On a whim, Leslie shot me with her iPhone on the streets of Mexico doing one of my favorite new ab exercises you can do ANYWHERE. All you need is a platform/box at least 4 inches from the ground. You’ll work your abs, shoulders, and chest.
Do this between lifting reps at the gym, in the middle of your work day to get your blood pumping (you won’t work up a sweat with this one, although it would be awkward to do in a skirt to say the least), or as part of an outdoor routine.
“Breaking Down The Workout” — Francesca Meccariello
Often we forget to incorporate balance into our workout. We stand up straight and do one movement. This dynamic exercise is a total body strengthening that revolves around your core (as most stability exercises do).
The Setup:
* Grab a light weight 3-5lbs.
* Stand with your feet together and engage your core.
The Movement:
1. Pull your navel to your spine and lower your arm in front of you as you let your chest descend forward.
2. As you raise your chest, instead of bringing your foot back to the starting position, step back into a lunge.
3. After you land and stabilize, curl the weight and then press it upwards.
4. Bring the weight down and step forward.
Form:
NEVER LET YOUR ABS GO, THEY WILL HOLD YOU STEADY!
Do 15 reps on each side, possibly in between your lifting sets.
While working your oblique muscles, this challenging exercise also helps improve shoulder stability and posture while even getting a bit of a hamstring stretch.
The Set Up:
Using a 2-6lb medicine ball lie down on your back with your legs fully extended.
Place your left heel on top of your right toes.
Hold the medicine ball in your right hand with your arm fully extended straight up.
The Movement:
Draw your navel in towards your spine, place your tongue on the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth (the natural place your tongue goes when you swallow).
Curl your upper body all the way up to sitting with spine straight and pushing the medball straight up toward the ceiling opening your chest.
Come back down slowly with navel drawn in tightly gently unrolling spine back to the floor. Exhale as you lift up, inhale as you lower back down.
Do 10-15 reps then switch feet and hold ball in the your left hand. 2 sets each side.
A note to beginners:
If holding the ball with one hand is too difficult hold it with two hands. If you cannot sit up all the way just get your shoulders up off the floor. The key is to keep your navel drawn in to help support your lower back. Do not plop your spine to the floor!
Want to intensify?
Super set this with a prone plank held for 30-45 seconds.
I learned this combo from “the little guy” in Mexico who taught the abs class at the gym. Juan and I were crying by the end of each 30 minute set.
Don’t rely on this solely for abs. The exercise needs to be used in the middle of your routine to give your abs a break but still keep them working while you blast out your booty.
The Set-Up:
Lay flat on the ground with knees bent and feet flat. Your hands rest by your side.
Straighten one leg on the ground.
Flex your foot.
Pull your navel to your spine.
The Movement:
Push through your heels to raise your hips up so your body is in a straight line.
At the same time, bring your straight leg perpendicular to the floor. Make sure to pull with your abs not your hip flexor.
As your hips reach the top, squeeze your butt.
Slowly lower your hips and leg down at the same time so they are an inch from the ground. Neither touch.
Repeat 10-15 times on each side. If you have been working legs or cardio on the same day, this is a good way to push those muscles to fatigue.
This move challenges your balance, speed and quickness while working your core, legs, hips and glutes. Please note, this is an intermediate exercise. You need to have a strong core to perform the movement safely.
The Set Up:
Be sure you have done a dynamic warm up to engage your nervous system prior to performing this intermediate/advanced exercise.
Stand with feet shoulder width apart holding a light medicine ball at your waist.
Retract your shoulders and engage your abdominal complex.
The Movement:
Step your left leg back into a straight leg lunge as you rotate your upper body with medicine ball toward the right leg.
As you step your left leg back up, drive your knee forward until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Rotate your upper body/medicine ball toward the up (left leg).
Repeat for 12-15 reps then switch sides. Do 2-3 sets.
I call this the Big Bang exercise! It challenges your stability, strengthens your core, helps your posture and burns tons of calories Don’t be fooled, it’s pretty tough….
The Set-Up:
Roll forward on the ball so that your shoulders and upper back are on the ball
Place your feet hip width or a little wider apart.
Stretch your arms out, palms up parallel to the floor.
Raise your hips parallel to the floor.
Hold your tongue on the roof of your mouth to relax and stabilize your neck.
The Move:
Keeping your hips and arms level/parallel with the floor, inhale and glide your upper body across the ball from right to left.
Do this exercise for time for 30-45 sec or until proper form can no longer be maintained. You can also change the tempo from slower to faster.
Be careful not to roll so far over that you cannot maintain stability. You will roll yourself right off the ball!
Form:
Hold your tongue on the roof of your mouth to relax and stabilize your neck.
Contract your glutes, and abs to keep your hips up and in alignment with the floor.
The tendency will be for one hip to drop as you shift from side to side.
Just lift your head momentarily to adjust and become level again.
Once you can do it well with your feet planted on the floor begin to practice shuffling your feet from one side to the other. Feel your obliques and glutes working.
This is a fantastic exercise to superset with a prone jackknife on the ball. If you’re not sure what that is I’ll show you next time J
This exercise works your shoulders, chest, obliques and legs and builds endurance. It also gets your heart rate up for an added cardiovascular benefit. Perform this exercise in between weight lifting reps to keep your heart rate up.
Set Up:
Begin in a push up position with wrists directly under your shoulders (or a little wider to make it easier).
Maintain a straight line from your head to talibone throughout the movement
Release your shoulders so they aren’t scrunched around your head.
Engage your abs.
The Movement:
Perform a push up.
Inhale down/exhale as you push up.
Once back up in the plank quickly bring your right then left foot in toward your chest and back kind of like you’re jogging.
Exhale as your knee comes up toward your chest.
Repeat- push up mountain climber for desired reps.
Form:
Keep your abs tight.
Butt stays in line with your back. Don’t let it sag.
Body is always parallel with the floor. No head diving!
Modifications would be to perform the push up on your knees then lift knees to perform the mountain climber.
Do 8-10 reps superset with 25 jumping jacks for 1-3 sets depending on your own fitness level.
Challenge your balance and upper body strength with this intermediate Swiss Ball exercise. The Swiss Ball pike will challenge and work your core, legs, back and shoulders. Tight hamstrings will inhibit the range of motion you’ll get on this exercise.
Setup:
Put your feet on the ball with your knees in.
Walk your hands out.
Form:
Hands go directly under your shoulders.
Start with your shoulders, back, butt, and feet in a straight line.
Abs are fully engaged at all times.
Legs are always straight.
Movement:
Take a deep breath
Contract your abdominals and quadriceps and as you exhale pike your butt up.
Bring your upper body perpendicular to the floor.
Lower down to plank position and repeat.
If your form is compromised you must stop! Safety first!!
You must have adequate upper body strength so I suggest you do this exercise toward the beginning of an upper body workout before your upper body becomes fatigued.
Finding the right ball:
Please make sure the ball you use is sturdy, properly inflated and made of the highest quality materials. The thicker the ball material is the better it is. The ones I recommend cost about $45 to $50. They are available at www.performbetter.com.
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