Knee to Elbow Plank

It's still August, which means we are still focused on our arms. The knee to elbow plank is a great exercise to work your arms and obliques. But as with any exercise, you have to do it right to yield the right results. Watch the video below for more instructions.

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Understanding Your Abdominal Muscle Anatomy

Everyone talks about abs and how a six-pack makes you look sexy and toned. However, people don't always know how to target the abs. For strong toned ab muscles, you really need to focus on all the muscles in that region.

The rectus abdominis: The long vertical muscle we refer to as the six-pack.

The transverse abdominis: The horizontal muscle which runs around the torso.

The obliques:  The pair of diagonals which run down your sides (internal and external).

Knowing the various abs muscles helps us know how to target each. A lot of the floor crunches people do tend to target the rectus abdominus, but may not work the obliques or the transverse abdominus. It is important to do exercises that work all the ab muscles to get the complete look and feel.

Here is one exercise you can try for each today:

Rectus Abdominis

As you see in the image above, these muscles go all the way down to your pelvis, and so pelvic exercises work well here. One awesome one you can do is the bicycle. It's a crunch so it's not my favorite, but it really works you out.

Transverse Abdominis

You use this muscle when you suck your stomach in and hold it tight. So do exercises where you require your core to balance. One example is the single leg lift. Use one leg for balance and raise the second knee towards your abdomen, holding your abs tight.

Obliques

The obliques really require a lot of controlled twisting. Luckily, I wrote about this a few weeks ago with a video too! Check that out here and try the plank oblique.

In no time, you'd be an expert working out your whole abdominal region.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Dailynews.com, Exercise.com

Abs Week: Plank Oblique

Yes, I've ordained it abs week! Women and men alike both struggle with getting firmer flatter abs. This week, I thought it would benefit us all to introduce some new abs routines that you may not have tried before. Sick of crunches? Try these out. There will be a new one every day.

Today, we're looking at the plank oblique. Here are a few steps to guide you:

Get into a plank position with your elbows on the floor beneath your shoulders. Keep your whole body as straight as possible from crown to heel.

Slowly lift your left foot off the floor and bring that knee towards your left elbow, keeping your left foot off the floor.

Bring your foot back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite knee.

Here is a great video to help:

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Exercise.com

Plank Obliques

As summer draws near, we start talking more and more about exercises for your abs. The plank oblique is a great way to work your core strength, and get that muscle tone at the sides of your waistline.

• You start on your elbows like you would do a regular elbow plank. You can also do this on your palms like the model in the picture above.
• Next, pull your left knee towards your left shoulder like you do with mountain climbers. However, remember to stay on your elbows and not lift your butt above a straight line. 
• Take your left knee back to its starting position, and repeat the movement with your right knee. 
• To make it more difficult and work your core more, take your alternating knee towards the opposite shoulder. That is, right knee towards left shoulder, and left knee towards right shoulder.

Easy peasy! Well, not so much. You should definitely be feeling this in your waist region. Here is a video I found on Exercise.com that shows the plank oblique movement perfectly. Try it at home today as you watch your prime-time TV shows.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: LucilleRoberts.com