Tag Archives: core

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!

Bicycle Claps

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Hey there! It’s time for another new Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a great exercise for you to try called Bicycle Claps.

Bicycle Claps are going to get your abs burning and you will also be working your hip flexors (hip flexors are the muscles that help raise your legs up). The move is fairly straight forward but it does take a bit of co-ordination and balance so it may take a bit of practice to get good at it. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of Bicycle Claps.

  • start by sitting up on your mat and leaning back at a 45 degree angle
  • bend your legs and raise both feet off the floor
  • engage your abs by squeezing your stomach throughout the movement
  • from this starting position, extend your right leg while keeping your left leg bent
  • while you are extending your right leg, reach underneath your bent left leg and clap both hands together
  • return your right leg to the starting position and at the same time extend your left leg
  • now clap your hands together under your bent right leg
  • alternate back and forth for your desired amount of reps or time
  • remember to keep your abs engaged, upper body at a 45 degree angle, and your feet off the floor throughout the entire exercise

So there you have Bicycle Claps. You’ll be well on your way to a strong core if you add this move to your exercise routine!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Spiderman Pushups

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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 a challenging upper body exercise for you to try called Spiderman Pushups.

Spiderman Pushups will work your chest, shoulders, and triceps, and the knee driving up towards your elbow will give your core a really good workout. If you have trouble doing the full pushup, you can start with the modified from-the-knees version which you can see in the video demonstration. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of Spiderman Pushups.

  • 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
  • as you are lowering your body down towards the floor, lift your left foot off the floor and drive your left knee towards your left elbow
  • your knee should reach or almost reach your elbow at the bottom portion of the pushup
  • push your body back up while returning your left leg to the starting position
  • now repeat the pushup but this time drive your right knee towards your right elbow
  • return to the starting position and then keep alternating sides until you have completed your desired amount of reps or time
  • for a slightly easier modified version, drop down to your knees and perform the exercise from your knees throughout the set

So there you have Spiderman Pushups. It’s a tough one but once you get the move down it looks pretty cool and you will get those upper body muscles and core 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!

Inch Worm

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Hello! It’s Wednesday which means it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have a great full body exercise for you to try called the Inch Worm. This may sound like an easy exercise but don’t let the cute name fool you…it’s quite challenging!

The Inch Worm is going to work your core, arms, chest, shoulders, and upper back and it will also increase your strength and flexibility. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Inch Worm.

  • start in a full plank position with your hands underneath your shoulders and your body perfectly straight
  • keep your head in line with your spine throughout the movement and keep your abs and glutes engaged (this will help keep your hips up and in line with your body)
  • now slowly walk your feet towards your hands in small steps while keeping your legs perfectly straight and not bending at the knees
  • when you can no longer walk your feet any further without bending your legs, start walking your hands forward in small steps until you are back in the starting plank position
  • repeat the movement for your desired amount of reps or time and if you run out of room to inch forward then you can reverse the movement and go backwards
  • to reverse the movement start in the plank position and start by walking your hands back until you can go no further without bending your legs
  • then walk your feet back in small steps until you are back in the starting plank position

So there you have the Inch Worm. It sounds cute and easy but it will definitely get you sweating while giving you a great strength, core, and flexibility workout!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!