These are exercises that I wanted to include in the book, but we didn't have room for all the
exercises I wanted to include...and some were just too tough or technical to release to a wide audience.
Step360 exercises (I had created several exercises
with the new Step360 when I had the chance to use a prototype before it officially launched, but the publisher
wasn't sure about including them.)
More Photos and Descriptions Coming Soon!
TRX Climbing Plank
Set-Up: Get into a
TRX Prone Plank Position with the feet under the anchor.
Performance: Begin to "walk"
your forearms backward "climbing" up with your lower body as you do. Go as far as you can with
control, then return to the start position and keep walking past it forward as far as you can. That's
one repetition.
Tip: It's easy to get out of
control (as you see in the video!) so be sure to take small steps with the forearms and focus on the quality
of the movement rather than how fast you go. 2-4 reps is about all you'll need on this demanding
exercise with is guaranteed to build great core strength and endurance.
(Special thanks to Ben, Tracye, Dana, Heather, and Rebecaa for their modeling efforts
on this very challenging exercise. Great job with not much practice!)
"Be the Ball" (partner exercise)
Set-Up: Lie down on your back and
tuck your knees in to touch your elbows to the outside of your knees. Bring your hands to the
side of your head (do not put hands behind head or neck.)
Performance: Your partner
stands facing you and while you hold the tucked "ball" body position, pulls on your thighs just above your
knees to pull you up and forward. You will maintain the balled-up position by keeping the elbows in
contact with the thighs just outside the knee while your partner pulls you up and then slowly lowers you to
the start position.
Tip: It is critical to move
slowly on this exercise so have the partner pull accordingly. Also, the partner will limit the range
of motion on the pull to where the intensity is on your abs to hold the position. Pulling you up too
high or letting you lower down too far will unload your abs and you want to keep the intensity on them all
the way through!
(Special thanks to two of my trainers at
Sport Fit, Gabe Hinton and Becky Coward for their help demonstrating the exercise in the video and for all
the participants at the Abs Revealed book signing at Sport Fit for giving the exercise a
try!)
TRX Circular Elevated Crunch
Set-Up: Get into a prone position
(either on elbows or hands) on the ground with your toes in the foot cradles.
Performance: Performance of this
exercise is similar to a Elevated Crunch with TRX (detailed description on page 85 in Abs Revealed.) The
difference is that you drive your knees in toward the left arm, then sideways toward
the right arm as the knees return out. As you return to the start position, go with the momentum
and again drive the knees in toward the left arm. Continue moving the knees in and out in this fashion as
your legs make a large oval.
Tip: You can perform a set
number of reps in each direction or, as in the video, you can have a partner call out "switch" at some point so
you make the movement more reactive.
(Special thanks to a great group of trainers at
Gold's Gym in Fredericksburg, VA for their help demonstrating the exercise in the
video.)
"Walking" Plank
Set-Up: Prone plank position on
elbows
Performance: Shift your weight
over one elbow to allow you to lift the other elbow off the floor while simultaneously lifting the opposite foot
off the floor. Return the elbow and opposite foot to the floor, shift over that eblow and repeat the
movement with the other arm and leg.
Tip: Move slow enough to
maintain control, but fast enough to challenge yourself. This exercise gets a plank moving by following a
gait-like, rhythmic upper-body and opposite lower-body coordinated movement.
(Special thanks to the attendees from the ACE
Sports Conditioning workshop in Baltimore, MD for modeling the exercise.)
TRX Oblique
Twist
Set-Up: Lie down under the TRX anchor
with your hands in the foot cradles or handles. Keep your knees slightly bent.
Performance: Perform a “Resisted
Roll-Up” and as you lower from the top, stop about half way down and hold the position with a long, tall
torso. While holding that position, rotate right and left as far as you can without allowing the spine to
flex forward. Maintain light downward pressure in the TRX as you perform the exercise. Perform 8-12
reps per side.
Tip: Your body angle determines
the intensity. The lower you are to the ground, the harder the exercise will be, but only go as low as you
can while maintaining proper spine position.
(Special thanks to Edie McArthur for her
demonstration of the exercise in the video.)
TRX Side Plank
Pendulum
Set-Up: Get into a TRX Side Plank
Position (details of this exercise are in the text of Abs Revealed.)
Performance: Begin to gently
sway the body side-to-side. Gently sway back and forth using your abs,torso, and shoulders to
maintain stability while you continue the pendulum motion of your feet in the TRX.
Tip: It's easy to get out of
control and start swinging to far and too fast on this exercise so definitely keep the amplitude smaller at
first. If the amplitude of the pedulum movement gets too large too soon it will get bigger and you'll move
faster and lose stability (as you see in the video!)
(Special thanks to Aisha, Monica, and Neda from
the Sprorts Club/LA in Washington, DC for their modeling effortson this exercise.)
