Exercises For Abdominals

Here’s a few simple abdominal exercises from my online personal training library that you can try. Try 3 sets of 30 seconds for the planks and 3 sets of 12-15 reps for the others. Let me know what you think.

I’ve been digging through older (but still great =) workout programs that I’ve put together for some of my personal training clients in the past. Many of them are written on paper and I’m in the process of transferring them over to my incredible new software that shows you a .gif animation of the exercise plus written instructions, as seen below.

You will soon be able to purchase a select few of these exact resistance training programs that my clients have used in the past to completely change their bodies.

I’ll keep you updated.

Plank
1. Start by placing your forearms on the ground and forming a plank with your forearms and feet.
2. Hold this position keeping your body parallel to the ground for the required time.

Side Plank
1. Lay on the ground on one side. Raise your body using one forearm and support it in this raised position for the required time.
2. Lower your body and repeat on the other side.
3. Remember to keep your head, neck and body in a straight line.

Alternating Toe Touch
1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with feet up into the air. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. Extend one arm and reach for the opposite foot. Return to start position and repeat with other hand.
Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion may cause injury. To increase resistance, hold medicine ball in hands. To decrease resistance, position hand closer towards body

Ankle Wiggles
1) Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent and hands at your side. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2) Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. Reach for you ankle with one hand and repeat with the other side.
3) Return to start position.
4) Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion of either may cause injury.

Air Bike Crunches
1. Start by lying on your back with your hands behind your back and thighs bent 90 degrees at your hip.
2. Simultaneously curl your right shoulder and left knee up towards the center of your body until your elbow and knee touch. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other side.
3. Continuously repeat this pattern for the prescribed repetitions.

Flutter Kicks
1) Lie back onto floor or bench with both knees bent and feet flat. Place hands at sides.
2) Contract abdominal muscles continuously to stabilize trunk (or tuck stomach in by drawing naval in towards spine). Lower back should be in a neutral position.
3) Start position: Straighten both legs so that they are perpendicular to floor.
4) Slowly lower one leg to approximately 45-90°.
5) Return to start position and repeat with other leg.

What Is A Workout?

Looking for motivation for the week ahead?

What I’m going to share with you today is one of the most inspiring pieces of fitness related writing that I’ve ever read. It inspired me years ago when I read it for the first time, and it still lights the fire under my butt as I read it today. I hope it can do the same for you. Thanks go out to Certified Personal Trainer Brian Copeland for sharing this with me about 5-6 years ago (Brian is a great personal trainer located here in Honolulu–I give him 2 enthusiastic thumbs up!!).

What Is A Workout?

A WORKOUT is 25% PERSPIRATION and 75% DETERMINATION. Stated another way, it is ONE PART PHYSICAL EXERTION and THREE PARTS SELF-DISCIPLINE. Doing it is easy once you get started.

A WORKOUT makes you better today than you were yesterday. It STRENGTHENS THE BODY, RELAXES THE MIND, and TOUGHENS THE SPIRIT. When you WORKOUT REGULARLY, your problems diminish and your CONFIDENCE GROWS.

[Read more]

My Dad Walked The Talk

Some of my very best memories are with my Dad. My Dad is a great man. He’s genuine, charismatic, intelligent, good looking, and very outgoing. And by outgoing, I mean the guy will talk to anybody. He treats everyone with respect. He displays the same assured, intrepid, yet inquisitive demeanor, whether he’s having a conversation with a billionaire or with a homeless person. My Dad took me to professional sports games as a kid and even coached my soccer team. My Dad has always been there for me if I needed him.

I didn’t like following my parents rules; I refused to eat vegetables, I played video games without finishing my homework, I snuck out of the house when I was grounded, I made some bad choices, and I got into lots of trouble. The more my parents told me to do something or to not do something, the more I did the exact opposite. By age 16, I moved out for the second, and final time.

Let me tell you, I was quite a handful.

Rewind to a few years before I reached my angry, rebellious teenager years.
[Read more]

An Angry Reader?

I received an email without a valid return address after my last post regarding efficient exercise programming for fat loss.

I think I must have touched a nerve with the person that wrote me this email. I’ll leave out the name given, but I figure a public reply is in good order, just in case anyone else felt similar to them.

Before I get to the email, I would like you all to know that I always welcome any and all comments, questions, or criticisms from anyone out there including: personal trainers, clients, experienced, or novice exercisers.

You can post your comment directly to the post, or you can email me. If you would like a reply to your email, please leave a valid return address if you’re using my consultation form to send me a message.

Now, on to the email…
[Read more]

Learn From Their Mistakes

Time is the most valuable thing you have. You have a very limited amount in your lifetime. Once it’s gone, you can never get it back. That time is gone forever. You shouldn’t waste it and you should definitely never let anybody else waste it. Especially if you’re paying for it.

I was working out at my “other” gym here in Honolulu this morning. In the middle of my workout, I saw a personal trainer working with a middle aged woman. I have heard her talking a little about her goal before; losing weight and getting more muscle tone. It was pretty obvious to me that she was new to working out. I’m guessing her body fat % was in the low to mid 30’s.

The trainer was having her perform a single arm dumbbell lateral raise. Now, why in the world would a trainer of all people choose this particular exercise for this person. This lady wasn’t a bodybuilder.
[Read more]