part0034

Health Tip #24 – The BEST Workouts For YOU

Broken up into a few sections, here are the best workouts to melt belly fat and shape your abs. You’ll also get the best workouts for toning and firming your butt & thighs.

Don’t just pick one workout from each.

Try them all and do them in different combinations so that you can keep your workout fresh and interesting while making sure that you are targeting all the key muscle groups instead of just focusing on one part.

Start by lying down on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

Clasp your hands behind your head. Lift yourself up by pivoting from the waist not the neck!

Come all the way up to your thighs and then go back down.

Repeat for as many repetitions as you can.

These are like regular crunches except that when you come up, you turn toward one side.

The first time you come up, twist and aim toward your left leg. Then go back down.

When you come up again, twist and aim toward your right leg.

Repeat this for as many repetitions as you can.

Get into plank position. To do this, start by lying down on your stomach.

Place your elbows and forearms on the floor and clasp your hands together. Push up onto your toes so that only your elbows, forearms, and toes are touching the floor. Keep your body straight (like a plank).

While in this position, twist your core to the left. Keep your shoulders straight and your toes firmly pressed into the floor so that only your stomach and thighs are facing to the left.

You want all the movement and power to be coming from your core. Twist your torso all the way to your right. Repeat for as many repetitions as you can.

Lie down on your back with your legs straight and your toes pointed.

Keep your upper body flat against the floor as you lift your legs up off the ground.

Lift with your core. Do not bend your knees.

This is similar to the leg lifts except that as you are lifting up your legs, you will also lift up your torso.

Don’t bend your knees or your spine. As you lift up, you will form a straight V shape.

You can either have your arms straight up above your head or lift them out in front of you (so that you’ll look more like an upside down A than a V).

Start in a push up position with your arms straight. Don’t lock your elbows.

Lift your right leg off the floor and then bend your knee up and in toward your chest. Then, kick it back out.

Without lowering it back down to the floor, repeat this for as many repetitions. Then, switch legs and do it with the other leg.

This is just like the V Lift workout described above except that instead of doing repetitions, you maintain the V shape pose consistently.

Holding the pose builds strength and endurance in your abdominal muscles.

This is like the plank position described above in “plank twists” except that instead of twisting, you simply hold the plank pose.

Focus on tightening your core and make sure that you keep your body in a flat plank position. Your butt may start to rise up in the air.

Lie down on your back with your legs straight.

Raise your legs up so that your toes are pointing toward the ceiling and your legs form a 90˚ angle with your torso.

Lower your legs to the left side (while maintaining the 90˚ angle). You might not be able to reach the floor. That’s ok.

Raise them back up and then lower to them the right side. Imagine your legs are the swinging pendulum of a clock.

Use your core to pivot your hips and move your legs from side to side.

This is like doing sit ups while standing.

Start by standing up straight with your feet placed hip width apart. Cross your arms over your chest.

Slowly bend your torso down toward the floor. Keep your spine straight and make sure that you are bending at the waist (not just dropping your shoulders).

Once your torso is parallel with the floor, pull yourself back up. Again, pivot from the waist, not your shoulders or neck. Repeat as many times as you can.

To do a squat, stand with your feet wider than hip width apart.

While keeping your upper body straight, bend until your knees form a 90˚ angle. Hold this pose as long as you can.

Start by standing with your feet hip width apart.

Step out with your left leg and bend your left knee until you are in lunge position.

Hold and then stand back up to repeat with the right leg.

Use a sturdy box or chair or the bottom step of a staircase.

Without bending your spine or using your torso at all, step up with the left leg. Then bring the right leg up. Step your left leg back down on the floor behind you and then bring your right leg down.

Climb up stairs or use a stair-climbing machine. Go up and down multiple times.

You can skip two or three steps at a time if you are capable.