9. 4 rounds {60 s each of 3 different exercises + 30 s rest}

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These will cover just about any daily workout that appears on our group class schedule (available on our twitter feed) or from a workout program that has been designed specifically for you after you have learned here.  If you have a question about completing a specific workout routine to use with one of these mp3 files, just send an email.

To download the workouts below in your browser :

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2. 10 rounds {60 s on + 30 s off}

3. 11 rounds {60 s on + 20 s off}

4. 12 rounds {60 s on + 15 s off}

5. 5 double sets {2 min on + 30 s off}

6. 6 double sets {2 min on + 30 s off}

7. 20 half rounds {30 s on + 15 s off}

8. 5 full rounds {60 s on + 30 s off} + 10 half rounds {30 s on + 15 s off}

(updated 7/25/10: files have been renumbered for clarity when a specific file is recommended to you by your trainer. #1 appears in an earlier post)

1. Foot Placement

First, your feet must be hip width apart. With feet separated the correct amount, your legs will be parallel with knees straight over ankles from the front view. If you place feet too wide, knees pinch in.  If you place feet too close,  your knees flare out.  Both can cause knee discomfort and change the distribution of weight in your leg muscles, making it less challenging.

This is the correct foot placement/leg spacing for every single O15 exercise, whether standing, seated, lying on your back, bent over, etc.  When doing the chest press or crucifixion with the legs in the air for example, it will look like this:

2. Knee Angle

In the wall sit, your knees must always be a straight line down to your ankles from the side view as well.  When you are at the lowest position (a 90 degree angle) this is easy to eyeball:

If it gets too difficult from this low position and you must slide up along the wall, you can’t keep your feet in the same spot or they will now be further forward than your knees.  You will eventually feel the exercise in your knees like this.  As you move up the wall, you must walk your feet backwards until there is again a straight line from knees down to ankles:

Side View : Knees Over Ankles When >90°

3. Foot Movement

Once you have your feet placed at the proper width for your body & straight under your knees, you need to keep your feet flat and level on the ground to maintain this position. There are two ways people mistakenly move the feet: changing the angle of the foot or placing weight unevenly on sides of feet.

a.) Angle : Moving the angle of the foot by rotating the toes outward or inward moves the knees in the same way as a wrong foot placement. Standing  pigeon toed pinches knees in while standing duck footed flares knees out.

Foot Angle

b.) Weight Placement : You want to distribute your weight evenly through the width of your foot.  If you overpronate, you push more weight towards your instep, which pinches your knees together.  If you supinate, you push too much weight to the outer edge of your feet, flaring your knees out.

Many people make this mistake when lifting the toes.  When you are instructed to “lift your toes” you should only lift the toes, not the ball of the foot (metatarsus) as well.  An advanced client can lift the ball of the foot and keep the feet level, but most people move or rotate the feet when they do this. If you imagine your foot making a triangle where the outermost bones (1st & 5th metatarsals) in the ball of the foot are the base of a triangle and your heel is the point of the triangle, you will have an easy time keeping your feet flat and knees stable before lifting your toes.

• A floor
• A wall
• A door frame
• A seat :
  • small stool
  • chair
  • coffee table
  • ottoman
• Mirror:
  • wall mirror nearby
  • Best option – over the door mirror to borrow and move around based on which exercise you are doing
  • Mirrors are important when learning, but once you are a master, you will feel when you are out of position and can get by without one if you are traveling and away from your usual setup.
• Weights:
  • A couple light and medium dumbbells, preferably 3 lb, 5 lb, 8 lb, 10 lb, 15 lb, and 20 lb.  If you have more, that’s fine.
  • You can also do with less by adding mini breaks of 5 seconds at a time in the set to readjust and be able to continue with the heavier weights.
  • If you happen to have bars, you can use those for many exercises, the most useful being a 30 lb barbell and an 18 lb (commonly sold) or 20 lb barbell.  If you have the corresponding dumbbells though, no need to go out and get barbells just because.
• Sticks:
  • Mandatory – A small stick around 20″ long. The stick is to keep your spine in the straight alignment when there is no wall or floor to use as a guide, such as in the pushup exercise or the bentover row.
    • You will want to lightly sand away any splintery spots if using newly cut wood.
    • If you put 3M tread tape on the back (it’s like sandpaper), it’s a big help so that it doesn’t slide and move around on your back.
    • You could also completely wrap the stick & ends in duct tape, keeping any splintery spots away and also providing a non-slip surface in place of using the no-slip tape.
  • We prefer sticks that are narrow to align with the spine and fit between shoulder blades.
    • 1.5 inches square around or 1 inch by 1.5 inches.  Whichever narrow width you find is fine.
  • Any lumber yard at Home Depot, Lowes, or a local lumber yard will have very cheap wood available and they will cut it for you.
  • Most places also have a scrap bin by the cutting station where you can find leftover pieces.  You might even find a piece exactly the size you need.
  • If not and you have to buy a full 6 or 8 foot length (usually for under $2) that they will then cut for you, ask for one 20″ long and one 28″ long (or 30″ long if you are taller) so that you have one for the back and one to use as a cane for some of the other exercises.
    • If you buy an 8 foot piece of lumber, those 96 inches are exactly two 20″ sticks and two 28″ canes with no scrap leftover. (20 + 20 + 28 + 28 = 96 inches)
    • The cane isn’t necessary and most people at home use a kitchen towel rolled up and pulled wide, but if they’re cutting the wood for you, you may as well.  It will allow you to catch your fall on some exercises and can be useful.
• Balls:
  • Balls for the knees and feet are optional but helpful.  They are not weighted and not to be squeezed, but simply hold the space between legs evenly hip width apart.
  • Choose a ball that separates your knees without flaring the knees out so much that the legs are not parallel lines.
  • Average size is 6″ diameter.
• Time Keeper:
  • A face clock to follow the time and breathing.
  • If you use the DVD, the clock isn’t necessary because the instructed workouts will follow the breathing for you.
  • Audio files to play on iPod or stereo coach the breathing and remind you of some of the basics that are the same regardless of exercise.  This is available for download in the Resources section.

For those of you who already do O15, whether you are/were a client or if you just bought the DVD, we will be adding supplemental materials to help you in your fitness goals!  Projects include mp3 files of audio workouts, features on new exercises and variations, tutorials on basics of the posture, troubleshooting incorrect posture, etc.

For those who have yet to try O15 or those who have but would like to learn more about how it works, we will also be adding information and sources on the latest fitness news and research as it applies to O15.

If you have something you would like to see here, let us know!

This file runs through a workout of 10 sets of 60 seconds with 20 second rests in between sets.

1. Audio Workout 1 = 10 rounds {60 s on + 20 s off}

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