ELIMINATING EXCUSES | fitness

Back in May, I hit you with the “8-pack” abs routine. Solid routine, no doubt. However, I know how you like a challenge and how you like variety in your routine. So, today I have another abs routine for you to add to your arsenal of workout routines: “8-pack” abs part II. In part I, the focus was more on the abdominals than the obliques. In part II, the focus is split almost equally between the abs and the obliques.

Please click on the exercise name to link back to the posting of the exercise. Remember to stretch and warm-up before getting started.

*8-pack Abs part II Routine*
crossed leg crunches - 4 x 15 - 30 reps/set. 45 seconds rest between each set. 60 seconds rest before next exercise.

isolated crunches - 4 x 15 - 30 reps/set. 45 seconds rest between each set. 60 seconds rest before the next exercise.

lateral leg swings - 4 x 10 - 20 reps/set. 45 seconds rest between each set. 60 seconds rest before the next exercises. Remember to include the crunch that I mention in the video!

the bridge - 3 burn out sets (hold the bridge for as long as you can) with 60 seconds rest in between each set. Aim to get at least 75 seconds on each each bridge.

DO SOMETHIN’!

My passion for health and fitness stems from my belief that good health and fitness better equips one for conquering challenges throughout the journey of fulfilling one’s purpose in life. So my objective is to share information that I believe will aid you in your journey. On my blog, you will not find profanity or any material/information that is contrary to my objective.

In addition to having my videos on my blog, my videos also appear on youtube; and there are a few on jumpcut and revver. My facebook and myspace pages also link back to this blog. Unfortunately, there appear to be sites that are showing my videos/content without my permission. If you come across my videos or links to my blog on any site other than my blog or the 4 other sites I mentioned, please know that it is possible that the site may be displaying my content without my permission; and please inform me by posting a comment on my blog with a link to the site. I have come across at least one site that is displaying my video without my persmission, and this site is doing it in a distasteful manner. I apologize if you experience or have experienced any such encounters. Know that I am working on a solution.

Please be mindful of this message that I am sharing with you. Eliminating Excuses is all about DO SOMETHIN’ and only about DO SOMETHIN’ and I want to make that clear.

Thank you.

So you’ve got that 6 pack already. If you are looking to maintain it or take it to the next level, here’s an exercise for you. For those of you in route to the 6 or 8 pack, you will want to do this exercise too. Lateral leg swings!!

You’ll need and open area for this exercise. Lay on the floor on your back. Spread your arms out to your side at shoulder level. Lift both legs up in the air so that your body is in the shape of an L. Now, bring both legs down to your left side. Touch the floor. If you can’t reach the floor, it is alright to be a few inches shy of the floor. Bring you legs back up to the starting position. Then move your legs down to your right as you did on the left. Use your arms to help you maintain balance during the exercise. For the duration of this exercise, try to keep as much of your torso facing upward as possible; doing so will be a challenge but do your best.

Huh?? What did you say? Next level? Ok, we can do that. To take this exercise to the next level, we are going to add in a crunch. Each time you come back to starting position (body in L shape), use your abs to lift your hips off the floor.

No need to thank me, just DO SOMETHIN’!

You know what time it is!! Let’s get it! This week I have a great exericse menu courtesy of Maja Varner. She is a talented engineer that has passion for fitness and health; she’s also a former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader. I want to thank Maja for her time in filming this video.

Today, we are going to hit the abs and obliques with an exercise called crossed legs crunches. Lay on the floor on your back with your legs straight in front of you. Bend your right leg and cross it over your left. Your right knee should be a few inches off the ground. Now, bend your left leg so that it’s below and slightly behind your right. Try to keep your torso straight so that your shoulders are on the floor. It’s ok for your right shoulder to come up a bit (when working your right side); but you should not be lying on your side. Maja’s form is perfect so follow her. Now that your body is in position, place your hands at the side of your head with only your fingertips touching your head. Now crunch as far as you can comfortably while still feeling your abs and obliques working. Work both on both your right and left.

DO SOMETHIN’!

In response to a request for more oblique exercises, I have another winner for you today: standing trunk twists. This exercise works the obliques and the intercostals and is great for toning, definition and attacking love handles. As always, simplicity and effectiveness are desirable when it comes to exercises and this one meets these criteria. Do this exercise standing; keep your feet about shoulder width apart and slightly bend your knees. Bend your arms in front of your chest. Rotate to your left using the muscles in your torso to move your body; you’ll feel this exericse in parts of your back too. Rotate to the left as far as you can comfortably and then do the same to the right. Establish a smooth rhthym rotating from one side to the other. To force the obliques and intercostals to work a bit harder, pause in between your rotations. By doing so, you don’t allow momentum to help move your torso. Now, the muscles in your torso are fully responsible for rotating you to the left and right. Try both techniques and choose the one that suits you needs.

you + eliminatingexcuses.com = DO SOMETHIN’!

This week I will focus on stretching since it’s key for preparing your muscles to DO SOMETHIN’.

Again, another week has come and gone. Before you get too far into your weekend activities, remember to knock out your workout. Here’s an exciting stretch to add to your stretch/warmup routine: trunk twists. Start out seated on the floor with your legs straight ahead of you. Cross your right leg over your left with your right staying bent and the left, straight. Turn your torso to your right and place your left elbow on the right side of your right knee. Push off with your elbow to get more of a twist. You should feel this stretch in the muscles of your lower back, obliques, intercostals, abs and the outer part of your right thigh. Stretch to a comfortable point; don’t exceed your comfortable range of motion. Work both your left and right sides. This exercise can also be done with out crossing your legs. So starting with your right leg, bend it and keep your left straight (no leg crossing). Left elbow goes to the right side of the right knee. You know the rest . . .

Here are some general tips to help you gauge how long to stretch:
1) you should not be in pain.
2) you should feel light to medium tension in the area you are stretching.
3) slow movements are better than fast, jerking movements since slow motion is less likely to lead to an injury.
4) listen to your body. If something does not feel right, discontinue what you are doing.

Enjoy the weekend.

This week my objective is to suggest some exercise routines. Please click on the exercise name to link back to my posting for that exercise. Again, these are my suggestions. Please feel free to modify the routine if needed to better suit your needs.

Today, I have my “8-pack” abs routine for you. Why settle for 6 when you can have 8? This routine will burn fat and help you get those defined abs that you’ve been wanting. As always, make sure to warm up/stretch before getting started. The objective is to get an intense workout by doing 3 different abdominal exercises followed by an oblique exercise. Do your best to get in all of your repetitions and stick to the recommended rest period.

*8-pack Abs Routine*
bicycle crunches - 3 x 20-50 reps/set. 60 seconds rest between each set. 60 seconds rest before next exercise.
leg circles - 4 x 10-15 reps/set. 75 seconds rest between sets. 60 seconds rest before next exercise.
full crunches - 3 x 20-50 reps/set. 75 seconds rest between sets. 60 seconds rest before next exercise.
oblique crunches - 3 x 15-30 reps/set. 60 seconds rest between each set.

DO SOMETHIN’!

Today, I want to revisit the exercise that I posted on March 19, 2007: oblique crunches. We did this exercise standing and balanced our weight on one leg as we did the exercise. Some of you commented that this version of the exercise was not as manageable as you would have liked. So I am posting seated oblique crunches today to offer an alternative to the standing oblique crunches. Seated oblique crunches are just as effective at working the obliques as the standing version: 1) Grab a chair and take a seat. Sit up straight. Good posture/form is critical for every exercise we do. 2) Let’s start on the left side. Move your left shoulder down towards your left hip at the same time that you bring your left hip up toward your left shoulder. 3) Work both the right and left side. This exercise will make you feel IRIE! You know what time it is: DO SOMETHIN’!

Alright folks, while we work on that “8″ pack, we can’t ignore the obliques. Here’s an exercise that will help give your obliques more definition and tone. Let’s start from a standing position and work one side at a time. To work your obliques on the right side, balance your weight on your left leg by slightly bending your left knee. Then tilt your head and torso to the right and bring your right leg up towards your right side. You should feel this in your obliques while you improve your balance (an added benefit of this exercise). Work both the left and right side. Got it? So, you have no excuse to not exercise now. DO SOMETHIN’!