Tag Archives: exercise of the week

Donkey Kick

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HOME EXERCISE OF THE WEEK

The Donkey Kick is a great plyometric exercise that is going to target your glutes primarily but will also work your shoulders and core muscles. The jump adds a cardiovascular component to the exercise which will strengthen your cardiovascular system and burn more calories in the process. It’s a fairly simple move but it does take some coordination and you have to be quick with the kick in order to land back on your feet.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Donkey Kick.

  • get in to a full plank position with your feet together
  • engage your abs and glutes and jump both feet straight up in the air
  • as soon as you jump, bend both legs and try to kick your butt with both feet before falling back down to the floor
  • after the kick, extend both legs back out and land from the jump in to the starting position
  • repeat the move for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Donkey Kick. It’s a bit of a funny looking exercise but it will give you great glutes and get you sweating and burning calories!

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 Side Balance Plank

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Hey there! It’s a new week which means it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This time I have another challenging upper body and core exercise for you to try called the Pushup Side Balance Plank.

The Pushup Side Balance Plank is a compound move meaning it works multiple muscle groups as opposed to an isolation move which focuses on one specific muscle. So with this exercise you will be working your chest, shoulders, triceps, upper and lower abs, obliques, and you will also be working on your balance with the side plank. This exercise is quite challenging so take it 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 Side Balance Plank.

  • start by getting in to a full pushup position with your hands wider than your shoulders and 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 keeping your arms at about a 45 degree angle from your body
  • push back up and once you have returned to the starting position, lift your left arm up and reach towards the sky while rotating your body to the right and stacking your feet on top of each other
  • keep your abs tight and engaged and keep your right and left arms fully extended as you balance your weight on your right arm in the side plank position
  • rotate back down and return to the starting pushup position
  • now perform the pushup again but this time lift your right arm up while rotating your body to the left and do the side balance plank on your left side
  • return to the starting position and alternate back and forth 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 Side Balance Plank. It’s challenging but very effective in targeting your chest and core and it will greatly improve your balance and coordination!

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!

Heel Touch Crunch

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Hey there! It’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have one of my favourite ab exercise for you to try called the Heel Touch Crunch.

The Heel Touch Crunch is going to focus on your upper abs and obliques. The move is simple but don’t let that fool you. You’re going to get a nice burn from this one! 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Heel Touch Crunch.

  • start by laying face up on your mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
  • flex your abs and pull your belly button down towards the floor to keep your abs engaged and your lower back flat against the floor
  • crunch your upper body up until your head and shoulders are off the mat
  • keep looking up to avoid tucking your chin in to your chest
  • from this starting position, reach your left hand towards your left foot and tap your heel (this will give you a nice contraction in your oblique)
  • return to the center and immediately reach your right hand towards your right foot and tap your heel
  • keep your abs engaged throughout and alternate back and forth for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Heel Touch Crunch. Add this to your routine and fire up those abs! 

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

 

Compass Jump Squat

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Hello! It’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a great plyometric exercise for you to try called the Compass Jump Squat.

The Compass Jump Squat is going to fire up all the muscles of your lower body including glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles. The jump component will also work your fast-twitch muscle fibers and give you a great cardiovascular workout which means a higher heart rate and more calories burned.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Compass Jump Squat.

  • start by standing tall with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointed slightly outward
  • squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor while keeping your weight on your heels
  • maintain a straight back and keep your knees in line over your toes (don’t let your knees push forward past your toes)
  • from this squat position jump up as high as you can and turn your body 90 degrees clockwise
  • land from the jump and immediately go back down in to a squat
  • jump and turn another 90 degrees clockwise and repeat the movement until you have come all the way around
  • now repeat the 90 degree jump squats but this time go counterclockwise
  • keep squatting and jumping until you have reached your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Compass Jump Squat. You’ll be sweating, you’ll be huffing and puffing, but you’ll be working all those major leg muscles and burning lots of calories in the process!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Bicycle Claps

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Hey there! It’s time for another new Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a great exercise for you to try called Bicycle Claps.

Bicycle Claps are going to get your abs burning and you will also be working your hip flexors (hip flexors are the muscles that help raise your legs up). The move is fairly straight forward but it does take a bit of co-ordination and balance so it may take a bit of practice to get good at it. 

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

  • start by sitting up on your mat and leaning back at a 45 degree angle
  • bend your legs and raise both feet off the floor
  • 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, reach underneath your bent left leg and clap both hands together
  • return your right leg to the starting position and at the same time extend your left leg
  • now clap your hands together under your bent right leg
  • 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 Bicycle Claps. You’ll be well on your way to a strong core if you add this move to your exercise routine!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!