention and boosting overall performance.
6. Box Jumps
For any athlete looking to work on their explosiveness, box jumps are a dynamite exercise. Box jumps strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calf muscles while improving your stability and coordination.
For runners, basketball players, soccer players, and many others, box jumps can offer you the agility and power you need to take your game to the next level.
7. Tricep Dips
Dips are a go-to arm workout for any skill level that targets the muscles on the back of the upper arms while engaging your chest and shoulders. Dips can add muscle mass and definition to your upper body and improve your arm flexibility.
Dips also come in handy when you don’t have time to hit the gym; All you need is a parallel platform like a bench or a secure chair.
As you get further along your journey, you can challenge yourself by adding weight or adjusting the angle of your dips for greater resistance.
8. Push Up Variations
While the bench press and chest machine sometimes get all the glory, push-up variations should never be overlooked. Push-ups require no equipment or facility and target the chest, triceps, shoulders, and core muscles in a singular movement.
The endless variations of push-ups also allow you to target specific groups of muscles. For example, wide-grip push-ups work more on the chest, while a diamond grip emphasizes the triceps.
No matter what you’re striving for this year, pushups can provide the foundational upper-body strength you need to get there.
Make the Most of Your Workouts with NYC’s Best Personal Trainers
You don’t have to take on your 2024 fitness journey alone. Our nationally accredited personal trainers work with you to put together a training plan tailored to your interests and goals. Or, you can sign up for any of our 80+ weekly group exercise classes where you can strive for greatness alongside other members of our supportive community!
We can’t wait to see what you accomplish this year!