Tag Archives: abs

Cross Leg Wide Leg Situp

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Hey there! It’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a great ab exercise for you to try called the Cross Leg Wide Leg Situp.

The Cross Leg Wide Leg Situp is going to work your upper and lower abs as well as your obliques. It can be challenging in the beginning to sit all the way up without your legs lifting up too so you may want to have someone hold your legs down or brace them under something. In time, as your abs get stronger, you will be able to do this without bracing your legs.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Cross Leg Wide Leg Situp.

  • start by laying face up on your mat with your legs straight and your feet nice and wide
  • place your left hand under your head and extend your right arm straight up towards the ceiling
  • flex your abs and without rounding your back, sit straight up while keeping your right arm extended towards the ceiling
  • now take that right arm and reach across towards your left foot while keeping your abs engaged
  • return to the middle and slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position
  • now switch arms so that your right hand is under your head and your left arm is extended up towards the ceiling
  • repeat the sit up but this time reach across with your left arm to your right foot
  • return to the center and slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position
  • keep alternating between each side for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Cross Leg Wide Leg Situp. Definitely add this to your routine to get all areas of your abs fired up!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Pushup Bird Dog

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Hello! Here’s another new Home Exercise of the Week for you to try! This week I have another very challenging upper body and core exercise for you called the Pushup Bird Dog.

The Pushup Bird Dog is a compound move that’s going to work your chest, shoulders, triceps, abs, upper and lower back, and glutes. You will also be working on your balance and all the little stabilizer muscles as you perform the bird dog. This exercise will take some practice so start off slow until you get the move down and if you have trouble doing the full pushup, you can start with the modified from-the-knees version which I’ve included in the video demonstration. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Pushup Bird Dog.

  • start by getting in to a full pushup position with your hands and feet wider than your shoulders and keep your hands in line with your chest
  • squeeze your abs and your glutes to keep your body nice and straight and to prevent your hips from dropping
  • now lower your body down towards the floor until you’re almost touching while keeping your arms at about a 45 degree angle from your body
  • push back up and once you have returned to the starting position, extend your right arm and left leg up while bracing your abs until you feel a nice squeeze on your back and glutes
  • lower your arm and leg back down to the floor and repeat your pushup
  • now you will extend your left arm and right leg up once you have returned back to the starting position after the pushup
  • keep alternating arms and legs after each pushup for your desired amount of reps or time
  • perform the pushup from your knees for a slightly easier version if you have trouble doing the full pushup

So there you have the Pushup Bird Dog. It’s a tough one but it’s very effective in targeting your chest and core and it will greatly improve your balance and coordination. You will also look pretty bad ass while doing it!

Give it a shot and let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Bridge Hold Leg Raise

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Hey there! It’s a new week and time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have another great lower body and ab exercise for you to try called the Bridge Hold Leg Raise.

The Bridge Hold Leg Raise is going to target your hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, and abs. The glutes and hamstrings will be worked isometrically while the hip flexors will be worked through concentric and eccentric contraction. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Bridge Hold Leg Raise.

  • start by lying face up on your mat with your right knee bent and your left leg fully extended
  • from this position, drive your hips up as high as you can by pushing through your right heel and squeezing your glutes
  • now raise your extended left leg straight up in to the air while squeezing your abs
  • lower your left leg slowly back down until it is almost touching the floor 
  • keep raising and lowering your left leg while maintaining your weight on your right heel for your desired amount of reps or time
  • now bend your left knee and extend your right leg and repeat the movement on your right side for your desired amount of reps or time to finish off the set

So there you have the Bridge Hold Leg Raise. Add this in to your lower or full body routine and you’ll be on your way to stronger glutes and abs in no time!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Pushup Side Balance Plank

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Hey there! It’s a new week which means it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This time I have another challenging upper body and core exercise for you to try called the Pushup Side Balance Plank.

The Pushup Side Balance Plank is a compound move meaning it works multiple muscle groups as opposed to an isolation move which focuses on one specific muscle. So with this exercise you will be working your chest, shoulders, triceps, upper and lower abs, obliques, and you will also be working on your balance with the side plank. This exercise is quite challenging so take it slow until you get the move down and if you have trouble doing the full pushup, you can start with the modified from-the-knees version which I’ve included in the video demonstration. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Pushup Side Balance Plank.

  • start by getting in to a full pushup position with your hands wider than your shoulders and in line with your chest
  • squeeze your abs and your glutes to keep your body nice and straight and to prevent your hips from dropping
  • now lower your body down towards the floor keeping your arms at about a 45 degree angle from your body
  • push back up and once you have returned to the starting position, lift your left arm up and reach towards the sky while rotating your body to the right and stacking your feet on top of each other
  • keep your abs tight and engaged and keep your right and left arms fully extended as you balance your weight on your right arm in the side plank position
  • rotate back down and return to the starting pushup position
  • now perform the pushup again but this time lift your right arm up while rotating your body to the left and do the side balance plank on your left side
  • return to the starting position and alternate back and forth for your desired amount of reps or time
  • perform the pushup from your knees for a slightly easier version if you have trouble doing the full pushup

So there you have the Pushup Side Balance Plank. It’s challenging but very effective in targeting your chest and core and it will greatly improve your balance and coordination!

Give it a shot and let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Heel Touch Crunch

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Hey there! It’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have one of my favourite ab exercise for you to try called the Heel Touch Crunch.

The Heel Touch Crunch is going to focus on your upper abs and obliques. The move is simple but don’t let that fool you. You’re going to get a nice burn from this one! 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Heel Touch Crunch.

  • start by laying face up on your mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
  • flex your abs and pull your belly button down towards the floor to keep your abs engaged and your lower back flat against the floor
  • crunch your upper body up until your head and shoulders are off the mat
  • keep looking up to avoid tucking your chin in to your chest
  • from this starting position, reach your left hand towards your left foot and tap your heel (this will give you a nice contraction in your oblique)
  • return to the center and immediately reach your right hand towards your right foot and tap your heel
  • keep your abs engaged throughout and alternate back and forth for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Heel Touch Crunch. Add this to your routine and fire up those abs! 

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

See you next week with another new exercise!