week three: bonus abs
complete 1-2 rounds.
toe touches. complete 20 reps.
Lying flat on your back, holding one dumbbell with both hands or a medicine ball, lift your legs to 90 degrees. Reach up using the weight to reach for your toes, lifting your shoulder blades up off the ground and crunching as you move. Return the starting position and repeat.
alternating v-ups. Complete 20 reps.
Lie flat on your back with your legs out straight in front of you and your arms up above your shoulders on the ground. Lift one leg up toward the ceiling squeezing your glute. Press your low back into the ground and engage your abs as you lift your leg up. Then crunch your upper body up as you reach your opposite arm up toward the toes of your raised leg, rotating toward that raised leg. Then lower the raised leg as you lift the other leg up toward the ceiling and crunch up to reach up toward that opposite foot. Keep alternating sides.
spider crunches on yoga ball. complete 20 reps.
Lie on your stomach over the top of a properly-inflated stability ball with both feet and hands on the floor, hip- and shoulder-width apart. Contract your abdominal/core muscles to stiffen your torso and slowly walk yourself forward, lifting your legs off the floor. Continue walking out until your knees rest on top of the ball (for an added challenge, you can walk out until your toes rest on top of the ball). Maintain a rigid torso aligned parallel with your legs. Pull your shoulder back and down as your reach your end position, with your arms fully extended and hands positioned directly under your shoulders. Exhale and while keeping your legs fully extended, pull your feet towards towards your chest, rolling the ball forward as your hips move upwards (think about lifting your rear end towards the ceiling while hinging at the hips). Continue moving until you reach an inverted position where your hips are positioned directly above your shoulders, with your legs, torso and arms fully extended, and head positioned between your arms. Inhale and slowly lower yourself back towards the floor, returning your body to the starting position.
banded bicycles. Complete 20 reps.
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground (pull your navel in to also target your deep abs). Place an exercise band around your toes. Put your hands behind your head, then bring your knees in towards your chest and lift your shoulder blades off the ground, but be sure not to pull on your neck. Straighten your right leg out to about a 45-degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow towards the left knee. Make sure your rib cage is moving and not just your elbows. Now switch sides and do the same motion on the other side to complete one rep.
leg lifts. Complete 20 reps.
Lie on your back. Place your hands, palms down, on the floor beside you or beneath your glutes to help maintain a flat back. Raise your legs off the ground, exhale as you go, bringing them to a 90 degree angle and lifting your hips up off the ground keeping your legs straight. Keep your knees locked throughout the exercise. Return to starting position (inhale as you go down).
knee-ins. complete 20 reps.
Sitting on an exercise mat with your legs fully extended in front of you, raise your legs a few inches off the ground. Place your palms directly underneath your shoulders with fingers facing your feet or for an added challenge hold your hands out in front of you at shoulder width. Bend your knees in toward your chest and return to starting position.
plank hip lifts. complete 20 reps.
Start with your feet behind you and your elbows on the ground directly underneath your shoulders, shoulder width apart. Stiffen your torso by contracting your core/abdominal muscles, your glute and quadriceps muscles and align your head with your spine. Lift your glutes toward the ceiling, keeping your core tight and maintaining a neutral spine.
supermans. complete 20 reps.
Lie on your stomach on a mat with your legs extended, toes pointing away from your shins, arms extended overhead with palms facing each other. Relax your head to align it with your spine. Exhale, contract your abdominal and core muscles to stabilize your spine and slowly raise both legs a few inches off the floor while simultaneously raising both arms a few inches off the floor. Keep both legs and arms extended and avoiding any rotation in each. Maintain your head and torso position, avoiding any arching in your back or raising of your head. Hold this position briefly and return to your starting position.