Plank Jumping Jack

Hey everyone!  It’s time for the Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a plyometric core exercise for you to try.  It’s called the Plank Jumping Jack and the plank part of the exercise will isometrically work your core and the jumping jack part of the exercise will add the plyometric component to increase your heart rate and burn more calories.

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing the Plank Jumping Jack properly.

  • get in to the plank position on your forearms and toes with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders, hips down, and head in a neutral position
  • contract your abdominals throughout the movement
  • jump your feet out wide and then jump them back to the starting position
  • repeat at a quick pace for the desired amount of reps or time
  • to modify the exercise for a slightly easier version you can step one foot out at a time instead of jumping

So there you have the Plank Jumping Jack.  Give it a try and let me know how you do.  See you next week with another new exercise!

Bridge Hold Knee Crunch

Hey everyone!  It’s time for another Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a great exercise that is going to isometrically work your hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, and triceps and it will also work your core.

It’s called the Bridge Hold Knee Crunch and it’s a great exercise that you can do for time or reps.  30 seconds each leg or 15 to 20 repetitions for each leg is a good place to start.

Let’s look at the key points to doing the Bridge Hold Knee Crunch.

  • sit on the floor, lean back slightly and place your hands on the floor behind you
  • keep your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent and drive your hips upward
  • keep your hips up throughout the movement and squeeze the glutes
  • take one foot off the floor and pull your knee in towards your chest while squeezing your abdominals
  • extend your leg back out and repeat for desired reps or time then switch legs to complete the set
  • to make this a bit easier, lay your upper body on the floor while performing the movement

So there you have the Bridge Hold Knee Crunch!  Give it a try and let me know how you do.  I will see you next week with another new exercise!

Spiderman Pushup Knee Tuck

Hey everyone!  The Home Exercise of the Week series is back and I have a bunch of new exercises to show you over the next few months to take your training to the next level.  Some of these exercises will be very challenging but as always I will show you some modifications to make them more manageable.

So for this weeks exercise, I would like you to try the Spiderman Pushup Knee Tuck!  This is a great exercise for your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.  It will also add a plyometric component to the exercise to increase your heart rate, burn more calories, and make you sweat!

As always, make sure your form is good and keep your core tight!  If you have any questions at all please leave a comment.

See you next week with another Home Exercise of the Week!