Today I’m sharing a lower body and core workout. Read on for how to get in a great workout.
My weekend
Is anyone else grateful to have a long weekend? Even though it signals the unofficial end of the summer an the beginning of fall, I’m definitely enjoying my extra day off. You can’t go wrong with a short work week. I hope you’re all enjoying the day.
My weekend was pretty laid back. Friday was date night with my boyfriend. We ordered some delicious Korean chicken, drank a beer or two (including the above cider with a hint of orange in it), and watched a couple movies on Netflix. One of the movies we watched was Stepbrothers. It’s probably my favorite Will Ferrell movie and felt so good to laugh. The next time you need a silly movie to cheer you up, definitely check it out.
Saturday was spent doing laundry and working on some behind the scenes stuff on the blog. I’ve updated my book page as well as the travel page. I’ve been so focused on writing blog posts and creating graphics for them that I haven’t spent a lot of time on the back end of the blog. It feels pretty good to have that stuff done now.
Yesterday started off with a trip to the gym and then I popped into the grocery store to pick up a few things. I also spent some time working on this post and reading. A few friends and I ave talked about going to see It together. I’ve read quite a few Stephen King books, but I haven’t read it yet, so I’m trying to finish it before we see the movie. It’s nearly 1200 pages so I may or may not accomplish that.
Today I’m planning on getting some studying done for my CSEP exam. It’s almost overwhelming how much I need to know. There will probably be a Netflix break or two in there when I need let things sink in.
Workout
For this workout you’ll be performing each of the exercises listed for 30 seconds before moving on to the next one. Once you’ve completed all the exercises once, rest as needed and then repeat 5 times, for a total of 30 minutes. I’m not a core workout only kind of person, so I’m always happy when I can include it into workouts that also work other body parts.
Donkey kicks // Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keeping your knee bent, lift your left leg so that your knee is parallel to the floor and the bottom of your foot is parallel to the ceiling. Lower you leg back down and repeat wit the right leg.
Clam shells // Lay on your side on the floor with your hips bent at a 45 degree angle and your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. With your legs stacked on top of one another, slowly lift your top knee up while keeping the top heal on the bottom heal. Then lower your knee back down. Make sure to use your glutes do the movement. Once one side is done flip over so the top leg is on the bottom and repeat with the second leg.
Bicycle crunches // Lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. With your hands behind your head and elbows out to the side, bring your feet off the floor so that your shins are parallel to the floor and your knees are bent at a 90 degree angle. Bring your shoulder blades off the floor and alternate bringing your left elbow towards your right knee, and your right elbow towards your left knee. Your feet should look like they’re pedaling a bike.
Side plank // To perform a side plank, lay on your side with your elbow beneath your shoulder and your forearm on the ground. With your top foot stacked on top of your bottom foot, lift your hips off the floor so that your shoulders, hips, knees, and feet are in a straight line. Hold and then repeat on the other side.
Step ups // Find something that when you put your foot on it, your knee is at a 90 degree angle. This could be a chair or bench. Step up with your left foot, and pushing off that heel step your right foot off the floor and onto the bench. Immediately step back down with your left foot, followed by your right foot.
Bodyweight squats // With feet hip width apart and hands in front of you to help with balance, use the glutes to lower your hips back and down while bending at the knees. Once you’ve reached the lowest position you can without leaning forward too much or letting the knees collapse in, return to a standing position, using your glutes to propel yourself.
Crunches // Lie on your back with your knees bent and feel flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head. Slowly lift your shoulder blades off the floor. Make sure your neck stays in a neutral position. The upper back should be moving, not the neck. Slowly lay back down on the floor.
Deadlifts // With feet hip width apart and the barbell in front of you on the floor, grasp the barbell with whatever grip is most comfortable for you. Using your glutes, lift it so that you’re standing straight up. Lower it back to the floor and then up again.
Lunges // Stand with feet hip width apart. Step forward with one foot so that the forward leg’s thigh is parallel to the ground, and the back leg’s shin is parallel to the ground. The back knee shouldn’t touch the floor. Use your quads and glutes to step the front foot back towards your back foot and end by standing straight up with feet hip width apart again. For the second lunge step forward with the other foot. Continue alternating legs for the entire 30 seconds.
Plank // The plank is very similar to the starting position of a pushup. Your hands are slightly wider than shoulder width, and your body is a straight line from your head, through your shoulders, hips, and knees, to your heels. Just like with the pushup, if you need an easier modification, use your knees instead of your toes.
Looking for more workouts? Be sure to check out my workouts page for more.
As always, be sure to check with your doctor before beginning to workout. Honor your body and modify this workout as needed.
What’s your favorite lower body or core workout?
Mine are definitely deadlifts and planks. I always feel so strong doing deadlifts, even if I’m not lifting a lot of weight.