Move of the Week: Elbow Plank to Elbow Side Plank

As promised this morning, I’m back!

It’s no secret that I love PLANKS.  Right, class peeps?!

Cue flashback to the CBC party bus car ride when I yelled out “PLAAANK” really loud.

Jen?

Anyways, here’s a favorite plank variation of mine!

Elbow Plank to Elbow Side Plank

Step 1

Get face down on the floor resting on your forearms and knees.  Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.

Let’s talk form!

• Keep your neck in line with your spine.
• Make sure that your elbows are directly underneath your shoulders.
• Keep your abdominals tucked tightly.
• Don’t let your butt stick straight up in the air.
• Keep your back flat, don’t let it droop or the hips drop.
• You should picture your body as a long straight board.  Or a plank!  Would you look at that.

Step 2

Hold the position for your prescribed amount of time.  Shaking is good!  It means you’re working.

Step 3

WITHOUT coming down, rotate so you are facing one side and now in a side elbow plank.

Let’s talk form again.

• Shoulders, hips, and legs should be stacked.
• The elbow that is on the floor should remain aligned underneath the shoulder.
• The other hand can be on your hip (easier) or raised in the air (harder) as seen above.
• Make sure to keep your hips raised and square.

If you are new to the side plank:  You can drop that lower knee to the ground, and work your way up to balancing on the foot.

If you are looking for something a little more advanced:  Raise your top leg up as shown above.

Step 4

Rotate back to your regular elbow plank (starting position in Step 1), again without coming down, and hold.

You will want to continue rotating through regular elbow plank, and the two side elbow planks, for the prescribed amount of repetitions and duration.  Start low and work your way up!

What’s your favorite plank variation???

Hope you guys are doing something more exciting than I am tonight… off to do my taxes!

I Am A Sweaty Beast

I just kicked my own ass.

Woke up at the ass crack of dawn this morning to drive the bf to the airport.  I have a busy night tonight, so I forced myself to the gym on the way home to squeeze in an early morning workout before getting started on work for the day.

Sidenote, I just realized I used the word “ass” twice within the first eleven words of this post.

I wanted to do a cardio focused workout today since my legs and obliques are ON FIRE between Monday and Tuesday’s workouts.  Monday was Perfect Lines & Kix at CBC, and yesterday was the usual Two A Day taking Liz’s Kix and teaching Circuit Training.  Anyone else sore?

Another sidenote, sorry for like three weeks in a row of vulgarity in class.  I was so pumped for this new playlist, but #8 might have to go.

Anyways.  I got to the gym this morning and hopped on the elliptical for 25 minutes of steady state cardio.  That was fine and dandy.

Then I ventured down to The Annex and did this workout that I adapted from one I saw on Peanut Butter Fingers.

HOLY SWEAT SESH.

I’m not sure if I was dehydrated, it was too early, or what – but this kicked my bee-hind.

Hence the title of this post, “I Am A Sweaty Beast.”

Understatement.

I did that circuit two times through, then did probably about 10 minutes of stretching so my body doesn’t hate me later (and tomorrow morning).

The whole thing, stretching included, took about an hour.  Keep in mind that could change depending on how much rest time you put in between each move in the circuit section.

Oh and if you try this and think you are a sweaty beast afterwards too, let me know mmkay?

What’s the last workout you did that left you feeling like a sweaty beast!?

Off to make myself some strawberry banana protein pancakes, and then tackle my day!  Be back later with this week’s Move of the Week post.