Power Your Core // Stability Ball Exercises

Written with love, by Nikki Lian

I’m sure you’ve all seen a stability ball or “exercise” ball at some point, whether it be in a gym, at someone’s house, in a store or in someone’s office.  Stability balls have many uses, mostly for exercise.  If at a desk all day on the computer, some people choose to sit on stability balls rather than their own chairs to help with posture, back pain, etc.

Stability balls can help anyone improve his or her fitness and work the core muscles (abs, back, hip flexors) in one’s body.  Here is a compilation of some of (what I think) are the most effective stability ball exercises to target your abdominals:

Ball Crunch         

Lie on your exercise ball with your lower back pressed against the ball.  Cross your arms over your chest, or your put your hands behind your ears (just make sure you’re not pulling your neck) - whichever is more comfortable.  Slowly perform a crunch with your hips stationary.  The ball is supposed to help isolate your abdominal muscles so you’re not using any other part of your body.  If you still feel discomfort in your lower back, I noticed that it helps to put my feet up against the wall.  But be careful, this can be a little more difficult to balance, so make sure you’re ready for that modification.  Try timing yourself, and work your way up to a minute.

Cross-Over Crunches

Lying on a mat, put the exercise ball under your left heel (left leg straight out) and put your right foot flat on the floor bending your right knee.  With your right arm behind your head, pull the ball in with your left heel, and touch your right elbow to your left knee.  Then return your leg and elbow to the starting position.  This is isolating your left internal and external oblique muscles.  Do 15 repetitions, and switch to the other leg.

Ball Exchanges

Lying flat on your back with your legs straight out, place the exercise ball between your feet.  Squeezing and holding onto the ball with your feet, bring both legs up slightly bending your knees, and grab the ball with your hands.  While holding the ball with your hands, extend your arms above your head.  Your legs should be moving back down coming close to the floor but not touching it.  Doing the same movement, grab the ball from your hands with your two feet.  This is an advanced abdominal exercise so start with a few repetitions (sometimes my clients start with one!) and work your way up to ten per set.

Stability balls can be found in a lot of different retail stores such as Target and Walmart, as well as sporting goods stores in general.  I’ve seen them range from 8 bucks to around 25 dollars.  They take up space but can fit in a closet, and are very useful for your every day exercise routine.  Next week I’ll go over some stability ball leg workouts—working out your core as well as your glutes, hamstrings and thighs!

Plyo-Magic! Jumping into A Toned Body (Part 1)

Written with love, by Nikki Lian

Plyometrics, or "plyo" for short, is also known as "jump-training."  Plyometrics are supplemental exercises used by athletes to help condition themselves to jump higher and move faster. For example, a basketball or volleyball player may add box jumps or one-legged hops to their traditional routines.  When you land from a jump it's like your muscles are getting a stretch. When you combine stretching and contracting your muscles you are actually toning those muscles.  Here are some exercises that I like to add to my routines as well as my clients':

One-Legged Hops

This exercise says exactly what it is--hopping on one leg. In the picture you can see Trina using agility hoops to work on her one-legged hops, but you can do this exercise anywhere.  A suggestion would be to make a good old fashioned hopscotch grid and hop through each square one leg at a time. The muscles targeted in this exercise are your quadriceps, aka your pretty amazing thighs. Try this exercise for twenty seconds and work your way up to a minute from there.

Lateral Hurdle Jump

Here is another challenging exercise but one that works your hip-adductors, or as we know them, the inner thighs.  Below, Trina is jumping over a hurdle moving side to side. However, once again, you can get creative as to what to jump over. Sometimes I use a jump rope tied to two trees. If you have a cone or even a shoebox, that would work as well.  Just make sure if you are a beginner, you start with something lower to the ground. Start off with jumping side to side (both feet together) over the object for 20 seconds and build your way up to a minute.

Floor Jacks

Floor Jacks are done by placing your hands on the floor and getting into a plank position.  Jump landing your feet apart and then back together just as if you were doing a jumping jack. This is a great exercise for your quadriceps, but since your hands are on the floor, it is also working your core.  You may start feeling it in your calves as well.  If you don't feel comfortable doing this exercise yet, you can stand straight up and do regular jacks until you build up your strength and stamina. This should be also tried out for 20 seconds straight, and then you can work your way up to a minute.  

Plyometrics aren't just for athletes. A 150 pound person can burn up to 500 cal in one hour doing these exercises. I love to use these with my Fit Breakers, who only do half-hour sessions with me. Plyometric exercises get their heart rate up, and help them to tone and burn fat in the short amount of time we have together (although they sometimes consider them torture devices).

Thank you to my wonderful and hard-working model this week, Trina, for helping me demonstrate this plyo workout. Next week I will be showing you a couple of upper body and abdominal exercises using plyometrics. Work hard and have a wonderful week!

Make Fitness Your BFF

Written with love, by Rebecca Ewing

As a bride-to-be, I personally understand the challenges each and every one of you have encountered through your engagement: time, money, and the conundrum of how exactly to get in the best shape of your life so you can feel your most beautiful for the big day...while still juggling that never ending "to do" list.

Since time is ticking, let's get serious and start with some quick but valuable fitness tips that you can start putting to use today! I have compiled a few must-haves to start with and will add to these exercises each month! I think it's safe to say that most brides would like to have toned arms and backsides to show off those curves in your gorgeous gown! So with that in mind, you need to understand that no body truly gets into shape on exercise alone, but that nutrition plays a huge role. So, I will be adding in a clean recipe or two each month so you can incorporate them into your new "married and cooking for two" repertoire.

So first, let's start with the decision to make fitness your best friend. It's going to make all the difference when it comes to handling the challenges and stress of planning and preparing for your wedding. It will make your body feel better than ever, and you will reap the benefits far past your honeymoon. The goal is to feel your best and to actually live a fit lifestyle that allows you to do things you enjoy together for years to come!

Let's get started with some fitness basics!

Triangle Push-Ups

More often than not, women will ask me how to tone that upper arm jiggle. Many exercies may target this area, but the MOST effective exercise is the triangle push-up.

Assume the push-up position but with your hands close together under your chest so that your thumbs and forefingers of each hand are almost touching to form a triangle. Lower your body and then press back up. Drop your knees if you must to start out. Not only is this a great tricep firmer, but it shapes the shoulder and is a killer workout for your entire arm!

The Cardio Trap

Burning fat is essential for getting into shape. Don't fall into the "Cardio Trap" of doing a 30-minute workout on a treadmill three times per week and think you're doing enough. If you'[re not doing cardio at all, start with that but change it up often!

In order to make changes, you must shock your body and wake it up to burn more fat. The trick is to intensify your cardio workout and add weight bearing exercises. And one of the best ways to burn fat and get in great shape quickly with cardio is to incorporate High Intensity Interval training ( HIIT). This consists of alternating between short bursts of intense exercise and recovery breaks. You can do this for shorter amounts of time 20 min vs 30 or 40 minutes but burn more calories and fat. Some people think you have to do a spin class or use a treadmill or be run sprints, but you can do effective HIIT at home without any equipment. More on that in a moment.

Here's an example of how to try HIIT on a treadmill:

- Warm up first with 40 jumping jacks

- Next, do a 30-second sprint at the fastest pace you can handle, followed by 90 seconds of comfortable jogging.

- Repeat this 5-6 times

- Cool down by jogging or walking for five minutes

If you don't have access to a treadmill, you can try an alternative cardio HIIT workout:

- 30-60 seconds of jumping jacks

- 10-20 seconds of step-ups on a low bench

- Repeat 5-6 times

Squat with Bicep Curl

In addition to your cadio training, strength training revs up your metabolism to keep you burning calories long after you put down the weights. And this is why investing in a medicine or kettle ball to incorporate into your workout routine can make a world of a difference! One of my favorite exercises is the squat with a bicep curl. And here is how it works:

- Hold a 6 pound medicine ball with both hand, feet hip distance apart

- Keep your chest up and sit your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a deep squat, lowering the ball between your legs

- Push through your heels and squeeze your glutes as you return to a standing position

- As you approach the standing position, push your hips forward and bend your elbows to curl the ball in front of your chest

- Do 20 reps, three times per week

The Hip Raise

Another personal favorite to blast your lower half is the hip raise.

- Lie face up on the floor with your knees bent and feet at hip distance apart (on the floor)

- Squeeze your glutes as tight as you can as yu raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, pressing your feet to the floor

- Hold your squeeze for 5 seconds

- Slowly lower back down to the starting position

- Repeat 20-30 times

*To add a little weight to the exercise, place your medicine ball on the center of your pelvis

You Are What You Eat

A big determinate of getting fit is what, how often, and when you eat. This is a challenge for most of us, but fueling your body the right way will give you optimal results in the fastest way. Some quick tips when it comes to your eating habits:

-----> DO NOT exercise on an empty stomach. It's like driving on an empty tank of gas. You will lost energy fast and quit your workout early, leading to less calories burned. Eating 100-200 calories of complex carbohydrates and protein about 45 minutes to an hour before your workout is perfect!

Examples: Half a cup of brown rice with a half of a grilled chicken breast OR a cup of nonfat yogurt

If you are in need of some energy, you can do yourself a favor and sip on some pre-workout just prior to and throughout your workout. The pre-workout I love and use daily is "I want more ENERGY" from GenX Labs Nutrition combined with stimulent free "I want more ENDURANCE!" Both can be found at www.mass4life.com.

Make fitness a habit and enjoy taking time each day to be your best YOU!