Ab Lab, Part II

When it's 85 degrees and humid by 7:30 in the morning, I'm hardly skipping out the door looking forward to sweating through yesterday's breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's hot summer days like today that make me miss winter runs, even with all of the layers and hazards cold weather running entails. All I had to do this morning was put one foot in front of the other for 6.7 miles (with 5 quick strides to avoid getting too comfortable in the marathoner's shuffle). That's all. It wasn't a long run, a tempo run, a hill workout, a speed workout, or even a particularly challenging course. I was actually under orders to take it easy (in preparation for tomorrow's hard run) and I left at 6:30 so the heat wouldn't be too oppressive.

Doesn't sound so bad, right? It wasn't even the slightest bit fun. I felt like I was slogging through a thick wall of humidity, with no escape from the suffocatingly hot sun. I tried, in vain, to convince myself that it was all mental (as I watched steam curl up from the pavement ahead). With salt stinging my heavy-lidded eyes and no cold water in sight (besides a waving sprinkler down a side street that I seriously considered making a detour for), all I could think about was the dreadful prospect of the afternoon run. I'm going to be out here again, in less than 7 hours. 

Post-run Hydration 

After I got home and polished off a few Poland Spring's (and watched the thermometer climb higher and higher into the "red" zone), I decided against running another 4 miles at 3 o'clock. The extra 300-400 calories I'd burn plodding along just weren't worth it to me...not when it was 96 degrees in the shade and the clothes on the line were drying in half an hour. A 4 mile "recovery" run through a sauna on a very tired set of legs wasn't going to help me physically or mentally. Enter the beauty of doing a second workout inside, with the AC blasting. I've done a post about Ab Lab before, but it's about time to share some more exercises to add into the mix. I've never done the exact same core circuit twice - muscle confusion is a great thing!

For new readers, here's the general idea:
-Ab Lab is comprised of any 8 ab exercises
-Each of the 8 exercises is performed nonstop for a 50 second period
-After each individual exercise there is a 10 second rest
-When all 8 exercises have been completed, there is a full 60 second break
-The circuit gets repeated 3 times (24 minutes in total)

1. The windmill with straight legs 
Position yourself on your back, with your legs extended perpendicular to the floor. Keeping your feet together and your legs as straight as possible, lower your legs and begin to make a circular motion. Both hips should be on the ground at all times. Make sure your legs are swooping around like a windmill (you shouldn't just be tracing little circles with your feet). Complete one full revolution before reversing the direction. Try to keep your spine anchored to the floor and don't slide your hands under your butt as a cheat.

2. The "wiggle"
The name of this exercise should serve as an indication of the awkward motion to come. I recommend you try this one in the privacy of your own home - but it burns like crazy once you get the motion down! Position yourself on your back, with the soles of your feet together and your kneecaps pointing outwards. Lift your head and shoulders off the ground and bring one knee in to meet your elbow. Then switch to the opposite side (basically it should feel like you're wiggling side to side). Make sure you're not just bringing your elbows to your knees like you would in a bicycle crunch!

3. Split leg pulses
Position yourself on your back, with one leg outstretched a few inches off of the ground and one leg sticking straight up perpendicular to the floor. Lift your head and shoulders up and crunch up another couple of inches for 1, 2, 3 pulses. After the third pulse, switch the position of your legs, briefly rest your upper body, and repeat.

4. Double leg drop with scissor kicks
Position yourself on your back, with your arms draped loosely by your sides and your legs extended perpendicular to the floor. Keeping your feet together, slowly lower your legs until they are hovering a few inches off of the ground. Flutter both feet in a scissor kick motion for a couple of seconds and bring your legs back up to the initial position. Repeat. Again, make a concerted effort to keep your legs straight and your hands out from under you!

5. Plank with arms on a Swiss ball
This exercise always makes me shake all over. Think of a regular plank, only instead of bracing your elbows or hands on the ground, use a Swiss ball. Make sure you don't sacrifice your form as you try not to tip over...I always have Brother #3 on hand to yell "head up!" and "drop those shoulders!"

6.  Long-arm crunch with a medicine ball 
This exercise always wears out my upper body before my abs. Position yourself on your back, with your arms extended by your ears. Hold a medicine ball (or a dumbbell) in your hands. Your outstretched arms shouldn't move from that spot just behind your ears. All you're doing is trying to curl your upper body into your chest with your arms still sticking out behind you. The "crunching" motion itself shouldn't be that drastic - the point is to make sure only your core isn't getting any help from your upper body's momentum.

7. Swiss ball pass
This exercise, when I'm not too tired to do it properly, always has me moaning and groaning when I try to sit up in bed the next morning. Lie on your back with your legs stretched out on the floor and your arms fully extended over your head. Grab a Swiss ball with your hands and crunch up to meet your legs in the middle. Pass the ball to your feet and lower your legs slowly to hover a couple of inches off the ground. Lift your legs back up to the middle and transfer the ball to your hands again. Slowly lower your upper body until it's a couple of inches off the ground. Repeat. Don't let the ball touch the ground!

8. Side plank with hip drops 
This one is just your dear old friend the side plank, only with rapid-fire hip drops added into the equation. Get in a side plank, lower your hips towards the ground, and then lift them back up until you're back in the generic side plank position. Go for 25 seconds and then switch sides.

Ab Lab

I've had a couple people ask me about what I do for abs so I've decided to share (as promised) what Brother #3 shared with me three months ago: Springfield College's Ab Lab.

Disclaimer: This workout isn't a time saver, it doesn't allow you to multitask, and it won't guarantee you six-pack abs. In the morning on a good day (when the shadows fall just right), I have the top four of the highly sought after six-pack. By the afternoon, it sort of slips into a two-pack. And by nightfall, there's no muscles to speak of because I'm too exhausted to flex anything.

The Definition of Toned: Jillian Michaels

But seriously - I'm not a professional, I probably work my abs too much, I often get stuck in ruts (where I gravitate towards the same exercises over and over again), and I didn't come up with any of the exercises below on my own. I've just found that different variations of Ab Lab make me sore when most crunches, pilates classes, p90x/Insanity tapes, etc. fall flat. Ab Lab also forces me to give my abs enough intensive attention - instead of doing 4 or 5 exercises and calling it a day.

Here's the general idea:
-Ab Lab is comprised of any 8 ab exercises
-Each of the 8 exercises is performed nonstop for a 50 second period
-After each individual exercise there is a 10 second rest
-When all 8 exercises have been completed, there is a full 60 second break
-The circuit gets repeated three times (24 minutes in total)

Here's an example of a recent ab lab I did that left me wonderfully sore for two days (and yes, I know it's easier to understand with pictures but no way am I going to be the model for that shoot!):

1. Ab hold
Sit on the edge of a sturdy bench or chair. Position your hands on the edge with your fingers facing out towards your knees. Pick both feet off of the ground. Lift your butt off of the bench or chair and hold.

2. "V" turns with a medicine ball (pick one with a weight that's appropriate/available to you...I use the 8 lb one)
Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Pick both your hands and feet off the floor and lean backwards into a "V" shape. You should feel sort of like you're teetering - but use your abs to hold you in place. If you don't feel anything, you're sitting up too much. Once you've got the "V" position down, pick up the medicine ball and start to quickly tap it from one side to the other. Keep your eyes on the ball the whole time - it will make you twist your torso more.
*If it's too hard with the extra weight, just interlace your fingers and tap your hands from side to side)

3. "V" ins and outs (for lack of a better term)
Return to the "V" position described in #2. This is essentially a full body row that meets in the "resting" point of the "V" position. Extend both your upper and lower body out as much as you can without tipping over before rowing back in to meet in the middle. Repeat.
*If you're finding it difficult to get into a rhythm, try placing your hands on the ground for stability

4. "V" hold
Return the "V" position described in #2 and #3. All you do for this one is find that place where you feel wobbly, lean your upper half back a few inches more, make sure your lower half isn't sinking towards the ground, and hold.

5. Plank
Assume the standard push-up position...only put your elbows about 5 inches apart on the floor instead of your hands. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to your toes. I've always found I need to correct my form by dropping my shoulders and my butt a few inches. You should feel it - all over. If you're not shaking and quaking by 30 seconds ask someone to check your form.

6. The Hundred* (a classic Pilates exercise...only you're just going for as many pumps as you can in 50 seconds. I'm not particular about the inhales and exhales but make sure you do breathe)
Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Engage your abs to curl your head and shoulders up off the floor with your chin tucked. Try to really squeeze so your lower spine stays flat to the floor. Straighten your legs up and out so that they are a little higher than 45 degrees off of the floor. Extend your arms so that they are on either side of your legs and begin pumping your hands a few inches up and down.
*Contrary to popular belief, this exercise is not "girly"...it'll have you staring at the clock waiting for time to be up just like all the others!

7. Pulse-ups (or lower ab raises or reverse crunches)
Lie on your back with your legs extended at a 90 degree angle. Put your hands behind your head or down by your sides for support if you need it. Use just your abs to lift your lower half straight up, keeping your legs straight overhead. Try not to use your back or your arms to give you a hand. Lower your pelvis to the ground and repeat.

8. Crunch with hold & twist
Assume the standard sit-up position. Lift your head and shoulders off the ground and crunch halfway up towards your knees. Keep your chin aimed towards the ceiling (it will really force you to use your abs on the way up and nothing else) and once you reach the point where you can feel it, twist to the side and back to the center position to hold for a count of two. Lower back to the ground and repeat (twist to the other side this time).

If you don't understand one of my descriptions...just substitute in an exercise of your own! The side plank (switch sides at 25 seconds), the raised leg hold (hold your feet 5 inches off the ground), and the Swiss ball jackknife pike are also fun ones to add to the queue.

Try it! You'll be simultaneously amazed at how long 50 seconds feels and how quickly 24 minutes goes by. Let me know what you think or if you have any favorite ab exercises for next time!