WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Groin
Hamstring
Hips/Glutes
Back/Chest
Shoulders/Forearms
WORKOUT
Complete 3-5 rounds of each circuit, resting as needed between rounds. Rest 1-2 minutes between circuits. Focus on adding weight or trying more challenging variations; however, make sure that you use a full range of motion. Don’t add weight at the expense of not completing a full range of motion!
CIRCUIT #1:
20 reps Glute Bridge with Squeeze
6-8 reps per side Cossack Squat
8-12 reps per side Side Plank Bench Lift
CIRCUIT #2:
10 reps per side Side Plank Clams
10-15 reps Sumo Squat
10-15 reps Peek-a-boo
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Groin
Hamstring
Hips/Glutes
Back/Chest
Shoulders/Forearms
NOTES: Modify moves as needed, and add weight to make moves more challenging if you can still work through a full range of motion. This workout should help activate your glutes, strengthen your adductors while also improving your mobility!
For descriptions of each move, Elite Library Members can click the links below. Not a member, click here to learn more about our Exercise Library or see this post 21 Inner Thigh Moves for a video of the moves.
Complete 5 rounds of the first exercise, resting about 60-90 seconds between rounds. Then rest 1-2 minutes and move on to the circuit. Complete 3-5 rounds of the circuit, resting as needed. Then rest 1-2 minutes and complete the burnout.
BURNOUT:
Complete 8 rounds, working 20 seconds, resting 10 seconds in between.
20 seconds Band Pull Thrus
10 seconds Rest
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Groin
Hamstring
Hips/Glutes
Back/Chest
NOTES:
Focus on really challenging yourself with weight on the Hip Thrusters, even if that means slightly lower reps or even longer rest between rounds. On the circuit, you will still want to challenge yourself with weight; however, you should rest less between rounds and move from one exercise to the next.
On the burnout, move quickly and focus on your glutes engaging. Don’t rest during the 20 seconds of work. Instead have a lighter band ready in case you need to regress so that you can keep moving.
**If you don’t feel your glutes working during the Woodchopper, try the Band Hip Rotations.
WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back
ACTIVATION
Complete 1 round of the following activation series.
CIRCUIT:
10 reps per side Glute Bridge with Alternating Overhead Reach
15 reps Scapular Push Ups
5 reps per side Sit Thru to Thoracic Bridge
WORKOUT
Complete 3-5 rounds of each superset. Do the exercises back to back and rest 45-90 seconds. This isn’t meant as a fast cardio workout. It is about choosing heavier weights and harder variations. Rest enough between rounds to go hard each and every time. If you are working out with a partner, you can each alternate who goes to pace each other.
SUPERSET #1:
8-12 reps per side Unilaterally-Loaded Slider Reverse Lunge
8-12 reps per side Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
SUPERSET #2:
8-12 reps per side Duck Under Lunge
10-15 reps Back Flyes
SUPERSET #3:
10-15 reps Glute Bridge and Curl
6-10 reps per side Plank Pull Thrus
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back
NOTES:
Again you are not trying to rush through this but instead add weight and try more challenging variations while getting enough rest in between rounds to keep working at a high intensity.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Glute Bridge with Alternating Overhead Reach – To do the Glute Bridge With Alternating Overhead Reach, set up as if you are doing the Basic Glute Bridge. 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 fingertips when you stretch your arms down by your sides. For this variation, you can leave your arms down by your sides; however, bending your elbows can help you get a little more leverage for the bridge and reach. Then driving through your heels and upper back bridge up, bracing your abs and squeezing your glutes to extend your hips. As you bridge up, reach one arm up and across your body to try and touch the ground on the opposite side just above your shoulder. Stretch your back and feel your spine twisting and extending to reach, but do not hyperextend your low back to reach overhead. You want to get the mobility out of your mid and upper back not your low back. Hold for a second or two then bring your arm back across and down to the ground as you lower down out of the bridge. Then bridge back up and reach the opposite hand across and overhead. You should feel your glutes working to help you bridge up and may even feel one side slightly take over as you reach overhead. This move will force each side to work slightly independently.
Scapular Push Ups – To do the Scapular Push Up, set up in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet together. Your body should be in a nice straight line from head to your heels. Without bending your elbows or dropping your hips, pinch your shoulder blades together and press your chest out. Do not tuck your chin or jut your head forward. Also do not let your core wiggle or your elbows bend to try to increase your range of motion. You are not doing a push up. This is a very small range of motion where you are simply focused on pinching your shoulder blades together. Just pinch your shoulder blades together and then relax or even round your back up out of it (rounding your back at the top is another variation but can be very useful for correcting certain push up problems). Keep your core tight as you pinch your shoulder blades together. As you get stronger and build the mind-body connection you will find your range of motion increases. If you struggle to pinch your shoulder blades together without wiggling your core or bending your elbows, go down to your knees as if doing a push up from your knees. If you still struggle, bring your knees under your hips. Do not get caught up on doing this from your toes. Just focus on pinching the shoulder blades together.
Sit Thru to Thoracic Bridge – To do Sit Thru to Thoracic Bridge, set up on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet and lift up onto your hands and toes. Then lift your right hand and bring your left leg through and place your left foot flat on the ground. Rotate your hips up toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes to lift them up as high as you can. While your lift your hips, reach your right hand down toward the ground, rotating your chest toward the floor. Feel your glutes working to keep BOTH hips up, while you reach your hand down. We have a tendency when we rotate to drop the hip on the side we are rotating toward. Make sure both hips stay up as high as possible. You should feel a nice rotation and stretch through your spine. You are twisting almost like someone wringing out a towel. Then drop your hips and step your foot back through while placing your hand back down on the ground. Step through and rotate to the other side, bridging your hips up as high as you can as you reach toward the ground.
Unilaterally-Loaded Slider Reverse Lunge – To do the Unilaterally-Loaded Slider Reverse Lunge, place the sandbag over one shoulder and the slider under the ball of one foot. Stand up nice and tall and do not lean away or toward the side holding the sandbag. Then slide the foot on the slider back and sink into a deep lunge, dropping your back knee down as close to the ground as possible. Keep your chest up as you lunge back and make sure to sit back in the heel of your front leg as you lunge back. You want to make sure to load the glute of the front leg. Drive through the standing heel and pull the foot on the slider back forward as you come up to standing. Make sure you keep your chest up nice and tall and do not lean or round forward as you come back up to standing. Squeeze your glute at the top and then repeat, lunging back. Do not lean to either side because of the unilateral load. Complete all reps on one side before switching. You can also use a kettlebell racked on one side or a dumbbell on one side if you don’t have a sandbag. Also, you can put the weight on your standing leg to make it easier or on the moving leg to make it harder.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row – To do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row, set up with one knee and hand on a bench or box. If you are going to be rowing on your right side, your left knee and hand will be on the bench. Press your chest out and feel the muscles of your back activate. You want your back to stay nice and flat as you row. Hold the dumbbell in your right hand with your right foot on the ground. Keeping your back flat, row the dumbbell up to your side. Drive your elbow up and back as you row and do not let your shoulder shrug. Feel the right side of your back working to row the dumbbell up. Do not row the weight up to your neck. Bring it in to your side at, or just below, chest height. Do not rotate a lot or swing to lift the weight. Once you’ve rowed the weight up, extend your arm all the way back down. Do not reach past full extension to try to drop the weight closer to the ground. You do not want to relax your back at the bottom of the row. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Slow down the tempo or add more weight to make the move more challenging.
Duck Under Lunge – To do the Duck Under Lunge, hold the sandbag up at your chest with your arms wrapped around it. You will then squat down, sitting your butt back while keeping your chest up. As you come back up out of the squat, you will rotate toward the right, pivoting your left foot. Stand up nice and tall, facing to the right with your back leg in triple extension. Do not let your foot stay put and your knee cave in. Then rotate and sink back down into a squat and then pivot and rotate up toward the left side, pivoting your right foot. Keep your chest up the entire time. Do not let your back round toward the ground. Also do not lean forward to try to get lower to the ground. Sink as low as you can in the squat without your form breaking down then quickly pivot up to each side. As you get comfortable with the move, try to make it as fluid as possible. The move should look like a “U” shape. Beginners may need to make it look more like a “V” until their hips open up more. Beginners may also need to drop the weight or not go as low.
Back Flyes – To do Back Flyes using dumbbells, hold a light dumbbell in each hand. Start light so that you can focus on your upper back and the backs of your shoulder’s working without engaging your upper traps, neck or lower back. Hinge over at the hips holding the weights with your arms hanging straight down toward the ground. Keep your back flat and slightly bend your knees. Make sure to drop your chest to about parallel to the ground. If you start to stand back up, you could start to overuse your upper traps instead of using your upper back. You do not want to turn this into an upright row. Then, bracing your abs, fly your arms out to the side. Keep your elbows soft as you lift your arms out to the sides and back toward the ceiling at about, or just below, shoulder height. Pinch your shoulder blades together as you fly your arms open and really feel your upper back and the backs of your shoulders working. Keep your neck relaxed as you fly. Lower back down and repeat the fly. Try not to swing, but really focus on using your back to lift. Also, make sure to keep your elbows soft as you fly your arms up and out. If you feel your neck and upper traps engaging, you can place your head against the wall or on top of a bench. Also, make sure your low back doesn’t engaged as you keep your back flat. You may need to brace your abs more or bend your knees slightly, especially if your hamstrings are tight.
Glute Bridge and Curl – To do the Single-Leg Glute Bridge and Curl using a Valslide, slider or towel, place a slider under each foot and bring your feet in close to your butt. Then bridge up, engaging your abs and squeezing your glutes to extend your hips. Make sure to drive your elbows and upper arms down into the ground so that you don’t push yourself backward. Keeping your hips up and glutes and abs engaged, slide out one leg fully extending it. Then drag your foot back in, pulling the slider back in with your hamstring. As you curl your heel back in, extend the other leg out. Move in a controlled fashion and feel your hamstring work to pull the slider back in. If the Single-Leg move is easy, do the Two-Leg Bridge and Curl.
To do the Two-Leg Bridge and Curl, start in the glute bridge position with a foot on each slider like you did for the Single-Leg Variation. Make sure to engage your glutes and your abs as you drive down through your upper arms and back. Keeping your glutes engaged, slide your feet out away from your butt. Straighten your legs out in front of you as far as you can, keeping your hips up and your abs engaged. Your glutes may touch the ground, but you shouldn’t let your hips sag. They should lower because your legs are extending. Once you straighten your legs out fully, curl your heels back in, bringing your hips back up again into a glute bridge. Really pull your heels back in with your hamstrings by driving your heels into the sliders and dragging them back in. Do not let the hips sag toward the ground as you slide out or come back in. Your hips will lower as you extend and bridge back up as you curl back in. Make sure your abs stay tight to protect your low back with both variations. You want to feel your hamstrings, and even your glutes, working not your low back.
Plank Pull Thrus – To do Sandbag Plank Pulls, set up in a plank position from your hands and toes or hands and knees and place the sandbag on the ground to one side of your body just outside and below your shoulder. Make sure your hands are under your shoulders and then place your feet or knees wider apart to give you more stability. The closer together your feet are, the harder the move will be because you won’t have as wide or stable a base. If you feel your hips rocking side to side, widen your feet out. If the move is too easy, bring your feet closer together. Then reach your hand under your body and across to grab the sandbag. Squeeze your glutes and, without rotating your hips, pull the sandbag through and across to the other side of your body. Make sure your body stays in a nice straight line with your abs engaged as you reach through and pull. Do not let your hips go up in the air or sag toward the ground. You want to pull the sandbag all the way across and outside the other shoulder. If you can’t pull the sandbag all the way across or need to rotate your hips a lot to do so, it may be too heavy. Then reach through with the other hand to pull it back. To fight your body’s desire to rotate, you will need to engage your core and really squeeze your glutes. You do not want to feel this move in your low back. Keep alternating reaches until all reps are complete. Your goal is to keep a nice straight line from your head to your heels the entire time.
WARM UP Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads/Groin
Hips/Glutes
Back/Chest/Shoulders/Traps
WORKOUT
Complete 3-5 rounds of each circuit. Rest as needed. Do not rush the movements but take your time to really use your core to stabilize.
CIRCUIT #1:
8-12 reps Unilaterally-Loaded Deadlift
8-12 reps per side Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Inverted Row
6-12 reps per side Renegade Rows
CIRCUIT #2: 8-12 reps per side Single Leg Squat
8-12 reps per side Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Press
8-12 reps per side Stability Press
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads/Groin
Hips/Glutes
Back/Chest/Shoulders/Traps
NOTES:
Do not rush through these movements. Take your time to really focus on core stability. Record reps, weights and variations so you can improve upon them over time!
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS: Unilaterally-Loaded Deadlift – To do the Unilaterally-Loaded Deadlift, you can hold a dumbbell, kettlebell or even a sandbag. Hold the weight in one hand and hold it at your side like a briefcase. With the weight by your side, stand nice and tall with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Then, hinge over at the hips as you sit your butt back and lean forward. Bend your knees as you hinge and lower the weight down to the ground. Keep your chest pressed out and your back flat as you hinge over. Drop the sandbag to the ground without allowing your body to rotate or lean. Hinge straight back and don’t shift to one side. Your Deadlift should look like you are holding weights in both hands. Really sit your butt back as you hinge and keep the abs engaged. Then drive straight back up to standing and squeeze your glutes at the top. Repeat, holding the weight on the same side. Again, do not let your back round as you lower down or let yourself lean or rotate. Once you’ve completed all reps on one side, switch the weight to the other hand. Start light so you can get proper form and make sure that you don’t shift or rotate. You should really feel your core working to keep your body in alignment.
Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Inverted Row – To do the Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Inverted Row, a Suspension Trainer works best. Grab one handle of the trainer in one hand and place the other hand across your chest. You can also reach the free arm up as if holding a strap if that will help remind you to keep your shoulders square. Set up with your body in a nice straight line, squeezing your quads, glutes and core and pressing your chest out. Make sure to relax your shoulder down and back and not shrug up. Walk your feet forward to an appropriate incline. The closer to parallel you are to the ground, the harder the move will be. Make sure that you choose an incline that allows you to row with proper form and feel your back working. You do not want your shoulder to shrug. Square up your body and then row up. Do not let the side not holding the strap rotate toward the strap as you row up or the shoulder of the arm not holding a strap to drop open. You want to row up as if you are pulling with both arms. That means your body shouldn’t close toward the strap or your shoulder shouldn’t open toward the ground. Drive your elbow down and back as you row up and row your chest all the way up to the handle. Do not shrug your shoulder as you row. Then lower back down. Do not let your back round or your body open up toward the ground as you lower. Repeat rowing back up, making sure that you don’t bounce off the bottom or rotate as you repeat.
Renegade Rows – To do the Renegade Row, you will need two weights. Set them on the ground under your shoulders. If you place your hands and the weights closer together, it will make the movement easier and help you balance. Then set up in a high plank position with each hand on a weight. Beginners may need to do this from their knees while more advanced exercisers will do this on their toes. If you are doing this on your toes, set your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart. You can also widen out your knees if doing this from your knees. A wider stance will make the move easier by providing you with a more stable base. In the plank position, engage your core and squeeze your glutes so that your body is in a nice straight line. Then row one weight up toward your chest, driving your elbow down and back. You want to drive it back toward the ceiling, but also down toward your hip. As you row up, fight your body’s urge to rotate. Keep your hips and chest square to the ground. Row the weight all the way up to your chest just below your pec. Keep your core tight and squeeze your glutes. Do not let your butt go up toward the ceiling or your hips sag. After rowing the weight up to your chest, lower the weight back down and then row up on the other side. Keep alternating until all reps are complete. Keep your core braced and fight the rotation as you alternate rows. Do not rush the movement.
Single Leg Squat – To do the Single Leg Squat to bench, choose a bench that is as low as possible. The lower the bench, the harder the move. Stand in front of the bench and lift one leg out in front of you. Then sit back and squat to the bench. The more you completely sit and reset on the bench, the easier the move will be, especially if you lift your standing leg and then stomp it back into the ground. If you just barely touch and go, you may find that the move is harder. Also, the more you swing your arms, the more momentum you will have to help you stand back up. Make sure to keep the heel of the standing leg down as you squat and drive back up to standing.
Another great Single Leg Squat variation to do if you need a little assistance is the Suspension Trainer Single Leg Squat.
Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Press – To do the Standing Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Press with a resistance band, anchor the band behind you at about chest height. Hold one handle in one hand and step away from the anchor point so that there is tension in the band when your hand is in at your chest. You can stand in a staggered stance or with both feet even. Standing with your feet even will make the move more challenging and force your core to work harder to stabilize. If you stand with your feet even, the wider apart your feet are, the more stable your base will be. To challenge your core further, stand with your feet even and close together. Then with your hand up at your chest and your shoulder relaxed down and back, press your arm straight out from your chest. Do not rotate as you press and do not let the shoulder shrug or the hand press up and out. You want to press straight out from the chest, keeping your chest pressed out and your shoulders down. Then once you press all the way out without letting your core rotate, bring the hand back. You want your body to move as if you were pressing both hands, aka with your chest and hips staying square instead of rotating. Complete all reps on one side before switching. You can place the hand that isn’t working across your chest, by your side or on your hip. Do whichever helps you fight the urge to rotate.
Stability Press – To do the Stability Press, you can use a resistance band or cable. If you are using a band, anchor the band and then hold one handle in both hands. Turn to the side so you are sideways to the anchor point and step away from the anchor point so that there is tension in the band. You want to make sure there is tension or the move won’t be challenging. Stand with your feet no more than shoulder-width apart. The closer your feet are together, the harder the move will be. Choose a stance though that challenges you while allowing you to maintain good form and not lean away. As you become stronger, bring your feet closer together and then even try a heavier band or walk further from the anchor point. Bring your hands into the center of your chest and squeeze your glutes while you brace your abs. Standing up nice and tall with your chest pressed out, slowly push the band straight out from the center of your chest until your arms are straight out. It should be a struggle to press the arms straight out because the band is trying to rotate you back toward the anchor point. Your core should have to work to stabilize and press straight out from your chest. Do not let your arms rotate open and go back toward the anchor. You want to press straight out from the center of your chest without shrugging your shoulders. Maintain a nice tall posture with your shoulder blades drawn down and back and your core engaged. Make sure you also don’t lean away. Then slowly bring your arms back in and repeat. Move slowly to really have to fight the band. If you move too quickly, you won’t get as much out of the move and you’ll probably get sloppy and let yourself rotate toward the anchor point or even shift open and push away. Also, if you allow your stance to rotate open or if you lean away, it will make the movement easier and won’t force that inside side (the side closest to the anchor point) to really work to stabilize. Complete all reps on one side before turning and facing the other way to work the other side. Really consciously engage your glutes before starting to press.
WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Hamstrings
Adductors
Hips/Glutes
ACTIVATION
Complete 2 round of the following circuit.
CIRCUIT:
15 reps Frog Bridges
15 reps per side Side Plank Clams
WORKOUT
Set a timer for 5 minute rounds. Complete as many rounds of each circuit as you can in that time. Try not to rest but to go from one move to the next. Keep the reps short while still challenging yourself. You want to push hard without going to failure so that you can keep moving the entire time. Rest 1-2 minutes between circuits. Then rest 1-2 minutes before completing 5 rounds of the Burn Out.
CIRCUIT #1:
4-6 reps per side Alternating Side Lunges with Hop
6-10 reps Glute Bridges Off Box
4-6 reps Toes to Bar OR Leg Lowers
CIRCUIT #2:
4-6 reps per side Alternating Curtsy Lunge
4-6 reps per side Single Leg Deadlift Hops
4-6 reps per side Alternating Leg V-Ups
CIRCUIT #3:
4-6 reps per side Airborne Lunges
8-12 reps Reverse Hypers
4-6 reps per side Side Plank with Leg Raise
BURN OUT:
30 seconds Skater Hops
15 seconds Rest
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Hamstrings
Adductors
Hips/Glutes
NOTES:
It is very important that you move quickly from one move to the next while still challenging yourself with each move. Don’t just do the top of the rep range to do the most. Do the rep range that challenges you while still allowing you to move to the next thing without having hit failure so that you have to rest. Record the reps and rounds you complete in each five minute circuit to try to beat it next time!
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Frog Bridges – To do the Frog Bridge, place the bottom of your feet together and bend your knees as if doing the butterfly stretch. The closer you bring your feet in toward your crotch, the more mobility you need to do the move. Find a comfortable placement and allow your knees to fall open. Lie on your back on the ground with the outside of your feet down. Straighten your arms down by your sides then bend your elbows to 90 degrees so that only your upper arms are against the ground. Driving through your upper arms and the outsides of your feet, bridge up while keeping your knees open. Squeeze your glutes as you lift and pause at the top. Then lower back down. Keep your core engaged and really drive down through your upper arms so that you don’t push yourself backward. Do not let your knees close. Keep them relaxed and open. Concentrate on your glutes working to lift. Make sure to pause and engage your glutes at the top. If you feel your hips too much, don’t bring your heels in as close to your body.
Side Plank Clams – To do the Side Plank Clam, lie on your side propped up on your forearm with your elbow underneath your shoulder. Bend your knees so that your feet and lower legs are behind you. You can place your top hand on your hip or reach it up toward the ceiling, but don’t touch it down to the ground. With your legs stacked, lift your hip up off the ground, driving through your knee and forearm. As you lift your hips up, lift your top leg up and toward the ceiling, keeping the knee bent. Open up as high as you can then lower the leg back down. As you lower the leg back down, lower your hip back down to the ground. Repeat, lifting up and, as you do, raise your top leg up toward the ceiling. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Make sure you are lifting straight up and not rotating toward the ground or open toward the ceiling. Also keep your elbow under your shoulder and do not get too spread out. When you lift the top leg, don’t rotate open as you do. Really focus on lifting with your glute.
Alternating Side Lunges with Hop – To do Side Lunges with Hop, stand tall with your feet together. Step one foot out to the side nice and wide. Bend the knee of the leg you stepped out to the side with, keeping the other leg straight. Sit your butt back and lean over as you sink into the side lunge. Keep your back flat as you sit back. Then drive back up off your outside foot to come back to standing. When you come back to standing, jump up toward the ceiling, reaching up overhead. Then lunge out to the other side before coming back center and jumping toward the ceiling. Keep alternating lunges until all reps are complete. Make sure your heels stay down as you lunge out to the side. You want to make sure to sit your butt back.
Glute Bridges Off Box – To do the Glute Bridge Off Box, place your heels up on the box. You want your knees bent to 90 degrees or your butt to be even closer to the box. Do not let your butt get too far away from the box. Bend your arms to 90 degrees with just your upper arms on the ground. Then driving through your heels on top of the box, press your hips up as high as you can. Squeeze your glutes and keep your core tight as you bridge up so that you don’t hyperextend your low back. Also, do not let your knees fall in or out as you lift up. Keep your knees in line with your hips and ankles. Squeeze at the top and then lower down and repeat.
Toes to Bar OR Leg Lowers – To do Toes to Bar, you will raise your straight legs all the way up so that your toes touch the bar. To start, hang from the bar with your legs straight and together. Then engage your lats and pull as you raise your straight legs up toward the bar. Raise them all the way up so your feet touch the bar. Then slowly lower down.
For the Leg Lowers, set up in the pelvic tilt with your legs raised up toward the ceiling. Then with your low back firmly against the ground and your abs braced, lower both your legs down toward the ground. If at any point while you lower your legs, your low back comes off the ground, stop and reset or regress and only lower one leg at a time. Then either decrease your range of motion or regress to the single leg lowers. However, if you can keep your abs engaged, lower your legs down so your heels are no more than an inch off the ground before raising them back up. You should also engage your glutes as you lower down. And make sure that your legs stay as straight as you can throughout the motion.
Alternating Curtsy Lunge – To do Alternating Curtsy Lunges, you can start on your left side and take your left foot and step back behind your right leg. You will reach your left foot back to about “5″ on the clock. Make sure that you step far enough back (aka do not keep your left foot in too close to your right) that you can bend both knees and sink down into a deep lunge. Keep your right heel down on the ground and your chest up as you lunge back. Then come back to standing, driving off your front heel and the ball of your back foot. Make sure that you feel this lunge in the outside of your right butt cheek when you lunge back with the left leg. Then once standing again with your feet together, step your right foot back and across behind your left leg. Again come back up to standing. Lunge as deep as you can and move quickly alternating lunges.
Single Leg Deadlift Hops – To do the Single Leg Deadlift Hop, stand on one leg with the knee soft and the toe of your other foot lightly touching the ground. Hinge over, pushing your butt back and leaning your chest over toward the ground. Keep your back flat as you hinge over and lift your other leg back toward the wall behind you. You will want to swing your arms as if running as you do the hinge and hop. As you hinge over, the opposite arm of your standing leg should be forward while the same arm will be back. Hinge over quickly, bending the standing leg just a little. Then quickly drive back up to standing, exploding up off the ground as you come back up. As you jump up off the ground, bring the back knee up and forward. Your chest should be up nice and tall as you hop off the ground. Your other arm will also swing forward as you jump while the arm that was forward in the hinge goes back. Using your arms can help propel you up higher. Land back on the same leg and hinge back over before jumping back up. You do not have to jump super high for this move to challenge you. Focus on landing only on one leg and maintaining your balance throughout the reps. If you really struggle with balance, don’t actually jump just move quickly as if you are going to jump up at the top.
Alternating Leg V-Ups – To do Alternating Leg V-Ups, Lie flat on your back with your legs out straight in front of you. Beginners will rest the leg not being raised up on the ground while advanced exercisers will keep both feet off the ground at all times. Lift one leg up toward the ceiling. Crunch the upper body up and reach the opposite arm up toward the toes of the raised leg. Then lower that leg and lower your upper body down. Raise the other leg and the opposite arm to touch it as you crunch up. Keep alternating sides.
Airborne Lunges – To do the Airborne Lunge, stand on your right foot and bend your left knee, bringing your heel back up toward your butt. Then bend your right knee and sit back into your right heel as you lunge down, dropping your left knee to the ground. Do not touch the left foot down when you drop the knee to the ground. Do not reach the left knee back too far when you lunge down. Keep it just a little behind your right foot so that you are almost slightly squatting. Lean forward as needed to counterbalance but do not round forward. To come back to standing, drive up through your right heel and straighten the leg. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Make sure you engage your core and keep your standing heel on the ground at all times. Also, make sure you feel this move in the glute of your standing leg. Beginners may need to hold a pole or use a Suspension Trainer and not sink as low to start.
Reverse Hypers – Choose Bent or Straight. You can even switch it up each time you do the workout but stick with one the entire workout. To do the Bent-Knee Reverse Hypers (bottom), lie face down on a bench, box or table. Place your hips right on the edge of the bench and hold on to the bench or something in front of you. If your hips are too far on the bench, you are more likely to hyperextend your low back in an attempt to get your hips up higher. Place your heels together and bend your knees to about 90 degrees. Flex your feet. You can choose to turn your toes out to hit a slightly different aspect of your glutes as well. Then, with your knees bent, kick your heels up toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes to lift. You can sort of drive up and out a bit to really get your glutes to work. Make sure that you squeeze your glutes as you lift and don’t hyperextend your low back just to get up higher. Lift so that your quads are about parallel to the ground and lower back down. Only lift higher if you don’t feel your lower back take over. You want to focus on and make sure your glutes are working to lift NOT your low back. The most important part is that you feel your glutes tighten. To do a Straight-Leg Reverse Hyper (top), you will set up like you are going to do the Bent-Knee Variation, however, you will keep your legs straight. Still place your heels together though. And you can also choose to turn your toes out to hit a slightly different aspect of your glutes. Then, keeping your legs straight, raise your heels up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes as you lift. Lift till your legs are about parallel to the ground and lower back down. Only lift higher if you don’t feel your lower back take over. You want to focus on and make sure your glutes are working to lift NOT your low back. If you do feel your low back, make sure you are pressing your pelvic down into the bench as you squeeze your glutes to lift. Hold at the top and lower back down.
Side Plank with Leg Raise – To do the Side Plank with Leg Raise, set up in a Side Plank from your forearm. Set up on your side and prop yourself up on your forearm with your elbow right below your shoulder. Your legs should be out straight. Stack your feet. Then, driving through your forearm and the sides of your feet, lift your bottom hip up off the ground as high as possible while keeping your body in a nice straight line. Squeeze your belly button in toward your spine and keep your glutes tight. Do not let your chest rotate forward toward the ground or your top hand touch the ground. Keep your top hand on your hip or reach it up toward the ceiling. Then, holding the Side Plank, lift and lower your top leg up and down. Do not let your hips drop toward the ground as you lift the top leg. This is a challenging move. Beginners may need to start in a Side Plank from their knees.
Skater Hops – To do Skater Hops, start standing to one side of the space you have to use. This is a lateral hop so make sure you have space to jump to one side. Starting to the right, shift your weight so that you are standing on your right foot. Sink down into a little squat and swing your arms down in front of you and out to the right. Then explode up off the right leg and jump to the side, landing on your left leg. Keep your chest facing straight ahead as you jump and land. As you land on that left leg, sink into a slight squat, pushing your butt back so that you load your glute to help you jump back laterally to the right. Use your arms to not only help you balance but also help propel you further when you jump. Let them swing toward whichever side you are jumping to. Then push off your left leg and jump back right, landing on your right foot. Try not to touch the other foot down when you land. Only touch the other foot down if you need to for balance. Beginners may need to go slower and not jump as far to each side. While this is a cardio move, you also want to use it to work on your balance. Beginners will want to hold for a second on each leg and balance. As you advance, do not pause on either side of the jump to balance. You want to jump as far to each side as you can as quickly as possible!
