Tone your core with a 15-minute workout, three or four times a week.

6 Easy Exercises to Strengthen Your Core

By Lisa Whitmore

The Routine

Okay, perhaps you’re enough of a realist to know that you’ll never have a six-pack. But exercising your core is still important: Strong abdominal and back muscles are essential for doing everyday tasks, like lifting a 20-pound toddler and putting away groceries, not to mention preventing an achy back and maintaining good posture at your desk. Break out of (boring) crunch mode and work your middle with this Pilates-inspired routine, created by Kit Rich, a Los Angeles–based Pilates instructor. Complete the workout three to four times a week to make the most of your midsection.

Move 1: Knee Fold Tuck 

(A) Sit tall, hands on floor, knees bent, squeezing a playground ball between them. (B) Lift knees so shins are about parallel to the floor; extend arms. Pull knees toward shoulders, keeping upper body still. Bring knees back to starting position. Repeat 15 to 20 times.

Move 2: Climbing Rope

(A) Sit with legs extended, feet turned out in a V position, toes pointed. Contract core muscles and roll spine into a C-curve. (B) Lift arms and move them as if you were climbing a rope. Twist slightly with each reach. Do 20 reaches with each arm. 

Move 3: Side Balance Crunch

(A) Begin with left knee and left hand on the floor, right arm straight up. Extend right leg so your body forms a straight line. (B) Pull right knee toward torso and right elbow toward knee. Straighten arm and leg. Repeat 10 times, then switch sides.

Move 4: Circle Plank

Start in a plank position with abs tight. (A) Pull right knee in and circle it clockwise, then (B) counterclockwise. Keep the rest of your body stationary. Repeat five times, then switch legs.

Move 5: Sliding Pike

(A) Begin in a plank on an uncarpeted floor, hands under shoulders and a towel under feet. (B) With legs straight, raise hips and draw legs toward hands into a pike position—your feet should slide easily. Hold for one count, then return to start. Repeat 10 times.

Move 6: Oblique Reach

Sit with knees bent and feet on floor. (A) Straighten right leg. Roll spine into a C-curve. Place left hand behind head and extend right arm. (B) Twist body to the left, roll back a bit more (and hold for one count), then come up. Do five reps, then switch sides.

6 Easy Lower Abdominal Exercises

6 Easy Lower Abdominal Exercises

By Sharon Liao

Tone your lower abs with a 15-minute workout, three times a week.

The Routine

Sure, a more toned midsection can ease your bathing-suit anxiety. But it can also protect you from injury:
Research shows that a strong transversus abdominis—the muscle that wraps around the torso—stabilizes your back, which makes it easier to lift anything, whether it’s kids or grocery bags. To work this tricky-to-target area, try these moves created by Melissa Miller, the owner of M2 Personal Training, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Do the series two times through, three times a week.

Next: Move 1: Warm-Up: Ab Prep

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Inhale and tuck your chin to your chest. Exhale and slowly curl just your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor as you lift your arms and reach toward your feet. Pause and breathe in. Slowly return to the starting position, breathing out as you go. Repeat eight times.

 
 Next: Move 2: Roll Up

(A) Lying on your back, stretch your arms and extend your legs so you form a straight line. Inhale, bring your arms overhead, and begin to curl your upper body off the floor. (B) Exhale when halfway up and continue rolling forward to reach your toes. Inhale and reverse the move, exhaling halfway down, to return to start. Repeat 10 times.
 

Next: Move 3: Leg Drop

 (A) Raise both legs toward the ceiling. Breathe in and tighten your abs. (B) Exhale and slowly lower your legs until they’re about four inches above the floor (or as low as you can go without lifting the small of your back). Pause and breathe in. Breathe out as you raise your legs to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.
 

Next: Move 4: Scissors

 Raise both legs toward the ceiling. Keeping them straight, lower your left leg until it’s about six inches off thefloor. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor and grasp the back of your right leg, gently pulling it toward you. Switch legs and repeat on other side. Quickly complete 10 reps (no pausing!).
 

Next: Move 5: Hip Lift

 Raise both legs toward the ceiling and extend your arms on the floor at your sides, palms down. Inhale and tighten your core muscles. Curl your hips toward your ribs as you exhale, lifting your hips off the floor and reaching your feet straight up. Breathe in as you slowly lower. Repeat 10 times.

 

Next: Move 6: Torso Twist

 A) Sit cross-legged and stretch your arms out in front of you, with your fingertips touching. Breathe in. (B) With your hips square and abs tight, breathe out as you slowly rotate your upper body about 45 degrees to the right. Return to the center and repeat on your left side. Complete 10 reps. 

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15 Minutes And You're Done

6 Easy Resistance Band Exercises

By Rachel Shelasky

Take a break from your dumbbells and try this resistance-band workout three times a week.

The Routine

Think you need a pile of weights to get in shape? Snap out of it and grab an exercise band instead. This portable piece of equipment may be even more effective than a set of dumbbells, because it improves strength and balance. Plus, “you work in a full range of motion, so it targets muscles that you can miss with weights,” says Lawson Harris, creator of this routine and owner of the Lab, a fitness studio in Brooklyn. Try these moves three times a week.




 Next: Move 1: Lunge With Biceps Curl
behind you. (B) With an underhand grip on the band’s handles, perform a biceps curl while bending your knees to lower into a lunge position. Complete 20 repetitions. Switch legs and repeat.(A) Place the center of the band under the instep of your left foot and position your right foot about two feet

 

Next: Move 2: Hug-the-World Plié(A) Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes out. Wrap the band around your back at bra level. Extend arms to sides, slightly curved, while holding the band just shy of the handles. (B) Bring fingertips together and bend knees until thighs are parallel to the floor. Open arms while returning to start. Repeat 20 times.
 

Next: Move 3: Squat With Overhead Press

 (A) Stand in the middle of the band with feet parallel and shoulder-width apart. Hold handles at shoulder height, with palms facing away from you and elbows bent. (B) Squat deeply while pressing your arms directly over your head. Keep your weight on your heels and resist the band as you return to standing position. Repeat 20 times.
 

Next: Move 4: Crunch With Lat Pull-Down

 oop the band around a stable object, like a doorknob. (A) Lie on your back, gripping the band’s handles with arms extended. Raise your legs and bend your knees so your shins are parallel to the floor. (B) Crunch your upper body forward while drawing your arms toward your knees. Roll back to starting position. Repeat 20 times.  

Next: Move 5: Side Lunge With Side Raise

 Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, one end of the band under left foot. Grip other handle with left hand. (A) Step into a lunge with right foot; sweep left hand down toward right foot. (B) Push off with right foot to return to standing; raise right leg as you perform a lateral raise with left arm. Repeat 20 times; switch sides.
 

Next: Move 6: Monkey

(A) Stand on the center of the band with your feet parallel and wider than shoulder-width apart, knees soft, and handles in hands. (B) Bend your torso to the right while drawing your left elbow upward. Alternate sides briskly. Repeat 20 times. (And no cheating: Two sides equal one repetition!) 

 

30 Dumbbell exercises Missing From your Routine

 30 Dumbbell exercises Missing From your Routine
If a workout consists of popping a squat on the 50-pound dumbbell to chat it up with friends, it may be time try something new. Dumbbell exercises provide a great full-body workout in a compact amount of space. Yes, we said great workout — not just a few decent arm exercises. Read on to de-zombify that workout routine with 30 killer new dumbbell exercises.

Full Body

1. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift: This deadlift variety is sure to please the hamstrings (or punish them). Standing with feet hip-width apart, toes facing forward, and dumbbells at your side, shift the hips back and slightly bend the knees as you lower the dumbbells toward the floor (keep them angled on the outside of your legs). Maintain a neutral spine while lowering the weight just until you feel a good stretch in the hamstrings. Come back up to standing, making sure to contract those glutes and hamstrings on the way up. That’s one!

2. Dumbbell single-leg Romanian deadlift: This one is tougher than it looks, but worth the effort. Starting with feet hip-width apart and dumbbells at your side, place your weight on one foot, and slightly bend at the knee. Lean forward, lifting the opposite foot straight back. As you come forward, move the dumbbells from your side directly over your planted foot. Return to standing position by lowering your back leg as you come up. The dumbbells should return to the sides of your thighs.

3. Dumbbell hang clean and press: Don’t take this one to the Laundromat! Get down in squat position and track a dumbbell on each side outside of your ankles with palms facing your feet. With vertical shins and a neutral spine, move upward to a standing position while pulling the dumbbells up. Next, forcefully drive the dumbbells up toward the shoulders using the hips and legs. As you come in for the catch, slightly squat to bring the weight to your shoulders with a neutral grip (palms facing the body). Explode the weight off your shoulders overhead. Lower the weight back down.

4. Dumbbell high pull: Time to get up on those toes! Assume an athletic stance with feet shoulder-width art and knees slightly bent. Place the weight straight out in front of your knees with palms facing in, maintaining a neutral spine with the chest up. Keeping the arms straight, explode upward, fully extending the hips, knees, and ankles while shrugging the shoulders up. Next, pull the dumbbells up toward the top of your chest close to your body, keeping the elbows slightly higher than the wrists.

5. Single-arm dumbbell snatch: Minds out of the gutter, people! In a wide-squat stance, hold the dumbbell in your right hand in front of the knees. Drive the weight up, keeping it close to the body, and thrust it up with your hips. When the weight reaches chest height, fully extend the legs. Then squat back down so your body is underneath the weight. Drive the weight up overhead into full lockout position. This should be one quick movement. Think explosively!

6. Russian dumbbell swing: The playground’s got nothing on these. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in both hands out in front of you. Hike the dumbbell back between your legs, then thrust your hips forward to move the dumbbell up and out to about shoulder height. Though it is called a swing, this exercises is all on the hips and glutes.

               Legs and Glutes

7. Dumbbell front squat: Take some pressure off that back. Start this one with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells on your shoulders with a neutral grip and elbows up. Next, hinge back, keeping the back straight like you’re sitting on an imaginary bench (come on, work with us here!). Lower the body until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor (or deeper, without losing a tight back). Complete the move by driving through the hips as you come back up to standing position.

8. Dumbbell pistol squat: This exercise isn’t for the faint of heart (so beginners, try it sans dumbbells first). Stand with feet hip-width apart holding a dumbbell sideways in both hands. Extend the left leg out in front of you and squat down on the right leg, moving the dumbbell straight out. Go all the way down (and we mean all the way down!) until your butt touches your ankle. Return to start position and repeat for reps on both sides.

9. Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat: Squat so much you nearly split your pants. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Prop your left foot onto a bench and plant your right foot on the floor into a wide split stance. Lunge straight down, keeping your front leg linear and your spine rigid. Come down until your knee hovers above the floor, and then push back up to starting position and repeat for reps on both sides.

10. Dumbbell side lunge: Feeling a little sideways? Standing with feet shoulder-width apart and a pair of dumbbells at your side, take a big step to the side with your left foot, pushing your hips back and lowering your body into a deep lunge position. As you come down, move the dumbbells straight down to the floor so that your chest comes over your left knee. Return to starting position and repeat for reps on both sides.

11. Dumbbell step up/reverse lunge combo: Put a little pep in your step up. Stand 6 inches from a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Place your entire left foot onto the bench as you step up. Drive through the heel on the elevated leg, bringing the right leg up to hip height. Lower back down to start position, and step back with your left foot into a deep lunge. (Be sure to track your right knee over your ankle at a 90-degree angle.) Repeat for reps on both sides.

12. Dumbbell 45-degree hyperextension: The motto here: Relax the back, recruit the glutes. From starting position, lean over with hips flexed as far as they will go. Grab a dumbbell and position it under your chin so it looks like a bowtie. Relax all of the back muscles and pull up with the glutes. Come up to slightly hyperextension and return to start position. 

Chest and Back

13. Dumbbell floor press: Who said presses need a bench? Lie on your back with feet flat on the floor and a dumbbell in each hand. Position the dumbbells at your shoulders with elbows rested on the floor. Push straight up bringing the dumbbells directly overhead. Return to starting position.

14. Alternating dumbbell bench press: A challenging twist on the classic, lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells on the outside of your shoulders and alternately press the right dumbbell up overhead and back down, then the left. This exercise also forces you to engage the core for stability — bonus!

15. Dumbbell pull over: Expand your wings by working the serratus muscles. Get in a tabletop position with shoulders planted on a bench and feet on the floor. Next, hold a dumbbell by one end with both hands straight overhead, engaging the glutes and back muscles. Lower the weight in an arch behind your head until you feel a good stretch. Bring the dumbbell back to starting position. 

16. Prone trap dumbbell raise: Guaranteed to unleash the beast, stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the hips so your body is positioned just above parallel, holding dumbbells in both hands, with palm facing in. Raise the dumbbells straight out up to shoulder height and lower back down to starting position. Repeat for reps on both sides.

17. Dumbbell chest supported row: Ready to dive on in? Lie face down on an incline bench supporting your weight on your toes. Holding a pair of dumbbells straight down in front of you so they are parallel to the floor, pull the weight up toward your chest, getting a nice squeeze in your upper back muscles. Lower the weight back down and continue the stroke.

Shoulder and Arms

18. Bent over dumbbell flys: Don’t swat these away. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the hips so the torso is at parallel to the ground, holding a pair of dumbbells straight down with palms facing in. Next, with elbows slightly bent, raise the dumbbells out the side so that the elbows extend above the shoulders. Return to starting position.

19. Dumbbell upright row: These will lead you back to shore. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and place a pair of dumbbells straight down in front of you. With palms facing your body, pull the weight straight up the front of your body to the top of your chest, keeping the elbows slightly above the shoulders.

20. Dumbbell shoulder-to-shoulder press: Ready for this tricky move? Hold a dumbbell flat in your right hand, resting it on the top of your shoulder. Next, grasp the top of the dumbbell with your left hand and press it straight up overhead, bringing it down to your left shoulder. Repeat back and forth for reps with quick motions (or until you taste the rainbow).

21. Prone rear delt raise: Delta, delta, we can help ya! Lie face down on an incline bench supporting your weight on your toes. Stick a pair of dumbbells straight out in front of you with palms facing in. Raise the dumbbells out the side and back, bending your arms slightly as they come up.

22. Incline lateral raise: Sit side-saddled on an incline bench with your left side resting on the bench. With a dumbbell in your right hand down at your right side, raise it straight up overhead above shoulder height. Return to starting position and repeat for reps on both sides (cake).

23. Dumbbell spider curls: An exercise good enough for Peter Parker will certainly put a little bulge in those biceps. Lie face down on an incline bench supporting your weight on your toes. Hold a pair of dumbbells straight out in front of you with palms facing out. Curl the weight up to full contraction without rocking back and forth. (Isolation, baby!) Return the weight to starting position. Want to change it up a bit?  Alternate left and right for single-arm spider curls. 

24. Dumbbell incline biceps curls: Get an extra squeeze in. Sitting on a 45-degree angled incline bench with a dumbbell at each side (palms facing your thighs), curl both dumbbells up at the same time to full contraction. Avoid swinging the weight up for momentum (definitely not as easy as it sounds!).

25. Dumbbell skull crushers: The exercise name says it all, so be sure to follow closely: Lie face up on a bench with feet planted on the floor and your back pressed down. With a dumbbell in each hand, raise the arms straight up  (palms facing each other). Then, bending only at the elbows, lower the weight down to your ears, finishing in 90-degree angle. Return to starting position.

Core

feet about shoulder-width apart and dumbbells placed in each hand, positioned below the chest. Next, pull the right dumbbell toward the oblique muscles, keeping it close to the torso. Lower the dumbbell back down and repeat on your left side. Continue for reps on each side in an alternating fashion. 26. Renegade rows: James Dean probably did these in his sleep. Assume the push-up position with 

27. Dumbbell Russian twist: This is no vodka spritzer recipe. Sit on a gym mat with a dumbbell in each hand. Holding the dumbbells out in front of you, bring them down to your right side, only moving your arms. (Twisting at the spine is a big no-no!) Bring them all the way to the left, keeping your spine rigid. Repeat for reps.

28. Dumbbell windmills: Ready to feel the air up there? Stand with feet slightly wider than your shoulders and press a dumbbell overhead on your right side. Rotate the feet to the left side a bit. Now, lean the torso forward while holding the weight straight overhead until your bottom hand touches the floor. Concentrate your gaze on the weight to stay balanced. Return to start position and repeat for reps.

29. Dumbbell wood chop: Paul Bunyan knew a thing or two about these. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell out in front of you. Squat down, rotating right to bring the dumbbell down to your right foot. Bring the dumbbell back up, keeping you arms out in front of you. Rotate into left lunge with your arms going overhead to the left side. Repeat for reps.

30. Dumbbell overhead side bend: Get a good stretch in. Hold a dumbbell overhead with both hands. Without twisting your upper body, bend toward your right side until you feel a good stretch on your left side. Return to start position and repeat for reps on both sides (and consider yourself spent!).

Resistance Band Exercises - How To Use Them Right

Resistance Band Exercises - How To Use Them Right

All resistance band exercises share certain things in common. For example, in all of them, some part of the body like the feet or the back, or some inanimate object, like a door frame securing the doorway anchor that comes with many resistance band kits, are used to hold one part of the bands in place while the other parts of the bands are stretched and contracted to provide the resistance that produces their benefits.

Whichever resistance band exercises you choose to perform in your workouts, a few other essential items also remain the same:

Breathe - The need to breathe during a workout is essential to get the maximum value out of it. You'd be amazed how many people hold their breath while they're working out, though. You might even be one of these people and not even know it.

Drink Water - Working out utilizes water in the body, mostly in the form of sweating to keep you cool, and the only way to replenish that water is to drink more. Don't do it and you could overheat, feel weak and even dizzy, eventually growing too fatigued to continue.

Don't Overdo It - Nothing breaks a person's workout habit more than overdoing it. Trying too hard to go too far can leave you in pain and worse, cause harm to your body. Many times when this happens to people they never get up the motivation or interest to resume their workout, later regretting it of course. It's far better to stick with reasonably challenging resistance band workouts that slowly build up muscles over a steady length of time in a practical and sustainable fashion. Or to put it another way, it's better to under-do it and come back for more than to overdo it and never come back again.

Follow these three simple rules - breathe, drink water, don't overdo it - and whatever resistance band exercises you choose to perform, you'll get the maximum value out of them.