Tag Archives: abdominals

Pike Reach

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Hello, it’s a brand new week which means it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This time I have a fun variation of the plank for you to try called the Pike Reach.

The Pike Reach is not a complicated exercise but it is very effective in working your core, chest, and shoulders. You will also get a nice stretch through your hamstrings and calf muscles. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Pike Reach.

  • start in a full plank position with your feet shoulder width apart
  • drive your hips up in to the air and reach your right hand to your left foot while keeping your legs straight and your abs tight
  • if you can’t touch your foot that’s ok, just reach as far as you can without bending your legs
  • return to the starting position then repeat the movement with your left hand reaching toward your right foot
  • alternate back and forth until you’ve reached your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Pike Reach. It may look simple but it is very effective and after a few reps you will definitely be feeling the burn!

Let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Reverse Lunge Knee Up Hop

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Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have a lower body exercise that will get your legs burning and your heart pumping called the Reverse Lunge Knee Up Hop.

This is an exercise that will take some practice but it is fun to do and the benefits are great. The Reverse Lunge Knee Up Hop works your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, all the little stabilizer muscles of the ankle, your abs, and your balance and coordination. The jump also adds a plyometric component to the exercise that will work on your cardiovascular endurance and those fast twitch muscle fibers. As you can see there are a lot of muscles being activated in this move! If you’re just starting out with these and you can’t do the jump just yet then you can do the lunge knee up without the hop and then work your way up to adding the jump in.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Reverse Lunge Knee Up Hop.

  • stand nice and tall with your abs engaged and take a big step back with your left leg
  • from this position, come straight down by bending both knees until each leg is at a 90 degree angle
  • make sure to stay as upright as possible
  • pushing through your right heel, come up out of the lunge and drive your left knee up in front of you while using that momentum to hop your right foot off the floor
  • land from the hop and immediately go back in to the lunge with your left leg
  • repeat for your desired amount of reps and then repeat the movement with your right leg

So there you have the Reverse Lunge Knee Up Hop. Take some time to practice the technique and start without the hop if you need to. Once you get the hang of it you can also hold on to some weights to make it even more challenging!

Let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup

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Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week. This week I have an upper body exercise to show you called the Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup.

This is a great exercise to work your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. I’m using a weighted medicine ball for this exercise but if you don’t have one you can use any medium sized ball like a soccer or volleyball. The uneven position targets the muscles from different angles, challenges the core, and increases the intensity for one side. If you find this exercise a little too challenging from the full pushup position, you can drop down to your knees to complete your reps.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup.

  • start in a full pushup position with your hands wider than your shoulders and in line with your chest with one hand on the ball and one on the floor
  • descend towards the floor while engaging your abs and glutes (this will keep your back nice and straight)
  • try to get as close to the floor as you can and once you feel a good stretch in your chest muscles, push back up to the starting position without locking your elbows
  • from this top position push the ball underneath and across your body to the other hand and now you will repeat the movement for that side while keeping your abs and glutes engaged
  • if this is too challenging from the full pushup position drop down to your knees to complete your reps but just make sure to keep your hips down

So there you have the Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup. Try adding this exercise to your upper body or full body routine to add an extra challenge and to hit those muscles a little differently. 

Let me know how you do with this one in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

 

Equalizer Bar Pushup Mountain Climber Twist

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Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week. This week I have an upper body and core exercise to show you called the Equalizer Bar Pushup Mountain Climber Twist.

This is a great exercise to work your chest, shoulders, triceps, upper and lower abdominals, and obliques. I’m using an Equalizer Bar for this video demonstration but if you don’t have one, you can also do this exercise without it or use a step or bench to elevate your upper body. The elevation of the upper body gives your knee a little more clearance to raise up and twist and the Equalizer Bar allows you to go a little deeper in the pushup.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Equalizer Bar Pushup Mountain Climber Twist.

  • place the Equalizer Bar on it’s side on the floor
  • place your hands on the bar at the highest elevation and get in to a full plank position
  • keep your hands in line with your chest and keep your abs tight
  • lower your body until you feel a deep stretch in your chest while keeping your elbows flared out at about a 45 degree angle
  • push back up until your arms are almost straight but don’t lock them out at the top
  • from this top position, drive your right knee forward and then twist it underneath you towards your left side
  • return to the middle and then bring your right foot back to the starting position
  • perform another pushup and then drive your left knee forward and twist it underneath you towards your right side
  • return to the middle and bring your left foot back to the starting position
  • repeat the movements for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Equalizer Bar Pushup Mountain Climber Twist. Multi-joint movements are always great for building overall strength, conditioning, and for calorie burning so try adding this exercise to your upper body or full body routine. If you have trouble doing a full pushup, you can also do a modified pushup from your knees and then just raise your body up on your toes to perform the mountain climber twist.

Let me know how you do with this one in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Kettlebell Wood Chopper

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Hey there, I have a new Home Exercise of the Week for you to try called the Kettlebell Wood Chopper.  This is a great full body exercise that primarily works your core (especially obliques), quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and shoulders.

If you don’t have a kettlebell you can also do this with a medicine ball, dumbbell, or any weighted object you have at home that is easy to hold on to.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Kettlebell Wood Chopper.

  • stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointed slightly outward
  • hold the kettlebell down in front of you
  • descend in to a squat while keeping your abs tight and twist to your left so the kettlebell is to the outside of your left leg
  • keep your weight on your heels throughout the squat
  • come up from the squat position while swinging the kettlebell up and diagonally to the right
  • at the top position make sure your feet are firmly planted and your upper body is twisted to the right
  • keep your abs engaged throughout the movement
  • keep your arms as straight as you can and lower the kettlebell back down and to the left as you squat
  • repeat for your desired amount or reps or time and then repeat for your right side

So there you have the Kettlebell Wood Chopper.  Add this exercise to your full body routine or as part of your ab routine.  Your obliques will thank you for it!

Let me know how you do with this one in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!