One of my 6 pack ab workouts for You
(Do all 6 for 30 seconds each. Do them immediately after each other. No resting. Once you have done all 6 exercises you can rest 30-60 sec, and repeat the whole group 4 more times.)
1. Floor Pikes- inverted:
Targets: Upper abs
Hands and toes on floor, facing the ground, while you body is in a upside down V shape. Bring your body parallel with the ground (use your abs to move through it).
Then Repeat.
2. Plank Pike-up or Ball Tuck
Targets: Abs and lower back
Lie with you thighs on top of ball, palms on floor aligned under shoulders, with your
abs engaged and head in line with spine.
Slowly roll ball toward body as you lift your legs up, forming an inverted V.
Hold for 1 count, then slowly roll back to start.
Do 10 to 12 reps.
3. Straight Leg Pendulum
Targets: Side abs
Lie with your back on the ground and lift your legs straight out, keeping your hands straight out away from your body with palms down. Bring your legs across your body, out in front of you, and keep them extended. Move them from the left to the right, SLOWLY, engaging your abs.
4. Medicine Ball Reach
Targets: Upper abs
Lie on your back with legs brought in towards u, in a V, with feet on the ground. Hold the ball while lying down, and reach up towards the ceiling with the ball in your hands, extended out away from you.
5. Knee Ups
Targets: Lower abs
Using a bench, grab on to the sides of it while sitting on it, with the edge of your behind at the edge of the chair/bench. You will need to be able to put your weight on this bench and lean into it, as you extend your legs straight out in front of you and bend your legs and bring them in towards your body. Once you have brought them all the way in, extend them back out to return to a straight-legged position and bring them in again.
6. Side to Side Heel Touch
Targets: Side abs
Lie on your back, Knees bent. Crunch your abs and bring your body up a bit. With your arms straight and parallel to your body, bring your left hand to touch your heel then you right hand to touch your right heel. The whole while, you maintain the lifted position, not resting to touch the ground.
Total time: 12 min + 3 minutes rest (for beginning) or 5 sets: 15 min + 4 min rest.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Lower back extentensions w a regular bench
FitWaves
Hyperextensions w/ no 'hyperextension' bench
With someone holding down your legs, slide yourself down to the edge a flat bench until your hips hang off the end of the bench. Tip: Your entire upper body should be hanging down towards the floor. Also, you will be in the same position as if you were on a hyperextension bench but the range of motion will be shorter due to the height of the flat bench vs. that of the hyperextension bench.
With your body straight, cross your arms in front of you (my preference) or behind your head. This will be your starting position. Tip: You can also hold a weight plate for extra resistance in front of you under your crossed arms.
Start bending forward slowly at the waist as far as you can while keeping your back flat. Inhale as you perform this movement. Keep moving forward until you almost touch the floor or you feel a nice stretch on the hamstrings (whichever comes first). Tip: Never round the back as you perform this exercise.
Slowly raise your torso back to the initial position as you inhale. Tip: Avoid the temptation to arch your back past a straight line. Also, do not swing the torso at any time in order to protect the back from injury.
Repeat according to your lifting goals.
Variations: This exercise can also be performed using a hyperextension bench. Also, a similar exercise to this one is the good morning and the stiff-legged deadlift.
courtesy of bodybuilding.com
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Inspire: My Focus Lately
So, I just told a friend and then I thought I'd tell you all what it is I've been focusing on: the things I CAN control - me & my attitude, my work (job-related performance and output), my effort in general, workouts & health (separate from your genetic dispositions & w/in reason), speaking w/ God & pursuing things of that nature, and what I put into friendships/relationships w/ others—and NOT focusing on the stuff I can't control!
I hope you all focus on things u can change rather than things you cannot- for the duration of this week! That's my challenge for you. :)
I hope you all focus on things u can change rather than things you cannot- for the duration of this week! That's my challenge for you. :)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Adductors and Beyond
Toning the Inner Thighs
How to Do Inner Thigh Exercises Effectively
-By Marguerite Ogle
Several of the inner thigh muscles people want to tone for appearances sake, the gracillus and the adductor magnus for example, are called adductors. That means they bring the leg in toward the midline of the body - it's easy to remember, they add the leg. Abductors, found more on the outside line of the leg, are muscles that take the leg away from the midline of the body - they abduct it, like a kidnapper. For many us, our abductors are stronger than our adductors, so our inner thighs are weak and inner leg reflects that with an un-toned look. Many inner thigh exercises focus on the adductors, these are exercises that squeeze the legs toward each other. Seated legs is an example. But not every muscle that we want to tone to improve the functionality and appearance of the inner thigh is an adductor. For example the quadriceps is a set of powerful muscles that extend the leg (open the knee joint) and muscles of the quadrecps, like the vastus medialus, are major players in inner thigh tone as well.
Poor leg alignment, and therefore unbalanced muscle use, is frequently to blame lack of muscle tone in the leg. That's why we are such sticklers in Pilates for correct leg alignment. We want balanced muscular development.
Know Parallel Legs
You can do much to further your cause of toning the inner thighs by knowing what parallel legs means, and training yourself to walk, run, sit and stand with an emphasis on the legs in parallel position with the weight falling through the center of the foot. Lots of us send our line of energy down the outside of the leg instead of the middle. Just this one correction will go a long way toward helping you create and maintain a well balanced leg - including the inner thigh.
But I hear you: My inner thighs need more work than that. Right. They need strengthening.
Hug the Midline
When you do exercises that ask you to have your legs together, really squeeze them together. Make those inner thighs work. Don't be lazy and just have them together at the top and loose as they go down. Make sure your legs are lined up straight and hold them together from the top to the ankle. And don't let your foot alignment be sloppy. It will make a difference. The foot should be in line with the knee.
How to Do Inner Thigh Exercises Effectively
-By Marguerite Ogle
Several of the inner thigh muscles people want to tone for appearances sake, the gracillus and the adductor magnus for example, are called adductors. That means they bring the leg in toward the midline of the body - it's easy to remember, they add the leg. Abductors, found more on the outside line of the leg, are muscles that take the leg away from the midline of the body - they abduct it, like a kidnapper. For many us, our abductors are stronger than our adductors, so our inner thighs are weak and inner leg reflects that with an un-toned look. Many inner thigh exercises focus on the adductors, these are exercises that squeeze the legs toward each other. Seated legs is an example. But not every muscle that we want to tone to improve the functionality and appearance of the inner thigh is an adductor. For example the quadriceps is a set of powerful muscles that extend the leg (open the knee joint) and muscles of the quadrecps, like the vastus medialus, are major players in inner thigh tone as well.
Poor leg alignment, and therefore unbalanced muscle use, is frequently to blame lack of muscle tone in the leg. That's why we are such sticklers in Pilates for correct leg alignment. We want balanced muscular development.
Know Parallel Legs
You can do much to further your cause of toning the inner thighs by knowing what parallel legs means, and training yourself to walk, run, sit and stand with an emphasis on the legs in parallel position with the weight falling through the center of the foot. Lots of us send our line of energy down the outside of the leg instead of the middle. Just this one correction will go a long way toward helping you create and maintain a well balanced leg - including the inner thigh.
But I hear you: My inner thighs need more work than that. Right. They need strengthening.
Hug the Midline
When you do exercises that ask you to have your legs together, really squeeze them together. Make those inner thighs work. Don't be lazy and just have them together at the top and loose as they go down. Make sure your legs are lined up straight and hold them together from the top to the ankle. And don't let your foot alignment be sloppy. It will make a difference. The foot should be in line with the knee.
LET THE INNER THIGH WORKOUT BEGIN...
LET THE INNER THIGH WORKOUT BEGIN...
courtesy of: http://www.fitness-training-at-home.com/inner-thigh-workout.html
What you will need:
Two of these exercises use a swiss ball.. If you don't have one, use a big bulky pillow instead (or a few pillows piled together).
A Yoga Matt or towel to lie on.
The Exercises in This Inner Thigh Workout:
Inner Thigh Exercise 1 of 5 - Power Pushes
Inner Thigh Exercise 2 of 5 - Inner Leg Raises
Inner Thigh Exercise 3 of 5 - Straight Leg Squeezes
Inner Thigh Exercise 4 of 5 - Swiss Ball Knee Squeezes
Inner Thigh Exercise 5 of 5 - Lying on Back Straddle
Post Workout Stretch 1 - Flat Straddle Stretch
Post Workout Stretch 1 - Straddle 'n Stretch
Exercise 1 of 5 - Power Pushes
This is a great exercise and it really will help to tighten and tone those wobbly bits!
Grab yourself a yoga mat, or towel to lie on.
Lie on your side as shown in the picture below.
Bend your top knee behind you and make sure it's in line with your body.
Straighten your front leg and raise it out slightly to the front.
Hover it there. This is the start position.
Lift your leg until you're in the position shown in picture 2.
Hold it there for about 1 second..
Repeat until you get the burn!
Change legs.
Exercise 2 of 5 - Inner Leg Raises
This is an old classic! Shaye remembers her gran teaching them to her when she was just a little kid. It's as effective now as it always has been... Although Shaye claims that now she's grown up it takes a lot more work to keep the "wobbly bits" at bay!
Lie down on your side and bend your top leg out in front of you as shown in picture 1.
Keep your other leg out straight and slightly elevated off the ground.
This is the start position.
Raise it up as high as you can and hold for 1-2 seconds.
Lower it back down to the start position.
Repeat until you feel like there's a fire in your thighs.
Then repeat again ;) Really push yourself!
Now, change legs....
Exercise 3 of 5 - Straight Leg Squeezes
Wow, this is one of those exercises which is just so hard to beat! It works wonders! This inner thigh workout wouldn't be the same without it... If you don't have a swiss ball, a similar effect can be created by using a few big puffy pillows or a foam mattress folded or stacked between your feet.
Lie on a mat with your swiss ball in between your feet, as shown in the picture below.
Squeeze your feet together as hard as you can and hold for 2-3 seconds.
Release slowly.
Do as many of these as you require for your workout.
Remember to really focus on tensing and isolating the inner thighs and to keep your hips, body and legs in alignment.
Do as many as you possibly can... 30 repetitions is a good aim.
Exercise 4 of 5 - Swiss Ball Knee Squeezes
Another fantastic exercise for isolating your inner thighs.. If you're looking for the "burn" then this should do it! Again, if you don't have a swiss ball, a similar effect can be created by using puffy pillows or a folded foam mattress. (Getting a swiss ball could be a great investment though)
Lie on a yoga mat with your swiss ball or pillow between your knees, as shown in the picture below.
Squeeze your knees together as hard as you can and hold for 2-3 seconds.
Feel your inner thighs tensing? Squeeze so hard that your legs shake!
Release slowly.
Repeat...
Do as many of these as you require for your workout.
Exercise 5 of 5 - Lying on Back Straddle
This is the last exercise of our inner thigh workout. It's quite a nice relaxing exercise and also gives you a little bit of a inner thigh stretch (depending on how wide you open your legs)...
Lie on your back, resting on your elbows and raise your feet in the air, as shown in picture 1.
Slowly open your legs. Stop once you get to the position shown in picture 2.
Hold here for 1-2 seconds.
Raise them back to the start position.
Repeat.
STRETCH - Flat Straddle Stretch
We bet you're thinking "Ouch - I'm getting outta here!" but wait... you don't need to start off being flat on the floor... work your way to that point.
Sit on the floor with your legs open to at least 90 degrees.
Open them as wide as you comfortably can.
Bend forward carefully.
If you need to support yourself with your hands, that's fine.
Try get as low as you can. Make sure you keep your back straight.
Try hold it for at least 20 seconds..
Relax!
Now, do it again!
STRETCH - Straddle 'n Stretch
Yes, we know... This stretch looks a little x-rated! But it's a great stretch and you really must try it. Try work your way to being flat on the ground.
Get into the position shown in the photograph below.
Gently pull yourself closer towards the floor.
Make sure you feel a nice stretch, not a "oh dear, this is dangerous" stretch. It should hurt a little, but nothing too unbearable.
Hold this for 1 minute...
Then relax. Phew!
Okay... now you can do it again!
courtesy of: http://www.fitness-training-at-home.com/inner-thigh-workout.html
What you will need:
Two of these exercises use a swiss ball.. If you don't have one, use a big bulky pillow instead (or a few pillows piled together).
A Yoga Matt or towel to lie on.
The Exercises in This Inner Thigh Workout:
Inner Thigh Exercise 1 of 5 - Power Pushes
Inner Thigh Exercise 2 of 5 - Inner Leg Raises
Inner Thigh Exercise 3 of 5 - Straight Leg Squeezes
Inner Thigh Exercise 4 of 5 - Swiss Ball Knee Squeezes
Inner Thigh Exercise 5 of 5 - Lying on Back Straddle
Post Workout Stretch 1 - Flat Straddle Stretch
Post Workout Stretch 1 - Straddle 'n Stretch
Exercise 1 of 5 - Power Pushes
This is a great exercise and it really will help to tighten and tone those wobbly bits!
Grab yourself a yoga mat, or towel to lie on.
Lie on your side as shown in the picture below.
Bend your top knee behind you and make sure it's in line with your body.
Straighten your front leg and raise it out slightly to the front.
Hover it there. This is the start position.
Lift your leg until you're in the position shown in picture 2.
Hold it there for about 1 second..
Repeat until you get the burn!
Change legs.
Exercise 2 of 5 - Inner Leg Raises
This is an old classic! Shaye remembers her gran teaching them to her when she was just a little kid. It's as effective now as it always has been... Although Shaye claims that now she's grown up it takes a lot more work to keep the "wobbly bits" at bay!
Lie down on your side and bend your top leg out in front of you as shown in picture 1.
Keep your other leg out straight and slightly elevated off the ground.
This is the start position.
Raise it up as high as you can and hold for 1-2 seconds.
Lower it back down to the start position.
Repeat until you feel like there's a fire in your thighs.
Then repeat again ;) Really push yourself!
Now, change legs....
Exercise 3 of 5 - Straight Leg Squeezes
Wow, this is one of those exercises which is just so hard to beat! It works wonders! This inner thigh workout wouldn't be the same without it... If you don't have a swiss ball, a similar effect can be created by using a few big puffy pillows or a foam mattress folded or stacked between your feet.
Lie on a mat with your swiss ball in between your feet, as shown in the picture below.
Squeeze your feet together as hard as you can and hold for 2-3 seconds.
Release slowly.
Do as many of these as you require for your workout.
Remember to really focus on tensing and isolating the inner thighs and to keep your hips, body and legs in alignment.
Do as many as you possibly can... 30 repetitions is a good aim.
Exercise 4 of 5 - Swiss Ball Knee Squeezes
Another fantastic exercise for isolating your inner thighs.. If you're looking for the "burn" then this should do it! Again, if you don't have a swiss ball, a similar effect can be created by using puffy pillows or a folded foam mattress. (Getting a swiss ball could be a great investment though)
Lie on a yoga mat with your swiss ball or pillow between your knees, as shown in the picture below.
Squeeze your knees together as hard as you can and hold for 2-3 seconds.
Feel your inner thighs tensing? Squeeze so hard that your legs shake!
Release slowly.
Repeat...
Do as many of these as you require for your workout.
Exercise 5 of 5 - Lying on Back Straddle
This is the last exercise of our inner thigh workout. It's quite a nice relaxing exercise and also gives you a little bit of a inner thigh stretch (depending on how wide you open your legs)...
Lie on your back, resting on your elbows and raise your feet in the air, as shown in picture 1.
Slowly open your legs. Stop once you get to the position shown in picture 2.
Hold here for 1-2 seconds.
Raise them back to the start position.
Repeat.
STRETCH - Flat Straddle Stretch
We bet you're thinking "Ouch - I'm getting outta here!" but wait... you don't need to start off being flat on the floor... work your way to that point.
Sit on the floor with your legs open to at least 90 degrees.
Open them as wide as you comfortably can.
Bend forward carefully.
If you need to support yourself with your hands, that's fine.
Try get as low as you can. Make sure you keep your back straight.
Try hold it for at least 20 seconds..
Relax!
Now, do it again!
STRETCH - Straddle 'n Stretch
Yes, we know... This stretch looks a little x-rated! But it's a great stretch and you really must try it. Try work your way to being flat on the ground.
Get into the position shown in the photograph below.
Gently pull yourself closer towards the floor.
Make sure you feel a nice stretch, not a "oh dear, this is dangerous" stretch. It should hurt a little, but nothing too unbearable.
Hold this for 1 minute...
Then relax. Phew!
Okay... now you can do it again!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Never sleeping
Okay, wait. So if I voluntarily submit to becoming a total night owl and vampire, haha, will I then be able to sleep since I am not resisting? Think therefore I am isn't working. I know what it is! I used to run so far & get the miles in (and thus could sleep); NOW, since decreasing mileage so I can gain weight/muscle mass, I can't don't expend enough energy and I am up all random hours, yet I'm tired! Grrrrr time to buy that road bike and start pumping out the miles that way!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)