Premier Ladies Personal Trainer Flower Mound

Archive for July, 2010

The one legged dead lift is a great way to work your legs.  Start by balancing on your left leg with your right leg bent.  Make sure that you keep your abs tight for the entire exercise.  Now bend your left leg and let your torso fall forward so that your back is flat and parallel to the ground.  Your right leg will still be bent and off the ground the entire time.  Now lift your torso and straighten your left leg to come to a standing position.  Repeat this movement on each leg for 3 sets of 15 to start.

For a really tough abdominal exercise, try performing a Forearm Plank on a stability ball.  Kneel with the ball about 1 foot in front of you.  Place your forearms on top of the ball and keep your elbows directly under your shoulders.  Extend your legs behind you and balance on your toes.  The closer your feet are together, the more difficult the move.  Your body should be as straight as a board.  Hold for 10 to 20 seconds, working up to 1 minute.  The instability caused by balancing on the ball will force you to use your abs and help you achieve results faster!

A great core exercise that not only works your abdominal muscles, but also your arms, back and legs is called the Plank.  A modification to the Plank for people who may have weak wrists is called the Forearm Plank.  Start with your forearms on the floor and your elbows directly under your shoulders.  Extend both your legs behind you till you are on your toes.  Feet are hip width apart.  Be sure your body is straight as a board and that you are neither lifting your bottom nor letting your abdominals sag.  Pull those abdominal muscles in tight!  Hold for 10 to 20 seconds, working up to 1 minute.  You’ll soon see a stronger, flatter belly and tighter arms.

This pose is good for stretching the legs.  Be careful if you have bad knees.  Start in a position on the floor on your hands and knees.  Keep your legs right under you hips.  Spread the feet apart enough to sit down in-between them.  Slowly lower yourself to a seated position between your feet.  If you can sit all the way down, place the hands on the thighs and sit tall.  If you cannot come all the way down, come as far as you can without pain in the knees.  Hold this pose for 30 seconds – 1 minute.  Work yourself up to 5 minutes.