sleek & slender abs with karena! repeat 3 times
tipsy warm up - standing with dumbbells to your side, rock back and forth keeping your hips stationary, activating the core muscles warming them up for your workout.
knee up crossover - standing with one hand pressed above you, and the other one to your side (dumbbells in hand) twist to one side, lifting that knee up while bringing your elbow down to meet in front of you. return to standing and repeat.
cat crunch - in a plank position, begin with arching your back and pulling your knee towards your face while contracting your abs. fully extend your leg back, using both your abs and your low back moving as slowly as possible.
cinch it - in a plank position slowly rotate your hips side to side while keeping your shoulders in line above your elbows on the mat. be sure to touch your hip on the ground before changing direction!
plank kicks - hold a plank position for a 5 count, then lift one leg slightly up and hold for 5, kick it out to your side and hold for 5, then bring it back in and hold for 5 before dropping it back down to the ground. repeat for each side.
tabletop crunch - a 3 part crunch move, begin on your back with your legs in tabletop position. with your dumbbell in your hands, crunch up and place the dumbbell on top of your shins being careful not to let it fall. slowly lay back down before crunching back up to take the dumbbell and lay back down extending your legs straight out in the air!
basic crunches - on your back, lift your shoulders off the ground by contracting your core.
the butterfly - sitting up balancing on your bum, slowly flutter your legs, bringing one heel to the ground while the other is lifted up to eye level and alternate!
A lot of you runners ask fellow fitblrs what to do about shin splints. One of the best things you can do for them is prevent them! Here are a few exercises to help strengthen your shins to prevent those aches and pains we all hate.
- Walk on your heels—This is pretty self explanatory. Walk the length of a room back and forth flexing your foot.
- Towel or T-shirt grab—I like doing this with a towel, but I didn’t have one handy. So I used my T-shirt. This also works while walking in sand, so try it at the beach!
- Resistance band pull to the side/front—Do ten on one side, ten on the other, ten to the front and repeat for a total of 3+ sets.
- Foot tap—Tap your feet while sitting down in a chair. This one you can do while at work, school, or even sitting in front of the TV! Make sure to tap them really fast. It gets tiring; you’ll see! Just do them for 30 seconds, break for 30 seconds, then repeat for 3+ sets.
- ICE ICE ICE—Ice after all your workouts. Ice after all these exercises too. Always ice. Make ice your best friend. You can sit with ice on your shins as shown, or you can saran wrap bags of ice to your shins so you can still walk around! Or you can freeze dixie cups full of water and rub the ice on your shins that way. Whatever works for you!
This is really helpful y’all :)
Sculpt Your BacksideThis tush-targeted workout takes the science of how to tone the three muscles in the glutes to the maximus. “Do all nine exercises for a 360-degree shape-up or pick a few based on your particular trouble spot,” says Kate Albarelli, the creator of the signature Figure 4 class at Pure Yoga in New York City, who designed these proven butt blasters. (That’s Albarelli demonstrating the moves.) To shape more curves, try the Lift It! trio. Tighten your rear with the Shrink It! moves. Got saddlebags? Focus on the Trim It! section. Do two sets of each move you choose three times a week on nonconsecutive days.
Lift It: Carving CurlTargets gluteus maximus and hamstrings
- Lie facedown on floor with head on folded arms, squeezing a 1-pound dumbbell or rolled-up towel behind bent left knee, foot flexed. Tuck pelvis to flatten out low back.
- Lift bent left leg a few inches off floor; lower. Do 20 reps.
- Switch sides, repeat.
Lift It: Bend and ExtendTargets gluteus maximus and hamstrings
- Stand in front of chair, bend over and place left hand on seat, right forearm atop chair back; tuck pelvis and extend left leg behind you, foot flexed.
- Pulse left leg 10 times (lift and lower by 1 inch).
- Keeping left leg lifted, bend knee and then extend 10 times; then trace 5 clockwise and 5 counterclockwise circles with leg.
- Hold leg lift for 5 counts. Switch sides; repeat.
Lift It: Swaying BridgeTargets glutei maximus, medius, and minimus, and hamstrings
- Lie faceup on floor with knees bent, feet flexed with heels on floor and arms by sides; step heels out so legs are slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Lift hips so body forms a line from rib cage to knees (bra line stays on floor). Lower. Do 10 reps.
- With hips lifted, sway hips from left to right as you squeeze glutes. Do 20 reps, alternating sides.
- With hips lifted, do 20 pulses.
Shrink It: Slimming SwirlTargets glutei maximus, medius, and minimus, and legs
- Stand with heels together, toes out, holding chair back with right hand. Lift heels (still touching) off floor; bend knees 90 degrees out to sides.
- Maintaining plié, tuck pelvis as you squeeze glutes and then arch your back slightly. Do 10 reps.
- Draw 10 clockwise circles with hips, squeezing glutes to tuck position at 12 o’clock. Do 10 counterclockwise circles; finish with 10 more tucks.
Cross Your LegsTargets glutei maximus, medius, and minimus and hamstrings
- Start on floor on all fours.
- Lift bent left knee to hip level so that it’s pointing slightly out to side as hips stay even. (Tuck pelvis under so that your back is not overextended.) Do 20 pulses, lifting and lowering left leg 1 inch.
- Next, cross left knee behind right knee and then lift if out to left side at hip level. Do 10 reps.
- Do 20 pulses, foot flexed. Switch sides; repeat.
Door HingeTargets glutei maximus, medius, and minimus
- Standing, bend at hips to rest right forearm on chair back, and squeeze a rolled-up towel behind left knee, foot flexed; place left hand on hip
- Tuck pelvis, lift left knee out to side; bring knee in toward chest and then behind you. Do 10 reps.
- With knee behind you, do 20 press-back pulses: Bring left leg toward right 1 inch, then back again. Switch sides; repeat.
Trim It: ClamshellTargets glutei maximus, medius, and minimus
- Lie on right side and bend knees 45 degrees so they are in front of you; lift feet 12 inches off floor.
- With heels together, raise left knee so it points up (clamshell position); lower knee. Do 10 reps.
- Return to clamshell; keeping left knee raised, extend and then bend left leg 20 times. Return to clamshell, do 10 pulses (lift and lower left knee by 1 inch). Switch sides; repeat.
Trim It: Second-Position PulseTargets glutei maximus, medius, and minimus, and legs
- Stand with feet wide, toes turned out, left hand holding chair back for support, right hand on hip.
- Bend knees 90 degrees out to sides and, maintaining squat, open legs wider by pressing knees back 1 inch; then bring them back. Do 10 presses.
- Lift toes off floor in squat position; do 10 more presses.
- Finish with 10 presses on toes with heels lifted.
Trim It: Fly TrapTargets back; abs; obliques; glutei maximus, medius and minimus; and legs
- Stand with right hand on chair back for support.
- Hinge forward at hips, lifting left arm in front of you and left leg behind you (body parallel to floor).
- Side bend to left at waist, bringing left elbow to left hip and bending left knee. Extend. Do 10 reps.
- From elbow-to-hip curl position, do 20 pulses, lifting and lowering bent left leg by 1 inch. Hold final rep for 5 counts. Switch sides; repeat.
Originally published in FITNESS magazine, February 2012. From Fitnessmagazine.com
COMPLETE BLOGILATES/POP PILATES WORKOUT VIDEOS:
Back
Butt
Core
- 3 MINUTE AB WORKOUT CHALLENGE
- 6 PACK ABS IN 6 MOVES!
- ABOMINABLE ABDOMINALS
- CINCH THAT WAIST WORKOUT
- CORSET WORKOUT FOR A SLIM WAIST
- CRAZY CORE WORKOUT
- HOT ABS WORKOUT
- INTENSE AB WORKOUT
- LOWER BELLY POOCH ATTACK
- MUFFIN TOP/LOVE HANDLES EXTERMINATOR
- MUFFIN TOP MELTDOWN
- UH-OH OBLIQUES
- YOU’VE GOT ABS FLAT ABS WORKOUT CHALLENGE
Legs
- INNER THIGH INSANITY
- LEGILATES LEGSERCIZES
- LEGS AND THIGHS WORKOUT
- SADDLEBAG SHAVER
- SLIMMER INNER THIGHS/RUNNER’S CALVES WORKOUT
- SO YOU WANT NICE LEGS WORKOUT
- THANKFUL THIGHS THANKSGIVING WORKOUT
Upper Body
Hybrid Workouts
- LADY GAGA STANDING ABS/LEGS
- PLANK ARM WORKOUT FOR FLAT ABS/TONED ARMS
- SERIOUS STANDING PILATES FOR LEGS/BUTT/OBLIQUES
- STANDING PILATES BY THE SEA FOR THIGHS/CORE/SHOULDERS
Full Body
- ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS WORKOUT
- BIKINI BOD WORKOUT
- BIKINI BOOTCAMP
- BODY SLIMMING WORKOUT
- NEW BODY MAKEOVER
- POST THANKSGIVING TUNE UP
- SCULPTING TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
- SEA INSPIRED PILATES WORKOUT
- SUMMER SLIMDOWN WORKOUT
- TILL THE WORLD ENDS TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
- TOTAL BODY BANGIN’ WORKOUT
- TOTAL BODY SCULPT FOR ABS/BUTT/THIGHS
- WEIGHT LOSS PILATES
Beginner Workouts
Partner Workouts
Stretches
Cardio
Found a post with all the videos! They really are great and pretty intense for a beginner like me :)
