Bootilicious

Today we are going for a 3 move, booty challenge! Easy Peasy, right?!

You will do each move for 2 minutes, and can rest 1 minute in between for a total of 8 minutes! 

Your behind and lower back will thank me!

Leg Beat
Lift the legs off the floor scissor/crisscross your legs. Alternate which foot is on top.
Go for 2 minutes.

Frog Lifts
Keep your knees wide and feet together. Lift the legs up.
Go for 2 minutes. 

Bridge
Push your hips toward the ceiling. Hold it high and stay there!
Go for 2 minutes!

Enjoy!

Warrior Training: Day 7

Hard CORE

It's a fact: if you have a rocking core, you just look like a WARRIOR! 

Here's a nice little exercise to get you there!

BASIC CRUNCH (upper abs)

KICK UPS (lower abs)

OBLIQUE CRUNCH (obliques)

PLANK (whole enchilada)

SUPERMANS (lower back)

1 minute per move--with the oblique crunches do 30 sec per side.

Repeat 3 times!

Total Time: 15 minutes

Basic Crunch: didn't realize it was the muscle picture!

Kick Ups: from here, kick your feet towards the ceiling using your lower abs and return to start.

Oblique Crunch: make it easier by only lifting the top leg.

Plank: Can be done on elbows, hands, knees, or feet. 

Superman Variations: A) legs only, B) upper body only, C) both together or flutter.

ENJOY!

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Yoga for Weightloss

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This originally came from an article in Prevention, and I'm telling you, Yoga is great, but these 

moves make it a little more challenging, which I LOVE! Here are my favorites:

Chaturanga Push-ups

Bridge with Leg Lift

Downward Dog to Knee Tap

Reverse Warrior to Side Angle

Warrior III with Crunch

These moves are really great and really engage the core! I love the stretching aspect  the moves also,
and you will feel your muscles go crazy with the challenging moves! Big Fan!

ENJOY!

Move for the Day: Buso Ball Burbees

Want a single move that will attack your whole body?! Try burpees with a buso ball! 

Here we have a regular burpee . . . let's be honest, these are terrible by themselves!

Now do the same move with a buso ball! I find they are easier (for the fact that you have to 

go slower), yet you will feel a burn in your shoulders after about 4 thanks to the

weight of the buso!

Today's Challenge: Make it a Tabata! 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 4 minutes.

With or without the buso ball, these will NOT disappoint! 

Stretches

People generally forget that stretching is just as important as cardio and strength training in the 

scheme of getting in shape. It's vitally important to stretch out your muscles at the end of your workout, when the muscles are warm. I should give you a heads up, a lot of these stretches are used in Yoga. 

If you haven't tried yoga yet, it really is a great form of exercise to incorporate in your routine even once a week! I've noticed a difference in just once a week for a month now! 

If you are just focusing on stretching (and not right after working out) start out with some sun salutations (remember this post) to warm up. 

Today we are primarily hitting the lower body to work on flexibility and ease muscle pain.

 We will do upper body later!

-Back-

Torso Twist

Keep you upper body on the floor as you bring your knee across the body, twisting the spine.

Cat/Cow

On all fours, round your back up, and then arch your back, driving your belly down.

I loved this stretch when I was pregnant!

Child's Pose

Lower back stretch. Push those hips back.

Plow

You can keep your knees up, or drive them to the floor for a deeper stretch.

Upward Dog

Arch your back as you stretch your back and abs.

-Inner Thigh-

Butterfly

With the bottom of your feet together, open up the knees to the floor.

 Gently lean your body forward for a deeper stretch.

Deep Lunge

Make sure your knee stays stacked over your ankle. Keep the back knee on the floor

and push the hips forward for a deeper stretch. Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.

Pigeon

(I think this picture explains the positioning better than I can!)

Variations: You can hold your body up, bend the back knee and grab the foot, or lean

forward-resting your head on the floor. I LOVE this stretch! Hold for awhile and switch sides.

-Glutes-

Cowface Pose

Stack your knees and lean forward to deepen the stretch. Switch sides.

(I like to swing the upper leg back and take this stretch to the pigeon stretch ((above))).

Reverse Pigeon

Ankle across the knee, and pull the bottom leg towards your body. If you want to

deepen this stretch, grab the bottom foot. Hold for awhile and switch sides.

-Hamstrings-

Runners Stretch

Bring one foot in, and extend one leg. Lean towards the extended foot. Sit up tall and

take a deep breath in and as you exhale, try to lean even further forward.

Switch sides.

Standing or Seated Forward Fold

This move can really be done standing or seated. With each exhale, focus on sinking

deeper into the stretch, feeling the pull in the back of the legs.

 

Standing or Seated Straddle

Another move that can be done either standing or seated. Focus on stretching both sides and the center.

With each exhale try to get deeper into the stretch.

Enjoy!

Top 10: Exercise Ball

The exercise ball. So versatile and an effective tool to strengthen your core and the rest of you!

-one-

Back Flies

With the ball at your hips, and weights in each hand, squeeze your shoulder blades together 

as you lift your arms. This will work your total back!

-two-

Bicep Curls

Use the ball to stabilize your arms as you perform the curl.

-three-

Chest Press

Keep the ball at your upper back, hips pressed up. Bring the arms down across the chest and 

press back up. You will feel this in your chest, and your glutes!

-four-

Stretching

The ball can be used in stretching tool as well as a sculpting tool. My favorite is a simple back

bend. The ball supports your body as you stretch it out!

-five-

Basic Crunch

On the ball, this crunch takes on a whole new dimension making it hurt! (in a good way, I swear!)

-six-

Hamstring Roll-ins

Misery. Keep those hips up, feet on the ball, and as you roll in the feet towards you, 

prepare to hate me.

-seven-

Hip Press

Feet planted on the ball, press the hips straight up and return to start.

Great for the glutes.

-eight-

Pendulum Abs

Pass the ball from your feet, to your hands, keeping the lower back down the whole time.

-nine-

Leg Lifts

This is an advanced move. Start in plank position. If you feel like you have the balance down-

lift one leg at a time, squeezing the glutes as you do. Repeat 8-16 times and switch legs.

-ten-

Wall Squat w/Front Extension

Start with the ball at your lower back, pressed against the wall. Squat down to a seated

position and back to standing. Can make it a one-legged squat or add a front arm 

extension, biceps curls, or t-raise to the squat.

More great moves here and here.

Top 10: Drills Done Anywhere

Today's top 10 covers moves you can do in your living room, out on a run, in the gym, 

or wherever else you may find yourself working out! No equipment required, but calories

will be torched! Enjoy!

-one-

Squat Jumps

-two-

Pushups or Grasshopper Pushups

With the Grasshopper pushup, your bottom leg is perpendicular with your body, do a 

pushup, and then switch legs. AWESOME!

-three-

Curtsy Lunge

Make sure you step your foot back at an angle before you add the squat, then return to start.

Do 8-16 reps on one leg, then switch sides.

-four-

Plank or Walking Plank

Both moves engage the core and you will feel all through your upper body. If you "walk" the 

move, start in high plank (on hands) and step down to elbows, one arm at a time, 

and backup. Do eight with one arm leading, then switch lead arms.

-five-

Reverse Crunch

-six-

Burpees

Then end jump is optional. I'm happy just to stand and repeat.

Shoot for 20!

-seven-

Plie Squats

We know I'm obsessed!

-eight-

Donkey Kicks

Hands on floor, jump side to side on either 2 feet or 1 foot, (one foot looks like a messed up cartwheel!). Key here is "hang time". Try to keep in up in the air. 

You will feel this move in your whole body!

-nine-

Walking Lunge

Just don't let that knee pass your ankle!

-ten-

Frog Kicks

Knees wide, feet together. Start with the upper thighs on the ground. Control the movement  as you bring the feet up, and back to start. Great for your glutes and lower back.

We covered a lot of these moves in the post 30 Seconds of Misery found here and Ab-tastic found here.