Tag Archives: plank

Burpee Medicine Ball Overhead Toss

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Hello, it’s time again for a new Home Exercise of the Week.  This week I have another variation of everyone’s favourite exercise…the burpee!  I call it the Burpee Medicine Ball Overhead Toss.

This variation of the burpee is going to give your core an extra challenge since you will be adding the instability of placing your hands on the ball when you’re in the full plank position.  As with other burpees, you will also be working your legs, shoulders, and arms.  The shoulders will get an extra workout as well with the overhead throw of the medicine ball.  And don’t forget the cardiovascular conditioning you will get when your heart is pumping hard during this exercise!

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Burpee Medicine Ball Overhead Toss.

  • crouch down and place a medicine ball down on the floor in front of you
  • keeping your hands on the ball and under your chest, jump your feet back until you are fully extended in a full plank position
  • keep your abs engaged to maintain your balance on the medicine ball
  • from this full plank position, jump your feet back up and underneath you then pick the ball up and stand up while trying to keep your back as straight as possible (like standing up from a squat)
  • once you are fully upright throw the medicine ball straight up over your head and then catch it on the way back down
  • lower the ball to the floor and repeat the movement for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Burpee Medicine Ball Overhead Toss.  Add this fun variation of the burpee in to your full body routine and let the sweating begin!

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!

Triangle Jump

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Hey, it’s Home Exercise of the Week time again and this week I have a cardiovascular and core exercise for you to try that I call the Triangle Jump.

The Triangle Jump is primarily a core exercise but you will also be working many other muscle groups including your shoulders, triceps, and legs.  This move is also kind of like a burpee which makes it a fairly intense cardiovascular exercise.  Your heart will be pumping and you will be sweating!

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Triangle Jump.

  • start in a full plank pushup position with your hands directly under your shoulders
  • engage your abs and glutes and keep your back straight
  • jump your feet forward so that they are tucked in underneath you
  • from this tucked position jump both feet back and out to the left at about a 45 degree angle
  • jump both feet back up to the middle and tucked in underneath you
  • now jump both feet back and out to the right at the same 45 degree angle
  • return to the middle and keep jumping side to side for your desired amount of reps or time
  • keep your abs and glutes flexed throughout the movement

So there you have the Triangle Jump.  It’s intense.  It will make you sweat.  Your muscles will be burning.  It will be worth 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!

Spider Jump

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Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week!  This week I have a core and cardiovascular exercise for you to try called the Spider Jump.  This is a challenging exercise that will get you sweating and your heart pumping.  

The Spider Jump is a modification of the Running Mountain Climber and it will work your whole body but more specifically your abdominals and hip flexors.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Spider Jump.

  • start in a full plank position with your abs and glutes flexed and your hands directly under your shoulders
  • bring your left foot up and to the side of your body towards your left hand (if you’re flexible enough try to place your left foot just to the outside of your left hand)
  • from this position jump your right foot up towards the outside of your right hand while at the same time jumping your left foot back to the starting position
  • now jump your left foot up beside your left hand again while jumping your right foot back
  • keep jumping back and forth between your left and right foot until you reach your desired amount of reps or time
  • you can regress this movement to an easier version by stepping your feet up instead of jumping

So there you have the Spider Jump.  It’s not necessarily a fan favourite with my clients (I usually get a collective groan when I bust this one out) but very effective nonetheless!

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!

TRX Mountain Climber

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Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week!  This week I have a TRX suspension trainer exercise for you to try called the TRX Mountain Climber.

The TRX Mountain Climber is a great ab exercise that primarily works your abdominals and to a lesser degree, your hip flexors and quadriceps.  You will also be working your shoulders and triceps as they help to stabilize and hold you up throughout the movement.  If you do this exercise at a quick pace you will get a cardio workout as well.

If you don’t have a suspension trainer then I highly recommend getting one.  They are very handy to have as you can use it anywhere.  You can hook it on to a door in your home or attach it to a tree in a park.  As you can see in the video, I attached mine to a soccer net.  You can still do mountain climbers effectively though if you don’t have a suspension trainer.  The TRX just makes it a bit more fun and challenging!

Here are the key performance points for the TRX Mountain Climber.

  • hang the TRX straps so they are about 6 inches off the floor
  • place your feet in the stirrups so the tops of your feet are facing the floor
  • place your hands on the floor in line with your chest and take your knees off the floor so that you are now in a full suspended plank position and in a straight line
  • engage your abs, keep your body straight, and don’t let your hips sag down
  • drive your right knee forward towards your chest while squeezing your abs
  • as you bring your right knee back out, drive your left knee forward towards your chest
  • alternate back and forth for the desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the TRX Mountain Climber.  You might think I’m strange for saying this but this is one of my favourite TRX exercises and I find it a lot of fun even though it’s kicking my butt! 

Give this ab exercise a shot and let me know how you do in the comments below or if you find this as fun as I do! 😉

 See you next week with another new exercise.

Iron Cross

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Hey there, it’s time for another new Home Exercise of the Week!  This week I have a variation of a plank called the Iron Cross. 

The Iron Cross looks like it would be fairly easy but it is quite challenging.  With this isometric exercise you’re going to be mainly working your core, chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Here’s how to do the Iron Cross:

  • starting from your knees, position your hands as far out to your sides as you can while keeping them in line with your chest
  • rotate your hands so your fingers are pointing away from your body
  • lift your knees off the floor so that you are now on your toes and in a full push-up starting position
  • engage your abs and lower your body as if you were doing a push-up until you are as close to the floor as you can get
  • from this low position hold the plank while keeping your abs tight and flexed (this will help keep your hips from dropping and your back from arching)
  • if you notice your back arching up and your hips lowering then drop your knees to the floor and continue the hold until the desired time is up
  • hold the Iron Cross as long as you can to complete the set

So there you have the Iron Cross!  It’s harder than it looks and it will get you sweating.  Add this in to your upper or full body routine as a finishing move or incorporate it in to an ab workout.

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!