Workout Wednesday: Butts and Guts

I'm so excited!!! Today marks my first post as a Sweat Pink ambassador, and as part of the group Fitness Media in Motion, and I'm proud to be a part of both. It's humbling and a tremendous blessing to be affiliated with such prestigious names.

I'm so excited to present this workout to you today! I've been experimenting with the pre-exhausting technique: working a muscle that usually takes over first in an exercise so that you can grow weaker muscles. For example, I used quad extensions in this workout, because they usually get the most activation instead of glutes and hammies when I squat. I tend to have stronger quads anyway, well I tell you, this technique works. In the past 2 weeks, I can already tell a difference in my hamstrings. This workout is home-friendly and gym-friendly, so you could really do this anywhere. This workout went by quickly and will scorch your lower abs and glutes in about 30 minutes!

Seated Leg Extensions: Sit in a chair with a resistance band tied around your ankles. Work one side at a time, straightening your right leg and contracting the quads in the front of the leg. Slowly return leg to start position. Repeat for repetitions, then change legs. If you're in a gym, use their leg extension machine. This is your pre-exhaust exercise.

Walking Lunge to 1-leg Dead Lift: (This is an advanced move. If you're a first-timer, try just walking lunges, then add deadlifts when you perfect your form.)Step your R foot forward in a lunge. Keeping weight in the right heel, bring L foot forward to meet R. Hinge at the hips, and bend so back is parallel with the floor. Slowly return to standing. This is a challenge, so don't rush.

Side Skaters: Use a marker to create a boundary to hop over, such as a band or jump rope. Standing on the L side, hope over to the R and lift L leg. Keeping abs in and R knee slightly bent. Repeat, alternating sides. Do this move for 20 seconds!

Hip Thrust: Sitting on the ground with shoulders against a bench (or the couch) with legs straight on the ground, press into your heels, bending knees and lifting hips off the floor. Your shoulders, not neck should be pressing into the bench. Squeeze glutes at the top, then lower, and repeat. This is an advanced move, so if you're unsure, do glute bridges.

Pop Squats: With knees slightly bent, jump out into a squat, and slowly descend. Jump feet together, and sink back into a squat. Repeat. Modification: walk feet out while staying at least halfway into the squat, then walk feet in.

Reverse Crunches: Lie on your back, feet on the floor. Zip up your abs, and use them, not momentum to bring your knees to your chest, with a lift at the top.


Walking Planks: Get into a plank on the hands, and "walk" hands and feet to the R for 5 steps, then to the L for 5 steps.