Tag: Core

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Abs Burner


Try this quick abs workout at home.  It takes about ten minutes and there’s no equipment needed.  Your goal is to complete the entire workout with minimal rest.  Good luck!

30 Bicycle Crunches (each side)

5 Hip Raises (shown above)

25 Bicycle Crunches

10 Hip Raises

20 Bicycle Crunches

15 Hip Raises

15 Bicycle Crunches

20 Hip Raises

10 Bicycle Crunches

25 Hip Raises

5 Bicycle Crunches

30 Hip Raises

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10 Minute Circuit

Try this workout at home or in the gym.  It only takes 10 minutes and it’s sure to burn some calories and work your upper body.

5 Dumbbell Shoulder Presses (10-25lbs)

10 Pushups

15 Bicycle Crunches Each Side

Repeat this circuit every minute on the minute for 10 minutes straight.  If you get behind just continue to complete the circuits until you’ve finished all ten.  Good luck!

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A New Format For Your Workouts

Looking for a way to add change to your routine?  Consider implementing this new format into your next workout.  Take anywhere from six to ten exercises of your choice and create a timed circuit.  Spend one minute doing each exercise until you’ve completed the entire circuit.  Upon completion of the first round, eliminate the first exercise that you did and complete the rest of the circuit again.  Continue this pattern until you get down to the last exercise.  Complete that exercise alone for one minute and finish with a cool down and stretch!

For added intensity, shoot to complete 7 exercises in 30 minutes or less, or 10 exercises in 60 minutes or less.  Also take into consideration whether you want to make the circuit strength or cardio based or if you want to include both.  This can be completed as an upper, lower, core, or total body workout.  Good luck!

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The 500 Challenge

Consider modeling your next workout with this blueprint.  Decide whether you want to do a total body workout or just one or two muscle groups.  Choose 10 different exercises that fit into your routine for the day and then complete one set of 50 repetitions for each exercise. Choose your weights wisely and stick with what you pick.  If you can’t complete 50 reps at once then take as many small breaks as needed until you finish your set.  You may up your weight if it feels too easy, but do not go down in weight if you can help it.  Once you finish your 10 exercises you will have done 500 repetitions.  For added intensity shoot to finish this workout in 30 minutes or less.  Good luck!

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The Power of the Medicine Ball

Consider making a medicine ball your next fitness equipment purchase.  There are a ton of exercises that can be done with a medicine ball, especially now that the weather is nice!  Aside from using it in place of a weight to do exercises like shoulder presses and triceps extensions, medicine balls can be thrown, bounced, and balanced on for high intensity core work.  Try chest passes, overhead throws, and oblique twist and tosses with an 8-15lb ball.  Consider trying a set of pushups with your hands or feet on the ball.  Finally, add a medicine ball to any abs exercise for a higher level of difficulty and increased burn.  
If you’re looking for something new to add difficulty to your workout routine look into purchasing a medicine ball from any sporting goods store.  A new addition to your fitness equipment could be just what you need to regain excitement in your workouts and avoid hitting a plateau.  Search “medicine ball workouts” on YouTube for ideas on where to start!
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Incorporate the Bosu Ball During Your Next Workout!

If you’re looking for a way to switch things up in the gym consider incorporating a BOSU ball into your regular lifting routine.  You can stand on either side of a BOSU and perform curls, triceps extensions, shoulder presses and more while getting a great core workout at the same time!  You can lay flat on the rounded side of the BOSU and complete chest presses and flies, or you can perform plank holds and pushups with your hands and/or feet/knees on a BOSU ball for increased difficulty.  Try crunches on the BOSU for increased abs strength, or simply practice balancing on a BOSU with one foot at a time to strengthen weak ankles.  Lunges and squats can be performed on a BOSU ball as well, and the possibility for cardio and plyometrics on a BOSU are endless.
Next time you’re in the gym give it a shot.  Incorporating the BOSU is a great way to enhance muscle confusion as well as build core strength and stability.  If you feel as if you’re in the habit of doing the same exercises all the time, add a BOSU to your routine for a slight change in intensity!
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Rock the Plank!

Take some time out of your Tuesday to see how long you can sustain a plank hold with good form.  Make sure your hips are parallel with the ground and you’re taking deep breaths in and out as you hold the position.  Write down your time and make it your goal to improve on it little by little.  If you can hold it for 30 seconds today, make it your goal to improve to 32 seconds tomorrow.  With a two second increase each day, you’re looking at adding almost 30 more seconds to your plank by the end of the month.  Good luck rocking the plank!
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Crunch Time…

…and no I’m not talking about the Cap’n!  Take time out of your day to do 100 crunches.  They don’t have to be done all at once.  It could be two sets of 50, four sets of 25, or even ten sets of ten.  Just take the time to do some physical activity that may have not gotten done otherwise.  This will take less than five minutes out of your day, SO DO IT!!!
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The 3 Key Factors in Getting Closer to a 6 pack

With spring and summer creeping closer, wouldn’t it be nice to have a flat stomach this year at the beach?  It seems like a ton of people set goals to trim down their waist and get lean for the summer months.  Unfortunately, most of them didn’t get the memo that doing a trillion sit-ups won’t bring them any closer to their dream of a six pack.  In this post I will share the three key factors in attaining that beach body.
#1 Proper Diet
I know, I know, this is exactly what you DID NOT want to hear.  Unfortunately it’s true, don’t count on transforming your stomach and losing inches from your waist if you’re not watching what you eat.  While turning your diet completely around may seem unrealistic, at the very least you need to become aware of the flaws in your diet and make some positive changes.  Cut down on the bad carbs if you can’t cut them out completely.  Stop eating carbohydrates after dinner.  Make sure you’re eating often enough (eating every three hours will help speed up your metabolism).  Cut down your portion sizes if you feel like that would help.  Finally, consider logging your food online for a day just to see how many calories you are accustomed to eating.  Chances are, seeing that number will spark an effort to make some changes.
#2 Cardio
One of the most overlooked factors in attaining that goal of a flat stomach is cardio.  Yes, cardio.  I know it sucks, but how do you think you’re going to lose the fat that’s currently hiding your six pack potential? Add an extra hour of cardio to your weekly workout routine.  Once this becomes the norm add some more.  Make sure you’re switching up the type of cardio you do.  If you’re used to going to the gym and heading straight for the treadmill or track try a spinning or kickboxing class instead.  If you prefer the cardio machines then challenge yourself to pick a different program.  Try the random, or interval program on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical.  You’ll be surprised at what a difference it makes in your workout.  
#3 Crunches, Not Sit-Ups
One of the biggest misconceptions in the realm of fitness is that sit-ups will get you a flat stomach.  If you have something or someone holding your feet down while you’re completing your set of sit-ups then you are actually working your hip flexors more than your abs.  Rather than full sit-ups, consider trying smaller crunches.  Focus on curling up with a smaller range of motion so that the top of your abdomen get closer to your belly button.  Try curling up at an angle to include your obliques in the exercise.  Finally, consider things like hanging knee raises or reverse crunches to hit those lower abs.
The most important thing to remember is that crunches will only strengthen your abs.  Working alone, they will not get you that beach body physique.  However, it is important to build strength.  Not only will strengthening speed up your metabolism, but together, with a proper diet and cardiovascular exercise regimen, it will be the factor that matters most after you shed the fat!