Monthly Archives: May 2021

Bicycle Twist

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HOME EXERCISE OF THE WEEK

I have another great ab exercise for you to try this week called the Bicycle Twist and it is going to fire up your upper and lower abs, your obliques, and your hip flexors (hip flexors are the muscles that help raise your legs up). This move is a burner and it does take a bit of co-ordination and balance so don’t worry if you struggle with it a bit at first. Keep working at it and in time you will be “burning” through these! 😉

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Bicycle Twist.

  • start by sitting up on your mat and leaning back at a 45 degree angle
  • bend your legs, raise both feet off the floor, and put your hands behind your head
  • engage your abs by squeezing your stomach throughout the movement
  • from this starting position, extend your right leg while keeping your left leg bent
  • while you are extending your right leg, twist your upper body and bring your right elbow towards your left knee
  • return your right leg to the starting position and at the same time extend your left leg and bring your left elbow towards your right knee
  • alternate back and forth for your desired amount of reps or time
  • remember to keep your abs engaged, upper body at a 45 degree angle, and your feet off the floor throughout the entire exercise

So there you have the Bicycle Twist. It’s challenging and your abs will be screaming at you but it will be worth it!

Let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Lunge Hold Shoulder Fly

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HOME EXERCISE OF THE WEEK

The Lunge Hold Shoulder Fly is a great full body exercise that is going to target your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, core, rear shoulders, and the major upper back muscles including your rhomboids and trapezius muscles. The leg muscles will be worked isometrically while the rear delts and upper back muscles will be worked concentrically and eccentrically. You can give yourself even more of a challenge with this exercise by holding a dumbbell or weighted item in each hand.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Lunge Hold Shoulder Fly.

  • start by stepping one foot forward and one foot back until you have a nice wide stance with your toes pointed forward
  • stand nice and tall and flex your abs to provide stability to your upper body
  • now bend at both knees and lower your body straight down until your legs are at 90 degree angles
  • keep your weight on your front heel as you lower your body and don’t let your front knee move forward past your toes (keep it in line with your front toes or slightly behind)
  • from this lunge position, raise your arms up to shoulder height in front of you
  • hold the lunge and slowly bring your straight arms out to your side while getting a good squeeze in your upper middle back (pretend you are grabbing something with your shoulder blades and back muscles to get a really good contraction)
  • return your arms out to the front and repeat the motion for your desired amount of reps or time while maintaining the lunge position
  • now switch legs and repeat the same amount of reps or time for that side

So there you have the Lunge Hold Shoulder Fly. It’s challenging and your legs and shoulders will be burning but it will be worth it. 

Let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Cross Leg Wide Leg Situp

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Hey there! It’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a great ab exercise for you to try called the Cross Leg Wide Leg Situp.

The Cross Leg Wide Leg Situp is going to work your upper and lower abs as well as your obliques. It can be challenging in the beginning to sit all the way up without your legs lifting up too so you may want to have someone hold your legs down or brace them under something. In time, as your abs get stronger, you will be able to do this without bracing your legs.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Cross Leg Wide Leg Situp.

  • start by laying face up on your mat with your legs straight and your feet nice and wide
  • place your left hand under your head and extend your right arm straight up towards the ceiling
  • flex your abs and without rounding your back, sit straight up while keeping your right arm extended towards the ceiling
  • now take that right arm and reach across towards your left foot while keeping your abs engaged
  • return to the middle and slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position
  • now switch arms so that your right hand is under your head and your left arm is extended up towards the ceiling
  • repeat the sit up but this time reach across with your left arm to your right foot
  • return to the center and slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position
  • keep alternating between each side for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Cross Leg Wide Leg Situp. Definitely add this to your routine to get all areas of your abs fired up!

Let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Pushup Bird Dog

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Hello! Here’s another new Home Exercise of the Week for you to try! This week I have another very challenging upper body and core exercise for you called the Pushup Bird Dog.

The Pushup Bird Dog is a compound move that’s going to work your chest, shoulders, triceps, abs, upper and lower back, and glutes. You will also be working on your balance and all the little stabilizer muscles as you perform the bird dog. This exercise will take some practice so start off slow until you get the move down and if you have trouble doing the full pushup, you can start with the modified from-the-knees version which I’ve included in the video demonstration. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Pushup Bird Dog.

  • start by getting in to a full pushup position with your hands and feet wider than your shoulders and keep your hands in line with your chest
  • squeeze your abs and your glutes to keep your body nice and straight and to prevent your hips from dropping
  • now lower your body down towards the floor until you’re almost touching while keeping your arms at about a 45 degree angle from your body
  • push back up and once you have returned to the starting position, extend your right arm and left leg up while bracing your abs until you feel a nice squeeze on your back and glutes
  • lower your arm and leg back down to the floor and repeat your pushup
  • now you will extend your left arm and right leg up once you have returned back to the starting position after the pushup
  • keep alternating arms and legs after each pushup for your desired amount of reps or time
  • perform the pushup from your knees for a slightly easier version if you have trouble doing the full pushup

So there you have the Pushup Bird Dog. It’s a tough one but it’s very effective in targeting your chest and core and it will greatly improve your balance and coordination. You will also look pretty bad ass while doing it!

Give it a shot and let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!