• MOVEMENT

    Springtime
    Six-Pack

    By 24Life

Body-weight moves, a staple of many unconventional fitness routines, are a proven way to improve core strength and flexibility and build tone. Add resistance training and you have a full-body workout. Try out these core-focused moves and combine with weekly cardio and clean eating for a sneak peak of the abs you deserve.

  • Perform 10 to 12 reps of each movement before moving on to the next.
  • Complete the Cardio, Weights and Core sets in order, resting for one minute between each set. Repeat the circuit one to two times.

WARM-UP

Shoulder Stretch With Band

  • Begin standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart to provide yourself with a stable base, holding a taut resistance band at your thighs in both hands.
  • Bring the band up above your head as you pull it apart to keep it taut. Lower it and repeat the movement, extending your range of motion as your shoulders loosen and allow.
  • Raise the band and hold it taut above your head, then move it side to side, using just your arms and shoulders.
  • Continue the movement, and begin to bend from your waist move the band side to side, deepening the bend each time.
  • Bring the band out in front of you, keeping it taut, and rotate through your trunk. Keep your hips still as you rotate, bringing your entire upper body with you, including your head.

Dive-Bomb Push-Up

  • Begin in a tabletop position, with your hands under shoulders and your toes tucked under.
  • Come up into Downward Dog, with your tailbone pointed toward the ceiling, head between your arms, spine flat from head to tailbone, heels off the ground.
  • Bend your elbows, keep your legs straight, and dive down toward your hands like you’re skimming your nose on the floor.
  • Come up into an Upward Dog, then send your tailbone back into the air to repeat.

Pull-Push Side Plank

  • Begin in a tabletop position, with your hands under shoulders and your toes tucked. Your knees should hover off the ground.
  • Rock back onto your heels and rock forward to come up into a high plank.
  • Perform a push-up, then keeping your hips strong and stable, rotate into a side plank, sending your left arm up into the air stacked directly over your shoulder, and your feet staggered.
  • Rotate back into a high plank, and rock back onto your heels.
  • Rock forward into a high plank, perform a push-up and rotate to the opposite side, sending your right hand into the air stacked directly over your shoulder, feet staggered.
  • Return to a high plank and repeat.

CARDIO

Lateral Forward Bounding With Backpedal Return

  • Begin standing with your feet under your hips.
  • Bound forward and out on your left leg, bending your knee and bringing your right leg behind you to float off the ground, then hop forward and out onto your right leg, bringing your left leg behind you.
  • As you bound forward alternating legs, pump your arms.
  • Bound forward a few times on each side, then backpedal to return to the starting position.
  • Tip: Bound from leg to leg as you would for speed skaters, but travel forward instead of from side to side.

Staggered Squat Kick

  • Begin standing with your feet under your hips and bring one foot to hover slightly behind you off the floor, keeping your standing knee soft.
  • Squat down on your single standing leg, with your floating leg out behind you, and touch your hands to the floor.
  • Drive through your grounded heel to stand, and bring your back leg forward into a front kick, hands in front of your chest, standing knee soft and hips squared to the front.
  • Repeat on the opposite leg.

Alternating Reverse Lunge to Double Hop

  • Begin standing with your feet slightly wider than hip width, arms at your sides, chest up, core tight and knees soft.
  • Step back with your right leg into a reverse lunge, both knees at 90 degrees as you send your arms straight up above your head.
  • Return to stand, bringing your arms back down to your sides, then step back into a lunge with your left leg, sending your arms up.
  • Return to stand with your arms at your sides, then squat down and drive up through your feet to jump, sending your arms straight up.
  • Land softly in a squat, swinging your arms down and back, and then perform a second jump, sending your arms overhead.

WEIGHTS

Staggered Stance Dumbbell Deadlift With Double Biceps Curls

  • Begin in a kneeling lunge position, with your right knee at 90 degrees on the ground behind you, toes tucked, and your left knee bent at 90 degrees, gripping dumbbells on either side of your left foot.
  • Push up through your front foot to stand, engaging your core and bringing the dumbbells up with you.
  • Plant your feet under your hips and perform a biceps curl, keeping your elbows tucked at your sides.
  • Step back with your left foot and lower yourself into a kneeling lunge and repeat the movement.  Continue, alternating legs.

Double Flying Rows and Single Front Raise

  • Begin standing with your feet under your hips and holding dumbbells at your sides.
  • Shift your weight onto your left leg as you bend forward at your hips into a single-leg deadlift, bringing the dumbbells down in front of you and lifting your right leg straight behind you.
  • Hold the single-leg deadlift, brace your core and keep your hips squared to the floor as you bend your elbows and row the dumbbells up by your sides twice, pinching your shoulder blades together.
  • Return to standing, plant your feet and engage your core as you raise the dumbbells up out in front of you to shoulder height.
  • Lower the dumbbells to your sides and repeat.

Thruster Press Into Triple Triceps Extension

  • Begin standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, knees soft and holding one dumbbell at chest height.
  • Bend your knees and send your hips back to squat, then push up through your feet to stand, pushing the dumbbell up above your head.
  • Keep your core tight and your knees soft as you bend your arms at your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head.
  • Press the dumbbell up to the ceiling moving only your forearms and keeping your elbows close to your ears. Perform this extension three times, then raise the dumbbell overhead and lower it in front to chest height as you drop down into a squat and repeat the movement.

CORE

Reverse Plank Reach

  • Begin sitting with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor a little wider than hip-width apart, hands flat on the floor behind you with your fingers pointing toward you.
  • Keep your back flat as you engage your core and glutes to drive your hips up toward the ceiling.
  • Hold and bend your elbows to perform a triceps push-up, then send your right arm straight up into the air above your shoulder.
  • Bring your arm back down and repeat, alternating arms.

Anchored V-Sit With Double-Dumbbell Chest Flye and Leg Extension

  • Begin seated with your knees bent, feet on the floor, spine tall and dumbbells held in your lap.
  • Brace your core as you lean back, feet on the floor, and bring your arms out, holding the dumbbells in straight arms in front of your chest.
  • Fly your arms out, keeping your elbows soft, then squeeze through your chest to bring them back together.
  • Repeat the flye twice, then keeping the dumbbells suspended together in front of your chest, bring your feet off the ground and straighten your legs, pointing your toes to the ceiling to hold a V-sit.
  • Hold for a beat, then return your feet to the floor and repeat.

Oblique Crunch With Jackknife

  • Begin lying on your back, legs out straight, toes pointed, arms above your head parallel to your ears.
  • Brace your core as you twist through your trunk to bring your left hand up and over to the outside of your right knee as you pull your right knee up toward your chest, creating a 90-degree angle. Look over your right shoulder as you twist.
  • Return and repeat on the opposite side.
  • Keep your legs and arms straight, engage your abs and reach your hands and toes toward the ceiling, lifting your shoulders and head, as you come into a jackknife.
  • Roll down to the starting position with arms and legs extended, and repeat.

STRETCHING

Kneeling Quadriceps With Extension

  • Start seated with your right leg bent and your right foot underneath you. Your left knee should be bent and your left foot flat on the ground. Lean back and place your hands behind you, fingers pointed toward you and arms straight.
  • Slowly and with control, bring your hips up toward the ceiling to stretch your right quad.
  • Repeat by bringing your hips up and down a few times, then switch legs.

Seated Butterfly With Rotation

  • Begin in a seated position, spine tall, knees bent with the bottoms of your feet touching in front of you, hands on your shins.
  • Bring your feet in as close as is comfortable, keeping your knees close to the floor.
  • Lean forward to stretch, placing your hands on the floor out in front of you. Go as far as is comfortable. Stay here for a few breaths, keeping your head and neck relaxed.
  • Come back up and twist to your right, leaning forward and placing your hands flat on the floor. Stay here for a few breaths, keeping your head and neck relaxed.
  • Come back up and twist to your left, leaning forward and placing your hands flat on the floor. Stay here for a few breaths, keeping your head and neck relaxed.

Lying Hamstring Stretch With Band

  • Begin lying on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
  • Place a band around your right foot, holding the ends of the band, and bring your foot up toward the ceiling, leg straight and toes pointed toward you.
  • Send your left leg out straight to lie on the floor as you pull on the band to stretch your right leg toward you.
  • Stay here for a few breaths, then switch legs.

Straddle Stretch With Band

  • Begin lying on your back, with your legs straight in the air, feet together and holding a band around your feet. Your toes should point toward you.
  • Let your feet fall out to the sides and let the band stretch, then reach up and grab the middle of the band in both hands (still holding the ends of the band), then lie back as you stretch as wide as is comfortable.
  • Stay here for a few breaths.

Photo credit: Rob and Julia Campbell
Videos: Tom Casey, box24studio.com
Hair and make-up: Katie Nash
Model: Chellie Thomas, GX24 Instructor, 24 Hour Fitness

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In This Issue - All In

Volume 4 Issue 5
Mindset- Lead your life
Movement - Move your life
Nourishment - Feed your life
Regeneration - Love your life