Summer Shape Up Series: A Great Rear View!

Seriously now, when was the last time you revised your workout routine? Can't remember?  

Get ready, do not fear, Core Power is here! Experience change with this low body/glute sculpting no gym required workout! I am sure you've performed these exercises before but these have a few different flavors. Making adjustments to your current workout will help to keep your body challenged so you can continue to make progress to help you reach your goals!

Promises, promises, I know what you're thinking. Honesty is the best policy here, the deal breaker that will prevent results is a non-healthy "diet." Exercise and "diet" go together like peanut butter and jelly and Sonny and Cher, you get the picture? One is just not effective without the other.  

So, with a healthy eating plan and an array of different challenging exercises you will be on your way!

A few particulars before you start:

• Perform a light warm up before you begin, helps to warm the muscles and get them ready for exercise.
• Perform these exercises (with or without options) to shape up your legs (quads, hams) glutes and calves too! No specific order, mix them up, try 2 to 3 times per week (perform non-consecutive days).  
• Perform until you have reached fatigue, a good thing to have happen. Once you are fatigued you will lose form, then it is time to stop.
• Mix it up! Feel free to add these exercises into interval training, short bursts of cardio and/or upper body alternated with these exercises.  
• Start with connecting to your core, drawing naval towards spine in each of these exercises.  

Presenting lower body sculpting exercises (see pictures for more details):

Reverse Lunge Knee Lift to One Leg Deadlifts (sculpts: glutes, hams, quads, calves, great for balance too, recruits tons of muscle fibers, being out of balance will give you fantastic looking legs as a bonus!)

Side Gate (great for sides of hips, improves core strength and saddlebag areas)

Plank w/Ham Curls (you knew this one was coming! Improves core strength/endurance, sculpts glutes/hams, tones upper body as a bonus (no extra charge)

Bridge with Inner Thigh Squeeze (can't forget those inner thighs! Tones, sculpts and strengthens the core, glutes, hams, calves) See picture for a variety of options.

By the way, I would be interested in hearing from you on how you are doing. If you have questions, comments, by all means, please feel free to contact me at corepower@yahoo.com or via Facebook.

Stay tuned, don't change that dial!  Next week, Summer Shape Up Series returns with Wanted: A Chiseled Upper Body! You won't want to miss this one as short sleeve season is here!

Lynn MacDonald, ACE Personal Trainer/Registered Yoga Teacher
www.getcorepower.com