Tag Archives: homebody training

Plank Jacks

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Hello and Happy New Year! It’s a brand new year so let’s start 2021 off right with a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have a great cardio and core-strengthening exercise to show you called Plank Jacks.

Plank Jacks will help strengthen the muscles of the upper and lower body and will also increase core strength and stability, burn calories, and help reduce fat.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of Plank Jacks.

  • start in a full plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet together. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to your heels
  • while engaging your abs, jump both feet out wide to each side as if you were doing a horizontal jumping jack
  • stay in the plank position with your abs engaged as you quickly jump your feet back together
  • continue to jump back in and out for your desired amount of reps or time while keeping your back flat and don’t let your hips drop too much throughout the movement
  • you can also modify this to a lower impact version by stepping each foot out to the side and back in instead of jumping

So there you have Plank Jacks. Add this exercise to your routine and you will strengthen your core, help prevent back pain, and get the benefits of a cardio exercise!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Jumping Jack Squat

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Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have a heart pumping lower body and plyometric exercise for you to try called the Jumping Jack Squat.

The Jumping Jack Squat will work all the muscles of the legs including quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves and the jumping jack part of the exercise will give you a great cardiovascular exercise and will also work the arms and shoulders.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Jumping Jack Squat.

  • start by standing nice and tall with your feet together and your arms at your side
  • lower your body like you are going to sit in a chair while keeping your weight on your heels and your back straight
  • make sure to drive your hips back to prevent your knees from going past your toes
  • once your thighs are parallel to the floor, explode up from the squat position and jump your feet out to the side while raising both arms over your head
  • jump your feet back together while lowering your arms down to your sides and descend back in to a squat
  • repeat the movement for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Jumping Jack Squat. Your heart will be pumping, your legs will be burning, and you’ll be sweating. That probably doesn’t sound very pleasant 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!

Pike Reach

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Hello, it’s a brand new week which means it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This time I have a fun variation of the plank for you to try called the Pike Reach.

The Pike Reach is not a complicated exercise but it is very effective in working your core, chest, and shoulders. You will also get a nice stretch through your hamstrings and calf muscles. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Pike Reach.

  • start in a full plank position with your feet shoulder width apart
  • drive your hips up in to the air and reach your right hand to your left foot while keeping your legs straight and your abs tight
  • if you can’t touch your foot that’s ok, just reach as far as you can without bending your legs
  • return to the starting position then repeat the movement with your left hand reaching toward your right foot
  • alternate back and forth until you’ve reached your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Pike Reach. It may look simple but it is very effective and after a few reps you will definitely be feeling the burn!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Reverse Lunge Knee Up Hop

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Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have a lower body exercise that will get your legs burning and your heart pumping called the Reverse Lunge Knee Up Hop.

This is an exercise that will take some practice but it is fun to do and the benefits are great. The Reverse Lunge Knee Up Hop works your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, all the little stabilizer muscles of the ankle, your abs, and your balance and coordination. The jump also adds a plyometric component to the exercise that will work on your cardiovascular endurance and those fast twitch muscle fibers. As you can see there are a lot of muscles being activated in this move! If you’re just starting out with these and you can’t do the jump just yet then you can do the lunge knee up without the hop and then work your way up to adding the jump in.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Reverse Lunge Knee Up Hop.

  • stand nice and tall with your abs engaged and take a big step back with your left leg
  • from this position, come straight down by bending both knees until each leg is at a 90 degree angle
  • make sure to stay as upright as possible
  • pushing through your right heel, come up out of the lunge and drive your left knee up in front of you while using that momentum to hop your right foot off the floor
  • land from the hop and immediately go back in to the lunge with your left leg
  • repeat for your desired amount of reps and then repeat the movement with your right leg

So there you have the Reverse Lunge Knee Up Hop. Take some time to practice the technique and start without the hop if you need to. Once you get the hang of it you can also hold on to some weights to make it even more challenging!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Kneel to Stand Jump Squat

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Hello, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have a challenging leg and plyometric exercise to show you called the Kneel to Stand Jump Squat.

This is a great exercise to work your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings and it will also mimic a step up without having to use a step. The jump will also add a plyometric component which will give you a great cardiovascular workout and work your fast twitch muscle fibers.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Kneel to Stand Jump Squat.

  • start in a kneeling position with your body nice and tall (don’t sit back on your heels)
  • lift your left leg and bring your foot underneath you without leaning to the side too much then repeat for your right leg. You are now in a squat position
  • keep your knees over your toes and your back straight in this squat position
  • now jump up as high as you can
  • once you land from your jump, squat down and then return to your knees
  • repeat the movement but this time lead with your right leg
  • keep alternating your lead leg to get equal work on both sides throughout your set

So there you have the Kneel to Stand Jump Squat. This will take some practice but once you get it down it is a great exercise to add to your lower or full body routine that will get your legs burning and your heart pumping!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!