Tag Archives: physical fitness

Side to Side Leg Raises

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I have another abdominal exercise for you for the Home Exercise of the Week!  Your core muscles are very important for maintaining a healthy posture and back health as well as providing stability and strength to all other exercises and every day activities.  So please make sure you are not neglecting your core and to help you with that I would like to show you the Side to Side Leg Raise.

Side to Side Leg Raises target your lower abdominals and your obliques.  Proper form is key as with any exercise but with this one especially since improper form could lead to strain on your lower back.

Let’s take a look at the key points for proper Side to Side Leg Raise execution:

  • lay flat on the floor with your arms extended out to your sides (this will stabilize you and keep you from rolling over) and legs together straight up in the air
  • pull your belly button in towards your spine which will activate your abdominals and allow them to do more of the work instead of your back
  • with legs together, lower them to the side until they are almost touching the floor
  • keeping your abs contracted, raise back up to the starting position and repeat on the other side
  • keep your head down as much as you can throughout the movement

Add the Side to Side Leg Raise to a superset or to your ab routine with a rep range of 12 to 20 reps to start.  If you find keeping your legs straight to be extremely challenging then you can bend your legs at the knees giving you a shorter lever which in turn will make the exercise easier.  On the flip side, if you find this not challenging enough then try holding a dumbbell between your feet!

Now go and get your abs burning!

Reverse Crunch

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It’s ab burning time for this weeks Home Exercise of the Week!  The Reverse Crunch is a great exercise to add in to your ab routine and it’s not a complicated move so it’s easier to get the hang of.  Now just because it’s an easier move doesn’t mean that it will be easier on your abs.  You will feel this one!

The Reverse Crunch focuses on your rectus abdominus and you will feel this in your lower abdominals.  The move is subtle but very effective.

Let’s look at the key points to doing the Reverse Crunch properly.

  • lay face up on a mat keeping your head down and arms resting at your sides throughout the crunch
  • raise your feet up and bend your knees to a 90 degree angle – this is the starting position
  • contract your abs to slowly bring your knees towards your chest and raise your hips off the floor
  • hold the contraction for a second or two then lower your hips to the starting postition
  • keep a slow pace and use your abs to lift your hips instead of swinging your legs and causing momentum which will take the focus away from the abs you are trying to work

So there you have the Reverse Crunch.  Perform 1 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions in your ab routine or add a set of 15 to 20 repetitions to a superset of compound exercises to save time!

Sumo Squat

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Happy new year everyone!  It’s a brand new year and I’m sure many of you have set some resolutions or revisited some previous years resolutions but regardless it’s time to get your butt in gear!

What better way to get your butt in gear than doing a leg exercise.  The first Home Exercise of the Week for the new year is the Sumo Squat.

The Sumo Squat is a safe and effective leg exercise that really targets your inner thighs along with your glutes and hamstrings.  It will really help too if you plan on doing some sumo wrestling! 🙂

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing the Sumo Squat effectively.

  • start with your feet wider than your shoulders with your toes pointed out slightly
  • keep your back straight, head up, and shoulders back
  • squat down keeping your knees in line with your toes (don’t let them shoot past your toes)
  • once your thighs are parallel to the floor or below, push yourself back up through your heels
  • don’t lock your knees at the top
  • inhale as you go down and exhale on the way back up

So there you have the Sumo Squat!  Add this to your leg routine and in no time you will have strong, toned legs and will be ready to take on any sumo wrestler who comes your way! 😉

Superman Back Row

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I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season and I’m sure many of you have set some fitness resolutions for the new year so here is a Home Exercise of the Week to get you started.  It’s called a Superman Back Row or Superman with a Back Squeeze as the video says.

The Superman Back Row is a great core exercise that targets your lower back muscles and works your upper back muscles at the same time.

Let’s take a look at how to do this exercise properly.

  • lay face down on the floor with your arms straight ahead of you
  • raise your arms and legs off the floor as much as you can while keeping your limbs straight the whole time
  • slowly pull your elbows back until you feel a good squeeze on your shoulder blades then extend them forward again
  • it can be challenging to breath while laying on your stomach but do the best you can to breath consistently.  Exhale as your pull your elbows back and inhale as you extend them forward.
  • start with 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions or 1 to 3 timed sets of 10 to 30 seconds

So there you have the Superman Back Row!  A strong core is the foundation for strength and balance everywhere else so make sure to add this in to your routine in the new year!

In and Out Squat Jump

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The holidays are fast approaching so get a jump start (no pun intended) and burn some calories with this plyometric Home Exercise of the Week!

The In and Out Squat Jump…talk about a leg burn!  You’ll be sweating, your heart will be pumping, and your legs will be on fire with this one.  Sounds fun doesn’t it? 🙂

Aside from all the uncomfortable side effects of this exercise you will really build some explosive strength and endurance since the In and Out Squat Jump is a plyometric exercise.  When your feet are together you will be working your outer thighs and when your feet are wide you’ll be working your inner thighs.  Your glutes and hamstrings will also be working hard too.  So overall this is a great exercise to add in to your leg or full body routine and the cardiovascular aspect to it will really rev up your metabolism and burn calories…much needed before the surplus of calories that usually come with the holidays!

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing the In and Out Squat Jump properly.

  • whether your feet are close together or apart, when you come down in to the squat make sure that your head and chest is up, back is straight, and your weight is on your heels.  Always make sure your knees are over your toes and not shooting out past them.
  • start with your feet together and explode up in to the air spreading your feet apart and landing softly in the wide stance
  • explode up again but this time bring your feet together and land softly in the close stance
  • with each squat try to get your thighs below or at least parallel to the floor

So there you have the In and Out Squat Jump.  A 12 to 15 repetition set is a good starting point and if you want an extra challenge hold on to some dumbbells!

Keep working hard and don’t forget to treat yourself over the holidays.  That being said, stay active and it will be that much easier to get right back on to your routine in the new year! 🙂