Hey Crew! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends and some great food to eat!
Busy Thanksgiving Day for me and my family as I shuttled the little man to the early race start to cheer (he did great so proud of him for getting up at 5:30am and staying out in the rain all morning!), then off to my dad’s for lunch, then to my aunt’s for dinner. WHEW…I’m exhausted! It’s 10pm and we just got home, so this will be short and quick but tomorrow is another day and we must push on!
Especially since we probably ate a little too much…just a little though right? 😉
Here we go…abs and arms! And maybe a run? Definitely a run for me! An easy one…cause I weight a little (just a little) more than yesterday….
Day 24: Abs and Arms – 3 sets of 15 with 1 minute rest between sets
- Russian Twists
- Crunches
- Standing Side Leg Raises
- Bow and Arrow Squat Pull
- Straight Arm Climb
- Single Arm Sit Up
- Plank Pull Through
Bonus: Cardio! Get in some kind of good cardio today. It can be a run, bike ride, swim, fast walk, cardio class; whatever floats your boat. Just get sweaty and let’s work off that “day after” Thanksgiving bloat!
Day 24 “how to” videos:
Russian Twists: I think you are all familiar with this exercise, but just in case you need a reminder….
Crunches: 3 sets of 15 might be tough with a full belly…but I think you can do more. How about pushing it a little harder here and making it 3 sets of 25? Tag with #ICanDoMoreCrunches if you see this and push a little harder to work those abs!
Standing Side Leg Raise: This sounds like a glute and leg exercise, and it will work those areas, but I want you to really concentrate on holding your core tight and using those muscles to pull your legs up to the side. Stand tall and try not to lean to one side as you pull each leg up.
Bow and Arrow Squat Pull: We did this exercise earlier in the month, but did it a little differently, and it wasn’t a favorite so we are changing it up just a bit. Still a great arm and core workout, but not quite as cumbersome. Let me know if you like this version better.
Straight Arm Climb: I couldn’t find a great video for this one, but it’s a pretty basic exercise so I’m hoping it will be easy to follow the guide below. Let me know if you have questions and I will do a how to video for you in the morning.
Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie faceup on the floor, arms extended straight out above chest, palms facing away from head. Lift head and neck off the floor, looking up to ceiling, and press right arm up, lifting head and right shoulder blade off the floor.
Immediately lower right shoulder and repeat the lift on left side. Avoid letting elbows bend as you lift and lower. Do 15 reps, alternating sides each time.
Single Arm Sit Up: Another combination move that targets our arms and our core. 15 per side for 1 set.
Grab a dumbbell in one hand and lie faceup on the floor extending that arm straight out from shoulder, with the other arm by side on the floor. Extend the oppostie leg out straight and bend the other knee, placing your foot flat on the floor. Brace abs in tight and roll up through spine (keep arm with dumbbell reaching straight up to ceiling the entire time). Reach opposite arm forward in front of shoulder.
Round back and brace abs in tight to slowly roll through back and return to start. Do 15 reps, and then repeat on opposite side. Too tough? Keep right arm on the ground for more support as you do the sit-up and lower down.
Plank Pull Through: YOU CAN DO THIS! Use a high plank and wide stance position and place a dumbbell to one side. You will pull the dumbbell through using one arm, then pull it back though the other way. 15 reps per set.
Strong to the Core 