Dancing Bug
Targets abs and obliques
By moving a stability ball between opposite arms and legs, you're hitting your abs from every angle, not just focusing on the middle muscles.
By moving a stability ball between opposite arms and legs, you're hitting your abs from every angle, not just focusing on the middle muscles.
- Lie faceup on floor with arms and legs extended up, palms and shins pressed into a stability ball.
- Lower left arm and right leg toward floor, getting as close as you can without touching down. Return to start, then lower right arm and left leg.
- Do 25 to 30 reps, alternating sides.
Superman
Targets back and butt
Make sure to squeeze your glutes to help lift your legs for this double-duty back and booty burner.
Make sure to squeeze your glutes to help lift your legs for this double-duty back and booty burner.
- Lie facedown on ground with arms extended in front of you.
- Simultaneously lift arms and legs a few inches off ground and hold for 5 seconds. Lower slowly to start and repeat.
- Note: The closer to the ground your legs come with each rep, the more difficult the move.
Oblique-Twist Triceps Push-Up
Targets triceps, obliques, and outer thighs
Banish bra bulge with this Pilates-inspired move. By using your body weight as built-in resistance, you can strengthen your arms.
Banish bra bulge with this Pilates-inspired move. By using your body weight as built-in resistance, you can strengthen your arms.
- Lie on mat on your right side, hug rib cage with right arm, and place left hand on floor in front of right shoulder. Bend right leg behind you and lift leg a few inches to hip level, toes pointed.
- Press through left palm to lift torso off floor until left arm is nearly fully extended. Simultaneously raise left leg as high as you can.
- Lower to start.
- Do 20 reps, switch sides and repeat. Do 2 sets.
Frog Lift
Targets back, abs, and butt
It might look like a good position for a snooze, but this move will boost your backside by focusing on small, controlled pulses to target multiple muscle groups.
It might look like a good position for a snooze, but this move will boost your backside by focusing on small, controlled pulses to target multiple muscle groups.
- Lie facedown on ground with hands folded in front of you and elbows out; rest forehead on hands. Bend knees out to sides so that shins are perpendicular to ground and heels are touching.
- Pulling navel in toward spine, pulse legs up 1 to 2 inches, then down, without moving upper body.
- Do 12 pulses.
- To make it harder, reach arms out in front of you and lift chest off ground while doing leg pulses.
Butt Burnout
Targets butt and outer thighs
Melt your hips, thighs and butt in one swoop! If you don't have an exercise ball, substitute with a tennis ball or rolled towel in the crook of your knee, making sure to squeeze so you don't drop it.
Melt your hips, thighs and butt in one swoop! If you don't have an exercise ball, substitute with a tennis ball or rolled towel in the crook of your knee, making sure to squeeze so you don't drop it.
- Start on floor on all flours, then lower right hip to floor so that hips, knees and ankles are stacked. Place ball behind left knee, squeezing ball between calf and thigh, and lift leg slightly.
- Raise bent left leg behind you as high as you can, then lower to start position.
- Do 10 to 15 reps, switch sides and repeat. Do 3 sets.
Corkscrew Plank
Targets shoulders, back, chest, triceps, abs, and butt
Pump up a standard plank with this trimming twist. Using your upper body to lift and extend your legs will stoke your calorie burn and hit tricky to trim back muscles.
Pump up a standard plank with this trimming twist. Using your upper body to lift and extend your legs will stoke your calorie burn and hit tricky to trim back muscles.
- Start on floor in full plank position, feet together, hands directly under shoulders.
- Keeping palms planted, rotate torso to sit on floor on right hip, bent right knee on floor in front of you.
- Press through palms and lift hip and bent right leg off floor to return to plank; without touching right foot to floor, bring right leg slightly out to side at about hip level.
- Return right hip to floor and repeat.
- Do 15 to 30 reps. Switch sides on next circuit.
The Shimmy
Targets abs
Light up that core! Crunch up and shimmy back down from side to side so you work your obliques.
Light up that core! Crunch up and shimmy back down from side to side so you work your obliques.
- Sit on floor with knees slightly bent, heels on floor, fists near chin; lean torso back 45 degrees.
- Crunch up, then slowly lower your upper body, twisting torso slightly to the left; then twist torso to the right until it is at a 45-degree angle (about 4 twists total). Crunch up and repeat.
- Continue for 45 seconds.
Lying Half-Jack
Targets, shoulders, abs, and butt
Take your jumping jacks down to the mat. Keep your toe pointed as you tap down to tone your thighs and butt.
Take your jumping jacks down to the mat. Keep your toe pointed as you tap down to tone your thighs and butt.
- Lying on ground on right side, torso propped up on right elbow, extend left arm straight up and touch left toes to top of step (left leg is turned inward so that toes point down).
- Lower left arm 45 degrees as you raise left leg 45 degrees (toes point down throughout).
- Return to start.
- Do 12 reps; switch sides and repeat.
Share This:
