Cardio

Alternating knee ups on the bosu- Pretend the bosu is a stepper.  Place one foot on top of the center of the dome. The other leg then comes up and bend the knee into the chest then down. Alternating knees.

Alternating jogging on the floor with jogging on top of the bosu- Begin by jogging in place on the floor for 30 seconds then take it on top of the dome and jog on top of the bosu. Remember to keep the abs engaged and tight and keep your shoulders and chest back.

Upper Body

Use the bosu as a weight bench begin by either sitting on the bosu (beginner), kneeling (moderate), or standing (advanced). With the bosu as your weight bench your possiblities are endless from biceps and triceps to shoulders back and chest. Here are just a few examples.

Hammer curl into overhead press- Begin by sitting, kneeling, or standing on the bosu. Placing the dumbbells in each hand at your side with palms facing in and arms straight raise the dumbbells until the forearm is vertical and the thumbs face the shoulder. Once your arms are in this position begin to raise the dumbbells straight overhead into a shoulder press then lower all the way back down to begin another hammer curl. This exercise works both the biceps and shoulders while engaging the abs and legs as well, if you are kneeling or standing.

Chest Press: Begin by lying down on top of the bosu dome side up. Let your head rest on the ball and torso is planked while your knees are bent at a 90 degree angle. Feet are flat on the floor shoulder width apart. Place one dumbbell in each hand press the weights up and together squeezing the chest muscle (pectoralis). Make sure to contract the muscles at the top and lock the arms. Then slowly lower back down.

Lower Body

Plie Squats 21's off bosu- Begin by placing one foot on top of the bosu dome and one foot on the floor. Feet are wide apart and knees and toes are pointing in the same direction take it down and up. Remember to keep the abs tight, the shoulders and chest back, and squeeze the glutes as you come up. Do this 7 times. Then go all the way down and only halfway up for 7 times then all the way up halfway down for 7 times.

Bridges on bosu- Place the bosu on the floor with the dome side down. Lying on your back place both feet flat on top of the bosu. Keeping your hands at your side press your feet down into the bosu and lift your glutes and back off the floor and hold then slowly lower back down. Try to keep the bosu as still as possible. Keeping the feet wider apart will create more stability while feet closer together will make the exercise more of a challenge.

Abs

Reverse Crunch- Begin by sitting far back on top of the bosu dome. Place your hands behind you on the floor. Knees come into your chest then slowly lower down towards the ground without touching then back up again. Note: the lower yor feet go the more you are working the lower part of your abs.

Bicycle on the bosu- Begin by sitting far back on top of the bosu dome. Place your hands behind you on the floor and legs come into chest for bicycle motion. Keep the legs low and remember to fully extend. This will help isolate the lower part of your abs.

Stay Strong,

Kristi

Step ups on the picnic bench: The best butt exercise you can do. Begin with one foot planted on the picnic bench, seat part, and one foot planted on the ground. As you step up with the foot planted on the ground transfer all of your weight onto the heal and push off your heal to come up. To make this even harder try bringing your foot up on to the top of the picnic bench.

Push ups off of picnic bench/Tricep dips off of picnic bench

Squat jumps off of picnic bench: Begin by sitting on picnic bench with legs facing out, not under the table. Keeping your feet wide and hands crossed over your chest come up into a squat and add a little jump. If the jump is too much for you just do the squat. Remember to keep your shoulders back and chest high. Also it is very important to make sure that knees and toes are pointing in the same direction and that your knees do not go past your toes.

Here are just a few ideas. It is really amazing how creative you can get when need be. They say necessity is the mother of invention. So next time you are at a party and a friend and/or family member hands you a burger or hot dog, thank them for their hospitality with an exercise. Hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend.

Stay Strong,

Kristi

Wood Chops: This exercise is great for the obliques and also works the legs and shoulders. You can perform this exercise using a cable machine, medicine ball, or dumbbell. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Holding the dumbbell in front of you with both hands tighten the abs and go down into a squat. Rotate the dumbbell down to the right foot and now using your glutes and abs stand up and bring the dumbbell back towards your left shoulder; mimicking the motion of chopping wood. Now switch sides.

Side knee: Begin by standing with feet shoulder width apart. Rotate the one knee out to the side and bring your arm above your head. As your knee comes up pull the arm down; accentuating the pull. This exercise targets those love handles we all hate not love. Then switch sides.

Squat with ab rotation: Begin by standing with feet hip width apart. As you begin to go down into a squat arms come out in front of you as you begin to stand up bring one knee in towards your chest and your arms twist to that side. Then squat again other knee comes into chest and arms twist to that side.

So instead of taking your ab workout to the mat try working the abs standing. Let me know what you think.

Stay Strong,

Kristi

1. It is a tough workout. I thought this should be easy. A nice stretch class to help provide me with added stretching and rest from my other high impact classes that I teach . . . wrong! Forget stretching I can’t even get into half of these contorted moves.

2. It helps build core strength, flexibility and balance. Since my back pretty much hurts regularly, this will help with that ailment.

3. The creator, Joseph Pilates, was not a dancer . . . like most people think . . in fact everything but. He was a boxer, martial artist, gymnast, and circus performer. The circus performer explains some of the funny names of the pilates moves he created..ie. seal, teaser, and swan dive.

4. Pilates has been around since the 1920’s . . . but since it was trademarked most people did not know about it. Not until around 2000 was the trademark removed, and now pilates has become mainstream. (Sidenote - you can copyright exercise??)

5. Proper breathing and keeping belly button to spine is essential when taking a pilates class.

6. You will be sore after a mat pilates class . . . and you will sweat. It is a full body workout.

It is definitely a different kind of workout from what I am used to . . . so I have my work cut out for me by next week.

So what do you know about pilates? Any tips or advice for a mere beginner?

Stay Strong,

Kristi

and you thought I forgot how to post pictures ...

Gliding discs originally were designed for use on hardwood floors, but now they make ones that can be used on carpet as well. Since I have not purchased a pair myself, I improvise, at home, my using paper plates, and they do the trick at basically no cost.

So what are the benefits in using the gliding discs? While their official website claims that it helped Gina and Laurie lose over 80lbs--not so sure I believe that testimony--I can only speak from my personal experience. Here are some of the benefits that I have found.

Since they are small and light weight, they are portable and easy to take anywhere. The discs work several parts of the body including the legs, core, and upper body. They also create an unstable surface which can help with balance and building core strength.

Here are a few great exercises to do with the gliders.

Mountain climbers: Begin by bending down and placing hands shoulder width apart on the floor. Place your body in a basic pushup position with discs placed under each foot. Rest on the balls of your feet and begin to bring one leg into your chest, keeping the glider under your foot, and then back to starting position. Now switch and bring the other leg into your chest. Alternating one leg forward and back keeping the core tight and back flat with butt down. To make this exercise harder try bringing opposite knee to opposite elbow. Make sure to really twist when doing this. This exercise is great because it focuses on strengthening the upper body, core, and lower body all in one movement.

Speed Skating- Begin by standing with discs under feet. Start slowly by alternating side to side lunges. Back straight and spine in neutral alignment begin to slowly speed up the alternating side to side lunge. This will help give you a little cardio and work on leg strength at the same time.

Ab crunch with gliders: Begin by lying on the mat with knees bent and flat back. Place your arms to the sides with the palms of your hands resting on top of the discs. As you begin to crunch up move the discs down and as you return back to the mat the gliders come back up. To focus more on the obliques you can then do one side at a time placing one hand behind your neck for support while the other hand is on the glider and move that downwards as you crunch to the side you are focusing on.

This is just a few exercises that can be done using the gliding discs. Have you ever tried the gliding discs? What are your thoughts?

Stay Strong,

Kristi

Cleaning the house- Many studies show that cleaning can burn up to 250 calories an hour. Of course this depends on how light or heavy the cleaning is. Mopping the floors can burn as many has 110 calories, while cleaning the dishes, instead of throwing them in the dishwasher, can burn up to 75 calories. Let’s face it; although we may not enjoy cleaning, maybe knowing that is burns a few extra calories will make the chore a little less painful.

Walking the dog- Not only is this good exercise for the pet, but it can be good for the owner as well. Try taking a few extra minutes before or after work to give your dog a good 10-15 minute walk instead of rushing them outside quickly to do their business while running frantically out the door to work. Then you and your pet can be happy and healthy together.

Taking the stairs- Many people work in high rises so instead of taking the elevator to your floor why not walk it. Of course this may be a challenge if your office is on the 42^nd floor. For example, my husband may do very little exercise but he always takes the stairs at school. I, on the other hand, always seem to choose the elevator, ironically enough while heading to the exercise class I teach at the gym. Some old habits never seem to be broken.

Gardening and yard work- While some people find this sort of thing therapeutic, I find it torturous. So to get me through it, I think of it as a workout. Gardening and yard work can burn anywhere from 200-350 calories per hour plus it helps me work on my tan.

Washing your car- None of us like a dirty car. So why not kill two birds with one stone. Save the money and wash your car at home, not only will you have a clean car at no cost but can burn up to 250 calories per hour doing it.

Here are just a few activities that I may or may not like to do that can be turned into a workout. What are some activities you do?

Stay Strong,

Kristi

There are many exercises that you can do on the ball besides abs (see my post entitled Lower Body Stability Ball workout which describes some challenging workouts for the glutes and hamstrings). There are many benefits to using a stability ball. It improves balance, flexibility, and strength. I also like to incorporate the ball in my sculpting and ab classes to improve core strength and stability and even assist in stretching. Here are a few challenging and fun core exercises with the stability ball.

Stability Ball Transfer- Begin by lying on your back with legs extended out straight. Place the ball in your hands and extend your arms over your head. Raise your arms and legs at the same time, raising your head and shoulders off the mat as you do. When the legs and arms meet transfer the ball in between your feet then lower your arms and legs back to the floor. Continue to transfer the ball between your hands and feet meeting in the up position.

Stability Ball Tuck- Begin by lying facedown on the ball with your hands flat on the floor directly below your shoulder. Walk your hands out on the mat so that your shins are resting on the stability ball. Keep the abs tight bend your knees drawing them forward so that the ball and legs are under your torso. Hold then straighten legs back to starting position. This exercise is a challenge because it requires balance, core strength, and upper body strength.

Stability Ball Ab Crunch- Begin by lying on the mat with ball in front of you. Place feet on top of the ball and anchor your heels into the ball to create stability. Keeping the ball close to your body and knees bent on top of the ball bring your knees in while crunching up towards the ball. Then slowly lower back down and come up again.

Note: You can also do this same exercise on top of the ball. Begin by sitting on the ball upright with feet flat on the floor. Walk your feet out until the ball is resting on your lower to mid back. Placing hands behind your head, shoulders wide, or arms crossed over chest crunch up.

Ab Ball Roll- Begin on your knees with ball in front of you. Place your arms on ball with elbows bent. Tighten your abs and roll the ball out in front of you as far as you can keep a flat back. Then keeping your body straight slowly pull your body back using your arms and abs.

What are some stability ball exercises you like to do for your core?

Stay Strong,

Kristi

Forward lunge: Begin by stepping one foot forward keeping the chest high and torso straight. As you step forward bend the knee and descend onto the front leg as the back knee comes close to touching the ground. Remember to keep the weight on the front heel and get as low as you can. A true lunge is one in which the knee hugs the ground. Push back of the front heel and return to standing position. You can either stay with the same leg or alternate from side to side. The forward lunge can be static, meaning staying in one position or to increase the intensity do traveling forward lunges across the room. If you still want a challenge add dumbbells to each hand at your side.

Side lunge: Begin by standing up with feet hip width apart facing forward. Step out sideways with one leg about 2-3 feet. Keeping the other outstretched leg as straight as possible. Bend your leg that you stepped out to the side with and sit back on your hips until your knee is bent about 90 degrees. Press back with your sideways leg into starting stand position.

Reverse lunge: Begin by standing and placing one foot behind you about 18-24 inches. Bending the knees, lower the back knee towards the ground. Remember to keep your chest high, shoulders back, and abs tight.

Wheel Lunge- Are my favorite because they combine all three lunges forward, side, back, and end with a squat as a transition to switch legs.

Plyometric lunge: These are very challenging and should only be done once you feel comfortable with the ones listed above. Begin by placing one foot in front and one behind so that you are in a split stance. Keeping your abs tight and chest and shoulders back lower yourself until your back knee is bent now jump up and scissor your legs so that your back leg is now forward and your front leg is now back. It is important to keep the weight on your heels and to land with knees bent. Continue you this until you are fatigued which shouldn’t take too long.

These are just a few of my favorite. What is your favorite lunge or what lunges do you find most effective?

Stay Strong,

Kristi

Chair squat- This exercises is great for beginners or those who may suffer from knee and or balance issues.

Begin standing in front of a chair with feet hip-shoulder width apart. Keeping the abs tight and the chest high with shoulders back bend the knees and squat towards the chair. The key is to keep the knees behind the toes. In order to insure that they do you must sit that butt back as if you were squatting over a toilet then slowly come back up. I know a little graphic but this visualization works every time.

Ball Squat- This squat is a little more advanced because the body’s muscles must work together to keep the body stable. Begin by placing the stability ball against the wall and the small of your lower back. Arms can either be placed at your side or across your chest. Remember to keep the chest high and shoulder back. Keeping the feet shoulder width apart and slightly forward will help keep you more balanced. Begin to bend the knees into a squat the ball will begin to roll up in between the shoulder blades. Remember to keep your knees behind your toes and weight on your heels. Then slowly come back up as you do the ball will return back to the small of the back.

Bulgarian Split Squat- This is a more advanced squat and must be done with caution. This exercise can be done with or without weights. If you choose to use weights, you can either place a barbell or body bar with overhand grip resting on your upper back behind your neck or hold dumbbells on either hand at your sides. Begin by standing about three feet in front of either a weight bench or stepper. Place one foot on the bench behind you so that only your instep is resting on the bench. As you lower your body and the knee in front bends the knee on the bench begins to lower as well towards the floor. It is very important with this exercise that your chest remains high with shoulder back. Make sure that the body comes straight down. If the torso remains nice and tall this will protect your back and your knees from going beyond your toes. Then slowly come back up.

I am sure a lot of this is not new to most of you, but it is never hurts to focus on one specific exercise and its execution. After all, if we are not doing a particular exercise properly then what is the benefit in doing it at all? Do you squat?

Stay Strong,

Kristi

... put up ur dukes

Cardio kickboxing has become very popular and as far as I know most gyms offer it. A typical class is one hour with various upper and lower body moves ranging from punches, kicks, and cardio drills. While the class is primarily aerobic in nature, strength training is involved as well. When the punches and kicks are done properly and with precision and power, you will strengthen your arms, legs, and core. Some classes focus strictly on shadow boxing (punching without making contact on a bag,) while other gyms have punching bags that you pound on (which is always fun.) The average class burns 350-450 calories.

So not only is kickboxing a great workout, sure to make you sweat, it is a great stress reliever. My basic class consists of 10 minute stretch/warm up, 30 minutes of various combinations of punches and kicks with spurts of cardio throughout, 10 minutes of abs and glute exercises on mat, and 10 minute stretch/cool down.

Unlike body sculpting, kickboxing is probably not for everyone. Since the moves are fast and jerky, individuals with back problems should be cautious. In order to prevent injury, students must be mindful of their positioning and execution. Punches and kicks must be stopped before the joint is fully extended. Like any exercise, listen to your body and do only what you comfortably can. The first few classes may be a learning curve. Start slow, learn the moves, and stretch before and after to prevent the strain of muscles.

The benefits are ...

Nice calorie burn

Great cardiovascular workout which strengthens and conditions the heart

Relieves stress by imagining you are pounding on ... whoever

Tones and strengthens the entire body

Improves flexbility, coordination, and balance

Helps you to learn basic self-defense moves

When I first took a cardio kickbox class, the connection was not immediate. Hell, I could barely get my kick to waist level. But over time my flexibility improved and my form got better. Give it time. I would love to hear your thoughts and/or experiences with kickboxing.

Stay Strong,

Kristi