ABS Day 4

Hello again! I hope that your weekend treated you well! I'm going to keep this post short and sweet because I have a date with the sand man in preparation for my 3 am shift tomorrow :(


Warm-up:
1a) walk, jog, run, bike, skip rope, whatever it is that you like to do for a light cardio warmup. (5 min.)
1) trunk stretch (the same one you've been doing all week
2) body weight Squats  x10
3) push-ups x5 (and yes these can be "girl" push-ups if you can't do regular ones.

do numbers 1-3 2 times through

Workout:
1) Flutter kicks (scissor kicks) x25 ea.
2) Oblique crunches x15 ea.
3) Physio-ball knee tuck x20  or the substitute exercise if you can't do this one for whatever reason. x20

Do this 2 times through


Flutter Kicks (scissor kicks): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXjSqyIzXHU
Lay with your back flat on the floor and your hands under your butt. Raise your legs about 6 inches off the ground. Now raise one leg 3-6 inches higher than the other one, then lower and raise the other leg simultaneously. It should look like you are kicking your legs through water or like you are a pair of scissors :) for a "deeper burn" raise your legs higher than 3-6 inchs!

Oblique crunches:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/oblique-crunches-on-the-floor

Lay on your side with your knees slightly bent and feet together. (You can have the arm of the side you are laying on extended in front of you at a little more than a 90 degree angle whatever is comfortable for you if you are having trouble with your balance.) Have your opposite hand rest behind your head (do not pull with this hand, just simply touch it there) exhale and contract your oblique and raise your rib cage off the ground,  hold for a brief moment then inhale and lower.

Physio Ball knee tuck: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/exercise-ball-pull-in

This can also be done with a rolling chair if you don't own a physio ball, however if you don't have access to either of those you can do a substitution exercise which i will describe right after this!
Place your feet and shins on a physio ball and walk out on your hands so that you are in a comfortable "push up" position. Now, without taking your feet off the ball, slowly bring your knees up to your chest, and then slowly return to the starting position. If this is too easy for you try adding in a rotation of the hips, so that you end with the ball a bit to the side of you with your legs on their side as well, then return to the starting position.

Substitution exercise: (I know, I really should remember/look up the name of this, but I'm too tired right now to do it.)
lay with your back flat on the floor and your legs extended out. Exhale and bring your knees to your chest then inhale and return them to the starting position. This is a good substitute as well if you have weak wrists and can't support yourself in the up position of a push up for very long.

Hope you enjoy!