We all know we can’t spot reduce by only working our “problem areas,” but that doesn’t mean we can’t and shouldn’t do workouts to focus on those areas of our core that need the most work!
And too often when we do our core workouts, we only focus on our abs.
But your core workouts should include moves to target your inner thighs, obliques and glutes!
AKA those areas we too often forget but would really like to strength and tone!
That is why I wanted to share this 5-Minute Bodyweight Forgotten Core Burner!
It can be used as a quick workout when you are short on time or even as the perfect burnout after your lifting or cardio session!
Try it out today!
And if you want this as a 5-Minute Follow Along Workout, along with 8 more, check out my Bodyweight Burner DVD. Claims yours with FREE SHIPPING TODAY!
The 5-Minute Forgotten Core Burner
Set a timer for 20 seconds intervals and move right from one move to the next in the circuit. Complete 3 rounds through the circuit without resting!
CIRCUIT:
20 seconds Squat Jump Scissors
20 seconds per side Side Plank Adductor Lifts
20 seconds Glute Bridge with March
20 seconds Peek-a-boo
Don’t forget you can get this as a Follow Along Video Workout and let me show you modifications and help keep you motivated!
Exercise Descriptions:
Squat Jump Scissors:
To do Squat Jump Scissors, set up with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Squat down, sinking your butt down as you reach to touch the ground. If you can’t sink low enough, while keeping your heels down, to touch the ground, just reach as low as you can. Do not round over just to touch the ground.
Then as you jump up off the ground, bring your feet together at the top, using your adductors to draw them in. Click your heels then as you land, widen your feet back out so you land with your feet back about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Make sure to sink right back into the squat and not land with your legs straight.
Then quickly repeat exploding back up. Beginners can modify by stepping their feet together as they stand up and then step back out as they sink down.
Side Plank Adductor Lifts:
To do the Side Plank Adductor Raise, set up in a side plank from your forearm and feet. You will want you elbow to be under your shoulder and your feet unstacked with your bottom foot in front and even slightly angled forward. Lift up into the side plank position with your top hand on your hip and your chest not rotated toward the ground. Drive through the sides of your feet and flex your feet to engage even your lower leg.
Holding this position, lift and lower that bottom leg, raising it up a few inches then putting it back down at a controlled pace. Stay up in the side plank the entire time and don’t let your hips sag. Do not place your top hand down to assisted.
If you need to modify, bend that top leg and place the foot flat on the ground behind you OR even regress fully to a side lying adductor lift.
Glute Bridge with March:
To do the Glute Bridge With March, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Your feet should be about hip-width apart and your knees should be in line with your feet and hips. Your feet should be just beyond your fingers when you stretch your arms down by your sides.
Bend your arms to 90 degrees and then drive through your arms, upper back and heels to bridge up. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs to bridge up.
Holding this bridge, lift one foot up off the ground, bringing your knee in toward your chest as if marching. Do not let your hips sag as you lift the leg.
Move slowly to lift the leg then lower back down and switch, bringing the other knee in toward your chest.
Do not let your hips sag as you march. Also, do not let your low back take over. Keep your abs engaged and really focus on making the glute of the leg that is down work to keep your hips up.
You may not want to lift your leg as high if you struggle to maintain the bridge. Doing a smaller march means that each side has to work independently for shorter, which can make the move a bit easier.
Peek-a-boo:
To do the Peek-A-Boo, lie on your back and stretch your straight legs up toward the ceiling. Reach your hands back overhead if you want then let your legs open up to the sides as if moving to do the splits.
As your legs open up, crunch up and reach your hands through your legs. Crunch your shoulder blades up off the ground.
Lower back down and bring your legs back together. Keep your legs as straight as you can the entire time. Repeat crunching back up as you open your legs back up.
Beginners can bend their knees or leave out the upper body crunch and just perform the leg portion.
If you want to stay injury free, it isn’t enough to just rest and then return to your normal routine.
You’ve got to CORRECT the problem that caused the pain to occur aka address the movement distortions, compensations and imbalances that lead to the overload.
And in the case of our lower backs, this is generally tight hip flexors, an immobile spine, overstretched hamstrings and weak abs and glutes.
This is why you need a 3 step approach to improving your movement patterns as well as your mobility and stability so you can prevent the pain from reoccurring – you need to Foam Roll, Stretch and Activation, not only as rehab or prehab but also as part of your WARM UP to your runs, rides or lifts.
If you’re ready to get those glutes and abs activated as you improve your spinal and hip mobility to prevent lower back and even hip and knee pain, check out my RStoration program!
The Prevent Lower Back Pain Workout
FOAM ROLLING:
Complete 1 round through the series, holding on any tight spots you find instead of rolling quickly back and forth. If something isn’t tight, you don’t need to roll it. But if something is tight, don’t hesitate to spend an extra 10-15 seconds on that area.
Complete 1 round through this series, spending more time on any tight areas. You can do these for about 20-40 seconds per move or side or up to 10 reps per side. Your focus is on improving your range of motion over the reps or time.
Complete 2-4 rounds of each triset, resting up to 30 seconds between rounds if needed. Rest up to 1 minute between trisets as needed. If you are doing this as part of a warm up, 1-2 rounds of each is more than enough.
To get in a killer core workout, you don’t need weights or fancy equipment. You don’t need to do a ton of crunches either.
You can get killer results by working your core with BODYWEIGHT unilateral leg moves, hanging abs, planks and bridges.
These moves not only work your abs but EVERYTHING between your shoulders and your knees to help you build functional core strength.
And an added bonus is that by using these more compound moves, especially followed by a more isolated activation series, you can really target that stubborn belly fat and burn more calories during your workout than you would if you spent all your time on crunches and sit ups!
So if you’re ready to get a killer strong, lean core, try this workout below from my 30-Day Killer Core Challenge!
Complete 3-5 rounds of each circuit. Rest only as needed between exercises and up to 2 minutes between rounds if needed. Pick a variation of each move and a rep range that challenges you. Don’t simply do the fewest reps or the most reps. Figure out what challenges you, but allows you to maintain proper form. Rest up to 2 minutes between circuits. Complete all rounds of one circuit before moving on to the next circuit.
Beginners may need to start with fewer reps and modifications for the exercises. They may also need more rest and complete fewer rounds. Advanced exercisers should do more reps, more rounds and rest less.
For the Single Leg Squats, use the lowest bench possible or use a doorway. Force your legs to do the work.
For the Balance Lunges, you can add weight if you choose, use a higher box or slow down the lower down to a 5 count to make the move harder. Beginners can start with both feet on the ground for a split squat.
For the Hanging Knee Circles, you can also do Hanging Knee Tuck to Twist. And with either you can add in a Pull Up.
Do not add in a Pull Up with the Hanging Pelvic Tilt.
For the Glute Bridge Of Box, beginners will want a lower box than more advanced exercisers. Advanced exercisers may also want to do a Single Leg Glute Bridge Of Box. If you do the Single Leg Variation, try 8-12 reps per side with 15 reps at max.
Sometimes you just want a little something to ENHANCE your results – to give you that little edge without you completely having to change your routine.
Whether you call them a finisher or burnout instead, these quick routines are done at the end of a workout.
But if you’re designing a workout, why would you add in something “extra” instead of just including all the work in a normal circuit or as part of the routine?
Because when you set aside time for a Burnout, your primary focus isn’t on increasing the weight you use. It isn’t on increasing reps or sets or improving your endurance.
It is purely on BURNING OUT your body.
Whether you’re using it to blast fat, improve your work capacity or make sure no muscle fiber is left untrained, it can be that quick intense blast to make sure you’ve used all the time you have to workout to the max!
How To Design A Burner:
Burners should be about 5-10 minutes long. They may be shorter the more isolated your focus.
They can use everything from isolation exercises, if your Burner is meant to focus on a specific muscle, to compound and hybrid moves especially if you want metabolic benefits.
You will minimize rest during your burner because you want to create a high training density to end your workout. And your intensity should be high if you want metabolic benefits.
When you add a Burner to a workout, you want to have designed the workout KNOWING you planned to add a burner in.
Too often Burners are an afterthought, but for them to work and complement the routine and our goals, they need to be designed with a purpose.
Especially if burning fat is your goal!
Burners can be done to help you burn fat through using intense exercises and interval training.
So if you’ve worked areas earlier in your workout you wouldn’t mind losing fat from, adding a metabolic Burner at the end could be a great way to make spot reduction work for you as much as possible!
Or say you’re struggle to build muscle in specific areas?
Planning in a Burner for extra work on those muscle groups can be helpful.
You may use this targeted muscle burnout on the same day those specific muscles are worked or you may even include it on a day you’re working something completely different. Using the Burner on a different day, helps you get in extra training frequency during the week WITHOUT overtraining.
For example, the glutes are a large, powerful and strong muscle. If you are really trying to build and strengthen them, an extra targeted session for them can be helpful.
Even if you don’t have extra days to workout, you could increase your training frequency for your glutes by including a Glute Burner even at the end of an upper body day!
So while Burners can target muscles worked during your workout, they can also work opposing muscle groups or even a different hemisphere altogether!
So if you want that little bit EXTRA to get better results FASTER, consider adding in a burner!
Try this Burner if you’re looking for a little extra core work –> The Lower Ab Burner
OR if you’re ready to start designing your OWN burners and workouts that help you train SMARTER to reach your goals FASTER, check out these tips from my Training Black Book!
There are 4 pieces to a proper workout routine – foam rolling, stretching, activation and strengthening.
If you want results, especially if those results involve strengthening your glutes, you need to make sure your workouts include all 4 parts!
Below is a possible combination of a foam rolling, stretching and activation series from my Glute Camp Cards.
Try out this workout today!
The Strengthen Your Glutes Workout
Below are each of the four parts. Do them back to back, following the instructions for each series.
Foam Rolling Series (Hip Foam Rolling Series in the Glute Camp):
Complete 1 round through the series, holding on any tight spots you find instead of rolling quickly back and forth. If something isn’t tight, you don’t need to roll it. But if something is tight, don’t hesitate to spend an extra 10-15 seconds on that area.
CIRCUIT:
30 seconds per side Psoas Foam Rolling
30 seconds per side Quads Foam Rolling
30 seconds per side TFL/Glutes Foam Rolling
30 seconds per side Seated Hamstring Foam Rolling
Stretching Series (The Prevent Knee Pain Stretching Series):
Complete 1 round through this series, spending more time on any tight areas. You can do these for about 20-40 seconds per move or side or up to 10 reps per side. Your focus is on improving your range of motion over the reps or time.
CIRCUIT:
5-10 reps per way per side 3-Way Leg Swings
5-10 reps per side Crescent to Hamstring Stretch
5-10 reps per side Standing IT Band Stretch
10 reps Frog Stretch
4-6 reps per side Pigeon Pose Circles
Activation Series (The Prevent Knee Pain Activation Series):
Complete 1-5 rounds through the circuit below. Rest 30-45 seconds between rounds if needed, especially if you are doing an activation only workout.
CIRCUIT:
30 seconds Mini Band Wall Sit
30 seconds Mini Band Alternating Side Steps
30 seconds Mini Band Glute Bridge
30 seconds Close Stance Glute Bridge
Strengthening Series (The Glutes And Abs Strength Workout):
Complete 3-5 rounds of the first superset, resting up to 90 seconds between rounds so that you can go heavy every round. Then rest 1-2 minutes and complete 3 rounds of each Triset, resting 45-60 seconds between rounds so that you don’t start to compensate.
SUPERSET:
15-20 reps Seated Mini Band Abductions
15-20 reps Weighted Glute Bridges
TRISET #1:
10-15 reps per side Standing Mini Band Lateral Raises
8-15 reps per side Single Leg Deadlifts
4-8 reps per side Side Plank Hip Dips with Rotational Reach
TRISET #2:
8-15 reps per side Walking Lunges
10-15 reps Glute Bridge and Curl
8-12 reps per side Stability Press
Ready to create Glute workouts to prevent injury as you strengthen and tone your glutes? Ready to have over 700 glute workouts literally at your fingertips?
All too often we think we need lots of jumping, burpees, and well, cardio in general, if we want to lose fat.
And while all of those moves and exercises should have a place in our routine, overdoing those things may actually be holding us back.
Sometimes those workouts that look “easy,” that seem simple, that won’t have you gasping for air, are the essential workouts we are MISSING.
They are hard in a different way and require you to establish an efficient mind-body connection to build your foundation.
They create proper recruitment patterns to keep you injury free and help your body work well so you can get even more out of all of your workouts.
And while these routines may seem easy, they will challenge your body in a new way and lead to killer results. Hey they can even burn so good!
So if you haven’t ever done a Density Interval Workout, you should try this one below!
By pairing together a basic movement and an isometric, we can not only get the correct muscles working but even build functional, full-body strength!
The Full-Body Density Interval Workout
Complete 3-4 rounds of the following circuit, resting up to 30 seconds between rounds. If the move is done on one side, do the hold then the reps on that side before switching and moving on.
After the circuit, complete 2-3 rounds of the Core Burner with 30 seconds rest between rounds. If one sided, do both moves, the hold and the reps, on that side before moving on. Then stretch and roll out.
