More Cool Exercises for You!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
As you are all so very aware, I love to mix it up with my workout program. This means changing up the cardio, weights & core/ab exercises. I love to keep the body guessing!!! So, with that said, here a few more things for you to try at the gym or at home.
CORE/ABS:
Stability Ball Pike or roll-up with hands on the dome side of a BOSU balance trainer. Check out these two links for how to do a stability ball pike & a stability ball roll-up. When you do these, really dig deep for the mind/muscle link so that it is your lower abs pulling that ball in more than your feet & that you go back down into a proper form plank. Once you have this down, try them with your hands on the dome side of a BOSU. Man, I just started doing these & love them. Once you get this down, then try with your hands on the flat side & the dome to the floor. Much harder so you may want to try just balancing in a plank position first before you try the pike or roll-up with hands on the flat side.
Stability Ball Ab Crunch: Click on link to see the move. When you do this move, feel free to use a smaller ball if necessary & only lower your legs as low as the point where you can keep your back engaged to the floor or mat. Also, if you squeeze the ball, you will work your inner thighs too!
Seated Russian Twist: Click on the link to see this in mid point action. Now, you can lean back a bit more with PROPER form to make it harder OR lift your legs. Now to make this different, you can hold a light weight or ball (which you might know already). Here is my little twist on this. When you move your hands from side to side, try making that move more an arc out on front of you OR straighten your arms out and twist from side to side with arms straight out in front of the chest. BOTH THE ARC AND STRAIGHT ARMS WILL FEEL DIFFERENT. I actually lean back on the back extension at the gym & do the straight arm version!
GLUTES, Better known as the Butt or Booty:
2 Minute Tush toner from Shape - Pretzel Lift: This is an interesting take on this move & can be done at home too! For more at home moves, check out this post from Kristi of Summer Fitness.
Step-Ups: Now this move can be done on a step like in the link picture or on a workout bench or with steps like you would use in a step class. You can also lift the non-working leg up at a 90 degree angle in front of you (more advanced). Here is my twist... not new but many people do not think to change it up like this. Instead of standing behind the bench or step, stand to the side of it & as you step up, kick the non-working leg out to the side in a controlled manner so that you are not only working the butt but the outer & inner thigh & medial glute too! With both versions, remember to push thru your heel when you step up!
OK, I have plenty more but will stop here for today!!!! Picture above is from the Critical Bench website & I thought the women would enjoy it. Maybe some men too! Do check out the other exercises with the stability ball. I do a lot of them & it is great for changing up the routine! Also, be careful of the stability balls per my post of April 29th and Cranky Fitness wrote about it today.
NEW ADDITION TO MY SIDEBAR: You can now search for older posts. Go to the bottom of my green sidebar. The advanced search will allow you more options!
As you are all so very aware, I love to mix it up with my workout program. This means changing up the cardio, weights & core/ab exercises. I love to keep the body guessing!!! So, with that said, here a few more things for you to try at the gym or at home.CORE/ABS:
Stability Ball Pike or roll-up with hands on the dome side of a BOSU balance trainer. Check out these two links for how to do a stability ball pike & a stability ball roll-up. When you do these, really dig deep for the mind/muscle link so that it is your lower abs pulling that ball in more than your feet & that you go back down into a proper form plank. Once you have this down, try them with your hands on the dome side of a BOSU. Man, I just started doing these & love them. Once you get this down, then try with your hands on the flat side & the dome to the floor. Much harder so you may want to try just balancing in a plank position first before you try the pike or roll-up with hands on the flat side.
Stability Ball Ab Crunch: Click on link to see the move. When you do this move, feel free to use a smaller ball if necessary & only lower your legs as low as the point where you can keep your back engaged to the floor or mat. Also, if you squeeze the ball, you will work your inner thighs too!
Seated Russian Twist: Click on the link to see this in mid point action. Now, you can lean back a bit more with PROPER form to make it harder OR lift your legs. Now to make this different, you can hold a light weight or ball (which you might know already). Here is my little twist on this. When you move your hands from side to side, try making that move more an arc out on front of you OR straighten your arms out and twist from side to side with arms straight out in front of the chest. BOTH THE ARC AND STRAIGHT ARMS WILL FEEL DIFFERENT. I actually lean back on the back extension at the gym & do the straight arm version!
GLUTES, Better known as the Butt or Booty:
2 Minute Tush toner from Shape - Pretzel Lift: This is an interesting take on this move & can be done at home too! For more at home moves, check out this post from Kristi of Summer Fitness.
Step-Ups: Now this move can be done on a step like in the link picture or on a workout bench or with steps like you would use in a step class. You can also lift the non-working leg up at a 90 degree angle in front of you (more advanced). Here is my twist... not new but many people do not think to change it up like this. Instead of standing behind the bench or step, stand to the side of it & as you step up, kick the non-working leg out to the side in a controlled manner so that you are not only working the butt but the outer & inner thigh & medial glute too! With both versions, remember to push thru your heel when you step up!
OK, I have plenty more but will stop here for today!!!! Picture above is from the Critical Bench website & I thought the women would enjoy it. Maybe some men too! Do check out the other exercises with the stability ball. I do a lot of them & it is great for changing up the routine! Also, be careful of the stability balls per my post of April 29th and Cranky Fitness wrote about it today.
NEW ADDITION TO MY SIDEBAR: You can now search for older posts. Go to the bottom of my green sidebar. The advanced search will allow you more options!
I'm lovin' your variation on the step-up. Now it'll be part of tomorrow morning's workout!
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Just did the pretzal in class and the russian twist last night. What I like to do is once their tushes are nice and crampy we then start doing a side kick without rest right after the pretzal. I am sure their butts are thanking or cursing me today. I also like to do my russian twists slow alternating then faster alternating the one side then the other. I have the girls in class hold a dumbbell or a medicine ball to add some weight.
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Josie, hope you like the different angle on the step-up
Kristi, thx for the tips to vary the pretzel & russian twist even more! Oh, the burn!
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