Showing posts with label strength training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strength training. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Toned and Tight Tuesday: Stability Ball Ab Pass

Today I've got an exercise that is going to work your entire core and inner and outter thighs! Using a stability ball really intensifies this exercise although you could do it with a medicine ball, basketball, volleyball, or nothing at all. Having to hold the ball between your legs really works on your inner and outter thighs though so I would suggest finding some sort of substitue if you don't have a stability ball. If doing it with a ball is too difficult for you, nix the ball and don't worry about it!

This exercise is pretty intense! The heavier the object your holding between your legs, the more intense it is! The stability ball I have pictured here is pretty light but the one I use at the gym is quite a bit heavier so it really just depends on what kind of ball you have!

Stability Ball Ab Pass:

A couple of fair warnings:
1. These pictures were taken with my iPhone.
2. There is some double-chinage going on here.
Don't say I didn't warn you :)

Start by placing the ball between your legs, lifting them so that the ball is approximately 3-4 inches off the ground. Raise your shoulders off the ground and reach your arms out behind you.


Squeezing the ball with your legs, bring your legs up to meet your hands to pass the ball from your legs to your hands.


Action shot!


Lower your legs back down so they are approximately 3-4 inches off the ground and lower you arms back behind your head with the ball. Keeping your shoulders off the ground.
That is one rep.


Repeat this action to pass the ball back to your legs.


You should now be back to the starting position. That would make 2 full reps.

Depending on how heavy your ball is, go for 12-15 reps. With the ball I use at work, I can only get about 12 reps before giving out, with this ball I can get between 15-20. Figure out what works for you but push yourself! You should feel your abs engaged the whole time and your inner and outter thighs should get a great workout as well!








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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

18 Minute HIIT Workout

Some of you might remember me putting on Facebook one day last week that I would "get some ab exercises in since that's the only part of my body that wasn't sore." Well what prompted that soreness was a super intense class I took the day before. It was basically 40 minutes of HIIT, super intense cardio and strength training with minimal rest. I was dripping sweat, red-faced, and soo tired after that class! It made me realize I was definitely not pushing myself nearly as hard as I could. So I decided to make my own little HIIT workout.

I didn't have alot of time to get a workout out in so I wanted something high intensity that would make me feel like I got a great workout in much less time. Remember my Pee or Get Off the Pot post...not having enough time should never be an excuse! After all, who can't find 18 minutes in their day to get in a super effective workout?

These are the exercises I did in my workout:
Jumping Jacks
Mountain Climber Jump In
Side Lunge Touchdown
Pushup to Frog Squat
Heisman Shuffle
(To do the mountain climber jump in, you do 10 counts of mountain climbers, jump your feet up to where your hands are on the ground and stand up and squeeze your glutes. Each time you bring your knee in on the mountain climber that counts as 1.)

This is how you break it down:
1 Minute- Jumping Jacks
1 Minute- Mountain Climber Jump In
1 Minute- Side Lunge Touchdown
1 Minute- Pushup to Frog Squat
1 Minute- Heisman shuffle
1 Minute- Rest

Repeat 2x

There is NO RESTING in between each exercise! It's going to get hard and it's going to hurt but just push through! You are going for as many reps as possible within each minute!

In my class last week, we did 3 more sets of 5 other exercises in addition to this, so you can imagine how intense it was! These types of workouts are very similar to those you see on the Insanity DVD's. It's all about HIIT, HIIT, HIIT! These types of workouts are the most effective and will get you great results when you pair it with good eating.

So try out this little workout and let me know what you think! Be prepared to SWEAT! :)

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