Fitness Friday 12/4: Standing Abs

In today's Fitness Friday mini workout, I'm giving you some ab exercises that you can easily do anywhere.  All it requires is that you stand up.  Seriously.  That's all you have to do to get started.  So if you're working at the office right now or plopped down on the couch, stand up.  Let this serve as your reminder to get yourself up out of wherever you're sitting and move your body today.  Ready to get started?

Fitness Friday 12/4

All you need to do is stand up out of your chair and time yourself for 1 minute of each of these moves.  It's that easy!

Hip Hinge Sweeps - (I didn't have a better name for these...)  Start standing with your fingers lightly behind your head, elbows out.  Hinge at the hips (bend forward) with a flat back, and stop halfway down, engaging your abs.  From here, sweep your upper body to the left, then back to center, then over to the right, back to center, then raise yourself back up to standing straight.  That whole time remember to keep your back flat (no bend in the spine) and focus on engaging your abs as you rotate.  Continue the pattern for 1 minute.

Standing Side Crunches - place your left hand on your hip and the right arm extended up overhead.  From here, bring your right knee up and right elbow down to meet in the middle, engaging your obliques as you crunch.  Extend both back to starting position.  Keep crunching for 30 seconds on the right side, then switch to the left for 30 seconds.

Marching Knee Presses - stand straight up, feet about hip width apart, elbows bent by your sides, hands out with palms facing the floor.  Lift one knee up to meet your hands and press against yourself (knee against hands and hands against knee).  Hold that position for 10 seconds, engaging your abs as you create resistance.  Lower that leg back down and repeat on the other side for 10 seconds.  Alternate legs, holding the press for 10 seconds each for 1 minute total.

Remember to go through that 2 more times for the full workout, and try to fit it in 2 more times today!  Bonus points for getting your coworkers, friends, and/or family involved, too!

Readers: chat with me!  Do you have any favorite standing bodyweight exercises?  How do you get your movement in during your work days?  What's everyone up to this weekend?

10-Minute At Home Core HIIT Workout (no equipment required)

This week is Thanksgiving week (when did that happen?!) and a lot of us will be traveling to see friends/family or you might be hosting them in your home.  Either way, the holidays usually mean less time for workouts, which is why I'm giving you three 10-minute quickie workouts this week so you can fit them in while the turkey is in the oven.  When totaled up, these workouts will focus on all the major muscle groups.  And the best part is, you don't need any equipment!  Today's workout is focusing on the abs.  Ready to get your body workin'?  Keep reading!

10-Minute Do At Home Core HIIT Workout

No equipment needed for this workout!  Just you and a timer.  There are 5 exercise pairs, each lasting 1 minute (30 seconds each exercise).  Start with pair 1 and go through all 5 pairs twice for a great ab burner workout in 10 minutes.  Try to work as quickly as you can through each exercise and challenge yourself to do the whole workout break-free.  Ready?  Here we go!

Pair 1

Cross-body Mountain Climbers - just like regular mountain climbers, but instead of bringing your knees up straight like the regular running, cross them to the opposite side of your chest.  Keep running for 30 seconds.  Trainer Tip: if the running is too much, slow it down to just stepping.

Hip Touch Planks - start in a low plank position (on your elbows), and rotate your hips to one side while lowering them to the floor.  Keep your abs engaged and legs as straight as you can throughout.  Return to start and immediately rotate to the opposite side.  Keep alternating for 30 seconds.

Pair 2

Fast Bicycles - like regular bicycles but work quickly.  Try to keep your abs engaged the entire time and shoulder blades up off the floor as you bring your elbows to meet your knees.  "Pedal" for 30 seconds.

Flutter Kicks - lie on your back (with hands under your lower back for support if needed).  Keep your legs out straight hovering over the floor and alternate fluttering them up and down without touching the floor.  Keep fluttering your feet for 30 seconds.

Pair 3

Frog Stamp Jumps - start in a high plank and keeping your hands on the ground, jump your feet up to the outside of your hands.  Immediately jump back into a plank, keeping your abs engaged and spine straight.  Keep jumping for 30 seconds.

V-Up to Push Up - start on your back and do 1 v-up (bringing your arms and legs up in a V to meet in the middle).  Lower yourself back down, roll over onto your stomach, and push yourself up into a push up position.  Lower yourself back down, and roll back over to supine.  Alternate V-up, roll over, push up, roll over for 30 seconds.

Pair 4

Burpees - oh yes, the hate-to-love burpees (or is it love-to-hate?).  Either way, you're starting in a standing position, place your hands on the floor, immediately jump back into a plank, and then reverse that entire movement back up to standing.  Keep going for 30 seconds.  If you want, you can add a push up in after jumping back into a plank and/or add a jump at the top when you stand back up.

Standing Crossover Crunches - start standing with your hands behind your head, fingers behind your ears, elbows out.  Bring your opposite elbow to meet your opposite knee, using your abdominals to "crunch".  Alternate between sides as quickly as you can for 30 seconds (like you're marching in place), keeping your chest up the entire time.

Pair 5

Reverse Plank Knees to Chest - start in a reverse plank, face up, arms straight, hands under shoulders with fingers facing forward, legs straight out with your pelvis raised so your spine is straight.  Holding your pelvis up, alternating lifting your legs and bringing your knee to your chest.  Remember to keep your pelvis up the whole time.  Keep alternating knees to chest for 30 seconds.

3-Point In & Outs - like regular in & outs, but you'll do them on each side and to the middle.  So, start on your back, hands on the floor, legs extended out.  Use your abs to bring your knees and chest to meet in the middle, like an accordion.  Extend back down and sightly roll over to one side.  Crunch up to meet your knees and chest in the middle on this side.  Roll back to the middle and crunch.  Then roll to the other side and crunch.  Keep alternating, left, middle, right, middle, left for 30 seconds.

Remember to go through that entire sequence one more time for the full workout.  Have fun with it!  And if you liked this workout, tomorrow's workout will be a similar set up, but it'll work your legs.  Woo, can't wait!

Readers: chat with me!  How was your weekend?  Big Thanksgiving plans this week?  Will you try to fit in your workouts this week or are you planning on taking some time off to relax?

Abs & Obliques Stability Ball Circuit Workout (+ A Bonus Exercise!)

Happy Monday!  Let's start your week off on the right foot with a quick little workout to target those abs and obliques.  This workout is one I made up on the fly at the gym on Friday morning.  I had gone to the gym super early with my boyfriend, but we got there later than we'd liked and had only about a half hour to get in our training.  So, while he turned to the machines for some upper body work, I naturally turned to the equipment I know and chose a stability ball to work my abs.  With a 5 minute cardio warm up and about 3-5 minutes of stretching afterward, it took me about 20 minutes to complete this workout (I did it 4 times through).  Ready to make those abs burn?!  Keep reading!

Abs & Obliques Stability Ball Circuit Workout

Equipment needed: a stability ball and some floor space. 
Go through at least 3 rounds of the 5 exercises and try to move from exercise to exercise with no break (only take a quick break between rounds).  If you want to really challenge yourself, go through the circuit 5 times.

10 Slow Forearm Circles (each direction) - start in a plank with your forearms balanced on the stability ball, abs engaged to keep your spine neutral (i.e. no sagging back).  Maintaining a plank position, slowly circle your forearms in one direction for 10 circles.  Without stopping, immediately switch directions for 10 more circles.  Trainer Tip:  to make this easier, you can do these from your knees.  Just remember to keep your spine in a straight line and lean on the ball instead of keeping it directly underneath you. 

10 Plank Leg Lifts (R & L) - hold a plank on the stability ball, either a full plank on your feet, or from your knees.  From here while maintaining the plank position, lift one leg up as high as you can, then bring it down and tap your toe to the floor.  Do 10 lifts on one leg, then immediately switch to the other leg without stopping. 

10 Knees to Chest (or pike) - start in a plank with the tops of your feet elevated on the stability ball, core engaged, spine aligned, and shoulders over your wrists.  From here, bring your knees to your chest, rolling the ball in and out.  If you want to make this harder, try keeping your legs straight and pike up.  Do 10 reps.  Trainer Tip: if the ball is too much for you, drop down to a regular plank on the ground and alternate bringing each knee to the opposite side of your chest. 

10 Slow Sit Ups (feet on ball) - start lying face up with your legs straight and heels up on the ball.  Keeping your legs as straight as you can, do a full sit up slowly rolling up for a count of 4, touch your toes (or shins) and roll back down for a count of 4.  Continue the slow sit ups for 10 reps.  Trainer Tip: if the ball is too much, get rid of it and drop your feet to the floor.  Remember to go slowly on the way back down, too!

10 Opposite/Opposite Supine Holds - lie down on your back, one leg extended straight up in the air and the other hovering over the floor, like an L.  Hold the stability ball between the extended leg and the opposite arm (other arm is out to the side).  You should have to squeeze the ball between hand and foot to really hold it in place, which will in turn engage your abs.  Hold that position, squeezing the entire time, for 10 seconds.  Then immediately switch leg/arm to the other side.  Squeeze and hold for 10 seconds.  Keep alternating sides for 10 reps of 10-second holds. 

Go through this circuit 2 more times for the full workout, and a total of 5 times if you really want to challenge yourself.  

If that still isn't enough, here's a fun little bonus exercise for you to try.  I did this one in an abs & core circuit class I took at my old studio this past Saturday, and it was a killer!  (Note: I'd only recommend trying this exercise if your abs are strong and you have good balance.)

Bonus Exercise: Stability Ball Bicycles - start lying face up with the ball under your lower back, hands/fingertips down on the floor behind you.  Lift your legs and pedal them slowly like regular bicycles.  You'll really start to feel it in your abs after a while due to the instability of the ball underneath you and having to keep your legs elevated.  Try to aim for 30 seconds to a minute of pedaling. 

Readers: chat with me!  How was your weekend?  Did you get any workouts in?  What about other activities?  What's your favorite exercise to do with a stability ball?  Did you try the bonus exercise?