Tag Archives: rectus abdominus

Full Body Workout 2

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Hey everyone!  Last week I gave you an abdominal workout to try so I can imagine your abs were feeling it.  If it hurts to cough, sneeze, or laugh then you know you did a good ab workout!  This week we are going to go back to a Full Body Workout for the Home Workout of the Week.

There are four supersets in this routine with two rounds of each.  Each superset will consist of an upper body exercise, a lower body exercise, a core exercise, and a cardiovascular exercise.  Try to do each exercise of the superset with very little rest in between.

Full body workouts are great for boosting your metabolism and for calorie burning so give this workout a try and you’ll be well on your way to a lean, muscular physique!

Full Body Workout 2

Warm-Up

  • 12 Bodyweight Squats
  • 10 Pushups
  • 12 Spiderman Climbs
  • 10 Spinal Rotations for each side
  • 10 Shoulder Circles for each arm

Superset 1

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds then repeat the superset 1 more time

Superset 2

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds then repeat the superset 1 more time

Superset 3

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds then repeat the superset 1 more time

Superset 4

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds then repeat the superset 1 more time

Abdominal Workout

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Hey there!  If you’ve been following my Home Workout of the Week blog, you’ll notice that I incorporate a lot of core work in to my routines.  This week however, I’m going to show you an abdominal only workout that you can do on an off day or whenever you’re in a time crunch and want to just get a quick ab workout in to tighten up the core.

manwomanTraining your core is very important as balance, posture, and back health have been linked to core health and your core is the foundation for all body movements whether you’re walking, running, playing sports, or carrying heavy objects.

Many people are sitting at a desk all day at work, then in their vehicles, and then at home on the couch without their core muscles engaged.  An increasing sedentary lifestyle with no core involvement leads to many problems with back pain most likely at the top of the list.  You can start to change this with something as little as sitting up straight and engaging your core by flexing your abdominals.  To further strengthen your core, start incorporating core specific exercises in to your workout routine.

Your core is the most important in my opinion so give this Abdominal Workout a try and you’ll be on your way to improving your posture, balance, exercise and sport performance, and prevent back pain!

Abdominal Workout

1 set of each exercise with little to no rest between

Pulse Up

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It’s Home Exercise of the Week time and I would like you to try this fantastic abdominal exercise called the Pulse Up.

The Pulse Up strengthens the abdominal muscles, specifically the rectus abdominis, which is a long paired muscle that runs vertically down the stomach and inserts into the pubic crest.

This ab exercise requires only a small amount of movement but don’t think that it will be easy.  The Pulse Up requires some abdominal strength and you may not be able to lift your hips off the floor very much in the beginning but with time and practice you will build the strength needed to perform this exercise.

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing the Pulse Up properly.

  • lay flat on your back with your arms to your sides
  • keeping your legs straight, raise them up until they are perpendicular to the floor (this is the starting position)
  • pull your belly button in towards your spine and push your feet towards the ceiling until your hips come off the floor
  • slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position and repeat
  • make sure you keep your head on the floor throughout the movement

So there you have the Pulse Up.  A simple but challenging move that will really get your lower abs working.  Aim for 2 to 3 sets of 15 – 20 repetitions.

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!

Plank Crawl

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If you live in Canada, the Thanksgiving long weekend just finished and if you are like me, you took advantage of that and indulged in some good food!  Now it’s time to get back to your routine of healthy eating and regular exercise and this week’s Home Exercise of the Week may help you burn off some of those extra calories consumed over the past few days!

This week I will be talking about the Plank Crawl!  From the video demonstration, you might have visions of this being done in army boot camps through dirt and mud and under barbed wire but this exercise can be done in the comfort of your own home.  I say comfort but I wouldn’t say this is a comfortable exercise!  Far from it actually.  The Plank Crawl will challenge you and get your core working in ways that you may not be used to.

The Plank Crawl will work your core like the regular plank but the added movement will add a cardiovascular component to the exercise and you will also be improving your coordination.  Your shoulders, legs, and lower back muscles will be involved as well giving you a full body workout!

Important tips to remember when performing the Plank Crawl:

  • keep your abs contracted throughout the movement (pull your belly button up towards your spine)
  • keep your body as straight as possible
  • go forward and backward in small movements

Start with one to two timed sets of 30 seconds and build your way up to 1 minute sets.  If you need an extra challenge or if you are thinking of enlisting in the army, wear a weighted vest or heavy back pack.  I guarantee your muscles will be burning!

So there you have the Plank Crawl.  Give it a shot and let me know how it feels.  Happy crawling! 🙂