Dont forget about that resolution! Keep reading for a whole-body circuit program that will strengthen your core and tone your muscles all over.
Perform the following program 2 to 3 times a week; however, not on back-to-back days. Find a weight that is challenging for you and perform each movement for 15 repetitions (unless otherwise specified), one exercise after the other without any rest in between.
Once you have completed a full circuit of each exercise, rest one minute and then perform the entire program again. Work up to 4 times through.
Off-set reverse lunge
- Hold onto one heavy dumbbell with your right hand.
- Step back with your left leg and perform a lunge. Be sure to keep the front knee in line with the front ankle and tracking straight ahead (don’t let it wobble side to side), all while maintaining a neutral spine.
- By holding onto the dumbbell with your opposite arm, you will fire up your core muscles and the added weight will work your lower body muscles harder.
Push-up with feet stacked
- Perform 8 reps per foot stacked.
- Get in a full push-up position from your toes with your hands wider than your shoulders and your body in a long straight line.
- Stack your left foot on top of your right, toe to heel, for 8 reps and then switch.If you are unable to perform a straight-leg push-up, then perform 8 reps with just your left leg extended while your right knee is on the ground, and then 8 reps with the right leg extended.
Circling arms with low back extension
- Lie face down with your arms extended overhead, palms facing down, legs straight, and your toes tucked into the floor.
- Lift your upper body and arms off the floor while circling the arms around and down to your sides, keeping the palms down. As your chest lowers back down, circle the arms up above the head again. Try to keep the arms as straight as possible while circling them down and back up again.
- Throughout the movement, keep the toes tucked and on the ground to neutralize the pelvis and isolate the low back extensor muscles.
Double crunch
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your arms behind you, fingertips facing the feet.
- Lift your feet off the floor (and keep them off for the entire 15 reps), pull the knees in toward your chest, and use your abs and arms to bring your chest forward too.
- Slowly extend the body so that the legs are completely straight and a few inches off the ground. Your upper body is a few inches off the ground too with elbows bent—this is one repetition.
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