Plank Shoulder Tap

Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have a great core exercise to show you called the Plank Shoulder Tap.

This is a great exercise to work your transverse abdominis which is the deepest layer of your abs that stabilize the entire low back and core muscles. It will also work your glutes, arms, wrists, and shoulders, as well as improving your balance and coordination. 

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

  • start in a full pushup position with your hands directly under your shoulders
  • separate your feet a bit to add some extra stability
  • keeping your abs tight and your hips as steady as possible, lift one hand and tap it on your opposite shoulder
  • return your hand to the floor and repeat on the other side
  • make sure to keep your abs as tight as possible to prevent your hips from rotating as you tap your shoulder

So there you have the Plank Shoulder Tap. Add this great core exercise to your routine and get those deep ab muscles fired up! If you find this exercise a little too challenging at first, you can modify it by dropping down to your knees and performing the exercise as described. This will reduce the amount of body weight you are holding.

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!

Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup

Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week. This week I have an upper body exercise to show you called the Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup.

This is a great exercise to work your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. I’m using a weighted medicine ball for this exercise but if you don’t have one you can use any medium sized ball like a soccer or volleyball. The uneven position targets the muscles from different angles, challenges the core, and increases the intensity for one side. If you find this exercise a little too challenging from the full pushup position, you can drop down to your knees to complete your reps.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup.

  • start in a full pushup position with your hands wider than your shoulders and in line with your chest with one hand on the ball and one on the floor
  • descend towards the floor while engaging your abs and glutes (this will keep your back nice and straight)
  • try to get as close to the floor as you can and once you feel a good stretch in your chest muscles, push back up to the starting position without locking your elbows
  • from this top position push the ball underneath and across your body to the other hand and now you will repeat the movement for that side while keeping your abs and glutes engaged
  • if this is too challenging from the full pushup position drop down to your knees to complete your reps but just make sure to keep your hips down

So there you have the Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup. Try adding this exercise to your upper body or full body routine to add an extra challenge and to hit those muscles a little differently. 

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!

 

TRX Single Leg Burpee

 
The Home Exercise of the Week series is back and new videos are coming! I found a few in my archive that I haven’t posted before so they will be up before the new ones and this week I have a challenging full body exercise to show you called the TRX Single Leg Burpee.
 
The TRX Single Leg Burpee will target a number of muscle groups including chest, shoulders, triceps, core, and the muscles of the legs. You can make this extra challenging by adding a pushup like I did on the third rep in the video.
 
Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the TRX Single Leg Burpee.
 
  • start in the pushup position with one foot in the handle of the TRX. The other foot remains elevated in the air
  • while keeping your abs tight, swing your free foot forward until it is on the ground underneath you
  • stand up from this position and jump as high as you can
  • after landing from the jump, put your hands back down on the ground in line with your chest and extend the free leg back until you are in the starting position
  • from here you can add a pushup to make it extra challenging and really work the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Make sure to keep your abs tight to keep your spine in a neutral position
  • perform your desired reps for that leg and then switch legs in the handle and repeat the same number of reps for that side

So there you have the TRX Single Leg Burpee. This is a very challenging but effective full body exercise. It will take some practice but once you get it down it is a great exercise to add to your full body routine to work multiple muscles and burn more calories!

Triangle Jump

Hey, it’s Home Exercise of the Week time again and this week I have a cardiovascular and core exercise for you to try that I call the Triangle Jump.

The Triangle Jump is primarily a core exercise but you will also be working many other muscle groups including your shoulders, triceps, and legs.  This move is also kind of like a burpee which makes it a fairly intense cardiovascular exercise.  Your heart will be pumping and you will be sweating!

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

  • start in a full plank pushup position with your hands directly under your shoulders
  • engage your abs and glutes and keep your back straight
  • jump your feet forward so that they are tucked in underneath you
  • from this tucked position jump both feet back and out to the left at about a 45 degree angle
  • jump both feet back up to the middle and tucked in underneath you
  • now jump both feet back and out to the right at the same 45 degree angle
  • return to the middle and keep jumping side to side for your desired amount of reps or time
  • keep your abs and glutes flexed throughout the movement

So there you have the Triangle Jump.  It’s intense.  It will make you sweat.  Your muscles will be burning.  It will be worth it.

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!

Lateral Lunge Medicine Ball Extension

Hello, it’s Home Exercise of the Week time again and this week I have a full body exercise for you to try called the Lateral Lunge Medicine Ball Extension.

The Lateral Lunge Medicine Ball Extension works your gluteus medius (the sides of the glutes), quadriceps, hamstrings, and your adductor muscles which are the muscles of the inner thigh.  The medicine ball extension works your shoulders and to a lesser degree your biceps and triceps.  So as you can see you are working a lot of muscles here which means you’ll be burning more calories and making your heart work more creating a cardiovascular component to the exercise.

If you don’t have a medicine ball that’s ok.  You can use any heavy object you have around the house.  You can even hold your baby or pet for this one!

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Lateral Lunge Medicine Ball Extension.

  • stand tall with your feet together and holding the medicine ball close to your chest
  • take a big step to the right while keeping your toes pointed forward
  • bend your right leg so you are descending in to a lunge
  • keep your weight on your right heel and drive your hips back as you lunge
  • keep your back straight as well as your left leg
  • make sure your right knee stays in line with your right toes (you don’t want your knee going forward past the toes)
  • hold this lunge position and push the medicine ball forward away from your chest
  • pull the ball back to your chest and push up through your right heel to the starting position
  • repeat the movement for your left leg
  • lunge side to side for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Lateral Lunge Medicine Ball Extension!  Add this in to your full body routine to spice things up and hit your legs in a different way.

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

See you next week with another new exercise!