Difficulty - Moderate
Muscle Groups Addressed - Obliques
You can do side-bends or situps....
A great standing exercise you can do at your desk... side-bends can be weighted or unweighted. Regardless, you'll feel a great burn in your obliques and also in your shoulders by adding the right angle yoga move.
Begin in a standing position, and bend slowly to one side. Feel free to stop when you feel a slight stretch in your side, or continue to bend down until you can place your fingertips on the ground or close to it. As you bend, extend your other arm skyward so that both of your arms are perpendicular to the ground. Now come up and repeat on the other side. Boom! Sides stretched.
Showing posts with label Abs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abs. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Day 24 - Ab Twists
Difficulty - Moderate
Muscle Groups Addressed - Rec
Now come on, baby... and do the twist!
Why anyone would purchase this nonsense is completely beyond me: http://amzn.com/B004G7D5GO
Let me show you a much easier (and arguably more effective) way to work your abdominals and obliques, right in the comfort of your very own desk chair!
Rotate around the ribcage. Any weight under 10 pounds will do. Keep your knees glued together. Stabilize from your hips to your ankles. Exhale as you rotate, inhale as you come to the center. Avoid rounding out the back. Remain in a tall, upright position. Avoid hunching forward at the shoulder blades.
To perform at your desk, sit tall in your chair and lift your legs up so that they are parallel to the floor (see Day 4 post!). Now slowly rotate your torso from side to side, tapping your arm-rests with your elbows if you have them (arm-rests that is... hopefully you have elbows).
Muscle Groups Addressed - Rec
Now come on, baby... and do the twist!
Why anyone would purchase this nonsense is completely beyond me: http://amzn.com/B004G7D5GO
Let me show you a much easier (and arguably more effective) way to work your abdominals and obliques, right in the comfort of your very own desk chair!
Rotate around the ribcage. Any weight under 10 pounds will do. Keep your knees glued together. Stabilize from your hips to your ankles. Exhale as you rotate, inhale as you come to the center. Avoid rounding out the back. Remain in a tall, upright position. Avoid hunching forward at the shoulder blades.
To perform at your desk, sit tall in your chair and lift your legs up so that they are parallel to the floor (see Day 4 post!). Now slowly rotate your torso from side to side, tapping your arm-rests with your elbows if you have them (arm-rests that is... hopefully you have elbows).
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Day 17 - Suspended Leg Raise
Difficulty - Moderate/Advanced
Muscle Groups Addressed - Core, Shoulders, Lats, Biceps
The first suspended/pull-up exercise! Wooooot! To those of you who would retort, "but I don't have a pull-up bar!" I say pish-posh. There's always something to hang from. A doorframe, tree branch, a tall friend's bicep. Just find something above your head and get to danglin'!
We'll start with a simple hang. With hands shoulder-width apart, just hang down from your surface of choice. Here, I'm suspended from my door frame, with my toes on the floor. For this exercise, it's fine if you toe-tap in between reps, if only to keep yourself from swinging.
Now slowly lift your feet upwards. Attempt to keep your knees locked, legs straight as you do so. Lower your legs back down to a hanging position (tap your toes to steady yourself) and then repeat. Shoot for 8-10 repetitions.
For an advanced version and to really engage your lats, pull yourself up part way, so that your biceps and forearms are locked at a 90 degree angle. Now perform the leg lift exercise the same way, but keeping your arms locked at the top. Yikes!
Muscle Groups Addressed - Core, Shoulders, Lats, Biceps
The first suspended/pull-up exercise! Wooooot! To those of you who would retort, "but I don't have a pull-up bar!" I say pish-posh. There's always something to hang from. A doorframe, tree branch, a tall friend's bicep. Just find something above your head and get to danglin'!
We'll start with a simple hang. With hands shoulder-width apart, just hang down from your surface of choice. Here, I'm suspended from my door frame, with my toes on the floor. For this exercise, it's fine if you toe-tap in between reps, if only to keep yourself from swinging.
Now slowly lift your feet upwards. Attempt to keep your knees locked, legs straight as you do so. Lower your legs back down to a hanging position (tap your toes to steady yourself) and then repeat. Shoot for 8-10 repetitions.
For an advanced version and to really engage your lats, pull yourself up part way, so that your biceps and forearms are locked at a 90 degree angle. Now perform the leg lift exercise the same way, but keeping your arms locked at the top. Yikes!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Day 13 - Warrior III Tucks
Difficulty - Advanced
Muscle Groups Addressed - Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads, Core
This is a borrowed move from everybody's favorite digital trainer, Tony Horton. P90X2, an at-home workout program sequel to the well-known P90X focuses heavily on balance and core-work, which I think are both well encompassed within this exercise.
A Warrior III Yoga Pose (Virabhadrasana III) looks like this:
Begin in a lunge position with one knee bent forward at a 90 degree angle and the other leg straight behind you. You can rest your arms at your side or gently on your front knee. Simultaneously bring your back leg up while straightening your front leg, and bring your hands up on either side of your head, palms facing each other. Your entire body should be parallel to the floor. Hold this pose for 5 seconds.
<< Now, slowly tilt your body upwards while bending the back leg. Keep your hands extended out by your head and raise them into the sky as your body tilts up. Hold the leg in this bent position, arms high for 5 seconds.
>> Bring the opposite arm from your raised leg (If your left knee is up, crunch with your right arm) down so that you make contact between your elbow and your knee. Use the other arm for balance as you hold this crunched position for 5 seconds. Breathe. Try to reverse the arm and leg movements back into the Warrior III pose. If your balance is waning, then bring your body down to a standing position and repeat the motion on the other leg. This is a great routine that will do amazing things for your balance and strengthen your core.
Muscle Groups Addressed - Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads, Core
This is a borrowed move from everybody's favorite digital trainer, Tony Horton. P90X2, an at-home workout program sequel to the well-known P90X focuses heavily on balance and core-work, which I think are both well encompassed within this exercise.
A Warrior III Yoga Pose (Virabhadrasana III) looks like this: Begin in a lunge position with one knee bent forward at a 90 degree angle and the other leg straight behind you. You can rest your arms at your side or gently on your front knee. Simultaneously bring your back leg up while straightening your front leg, and bring your hands up on either side of your head, palms facing each other. Your entire body should be parallel to the floor. Hold this pose for 5 seconds.
<< Now, slowly tilt your body upwards while bending the back leg. Keep your hands extended out by your head and raise them into the sky as your body tilts up. Hold the leg in this bent position, arms high for 5 seconds. >> Bring the opposite arm from your raised leg (If your left knee is up, crunch with your right arm) down so that you make contact between your elbow and your knee. Use the other arm for balance as you hold this crunched position for 5 seconds. Breathe. Try to reverse the arm and leg movements back into the Warrior III pose. If your balance is waning, then bring your body down to a standing position and repeat the motion on the other leg. This is a great routine that will do amazing things for your balance and strengthen your core.
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