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Is a Push/Pull/Legs Routine Fastest for Building Muscle?

Ab Workouts, Arm Workouts, Back Workouts, Blog, Chest Workouts, Fitness, Leg Workouts, Strength Training /

Is a Push/Pull/Legs Routine Fastest for Building Muscle? If figuring out how to organize and manage your strength-training routine feels more challenging than a heavy set of deadlifts, it’s time to consider a push/pull/legs schedule. Popular among weightlifters of all levels, this divide-and-conquer approach to training designates specific days — push days, pull days, and leg days — for targeting different muscle groups. Amanda Herrera, CPT, describes this type of training plan as “strategic,” as it allows you to build strength and muscle mass in all areas of the body with minimal rest. “It’s the idea of separating and working similar muscle groups on one day,” she explains. “That way, on the following day, you’re training the opposing muscles and not overworking or overtraining your body. Sometimes in full-body workouts, some muscle groups get used in multiple exercises, and you don’t realize it, so they’re actually working more than you think,” she adds. “This push/pull/legs way of training is great to prevent injury for everyone.” Below is an explanation of each type of day, sample exercises, and a straightforward seven-day schedule that can help provide structure to your workouts. Push Day Workout A push day workout is an upper body workout that targets the muscles used during pushing movements — primarily the triceps and the muscles of the chest and shoulders. Here are few common push exercises that require minimal equipment (you’ll need one set of dumbbells). 1. Push-up Assume a high-plank position with your feet together (or slightly apart for balance), your body straight from head to heels, and your hands in line with (but slightly wider than) your shoulders. Engage both your glutes and your core to lock your body into position. Keeping your elbows about 45-degrees away from your body and your head neutral, lower your torso until your chest is within a few inches of the floor. Pause, and then push yourself back up to the starting position. 2. Dumbbell lateral raise Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand at arm’s length by your sides, palms facing in. Keeping a slight bend at the elbow, raise your arms to your sides until they’re level with your shoulders. Keep your palms facing downward. Pause, and then lower the weights back to the starting position. 3. Dumbbell overhead triceps extension Sit on a bench or chair, cupping one end of a dumbbell in both hands directly overhead. This is the starting position. Keeping your chest up, core engaged, and back flat, bend the elbows to lower the weight behind your head without moving your upper arms. Elbows should stay close to the ears and be pointed forward. Pause, and then press the weight back up to the starting position. Pull Day Workout A pull day workout engages the opposing upper body muscles: the biceps, forearms, and back muscles. The sampling of exercises below requires a set of dumbbells and a pull-up bar. 4. Dumbbell bent-over row Stand with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand at arm’s length by your sides, palms facing in. Brace your core, hinge at your waist to push your hips back, bend your knees slightly, and lower your torso until it’s nearly parallel to the floor. Keep your glutes engaged to protect your lower back. Let the dumbbells hang at arm’s length with your palms facing each other. Engage your shoulder blades to keep your shoulders pulled back. This is the starting position. Without moving your torso, and while keeping your elbows tucked and back flat, row the weights to your rib cage as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Make sure there’s a 90-degree bend in the elbow, so you’re rowing to your ribs and not armpits. Pause, and then lower the weights back to the starting position. 5. Zottman curl Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand at arm’s length by your sides, palms facing forward (underhand grip). Keeping your elbows tucked and locked by your sides, curl the weights toward your shoulders. Rotate the dumbbells 180-degrees so your palms are now facing down. Lower the weights back down to your sides and then flip your grip again (to underhand) to return to the starting position. 6. Pull-up Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip that’s slightly wider than shoulder-width. Hang at arm’s length with your arms straight (a position known as a dead hang) and your ankles crossed behind you. Without swinging or kipping (using momentum to propel you upward), engage your lats and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull your chin to the bar. Pause, and then lower yourself back to a dead hang. Legs and Core Day Workout While leg day is typically devoted to strengthening the hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and calves, it’s common practice to also incorporate core work. Below are some bodyweight core exercises and basic lifts that target multiple muscle groups of the lower body. 7. Romanian deadlift Stand tall, feet hip-width apart and parallel, with your knees slightly bent, holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing towards you. Keeping your back flat, core engaged, and the dumbbells within an inch or two of your body, push your hips back and lower the dumbbells until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Pause, and then reverse the movement to return to the starting position. 8. Dumbbell squat Stand with your feet hip to shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length by your sides, palms facing in. Keeping your back flat and core braced, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause, then push yourself back up to the starting position. 9. Bulgarian split squat Stand facing away from a bench, holding a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length by your sides, palms facing in. Place the toes of your left foot on the bench behind you. Keeping your torso upright,

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Want the Coveted “V” in Your Abs? Learn How to Get an Adonis Belt

ab exercises, Ab Workouts, abdominal muscles, Abs, Blog, Fitness, fitness tips /

Want the Coveted “V” in Your Abs? Learn How to Get an Adonis Belt Some muscles are like fashion trends. Their owners flaunt them, dress to feature them, and post about them. Different muscles can lurch in and out of fashion depending on the whims of the public and the popularity of the celebrities who display them. A recent addition to this A-list of fashionable body parts — particularly for men — is the Adonis belt. This coveted muscular accessory appears to be a pair of muscles in the lower abdomen. But there’s a surprise: The Adonis belt isn’t actually a muscle. But if you’re jonesing to make yours pop, read on. What Is the Adonis Belt? Unlike, say, the glutes or the biceps — meaty hunks of contractile tissue — the Adonis belt isn’t a muscle but an anatomical feature, like, say, the divots above your collarbones or the protruding bones on the sides of your ankles. The belt is formed by two valleys that run diagonally downward and inward from the outer edges of your iliac crests, or hip bones, toward your groin. Seen from the front, these twin valleys, known to anatomists as the inguinal lines, form a “V” shape that outlines your lower torso. The Adonis belt is particularly prominent on athletic men, due in part to the tendency for male athletes to carry less fat than women. Tips On How to Get an Adonis Belt If you’re looking for ways to highlight your v-line, here are some tips for getting them to show. 1. Dial in your diet As with the rectus abdominis, or six-pack muscle, the most crucial tool for bringing out the Adonis belt isn’t an exercise at all: It’s what you eat. Exercises for the area around the Adonis belt are valuable, but you’ll never see the inguinal crease clearly unless you whittle your body fat to fairly rarified levels of leanness. The athletes with prominent Adonis belts — elite swimmers, cyclists, gymnasts, and physique athletes — typically have exceptionally low body fat from head to toe. If you want prominent inguinal ligaments, you’re going to have to take steps to follow suit. Since you can’t spot-reduce or trick the body into burning the fat from specific areas of the body with targeted exercises, you’ll need to get there through good old-fashioned clean eating with an emphasis on dropping body fat and building muscle. To really dial in your definition, you can take some of these steps to reduce water weight as well. This is easy advice to give but by no means is it easy to follow. That’s part of why Adonis belts that look like garden snakes are about as rare as five-carat diamonds. Few people have the time, energy, or willpower to put in the work, day after day, that’s required for them to show. 2. Exercise at high intensity Building your ab muscles won’t do you much good if they’re obscured by a layer of belly fat. Along with the right diet, vigorous exercise is necessary to help you drop fat and make your ab muscles more visible. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be especially helpful in this regard, as it requires a longer recovery period and keeps your calorie burn elevated for up to 48 hours after you finish the workout (also known as the “afterburn effect“). The longer you work out at a high intensity, the longer your body continues to burn calories after you’re done. 3. Strength train We’ll get to specific exercises to bring out your Adonis belt in a moment. For now, we’re talking about doing full-body strength training workouts three to four times per week, using compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses, dips, rows, and pull-ups. You’ll also need to build lots of core work into this routine. Compound movements burn more calories, but their main function is to preserve and even grow muscle tissue while you’re consuming fewer calories than you’re expending. That’s essential: Strength work ensures that your body burns fat (not muscle tissue) while you’re following a strict meal plan. 4. Choose the right parents You can’t do anything about this one, of course, but we’d be remiss not to include this tip in our list: A defined Adonis belt — like many if not most physical traits — is in large part a function of genetics. As with visible abs, the biggest factor in determining whether you can easily develop a prominent Adonis belt may be genetic. Some people just have them — or can develop them quickly — and others don’t (or can’t). That, as geneticists say, is the way the ol’ double helix divides. What Exercises Should You Do? Now for the easy(ish) part: The specific moves to do in the gym that will accentuate the muscles of the lower abdomen once you’ve carved off sufficient fat to be able to see them. You should perform two to three sets of these moves for V-line abs two to three times a week on nonconsecutive days as part of your regular workouts, preferably before your other exercises. 1. Twisting hanging knee raise Hang from a chin-up bar using an overhand grip. Draw your knees to your chest as high as possible, then hold for a count of two. Lower your legs to the starting position. Draw both knees upward in the direction of your right elbow, and hold for a count of two. Lower your legs to the starting position. Repeat the previous step, this time lifting your legs in the direction of your left elbow. Repeat for 6 to 10 reps (i.e., at least twice in each direction — center, left, right). 2. Side plank Lie on your right side with your legs straight, feet stacked, and right forearm flat on the floor. Engage your glutes and core as you raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line from head to heels. (At this point, the outside edge of your right foot and your right forearm are

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9 Bench Ab Exercises That Will Light Up Your Core

Ab Workouts, Abs, Blog, core exercises, Core Workouts, exercise roundup, Fitness, joel freeman /

9 Bench Ab Exercises That Will Light Up Your Core Weight benches are good for more than just chest presses and seated biceps curls. If you want to add some spice to your go-to abs circuit or (literally) elevate your at-home core routine, try a bench ab workout. Brett Durney, a certified personal trainer and co-founder of Fitness Lab, explains that utilizing a bench during a core workout offers a variety of benefits. “By using a bench, you get a good level of stability and can, therefore, focus on using load to build strength,” he says. “You don’t have to spend time and energy focusing on balance and stability.” Working out on an elevated surface also opens you up to a broader range of motion. If your bench is adjustable, you can increase the intensity of some exercises by setting the bench at an angle. “For example, declined bench abdominal crunches are an excellent exercise,” Durney says. Ready to build your own bench ab workout? Check out the list of core exercises below to discover the best moves for you. 1. Reverse Crunch Lie face-up on a flat bench with your feet lifted and knees bent 90 degrees. (Your thighs should be perpendicular to the bench, your shins parallel.) Lift your arms overhead and grip the underside of the bench. Keeping your neck neutral and upper body anchored to the bench, contract your abdominal muscles to bring your knees to your chest. Slowly return to the starting position. 2. Iron Cross Crunch Lie face-up on a flat bench with your knees bent and your feet hip-distance apart on the bench. Extend your arms out to the sides. This is the starting position. Keeping your lower back pressed into the bench, contract your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders and upper back off the bench, and bring your ribs closer to your hips. Squeeze your abs at the top of the movement, and then return to the starting position. 3. Copenhagen Side Plank Lie on the ground on your side, perpendicular to a flat bench with your feet facing the bench. Place the inner side of your top foot on top of the bench and lift up into a side forearm plank: forearm on the floor, shoulder stacked over elbow, and hips lifted so your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Lift your bottom leg so it hovers above the ground. To modify, allow the bottom foot to rest on the ground. Hold for the specified amount of time, then repeat the exercise on the opposite side. 4. Decline Mountain Climber Place your hands on the ground and the balls of your feet on top of a flat bench and assume a push-up position: feet together, core braced, body straight from head to heels, hands in line with and slightly wider than your shoulders. Lift your right foot off the bench and draw your right knee to your chest, keeping your back flat, your butt down, and the rest of your body stationary. Return your right foot to the starting position, and immediately repeat with the opposite leg. Continue alternating legs, performing equal reps on both sides. 5. Jackknife Sit sideways on a flat bench. Place your hands behind your hips and grab the underside of the bench for support. Maintaining a neutral spine, lean back and extend your legs in front of you, lifting them off the ground. Contract your abdominal muscles to simultaneously draw your chest and knees up and together, creating a V shape with your torso and legs. (To increase the difficulty level, keep your legs straight.) Pause, then lean back as you lower and extend your legs in front of you. 6. Leg Raise Lie face-up on a flat bench and allow your legs to hang off the front of the bench. Grip the sides of the bench with your hands for support. Draw your legs together and lift them to bench level. This is the starting position. Keeping your legs straight and back pressed against the bench, contract your abdominal muscles to lift your legs so that they’re perpendicular to the bench. With control, lower your legs to the starting position. 7. Weighted Straight-Leg Crunch Lie face-up on a flat bench with your legs straight, and your arms extended overhead, holding a dumbbell, medicine ball or weight plate with both hands. This is the starting position. Keeping your lower back pressed into the bench, engage your abs to bring your legs and arms straight toward the ceiling, lifting your shoulders and upper back slightly off the bench. Slowly lower your arms and legs to return to the starting position. 8. Flutter Kicks Sit on the end of a flat bench and, maintaining a neutral spine, lean back. Grab the edges of the bench with both hands for support. Contract your abdominal muscles and lift both legs to bench level. Keep both legs straight as you alternately lift each foot in a fluttering motion. Complete an equal number of reps with each leg. 9. Bicycle Crunch Lie face-up on a bench with your feet flat on the bench. Place your fingertips behind your head and lift your shoulder blades off the bench with your elbows pointed outward. This is the starting position. Maintaining a neutral neck, bring your left knee toward your chest, and rotate your torso to bring your right elbow toward your left knee as you straighten your right leg. Reverse the motion by rotating your torso to the right and drawing your right knee toward your chest and your left elbow toward your right knee, as you straighten your left leg. Continue alternating sides, performing equal reps on each. The post 9 Bench Ab Exercises That Will Light Up Your Core appeared first on BODi. Weight benches are good for more than just chest presses and seated biceps curls. If you want to add some spice to your go-to abs circuit or (literally) elevate your at-home core routine, try a bench ab workout. Brett

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Take Your Planks to the Next Level With the Stability Ball Knee Tuck

Ab Workouts, Blog, Core Workouts, Fitness /

Take Your Planks to the Next Level With the Stability Ball Knee Tuck If you’re looking for a killer core workout that challenges your balance and gets every abdominal muscle engaged, look no further than your exercise ball. One of the best ways to use it: stability ball knee tucks — also known as a jackknife. (And once you’ve nailed this one, here are other stability ball exercises to master.) Stability Ball Knee Tuck: Step-by-Step Instructions Get in a high-plank position with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your shins on top of a stability ball. Brace your core to keep your body in a straight line from head to toes. This is your starting position. Engage your core and bend your knees to roll the stability ball toward your hands until only your toes are resting on the ball, keeping your hips down as you do so. Pause, then slowly straighten your legs back behind you, returning to the starting position. How to Make the Stability Ball Knee Tuck Easier Reduce the range of motion of your knee tuck. Use a smaller stability ball. Instead of your shins, rest your knees or thighs on top of the ball to reduce the work needed from your core to stabilize the movement. Stability Ball Knee Tuck: Muscles Worked Stability ball knee tucks are a great way to target your abs, as well as some other key muscle groups. Abs The main muscles you’re working during stability ball knee tucks are your abs. This exercise targets your entire core, from your six-pack rectus abdominis to the side obliques to your underlying “corset” abs (the transverse abdominis). Hip flexors Your hip flexors, or psoas, support your abs and help to bring your knees to your chest. So if the front of your hips are feeling sore the next day, that’s totally normal. Shoulders While you’re holding a plank position, your shoulders are stabilizing your position — and, also important, they’re keeping you from face-planting. The post Take Your Planks to the Next Level With the Stability Ball Knee Tuck appeared first on BODi. If you’re looking for a killer core workout that challenges your balance and gets every abdominal muscle engaged, look no further than your exercise ball. One of the best ways to use it: stability ball knee tucks — also known as a jackknife. (And once you’ve nailed this one, here are other stability ball exercises to […] The post Take Your Planks to the Next Level With the Stability Ball Knee Tuck appeared first on BODi. Kayne Toyosato{authorlink}https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/stability-ball-knee-tucksBODi BODi is a Health Esteem platform to help you embrace the person you are today so you can take action to achieve all your health and fitness goals. https://bodiblog.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/plugins/bod-blog/assets/vendor/beachbodydigital/wordpress-core-plugins/beachbody.png

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Get an Abs and Butt Workout at Home With These 7 Moves

Ab Workouts, Blog, Fitness, Leg Workouts /

Get an Abs and Butt Workout at Home With These 7 Moves Targeting your abs and glutes can help you get a sculpted booty and six-pack abs — but that’s not the only reason to add this abs and butt workout to your weekly routine. Your core plays a key role in nearly every move you make, and your glutes are essential for power generation — especially when it comes to athletic performance. And who better to lead you through the best at-home exercises for abs and glutes than Jordan Morello — the fitness influencer affectionately nicknamed “the butt guy”? If you’ve tried Abs & Booty Burn on BODi, you know Morello puts his own twist on classic moves like squats, lunges, and burpees to help you challenge your core, build a stronger booty, and ramp up your results. Here are seven of his best abs and butt exercises to add to your next workout. 1. Reverse Lunge With Rotation Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a single dumbbell in both hands in front of you with your elbows by your sides. This is the starting position. Keeping your chest up, back flat, shoulders back, and core engaged, take a large step back with your left leg. Lower your body until your right thigh is parallel with the floor. Your knees should be bent about 90 degrees, with the left knee hovering a couple of inches above the ground. Rotate your torso to the right, bringing the dumbbell toward your right hip. Reverse the entire movement and return to the starting position. Repeat, this time stepping back with your right leg and rotating your torso to the left. Continue alternating sides. 2. Squat to Overhead Dumbbell Rotation Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a single dumbbell with both hands at shoulder level. This is the starting position. Keeping your back flat, core braced, and chest up, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause, and then return to a standing position, rotating to the right and pressing the weight overhead. Lower the weight as you rotate back to the starting position. Repeat, this time rotating to the left. Continue alternating sides. 3. Lateral High Knees to Burpee Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Lift your right knee as high as you can (but at least to hip level) while simultaneously bending your left elbow and raising your left arm in a running motion. Now quickly switch arms and legs in a high-knee running motion, moving to the left with each stride for a total of four steps. Now do a burpee: Stand with feet hip-width apart, bend your knees, push your hips back, and squat down, placing both palms on the floor. Jump your feet back to a push-up position, then jump feet back to your hands and return to a standing position. Repeat the entire sequence, this time moving laterally to the right for four steps. Continue alternating directions. 4. Donkey Kick Start on your hands and knees, with hands directly below your shoulders and knees directly below your hips. Keep your back flat and neck neutral (in line with your spine). Keeping your arms straight, core engaged, and both knees bent 90 degrees, raise your left leg until your foot points toward the ceiling. Squeeze your left glute as hard as you can at the top of the movement. Reverse the move, lowering your left knee to the starting position. Perform equal reps on both sides. 5. Reverse Lunge to Kickback Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at arms’ length by your sides. Keeping your chest up, back flat, shoulders back, and core engaged, take a large step back with your left leg. Lower your body until your right thigh is parallel with the floor. Your knees should be bent about 90 degrees, with your left knee hovering a couple of inches above the ground. Pause, then push off your left foot to return to the starting position. As you push off, kick back with your left foot, squeezing your glute. Repeat, this time stepping back with your right leg. Continue alternating sides. 6. Single Leg Glute Bridge Lie on your back, arms flat on the floor by your sides, palms on the floor. Bend your knees and plant your feet flat on the floor. Pull in through your navel to brace your core muscles and then squeeze your glutes to press your hips up so your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Now lift your right foot off the floor and pull your right knee towards your chest. This is your starting position. Keeping your head on the floor and core engaged, lower your butt to the floor as you drive your right foot forward, straightening your right leg so that your right foot is hovering a few inches off the floor. Pause, and then return to the starting position. Perform equal reps on both sides. 7. Dumbbell Swing Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding one end of a dumbbell in both hands, interlacing your fingers to make sure your grip is secure. Keeping your back flat, arms straight, and core engaged, push your hips back and swing the dumbbell between your legs. Now squeeze your glutes and explode up, swinging the dumbbell to shoulder level. Swing the dumbbell back between your legs to begin your next rep. The post Get an Abs and Butt Workout at Home With These 7 Moves appeared first on BODi. Targeting your abs and glutes can help you get a sculpted booty and six-pack abs — but that’s not the only reason to add this abs and butt workout to your weekly routine. Your core plays a key role in nearly every move you make, and your glutes are essential for power generation — especially when it […] The post Get an Abs and Butt Workout at Home With These 7 Moves appeared first

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Tired of Crunches? Try a Standing Ab Workout Instead

Ab Workouts, Blog, Fitness /

Tired of Crunches? Try a Standing Ab Workout Instead If you’re tired of doing the same ab circuit over and over, standing ab exercises can help you mix up your workouts. “They are a great way to add variety to your workout and stop your abdominal routine from becoming stale,” says certified Pilates instructor Nicole de Souza. The novelty of these exercises not only make your workouts more enjoyable, but they can also stimulate your core muscles more effectively: “Once your muscles get used to a certain exercise, they stop changing, so standing ab exercises are a wonderful way to spice up your routine,” she explains. If you want your upright ab work to be truly effective, though, get used the term “core engagement.”  If you’ve tried standing ab exercises without feeling that they’re actually working your abs, de Souza has some cues to make sure you’re digging into your core for a good burn. “You must first and foremost connect with your deep core abdominals by pulling your belly button gently towards the spine, breathe throughout, and make sure every movement is performed slowly and with control,” she says. BODi offers plenty of ways to get a killer ab workout at home, but try adding these standing ab exercises to your core-chiseling routine: 1. Standing Twist Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding one suitably weighted dumbbell in both hands. Extend your arms forward in line with the chest. Engage your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine as you twist your torso to one side. Keep your hips facing forward throughout the movement. Slowly return to center, keeping your abs engaged and the movement controlled. Repeat on the other side. Trainer tip: Try doing 10 to 15 slow twists to each side to really work your obliques, suggests de Souza. 2. Standing Woodchop Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding one suitably weighted dumbbell in both hands. Engage the core as you slowly lift the weight diagonally above your head with straight arms, twisting to the right and pivoting on your left foot. Slowly bring the weight down (as if chopping wood) as you twist to the left. Come into a squat position, holding the dumbbell on the outside of your left leg. Trainer tip: The focus should be initiating and controlling this movement with your abdominals rather than relying on momentum, de Souza explains. She suggests doing 10 reps on each side. 3. Power Knees Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step the right leg straight back behind you as you bend into the left knee, your weight anchored into the left foot. Hinge forward at the hips and extend both arms overhead. (There should be a straight line from your arms to back toes.) Engage your core, squeezing the abdominals to lift your right knee toward your chest as your arms pull in at your sides. Replace your leg on the floor and, as quickly as possible, repeat the move. Trainer tip: You’re getting some calorie-burning cardio in with this move, but don’t rely on momentum. Instead, you want controlled movements with your ab muscles engaged. Do 20 reps on one leg, then switch sides. 4. Triangle Reverse Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, left toes pointed forward and right toes turned out, pointing to the side. Reach your right arm over your head as you lean your body toward your left leg. Slide your left hand down your left leg. Keep your core engaged and shoulders down. You can slightly bend your left knee and rest your left arm on your left thigh if it helps with stability. Use your abs to bring you back to center, then reach your left arm over your head as you lean toward your right, sliding your right hand down your right leg as you get further into the stretch. That’s one rep. Trainer tip: The key to this exercise is to move fluidly, says de Souza. Make sure to feel your whole side working to pull you from side to side. Shoot for 10-15 reps on each side. 5. Single Leg Balance Arm Circles Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Engage your abdominal muscles and maintain a neutral spine as you bend one knee and lift it up to hip height. Keep both hips level as you extend both arms out to the side. Use your arms to trace a small circle 2 or 3 times to the front and to the side to challenge balance and stability. Return your foot to the floor and repeat on the other leg. Trainer tip: The challenge in this exercise, de Souza explains, is to try to avoid swaying or tilting your upper body. Focus on maintaining balance and alignment. Alternate legs and try to do 5-10 repetitions on each side. 6. Wacky Jacks Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Bring your arms up to the side and bend your elbows at 90 degrees so that the tips of your fingers point to the ceiling. Explosively lift your right knee up and out, like you’re trying to touch it to your right elbow. Return your right foot to the floor. Repeat with your left leg. Try to flow between legs smoothly and with control. Trainer tip: Engage your abs as you pull each knee up and soon enough you’ll be feeling your abs and obliques light up. Aim for 20-30 total reps. 7. Snowboarders Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Bend your knees and push your hips back into a half squat position. Raise your arms out to the side and turn your head to look to your right. Keeping your legs the same distance apart, hop and spin 180 degrees, so that your feet switch positions. Repeat, hopping in the opposite direction, to return your feet to the starting position. Keep your

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How to Do Cross Crunches

Ab Workouts, Blog, Fitness /

How to Do Cross Crunches Kick your abdominal exercise routine up a notch with this fun variation on a classic crunch — cross crunches! They’re perfect if you want an extra challenge in strengthening and toning your core. “Perform cross crunches when you can perform regular crunches with proper form and activation,” advises James Shapiro, NASM-certified personal trainer and owner of Primal Power Fitness in New York City. “This is not a beginner movement. You should have a foundation to perform lateral flexion and anterior-based stabilization — think planks and dead bugs.” he adds. Read on to learn more about how to achieve a stronger core with cross crunches. Cross Crunches: Step-by-Step Instructions Start by lying on your back on the ground, bend your knees and keep your feet on the floor. Place your hands behind your head and keep your elbows flared to the side. Begin the motion by lifting your shoulder blades off the floor and reach your right hand towards the outside of  your left ankle. Focus on exhaling as you curl to maximize your abdominal contraction. Return to your starting position, before going to the opposite side for your set amount of repetitions. What Muscles Do Cross Crunches Work? Cross crunches are exceptional at targeting your abdominal muscles and are known to build core endurance after a targeted number of reps. Theresa Marko, PT, DPT, OCS, of Marko Physical Therapy in New York City says, “Cross crunches use a combination of muscles, not just the abdominals [rectus abdominis]. They target the abdominals [rectus abdominis] and the internal and external obliques [the muscles responsible for laterally flexing and twisting the torso to the side]. They can also target the deeper abdominals, known as the transversus abdominis.” We argue that crunches are a sure way to add strength to your torso. And, with a strong core, your posture will improve. “One common mistake people make is that they pull on their heads when lifting and also use their neck muscles to lift themselves up, which can strain your neck,” says Marko. Always support your neck when performing a cross crunch, and listen to Marko’s suggestions to target the correct muscles. Variations of Cross Crunches Spice up your cross crunches and try the following exercise options to strengthen your abdominal wall further. Take on cross crunches with your legs up in the air bent at 90 degrees for an added challenge. Consider doing cross crunches with an exercise ball (an exercise ball will support your spine). Your abs will feel the burn. For an advanced variation, hold a medicine ball at your chest as you twist from side-to-side. These suggestions are a sure way to hit your targeted strength-training goal! Do Cross Crunches Burn Calories? Like any physical activity, cross crunches burn calories, but they do not spot-reduce stomach fat. Cross crunches burn fewer calories per minute than other exercises (like lunges) since they activate a comparatively small amount of muscle mass. To burn your bulge, we recommend maintaining a daily calorie deficit with a sensible diet and exercise plan that includes building muscle. “Cross crunches themselves do not burn calories any different than [exercises for] any other muscle,” says Morgan Rees, an ACE-certified personal trainer in Los Angeles. “Instead of focusing on the caloric burn for this particular move, focus on core engagement and strength.” Notice your increased strength and core muscle endurance after adding cross crunches to your workout routine. The post How to Do Cross Crunches appeared first on BODi. Kick your abdominal exercise routine up a notch with this fun variation on a classic crunch — cross crunches! They’re perfect if you want an extra challenge in strengthening and toning your core. “Perform cross crunches when you can perform regular crunches with proper form and activation,” advises James Shapiro, NASM-certified personal trainer and owner […] The post How to Do Cross Crunches appeared first on BODi. Michael Martin{authorlink}https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/cross-crunchesBODi BODi is a Health Esteem platform to help you embrace the person you are today so you can take action to achieve all your health and fitness goals. https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bod-blog/assets/vendor/beachbodydigital/wordpress-core-plugins/beachbody.png

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How to Do Leg Lifts With Perfect Form

Ab Workouts, Blog, Core Workouts, Fitness /

How to Do Leg Lifts With Perfect Form If you’re tired of trying to crunch your way to a solid core or shredded midsection, there’s another foundational ab exercise that should be in your routine: leg lifts. Lifting your legs off the ground from a supine position targets the lower abs and gives you another tool to achieve that six-pack. Here’s how to perform the exercise and its variations. Leg Lift: Step-by-Step Instructions  Lie on your back with your legs straight, neck raised (or relaxed on the floor), and arms at your sides or under your butt for back support. Engage your core and press your back into the floor. Keeping your legs straight and together, slowly raise them until they are perpendicular to the ground. Pause, then slowly lower your legs until they’re about an inch or two above the floor, keeping them straight and your core engaged. How to Make Leg Lifts Easier Lift and lower one leg at a time, or bend your knees as you raise your legs. In this variation, you’ll end up with your lower legs parallel to the ground and your knees over your hips. You can also place your arms out straight at your sides on the floor (so your body forms a “T” shape) for more support. How to Make Leg Lifts Harder Perform the leg lifts in a captain’s chair (what some call a leg lift machine) or while hanging from a bar, lifting your legs until they are parallel to the ground. “The hanging aspect of the leg lifts adds grip strength, thus increasing the difficulty of the move,” explains Alexa Cohen, personal trainer at Crunch Union Square in New York City. Leg Lift Variations These variations of the leg lift add an extra challenge or change your angle of attack to emphasize different muscles. 1. Stability ball leg lift In addition to adding some extra weight, this presents the challenge of squeezing the ball with your leg muscles, ensuring you don’t drop it. 2. Side leg lift Lie on your left side with your feet and hips stacked, your legs straight, and your head resting on your left arm. This is the starting position. Keeping your core engaged, slowly lift your right leg as high as you can without rotating your hips. Pause, and then lower your right leg back to the starting position. Complete all of your reps, switch sides, and repeat. 3. Alternating leg lift (scissors)   Lie on your back, draw your knees in toward your chest, and wrap your arms around your legs. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the ground. Place your hands behind your neck and extend your legs so that they’re perpendicular to the floor. Point your toes. Keeping your head and shoulders lifted, lower your right leg 45 degrees. Quickly switch your legs so that your right leg is perpendicular to the floor and your left leg is lowered 45 degrees. Continue to switch your legs for your desired number of reps. Leg Lift Benefits “Leg lifts build a strong core and hip flexors, while simultaneously increasing balance and stability,” Cohen explains. The exercise targets the rectus abdominis — the “six-pack muscle” — and also works the hip flexors and obliques. “The abdominal muscles are used isometrically to stabilize the body during the motion,” Cohen says. But it’s not just leg lifts for abs. Your core is also your back. Since leg lifts increase core strength, Cohen adds, they also increase support for your back, which may lower the risk of back injuries. The post How to Do Leg Lifts With Perfect Form appeared first on BODi. If you’re tired of trying to crunch your way to a solid core or shredded midsection, there’s another foundational ab exercise that should be in your routine: leg lifts. Lifting your legs off the ground from a supine position targets the lower abs and gives you another tool to achieve that six-pack. Here’s how to […] The post How to Do Leg Lifts With Perfect Form appeared first on BODi. Kayne Toyosato{authorlink}https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/leg-liftsBODi BODi is a Health Esteem platform to help you embrace the person you are today so you can take action to achieve all your health and fitness goals. https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bod-blog/assets/vendor/beachbodydigital/wordpress-core-plugins/beachbody.png

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How to Engage Your Abs to Make Your Workouts More Effective

Ab Workouts, Blog, Fitness, fitness tips /

How to Engage Your Abs to Make Your Workouts More Effective You’re doing ab workouts at home, but your lower back feels the burn more than your abs. What gives? Turns out, you might just have to learn how to activate your abs. Activating your abs is essential for strengthening them, but it’s not the same as flexing your abs. Whether or not you want visible abs, those muscles are vital beyond aesthetics. Strong abs offer “better support for all muscle groups,” explains Jim White, an exercise physiologist, registered dietitian, and ACSM-certified personal trainer. “If you’ve ever picked up a bag of groceries wrong and dealt with lingering muscle pain for weeks, you know your abs may need some work to provide better support,” White says. Read on to learn how to activate your abs, plus a few moves to try. What Is Ab Activation? Flexing is part of engaging your abs, but you should also be “bracing them so that it feels tight and secure,” explains White. And that means the upper and lower abs. “If you’re not activating every part of your abs, you’re not going to see growth in your ab muscles,” says White. If you’re not used to activating your abs: Take a long inhale, letting your belly expand. Exhale with some force as you bring your belly in and feel your ab muscles engage. White suggests adding these steps to feel your abs: Roll your shoulders back. Keep your chest open. Tuck your hips slightly and engage your glutes. “You should feel the lower part of your abs engage to support your lower spine,” White says. Once you’re activating the upper and lower parts of your abs, you can perform core exercises as they’re intended. If you’re feeling crunches in your neck or back more than your abs, try the following: Start in position as if you’re going to do a crunch. Flex the top part of your abs. Tuck your hips gently. Pull your belly button into your spine so your lower back stays planted on the floor. You’ll know you’ve got it when there’s no gap between your lower back and the floor. Don’t be afraid to pause between each rep and reassess your ab activation. Performing fewer, quality reps is preferable to higher reps that strain your back or neck. Fire Up Your Core for More Effective Workouts “Your core is involved in stabilizing all of your muscles,” White explains. “Failing to activate it can cause overreliance on other muscle groups” — and not effectively training the muscles you think you’re targeting. Properly engaging your core may also prevent injury. Engaging your lower abs helps prevent your lower back from taking on the work. Letting other muscles do your abs’ work “can lead to pulled muscles or other injuries,” White cautions. And, if you get lax about ab activation, “your abs won’t look the way you want them to.” 5 Ab Activation Exercises Not sure if you’re engaging your core properly? Start with these moves, which will help you target them. 1. Mountain climbers Resist the urge to rush through your reps. Stay slow enough to remain in control of your movements with your core engaged the entire time. Start in a push-up position, with your feet together, core braced, body straight from head to heels, and hands below and in line with your shoulders. Lift your right foot off the floor. Bring your right knee toward your chest, as you keep your back flat, butt down, and the rest of your body still. Return your right foot to the starting position, then immediately repeat with your left leg. That’s one rep. Continue alternating legs, performing equal reps on both sides. 2. Dead bugs To really learn how to activate your abs, start with dead bugs. This one is tougher than it looks. To modify, straighten your leg (but don’t lower it all the way down to the floor). You can also keep your knee bent, then lower your toes until they tap the floor. Lie flat on your back, then push your back down to remove any space between you and the floor or mat. Bend your knees to 90 degrees, and lift your feet off the floor. Keep your knees directly above your hips, and lift your arms straight up toward the ceiling. Lower your left arm behind your head and, at the same time, straighten your right leg long in front of you. Hover both off the mat. Return to your starting position. Complete several reps before switching to your left leg and right arm. Move as slowly as possible here, never letting your back come off the floor. Focus on keeping the core engaged, not how far you can move the arm and leg. 3. Front planks If you have access to a mirror, use it to check your form in this exercise. Keep an eye out for any body part that’s out of line. Assume a push-up position, but with your weight on your forearms instead of your hands (keep your elbows directly beneath your shoulders). Keep your feet together, but if you want to make the move a bit easier, you can separate them slightly. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core (imagine someone is about to punch you in the gut) to lock your body into a straight line from head to heels. At the same time, drive your forearms into the ground and actively try to pull your elbows toward your toes. Hold this position for 30 seconds, or longer if possible. Make sure your spine is straight, and don’t let your stomach collapse or back arch. Rest if you notice your back starts to curve. 4. Side planks Since your back isn’t flat on a mat, this move makes it harder to check your ab activation. Before you start, flex your top abs and pull your belly button into your spine to fire up your core. Lie on your left side with your feet

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Shred Your Core With The Ski Abs Exercise

Ab Workouts, Blog, Fitness /

Shred Your Core With The Ski Abs Exercise You don’t need to hit the slopes regularly to add some ski-inspired exercises to your workout routine. Ski abs is an abdominal exercise that will have you moving like a slalom racer (without the snow). When it comes to full-body workouts with mounds of physical benefits, skiing ranks high on the list, so give this ski-inspired abdominal workout a go. Ski Abs Exercise: Step-by-Step Instructions We’ve cultivated a short but sweet step-by-step list on how to do this exercise. Begin in a high plank with your shoulders stacked over your hands. Keep your shoulder, hips, and heels aligned. Press through your shoulders and lengthen your back. Tuck your hips under to draw your belly in. Avoid dropping your hips to the floor. Keep your hands still. Jump both feet forward, drawing your knees towards your chest and landing with your feet together on the floor to the right of your right hand. Align your left knee to the outside of your right elbow. Spring back to plank to reset. Then do the same thing on the left side. Exhale when you jump forward. What Muscles Do Ski Abs Work? Ski abs challenge your ab muscles and require zero equipment to do so. This aerobic, abdominal exercise burns calories by working numerous muscle groups at the same time. Ski abs may also boost your metabolism. 1. Rectus abdominis To keep your spine from hyperextending, your rectus abdominis (the six-pack ab muscle) kicks into gear during high plank. 2. Transverse abdominis While your six pack stabilizes your spine, your transverse abdominis (your deepest abs that work to encircle your waist) contract to protect your spine. This protection is especially important since this exercise involves jumping and twisting. 3. Obliques Each time you twist, your obliques spring into action. Your oblique muscles are located on the sides of your body, and are responsible for rotating your torso. Two sets of obliques work when you do ski abs — your internal and external obliques. 4. Supporting cast Your hip flexors work to draw your knees in toward your chest. The calves work to spring you off the floor. And the pecs, triceps, and shoulder muscles work to keep you in safe upper body alignment during high plank. Benefits of Ski Abs Ski abs take a classic high plank and combines it with plyometrics (explosive, jumping movements) and heavy rotation. The combination of these movements really tones your midsection. Stabilizing the spine during jumping and rotating is one of the core’s most important jobs. When you strengthen your core, you’re less likely to injure yourself outside the gym. “The great thing about a move like this is that you’re really increasing the intensity while still focusing on controlled movement,” says Aaron Leventhal, C.S.C.S., former professional soccer player and owner of Minneapolis-based Fit Studio. “Challenging yourself to maintain good form with ski abs causes you to focus on your core, and that engages it more.” Much like other plyometric moves that build strength from explosive movements, you will gain the most strength when you can achieve your landing with control. Not only does a steady landing give you killer abs, but it will also help when you do other exercises like jump squats or box jumps with intensified athletic performance. The post Shred Your Core With The Ski Abs Exercise appeared first on BODi. You don’t need to hit the slopes regularly to add some ski-inspired exercises to your workout routine. Ski abs is an abdominal exercise that will have you moving like a slalom racer (without the snow). When it comes to full-body workouts with mounds of physical benefits, skiing ranks high on the list, so give this ski-inspired […] The post Shred Your Core With The Ski Abs Exercise appeared first on BODi. Kayne Toyosato{authorlink}https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/ski-absBODi BODi is a Health Esteem platform to help you embrace the person you are today so you can take action to achieve all your health and fitness goals. https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bod-blog/assets/vendor/beachbodydigital/wordpress-core-plugins/beachbody.png

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