Happy Abdominal Monday

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Here are my weekly pictures… Enjoy








Hello Friends!
Last week was challenging to me. I realized that I had hit a wall, I stopped sweating as much as I used to during my workouts. At first I blamed it on my high cardio endurance levels, but last week the glass shattered. I started noticing that I wasn’t willing to push as hard as I used to, while working out at the gym. A lot of times I feel as if I am an excellent self-sabotager. I work very hard on keeping a clean diet, and making sure I exercise, then as soon as I see some results I start cheating, eating a little bit more, and pushing myself less. That is why a lot of people hire Personal Trainers, Life Coaches and Wellness Coaches. It’s hard to push yourself to your full capability. I had a long talk with myself, and starting yesterday I reved up my workout again. I realize exercising is a must do, and I can’t slack now that I am so close to my goals, this is the time that I have to push harder. So that’s where I am. I’m constantly re-evaluating myself to make sure I’m working up to my true potential. Not the limitations I set for myself.

I’ve talked about planks for the last few weeks. I love them. They have truly helped me reshape my mid-section. I feel a lot stronger, leaner, and toned now that I have incorporated planks into my everyday workout routine.
I started out with a basic plank on my forearms. Back straight, hips down, abdominals engaged, and butt squeezed tight. When it’s time for me to “Bust a Sweat” I add 3 sets of side planks, and regular planks, holding each for 60 seconds. The first 2 weeks I dreaded these non-moving torture postures, I would shake uncontrollable, while intently staring at the timer on my iphone. Wishing 60 seconds could come sooner. Now I don’t get uncomfortable until I have about 15-20 seconds to go, noticed I said uncomfortable, I have build my endurance up, and now its time for me to graduate to harder plank exercises. Here is one that I have been playing with.

Try this new Plank exercise.
It’s challenging and fun. 

Plank Roll
  • Start in a traditional forearm plank
  • Exhale and rotate onto your right arm stacking your left leg and coming all the way into side plank with your right hand on your hip
  • Hold
  • Roll back down into plank
  • Rotate to onto left arm stacking your right leg and coming all the way into side plank with left hand on your hip
  • Hold
  • Roll back down into plank
  • Do as many as you can in 60 seconds

When first doing this exercise go slow to make sure you have the correct alignment. Once you have a good understanding of the movement, try adding more speed to challenge your core endurance and strength. Plank rolls also targets arms.

I superset my planks
I usually start out with a forearm plank and side plank, 60 seconds each in the beginning of my workout, just to wake my abdominals up. Then somewhere later down the line, usually towards the end of the workout, I add harder, more complex plank movements for 60 seconds, then I complete 10-15 pushups, then back to the complex plank for another 60 seconds, 10-15 more pushups, and then finally 60 more seconds of my complex plank and 10-15 more pushups. All this with no breaks. I’m now working until exhaustion and though it hurts, it hurts sooooo good. 

Enjoy!!!

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About

My name is Mary! I was obese for most of my life, around 7 years ago I decided to take control of my life and successfully lost over 150 pounds. But that's just the beginning of my journey. Join me as I evolve into the person I was born to become. I love to cook, craft, read, and make people smile. I'm happy you've stumbled on by. Let’s Evolve Together.

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