Ever heard of the “Ninja Tuck Jump”, the “Donkey kick”, or the “Pistol squat”? Yea, that’s because they are difficult variations of your every day exercises. I bet you’re dying to know what these mean.
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| Photo credit: Shape.com |
Ninja Tuck Jump: Jumping quickly from your knees to your feet is only easy for Jackie Chan. But this is one stunt you can master with a little practice. Starting on your knees, contract your glutes and quads and jump to your feet in one motion, landing in a deep squat. Yelling “Hi-ya!” or whipping out your nun-chucks will earn you my undying love—which is worth the weird looks you'll also get. To ease into it, start by doing it on thick carpet or a mat and swing your arms to help you get enough momentum.
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| Photo credit: Bodybuilding.com |
Superman: Or Superwoman, as one of my fitness class instructors likes to call it. If you want a flat, sexy stomach, shift your focus away from your core every once in a while and train your lower back. Lay flat on your stomach with your arms extended in front of you on the ground as your legs are lying flat. Lift both your arms and legs at the same time, as if you were flying, and contract the lower back. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how "super" you're feeling. To intensify, squeeze your glutes even tighter to help lift your legs higher off the floor.
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| Photo credit: Quicksixpack.wordpress.com |
Mountain climber: I've yet to meet a mountaineer that climbs mountains in this position (a better name would be "Sprinter Stuck at the Starting Line" but I suppose that's not as catchy). Still, there's no denying the power of this exercise that challenges your shoulders and quads and elevates your heart rate. Assume the sprinter starting position—hands on the ground, rear up in the air and one leg bent toward your chest. Alternate which leg is forward, only touching your front toe to the ground before quickly switching sides. It takes a lot of tolerance to do this exercise, so challenge your body!
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| Photo credit: Fitnessmagazine.com |
Roundhouse kick: Look like an action star and work your butt at the same time with this kick out to the side. Stand on one leg with your supporting foot pointed slightly outward. Bend your other leg and raise it up to hip level, and then extend your leg fully with your toe pointed. We all know what action kicks look like. If there’s anything Chinese movies have taught us, it is this right here. If you also want to get all that aggression out, have a friend hold a board at head height, and then picture someone that you think deserves a beating (a few come to mind), and give it your all!
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| Photo credit: Shape.com |
Donkey kick: It takes about 10 reps for you to really feel the genius of this inverted exercise. At that point, you'll feel the burn from your shoulders down to your legs. Start on your hands and knees with your backside to a wall (preferably a wall with nothing on it as you're going to be kicking it). Lift up onto your toes, keeping knees bent. Jump your feet up onto the wall behind you while you support yourself with your hands. Jump feet back down. Try not to kick up any higher than your hip level.
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| Photo credit: Menshealth.com |
Pistol squat: One-legged squats don't seem very tricky—after all, you did manage to pick up that cotton ball you dropped without putting your newly pedicured foot on the floor—but squatting on one leg seriously challenges your balance. It also activates your core and just about every other muscle in your lower body, including your glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Stand holding your arms straight out in front of your body and raise your right leg off the floor. Push your hips back and lower your body as far as you can. Pause, and then push your body back to the starting position.
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| Photo credit: Supermamafitness.com |
Wall sit: Aerobic class memories of sitting with your back against a wall, legs shaking until you see stars are enough to remind us of the power of this seemingly simple move. Make sure your legs are at a 90-degree angle, press your back against the wall, and hold it until you absolutely can't hold it any longer. Place your hands on top of your head or hold them out in front to add a little work for your shoulders. But whatever you do, don't cheat and rest them on your thighs!
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| Photo credit: Bodyrock.tv |
Intensified plank: It doesn't get much easier than holding still. That is, until you try holding still with only your hands and toes touching the ground, in the upper pushup position. To further intensify the plank, try lifting up one arm and the opposite leg to really challenge your core and balance. To get the most out of this core exercise, make sure you pull your bellybutton in toward your spine and keep your hands in line with your shoulders. Don't let your hips sag—you shouldn't be feeling this in your back.
I have tons more of these intensified exercises, and I will share bit by bit as the weeks go by. But try these today and let me know if you feel the burn.
Do you have any more intensified exercises that you do?
Cheers Eights & Weights!
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These look great! Well, not great, painful. very painful but great to try!! The only ones I've tried are moutain climbers and wall sits; both of which I HATE but I know by now I only hate exercises that challenge me and hence are good for me *sigh*. So I will definitely be trying the rest and I'm looking forward to more intensified exercises coming our way :)
ReplyDeleteIf you could include how many reps we should aim for, that would be really helpful! Thank you!
Hey Vicki!
ReplyDeleteI usually try to aim for 2 sets of 15 reps each. And for the ones that involve holding a position (like the plank), I try 3 reps of 20 second lengths.