Good morning friends! :)

Can I get a fist pump for Friday? I hope you’ve got some fun plans for this weekend. *Someone* is turning 23 on Monday so the next couple of days will include some early birthday celebrations with friends that I can’t wait to see. Why just have a birthday when you can have a birthweek, right? ;)

Over to the topic of today, I’ve got a new workout, some music, and some fitness news to share with you. Let’s get started, shall we?

Work It Out

Since one of my goals this month is to target my abs, I’ve got another core strength circuit-style workout for you this week. All you’ll need is a medicine ball – about 6lbs is plenty, and lighter is fine too – and yourself! (You might want a mat too for comfort, but it’s up to you.) Because you only need the ball, I’ve decided this one should ever-so-appropriately be named….

The “Medicine For Fab Abs” Workout

***Disclaimer: As with all workouts posted on Eat Spin Run Repeat, please check with a medical professional before beginning any exercise program. I am not a certified personal trainer and all workouts found on my blog are based only on my own experience.***

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Oh yes, those are mine.

LOL, not quite…. ;) Well, not yet anyway.

Similar to last week’s workout, you’ll complete all 6 exercises in order as fast as you can with proper form. Rest 60 seconds (take longer if you’re a beginner) and repeat 2 more times. If you’re the competitive type, try timing each round and see if you can beat it on the next one. Each round contains 100 reps, so by the end, you’ll have worked your core muscles 300 times! And that, friends, is much more exciting than 300 straight crunches!

  1. Medicine ball push-up – 10 reps, 5 on right leg, 5 on left leg
  2. Medicine ball mountain climber – 30 reps
  3. Medicine ball sit-up – 20 reps
  4. Medicine ball jacks – 20 reps
  5. Push-up rollover – 10 pushups total –> this was a move that I found on BodyRock.TV and absolutely loved!! I can’t find a link to it, but have described how to do it below.
  6. Explosive jumps – 10 reps

Breaking it down…

1. Medicine ball push-up: (Same as last week.) Get into push-up pose, with the medicine ball positioned under one of your feet. Perform 5 pushups, then move the ball over to the other foot and complete 5 more. Keep your neck in a neutral position and focus on keeping your elbows tucked, not pointing directly out to the sides. 10 total (5 on right leg, 5 on left leg)

Too easy? You can amp up the challenge by placing BOTH feet on the same medicine ball.

2. Medicine ball mountain climber: Get into high plank position with both hands on the medicine ball. Starting with your right leg, drive your right knee in towards your hands. When you can’t pull it in any more, return to the starting position and repeat on the left. Continue for a total of 30 reps. (Sorry, I can’t find a great photo for this one, but pretend the stability ball is a medicine ball!)

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3. Medicine ball sit-ups: No mystery here! Hold a medicine ball in your hands with arms extended up towards the ceiling. Keep them extended as you perform a sit up, engaging your abs to help lift yourself upward. If this is too much, try doing a regular crunch with the ball, or the sit-up with no ball.

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4. Medicine ball jacks: Again, super simple! Get into position to do a jumping jack, but hold the medicine ball straight above your head, arms fully extended. Keep your arms extended as you jump your legs in and out, just like a jumping jack. Continue for 20 reps.

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5. Push-up rollover: Get into position to do a push-up on your toes (or modify to make it easier by resting your knees on the ground). Do 1 push-up, then drop to the ground, roll over completely to one side, and perform another push-up. Roll back, push-up, and continue for a total of 10 push-ups.

6. Explosive jumps: Stand up and lower into a squat position with feet just outside shoulder width apart. Immediately push off and jump as high as you can, throwing your arms up overhead to help gain momentum. Land as softly as possible keeping knees slightly bent to protect the joints. Continue for 10 reps.

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Note – If you have sensitive knees, you could try this lower-impact move as your 6th exercise: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Step right foot out wide and squat, keeping back straight and knees over ankles (not in front of toes). Push off the ball of that foot and return to the starting position, repeating with the left foot.

As always, be sure to get a good stretch and rehydrate when you’re finished!

Turn It Up

This week’s tune is Never Cry Again by Dash Berlin. I first came across it on the RPM 49 release and it was by far my favourite track in the entire workout! This is a slightly different remix from the RPM version, and I love it for long, steady runs. It starts off a little slow, but there are a couple of bits where it gets nice and fast (for example, start at about 3:15 and wait a few seconds) which motivate me to do the same!

What’dya think?

Have A Read

Here’s a little light reading for you this weekend.

  • 5 effective ab exercises – no crunching required! from Fit Sugar (just in case you’re not tired enough after my workout!)
  • This shirt was designed with panels that stretch the muscles in the chest, in order to help improve posture. The shirt, made by IntelliSkin, works similar to compression clothing and is endorsed by several pro athletes. At $85-$95 each, would you buy it? What are your thoughts on compression clothing in general?

Now I want to know…

  • What’s on your agenda this weekend?
  • Current favourite workout jam?
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