FIT Friday

Hay hay hay…it’s Thursday.

Welcome to the second edition of a new FRIDAY… YES I know it’s Thursday….it’s early this week because I had an epic fail last week while in Cancun…but more about that tomorrow morning.

Speaking of…don’t you dare miss tomorrow’s tell all from Cancun…a travel diary of sorts.  I have 20 plus years of prime travel tips for these parts and tomorrow I’m sharing all of our favorite stops.  Hotels, resturants, what to do and how to kick back and have a blast.  

Back to Abercrombie and FITness.  Each Friday for the next few months, perhaps ongoing, I will be showcasing the two best workouts of the week.

Free ninety-nine to you…to use and abuse.

These are custom workouts that I personally have written and perform with my loyal workout warriors in the studio.  Aren’t you super excited?

I will take a poll and allow the gym rats to judge. I’ll take a combo of the hardest and most challenging movements of the week and share them here with you.  YOU’re welcome!

And away we go!

Start with a warm up to get the legs nice and ready to work. I usually start with 2-3 minutes on a treadmill or elliptical.

Today we begin with weighted bar deadlifts. I like to use a reverse grip to solidly my stability. Make form a priority. Keep your back flat, butt out and knees slightly bent. Take the bar down to your shins or ankles and thrust back up using your lower abs and hamstrings to come up and squeeze your bum hard!

Try these…bent over lat press downs. Wide grip and pull with your back not your shoulders, downward toward the ground. Be sure your knees are slightly bent and your well grounded so the weight doesn’t destabilize you.

Next up the rack pull! Lean back and pull yourself up, chest to the bar! This works the back muscles.  It’s hard…it’s difficult… Do as many as you can to failure.  There is no shame.  When I first started track pulls I could only do two alone without assistance.  I have worked myself up to 20 or more.  Consistancy breeds strength.

These suckers work.  Advanced rack pullers…add a knee into the chest as you pull in! This will also enrage the lower abs.

Okay grab a bench.  Straddle the bench and jump up – for beginners step up, squat down with feet together and hop back down and tap the bench with your hands.  Repeat this for 30-60 seconds.  Your heart rate will escalate which is the whole idea.

Last is the Ab Dolly walk or crawl but you can also use sliders on carpet or towels on a slick floor.  Put your feet on the Ab dolly or the towels or sliders and with your hands walk yourself across the floor.  This engages the abs and works the core and arms.  It ‘s a great way to sculpt arms and strengthen your shoulders and core.  Don’t let this old school Ab Dolly fool you.  There are a variety of FITastic exercies that can be done with these four wheels.  Have you ever used an AbDolly before?  Want to know more about it?

Next up is the one hotel gym workout I did while I was on vacation.  This is  very unlike me.  I almost never skip my workouts especially in a state of the art gym like the one at the Ritz Carlton but hey… I’m still alive right?  Yes gained guacamole roles while away but it’s nothing a weeks worth of clean eating and exercise won’t fix.

First up the side lunge hike a knee, squat hike a knee combo movement.  This double movement will suck the wind from your lungs and make you breathe hard.  I held a 20 pound plate when I did it.  I did 8 on each side.

Incline push ups. Place your feet on a bench and your hands on the ground for added resistance.  Perform regular push ups for 20 reps.  If you are a beginner it’s fine to start pushups from you knees but be sure you tighten your core and push all the way through.

Last up, a set of 20 plie or aka,  inner thigh squats with the squat rack.

Three moves that will blast fat abs sculpt lean muscle.

I guarantee it!

I stand by all of my work as a personal trainer.  My virtual workout program has proven results.  All of the workout warriors who work the plan lose inches and weight and come back for more.  I’m currently accepting new virtual clients so sign up today!

 

Love, lift and be FIT

Angi