On the Twelve day of Christmas....

On the Twelve day of Christmas my true love gave to me ....Sprinting!

Why it rocks: Sprinting will help gain lean muscle mass and also help to lose fat.

Sprinting is superior for fat loss, because it causes your body to burn more calories for several hours after each workout. 



 How to do it:

1. Get into starting position. Position your feet hip-width apart. For an upright starting position, place your dominant foot forward and place your other foot about three foot-lengths behind you.

2. Bend your knees and push your rear end back so your torso is leaning forward at an angle and your lower body muscles are tensed and poised.

3. Bend your elbows and point the hand opposite your dominant hand forward and the other hand backward. (Alternately, for a lowered and more poised starting position, you can extend your non-dominant foot even farther back, lower yourself more, and place your hands on the ground with your arms straight.)

4. Push off with your dominant foot and enter a sprint

5. Cup your hands slightly but keep them relaxed. Do not make fists. When raised, your arms should be pumped high, but your hands should never go higher than your cheeks. When lowered, your hands should never go farther back than your hips.

6. Run by continually propelling yourself forward with your toes. Do not run flat-footed or on your heels. At the point of a fully extended stride position, the leg in back should be straight while the leg in front is bent with the knee raised. When raised, your foot should point upward slightly. Your foot should land flat and, as the other foot comes around, the heel should lift up for pushing off with the toe.    

7. Let your body naturally and gradually slow down after you pass the finish line.

Three tips:

1.  Breathe deeply and rhythmically as you run. Exhale at every other arm-pump.
2. Run so that your arms are pumping opposite to your legs.
3. Keep your head at the same angle as your torso, and look downward, just in front of you.


Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
xoxo
Cameron Ashleigh

On the eleventh day of Christmas....

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me....Balance Push-Up!

Why It rocks:
Your whole body is working to keep you balanced especially your core.(The lower abdominals are a major part of your core and strengthening them will improve your entire physical well-being.)

 How to do it:
Lie face down on an inflated exercise ball with both hands on the floor. Walk your hands out, allowing the ball to roll beneath your body until it is under your shins. (Beginners can keep ball under thighs.) Your hands should be directly below your shoulders.

Tips
1. Engage your core muscles, make them do the work.



xoxo
Cameron Ashleigh

On the tenth day of Christmas....

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me....Mason twist!

Why is rocks:
The Mason Twist is great for opening up your oblique muscles (the muscles on the side of your stomach) and stretching your waistline. It's a really intense exercise for conditioning your abs, but it definitely builds muscle and pays off in the end.

How to do it:
 
To begin the Mason Twist, get a mat and sit on it with your knees bent straight out in front of you. While you are seated on your mat or floor, interlock your hands so that your hands are holding each other. With your hands clasped together, you rotate your body from one side to the other, and make sure that your legs that are straight out in front of you are slightly raised off the floor. Remember to keep your hips as stable as possible as you move from side to side and digging your hands into the ground as you rotate.

Tips
1. Make sure your knuckles touch the floor each time.
2.Breathe: Exhale when you twist toward the outside of your body, and inhale when you get to the center

xoxo
Cameron Ashleigh

 Be sure to check out my parent's blog!

On the ninth day of Christmas.....

 On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me....Helicopters!

 Why it rocks:
Trunk rotation exercises work the abdominal,back,and,oblique muscles,and improve torso flexibility.

How to do it:

1.Stand in a straddle, feet outside shoulder width, knees bent, chest out, shoulders back, abs engaged.
2.Place the bar on your upper shoulders, or at the very base of your neck. Keep neck aligned; in other words, do not stick your chin forward. Instead focus on retracting your chin a bit. (It’s good for your neck to do this!) 3.Flex arms while extending them left and right, palms down, resting lightly on bar or wooden rod.
using the stance above, exhale as you rotate left, keeping your eyes forward, hips still. Do your best to not move anything below your navel. Inhale as you come out the rotation left, and in one smooth movement exhale as you then rotate right. Again, moving from the navel up. Rotate 8 to 10 times per side




Two tips that might help:
1.Breathe
2. Make sure you are engaging your abs

Merry Christmas!

xoxo
Cameron Ahleigh

On the eight day of Christmas...

On the eight day of Christmas my true love gave to me....Long Arm Crunch!

 Why it rocks: Its better then your traditional crunch because it increases difficulty and also reduces the strain in your neck. This move also emphasizes the upper part of the abs.


 How to do it:

1. Lie on a mat and extend the arms straight out behind the head with hands clasped, keeping the arms next to the ears.
2. Contract the abs and lift the shoulder blades off the floor.
3. Keep the arms straight and avoid straining the neck. If you feel neck pain, take one hand behind the head while keeping the other arm extended.
4. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

No tips today!

xoxo
Cameron Ashleigh

On the seventh day of Christmas...

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me....Push ups!

Why they rock: Because they work your whole upper body. Your core, legs and arms have to work to keep your body in a straight line.



How to do it:
 Chest-down with your hands at shoulder level, palms flat on the floor and slightly more than shoulder-width apart, your feet together and parallel to each other. Look forward rather than down at the floor. The first contact you make with the floor with any part of the face should be your chin, not your nose.Keep your legs straight and your toes tucked under your feet. Straighten your arms as you push your body up off the floor. Keep your palms fixed at the same position and keep your body straight. Try not to bend or arch your upper or lower back as you push up. Exhale as your arms straighten out. Pause for a moment. Lower body until chest touches the floor. Try not to bend your back. Keep your knees off the floor, and inhale as you bend your arms. Pause for a moment. Begin straightening your arms for a second push-up. Exhale as you raise your body.

Three tips that might help:

1. If you want it to help your abs you need to make sure your engaging your core not letting your stomach hang there
2. Breath!

3.For an easier exercise, (which I call a girl push up) lower your knees so that they rest on the floor. Keeping your back straight and your toes tucked under your feet, proceed with the exercise normally. This decreases the amount of pressure placed on your arms.

 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
xoxo
Cameron Ashleigh

On the sixth day of Christmas....

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...Side Plank with a Twist!

Why it rocks:
 Well I love any exercises that has a twist added to them, anytime you twist the torso you will be working your obliques and toning the sides of your torso. These help to burn fat from your midsection and strengthen your core muscles,it also opens up chest muscles.

How to do it:

Lie on right side with elbow on floor under shoulder, hips stacked.
Push hips up, forming straight line from head to heels; extend left  arm above shoulder.
Bring left arm under body, rotating upper body to the right.

Hold for 1 count; return to start.
Do 6 to 10 reps; switch sides and repeat.



Three tips that might help:
1. Keep your body weight balanced and focus on working your core muscles (abs, back and hips), rather than your legs and arms.
2. Keep breathing throughout. Take steady breaths, never hold your breath. 
3. The secret to getting the most out of this exercise is pulling your belly button towards your spine.

xoxo
Cameron Ashleigh