Health & Fitness: ABS ABS ABS!

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you are having a great day off and enjoying all those yummily delish BBQ goodness with all the sides...

So I have been bugging the crap our of my trainer all the way from Florida for some new routine to somehow get me out of this quiescent stage of my workout routine and specifically abs :-/
And of course he always reiterates, "It begins with your diet P!" Uhhh, yeah that definitely didn't go too well this weekend lol.....but umm Ok I get it but I still need some new routines lol.. so finally he spills, so here are some moves to try if you have also hit a plateau :)

Let's talk Abs for s second.. Getting those Gwen Stefani or JLo washboard abs does NOT come easy nor it is achieved just by doing crunches, Crunches only works the muscles on the front and sides of your abdomen. The key is targeting all the muscles of the core to get a more defined abs including lower back, hips and upper thighs.
 
On to Core exercises- Not only does these exercises burn more calories than crunches it also help improve your posture and train the muscles to stabilize the spine and pelvis so you can avoid back pain.

Here are some exercises that I have tried and actually loved and hated, because it hurts in a good way lol:)

Alligator Drag/Crawl/Walk: I usually incorporate this 3-4 times a week when I am having a lower body workout day.

1. Find a stretch of floor that allows you to go forward 10 to 20 yards, and grab anything that will slide over the surface with minimal friction. Dinner plates or plastic bags might work on a carpeted floor, while towels might work on wood or tile when you are doing the drag but you may sans all plates, bags or towel if you are doing a walk or crawl.
2. Start in push-up position with your feet on the slides, towels, or plates.
3. Walk yourself forward with your hands to the end of your runway (aim for at least 10 yards). Rest for 60 to 90 seconds (or as long as you need to recover) and repeat the alligator walk back to where you started.
4. Repeat 3-4 times



Try the Side Plank: I personally love this ab exercise because it is more challenging than the traditional plank by working your core harder to stay stabilized. I incorporate this move when I am doing a full body 2-3 times a week.
Beginner:

1. Lie on your side with your knees bent, and prop your upper body up on your elbow.
2. Raise your hips off the floor, and hold for 30-45 seconds or and as long as you can and repeat until you've held for 30 seconds total.
3. Switch sides and Repeat 3-4 times

Expert:
1. Lie on your right side with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and legs stacked. Place your left hand on your right on your right hip.

2. Contract your abs and lift your hips off the floor until you're balancing on your forearm and feet so that your body forms a diagonal line.
3. Hold for 45 to 60 seconds. If you can’t hold that long, stay up as long as you can and then repeat until you’ve held for 60 seconds total.
4. Switch sides and repeat.
**Advance: brace your abs and reach your left hand toward the ceiling. Slowly tuck your left arm under your body and twist forward until your torso is almost parallel to the floor. Return to the side plank. Repeat 6-8 times.

The Walkout from push-up position is what I incorporate with my upper body workout days. I managed to find a quick 19 sec video of how to do this as I figured a photo may not show as much detail. :)

1. Start in push-up position with hands two inches wider than your shoulders.

2. Walk hands out as far as possible, then walk back. Do 10-12 reps.

**Advance: Lift one leg before you walk your hands out and back.

Try these moves and umm yeah watch what you eat and you should be well on your way to a perfectly toned ABS :)

Check out some of my green cleansing smoothie recipe :)

What are you CORE buster moves?
 Please comment with your thoughts and responses below or email with any queries, don't forget to socialize with me on twitter, instagram and facebook ......sharing is beauty-ful :)