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Remember those “bookend workouts” you were going to do on Saturday and Monday? I know you did your Saturday workout, so here’s a good fat-burning workout for today…

1. Bodyweight Y Squats, 15 repetitions, moderate pace
2. Pullups, 8-10 repetitions, moderate pace
3. Pushups, 15 repetitions, moderate pace
4. Dumbbell Step Ups, 10 each leg, moderate pace
5. Medicine Ball Diagonal Chops, 10 each side, Fast
6. Plank, 15 second hold, 12 repetitions
7. Bodyweight Side Lunges, 10 each leg, moderate pace
8. Rest 2-3 minutes and repeat circuit

Do this circuit 3 times. Try not to rest between exercises. I did this workout on Saturday and I will do a variation of it today.

Happy fat-burning!

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That’s right! You don’t need equipment to workout! All you need is—-YOU! You don’t need a gym, health club, treadmill, bike, dumbbells, etc. You can do a bodyweight workout at home, at the park, while waiting for your kid to finish practice or in a hotel room. It is the most convenient workout available so it takes away the “I’m too busy” excuse!

One of the best workouts to do is a full-body bodyweight workout. You don’t need fancy fitness gadgets or gimmicks! Save your money! You can also concentrate on doing the exercises the right way before proceeding to add weights.

Here are some good bodyweight exercises:

1) Squats
2) Bridges
3) Planks
4) Back Extensions
5) Lunges
6) Step Ups
7) Pushups
Pullups
9) Seated Knee Ups
10) Reverse Crunches and Crunches
11) Run-In-Place
12) Jump Rope
13) Jumping Jacks
14) Tricep Dips
15) Hanging Leg Raises

If you do the workout circuit-style, the workout will be both a strength workout and a cardio workout. All you need is 30-45 minutes. There’s a reason you don’t see many people doing hanging leg raises and pullups! These are very tough exercises and two of the best for your abs and back muscles.

It is a good idea for kids (as early as age 4-5) to begin resistance training with bodyweight exercises. These exercises will stabilize and strengthen kids’ bodies without the hazards of handling weights.

Try a bodyweight workout the next time you’re sitting in front of the television!

It is safe to say that the weakest link for most people’s body is the core. And, it is equally safe to say that one of the top neglected training areas for many people are the back muscles (part of the core). So, it is no surprise that 80%-90% of adults have had or do have back problems (especially low back pain or trauma).

As a personal trainer, my number one objective is NOT TO MAKE YOU LOOK “LEAN AND MEAN!” The top two fitness objectives are to improve your health and help you prevent injuries. As a result of these top two objectives, you will also look and feel your best.

The core is your center of gravity and all movement begins with the core. So, it is critical that you stabilize and strengthen your core. Review my article series about the core. Your back muscles are a critical part of your core. So, why do so many people not adequately train their back muscles? One reason is that it is more glamourous to max out on the bench press and do other arm exercises to build up your “pipes.” This leaves major muscle imbalances between your frontside and backside if you don’t train with the same vigor for your back muscles.

When talking about training your back muscles, you can’t leave out your spine. You need to warmup and strengthen your spine while training your back muscles.

There are some great exercises to warm up your spine such as:

1) Foam roll your spine lengthwise to decompress it.

2) Perform camel and cat exercises.

3) Do forward-backward and side-to-side pelvic rocks on the ball.

And, to generally strengthen your back, do these exercises:

1) Side bridges

2) Supine (on your back) bridges

3) Back extensions

4) Opposite arm opposite leg raise

In part 2 of the back muscle series, I will look at the shoulder muscles and shoulder girdle.

Core training is a huge buzzword in the fitness industry these days. It’s one thing to talk about it but yet another to really understand what’s going on with the core. Profit making companies tend to promote “building your six pack abs” when discussing the core. You need to know more and do more for your body’s core!

Your body’s core consists of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex, thoracic spine and cervical spine. THE CORE is your body’s center of gravity. Some people have sufficient EXTREMITY STRENGTH (limbs), but few display sufficient CORE STRENGTH. A strong and stable core will maximize your EXTREMITY STRENGTH and POWER. A core strengthening program involves using many muscles in a coordinated movement. Rather than isolating specific joints as in most weight lifting exercises, core stability exercises focus on working the deep muscles of the entire torso at once. The core muscles are also very important in preventing low back pain. Stability ball exercises, bridges, planks, low back extensions, medicine ball exercises, etc. are great for strengthening core muscles.

The body’s core is so much more than your “six pack” abs! A strong core will maximize your strength and speed. Since the core is your body’s center of gravity and all movement begins with the core, it is essential to strengthen and stabilize it. A strong core will allow you to handle heavier loads as your training progresses. You will also lessen your chances of injury. About 34 muscles support your core which includes the pelvic floor. Some of the major core muscles include:

transversus abdominis - the deepest of the abdominal muscles, it lies under the obliques and wraps around your spine for protection and stability. Think of the transversus abdominis as “your internal weight belt.” It is recruited when you draw in your navel toward your spine during an exercise.

external obliques - these muscles are on the side and front of the abdomen and wrap around your waist.

internal obliques - these muscles lie under the external obliques and run in the opposite direction.

rectus abdominis - this is the “six pack” part of the abs that runs down the front of the abdomen.

erector spinae - this collection of muscles runs along your neck to your lower back.

These core muscles lie deep within the torso. They generally attach to the spine, pelvis and muscles that support the scapula. When these muscles contract, we stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulders and create a solid base of support. We are then able to generate powerful movements of the extremities. Training the muscles of the core also corrects postural imbalances that can lead to injuries. The biggest benefit of core training is to develop functional fitness, that is, fitness that is essential to both daily living and athletic activities. A core conditioning program will decrease the likelihood of back and neck pain, incontinence, ruptured disks, muscle and ligamentous strains, all while improving posture.

Core training may not be glamourous but your body will thank you for years to come when you stabilize and strengthen your core!

The Pushups On The Stability Ball exercise is superior to regular pushups because you engage many more muscles, including the critical core muscles. The exercise also helps to improve your balance.

1) Get on your knees and place hands a little less than shoulder width apart onto the stability ball.

2) Align hands at the nipple line with your feet hip width apart on your toes. Extend your arms to raise your body. Your trunk and hips should be in a straight line. Don’t bow your back!

3) Lower your body 1-2 inches from the stability ball.

4) That is one repetition.

The next time you work out, try this great exercise!