Stability Ball Challenge: Day Two

Ok, I’ll admit it, day one kicked my ass.  I had to modify those jack knifes to regular sit ups with the ball and my cobra was more of a sphinx because I needed to keep my hands on the ball.  So that brings up the topics of goals.  By the end of this challenge, I will own those jack knifes and those cobras. 

On to today’s challenge…

Today we’re going to focus on our legs and give our belly’s a rest.  Again, all you’ll need is your stability ball and your yoga mat.  Our exercises are single leg lefts, lateral leg lifts and leg lifts in plank.  (Sorry about the lack of diagrams, still working that out!!!)

Work your way up to 4 sets of 10 reps in a circuit.

Single Leg Lifts

Roll your ball under your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees at a 90 degree angle.  Straighten one leg and drop it slowly to floor.  Lift that same leg up toward the ceiling.  Drop it slowly toward the floor.   Do 10 reps on each side.

Lateral Leg Lifts (do 10 reps on each side)

Drop to your knees and place your ball next to you on your mat.  Rest your elbow and forearm closest to your ball on the stability ball and your other hand on the ball for extra stability if needed.  Extend your leg furthest away from your ball out to the side.  Raise your extended leg to the side, squeezing those glutes as you do then slowly lower it back to the floor.  Do 10 reps on each side.

Leg Lifts in Plank.

Roll your stability ball under your shins and hold your arms in plank.  Squeeze your glutes and raise one leg off the ball, raising it up as high and you can.  Slowly lower back to the ball and repeat.  Do 10 reps on each side.

Work your way up to 4 sets of 10 reps of this exercise.  See you tomorrow!!!!

Stability Ball Challenge: Day One

 

Your tasks for today, should you choose to accept them (and I know you will!!!) are…

Make sure your equipment is in good shape.  Is your ball inflated fully and free of leaks?  What shape is your yoga mat?  Now is the time to invest in new equipment if you need too, safety first!!!  The good news : my stability ball workouts require minimal equipment that’s inexpensive.   For today, you’ll need a stability ball and a yoga mat.  Later on in the challenge, you’ll need some free weights (those rubberized dumbbells you can get at any Target will do!!)  You can do this workout barefoot, wearing yoga socks (my favorite because I’m pretty much completely in love with my new Gaiam Yoga Socks), or in athletic shoes, whatever you’re most comfortable in. 

Create some kind of journal to chart your workouts and progress.  This can be a word doc on your laptop, an old notebook, a smash book, whatever works for you!!

Take before measurements of your waist (smallest part), your hips (largest part), and your thighs (10” above the top on the knee).  This challenge is going to work our core so these are the “hot” spots where we’ll see change!

Take before pictures!!  Have fun with this, strike a pose!!!

Now let’s get to work!!  Today’s workout has three exercises, The Jackknife sit-up, Floor Bridges, and Cobra’s.  Aim at completing 4 sets of 10 reps of each.  You might find it more manageable by completing the exercises in a circuit fashion (do one set of each exercise, working your way through all three exercises, completing this circuit four times).

Jackknife Sit Ups

Floor Bridges

 

Cobras

 

Now your last task is to feel stronger and proud!!!!!  Have a great rest of your day, I’ll meet you back here tomorrow!!!!

Ginormous Announcement!!!!

Ok, I have a degree in English so I'm pretty sure ginormous isn't actually a word but it was the only thing I could think of to describe this challenge I've had noodling around in my brain the last fews days.  The pieces weren't quite fitting together until I was at work today at the Y, and BAM-O (another word I'm pretty sure can't be found in the OED), it all came together...I'm going to launch a stability ball challenge!!!  Balance and stability are my areas of practice so I'm super stoked (this one might actully be in the dictionary, though perhaps not in this context) about this challenge! 

Here's the quick and dirty, each day I will be throwing out a stability ball mini workout (10- 15 minutes to complete) that you can do along with your usual resistance and cardio training, or just on it's own.  We'll do this through Easter (April 20th) which will be 7 weeks.  I'm planning on taking before and after pics, you should too if you want!!!  I KNOW YOU'RE PICKING UP WHAT I'M THROWING DOWN!!!  See you tomorrow!!!

Welcome to my blog!!

Welcome to my blog!!  I just began my personal training career with the YMCA a few weeks back and I'm pretty sure I have one of the coolest jobs in the world.  OK, maybe being an astronaut would be cooler, but being a personal trainer is pretty close (also, I think I might be to old to be an astronaut). 

So here's what this blog will be about...I'm new to this whole fitness industry thing.  I was an athlete when I was younger, sort of got derailed a little bit when it came time to raise my family and finish my college degrees, then found my way back to fitness after said derailment resulted in a 60 + lb. weight gain (for real, I'll post pics someday...).  Working out was part of shedding those extra pounds for me and long story (really, it's kinda long so I'll share it in bits and pieces over the next weeks in subsequent entries) short, I've changed careers and am embarking on this new journey that I could not be more excited about!!  As a personal trainer, I get to help people identify, plan and achieve their fitness goals, what could be more fun than that?!?! Plus, I get to wear yoga pants to work!  I hope you'll join me as I figure things out!!