C O R E
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Lie flat on your back with your legs fully extended and your hands placed flat on the floor right next to your torso or placed under your glutes/tailbone. This will be your starting position. 2. Raise & pull your knees towards your midsection by contracting your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors. Continue the motion until your knees are past being perpendicular to the floor and closer to your midsection and your lower legs (calves) are parallel to the floor. 3. Return your legs back down to their starting position while keeping your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors fully engaged and under constant tension. Make sure to keep your torso and your arms flat and stationary on the floor throughout the entire movement. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : STOP immediately if you felt any sharp pain in your midsection (abdominal muscles), hips and/or lower back while performing this exercise.
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Lie flat on your back on a stable/flat bench with your legs fully extended and your hands holding firm onto the bench seat from both sides. This will be your starting position. 2. Raise & pull your knees towards your midsection by contracting your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors. Continue the motion until your knees are past being perpendicular to the floor and closer to your midsection and your lower legs (calves) are parallel to the floor. 3. Return your legs back down to their starting position while keeping your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors fully engaged and under constant tension. Make sure to keep your torso and your arms stationary on the bench throughout the entire movement. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : STOP immediately if you felt any sharp pain in your midsection (abdominal muscles), hips and/or lower back while performing this exercise.
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Lie flat on your back with your legs fully extended and your hands placed flat on the floor right next to your torso or placed under your glutes/tailbone. This will be your starting position. 2. Lift & pull your legs all the way up towards your midsection by contracting your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors, while keeping your legs fully extended with a slight bent at the knees. Continue the motion until your legs are perpendicular to the floor. 3. Return your legs back down to their starting position while keeping your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors fully engaged and under constant tension. Make sure to keep your torso and your arms flat and stationary on the floor throughout the entire movement. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : STOP immediately if you felt any sharp pain in your midsection (abdominal muscles), hips and/or lower back while performing this exercise.
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Instructions
Alternative Exercises
1. Lie flat on your back on a stable/flat bench with your legs fully extended and your hands holding firm onto the bench seat from both sides. This will be your starting position. 2. Lift & pull your legs all the way up towards your midsection by contracting your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors, while keeping your legs fully extended with a slight bent at the knees. Continue the motion until your legs are perpendicular to the floor. 3. Return your legs back down to their starting position while keeping your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors fully engaged and under constant tension. Make sure to keep your torso and your arms stationary on the bench throughout the entire movement. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : STOP immediately if you felt any sharp pain in your midsection (abdominal muscles), hips and/or lower back while performing this exercise.
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Climb up and position your body vertically on a Chin Up / Dip Tower Station so your forearms are resting on it’s arm pads next to your torso while holding onto it’s handles. Your arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle. Your torso should be straight and your back should be flat and pressed against it’s back pad. Your legs should be fully extended and perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position. 2. Raise & pull your knees towards your midsection by contracting your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors. Continue the motion until your knees are perpendicular to your torso and your upper thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure not to swing your legs while performing this exercise. 3. Return your legs back down to their starting position while keeping your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors fully engaged and under constant tension. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : STOP immediately if you felt any sharp pain in your midsection (abdominal muscles), hips and/or lower back while performing this exercise.
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Instructions
Alternative Exercises
1. Climb up and position your body vertically on a Chin Up / Dip Tower Station so your forearms are resting on it’s arm pads next to your torso while holding onto it’s handles. Your arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle. Your torso should be straight and your back should be flat and pressed against it’s back pad. Your legs should be fully extended and perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position. 2. Lift & pull your legs all the way up towards your midsection by contracting your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors while keeping your legs fully extended with a slight bent at the knees. Continue the motion until your legs are parallel to the floor. Make sure not to swing your legs while performing this exercise. 3. Return your legs back down to their starting position while keeping your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors fully engaged and under constant tension. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : STOP immediately if you felt any sharp pain in your midsection (abdominal muscles), hips and/or lower back while performing this exercise.
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Instructions
Alternative Exercises
1. Lie flat on your back on a stable/flat bench with your legs fully extended while keeping a slight bent at the knees and while holding a ‘light’ dumbbell firm between your feet, and with your hands holding firm onto the bench seat from both sides. This will be your starting position. 2. Raise & pull your knees towards your midsection by contracting your lower abdominal muscles and your hip flexors while carrying the weight between your feet. Continue the motion until your knees are past being perpendicular to the floor and your lower legs (calves) are parallel to the floor. 3. Return your legs back down to their starting position while keeping your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors fully engaged and under constant tension. Make sure to keep your torso and your arms stationary on the bench throughout the entire movement. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : NEVER use a heavy set dumbbell when performing this exercise to avoid getting any abdominals, hips and/or lower back injury. STOP immediately if you felt any sharp pain in your midsection (abdominal muscles), hips and/or lower back while performing this exercise.
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Climb up and position your body vertically on a Chin Up / Dip Tower Station so your forearms are resting on it’s arm pads next to your torso while holding onto it’s handles. Your arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle. Your torso should be straight and your back should be flat and pressed against it’s back pad. Your legs should be fully extended and perpendicular to the floor while firmly holding a dumbbell between your feet. This will be your starting position. 2. Raise & pull your upper knees towards your midsection by contracting your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors while carrying the dumbbell between your feet. Continue the motion until your knees are perpendicular to your torso and your upper thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure not to swing your legs as you perform this exercise. 3. Return your legs back down to their starting position while keeping your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors fully engaged and under constant tension. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : NEVER use a heavy set dumbbell when performing this exercise to avoid getting any abdominals, hips and/or lower back injury. STOP immediately if you felt any sharp pain in your midsection (abdominal muscles), hips and/or lower back while performing this exercise.
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Place a Swiss ball against a pillar or a wall then stand tall with the center of your back pressed up against it, while holding a dumbbell in each hand held down at arm’s length right next to your sides with the palms of your hands facing inwards and your head facing forward. Place your feet at about hips width apart, and about a foot away from where the ball vertical axis is. This will be your starting position. 2. While maintaining a straight & upright posture, begin to squat down by flexing your knees forward as you go down while keeping your quads muscles fully engaged, and with your back pressed firm against the ball while rolling down with it as you squat down and with your arms fully extended with the weights right at your sides. 3. After reaching a full squatting position, engage your quads muscles to bring your body all the way back up to a full-standing position. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : NEVER use a heavy set pair of dumbbells when performing this exercise to avoid getting any knees, quads, hips and/or shoulders injury. STOP immediately if you felt any sharp knee pain. Make sure to always maintain a straight & upright torso while performing this exercise to force your quads muscles to handle most of the work load.
Alternative Exercises
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Instructions
1. Lie face down on the floor while holding your torso up at arm’s length with your elbows locked and your hands placed at about shoulders width apart. Position your feet back and away from your body, where your torso and your lower body are on the same alignment as each other. This will be your starting position. 2. Initiate the movement by raising your right foot slightly off the floor and pull your right knee towards your midsection by contracting your right side’s lower abs and hip flexors, and while keeping your arms and the rest of your body stationary. 3. Bring your right leg back to it’s starting position while keeping your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors fully engaged. 4. Repeat this exact motion with your left leg and that will be considered as a ‘single repetition’. 5. Continue alternating in this manner for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : STOP immediately if you felt any sharp pain in your midsection (abdominal muscles), hips and/or lower back while performing this exercise. Do NOT tend to kick with your knees at any point throughout this movement, but instead, use a slow and controlled motion to fully engage your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors.
Alternative Exercises
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Instructions
1. Lie flat on your back with your legs almost fully extended while keeping a slight bent at the knees, and while keeping your hands placed flat on the floor right next to your torso or placed under your glutes/tailbone. This will be your starting position. 2. Lift only your right leg half the way up by contracting your right side’s lower abdominal muscles and your right leg’s hip flexors, then bring your right leg down while simultaneously lifting your other (left) leg up by contracting your left side’s lower abdominal muscles and your left leg’s hip flexors. 3. Make sure to keeping your lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors fully engaged and under constant tension, while keeping a slight bent at the knees. Also make sure to keep your torso and your arms flat and stationary on the floor throughout the entire movement. 4. Continue alternating in this manner until the recommended amount of repetitions for each side have been completed. CAUTION : STOP immediately if you felt any sharp pain in your midsection (abdominal muscles), hips and/or lower back while performing this exercise.
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Lie flat on your back with your feet on the ground and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Place your hands lightly on each side of your head, with your elbows held slightly up and pointing forward (do not lock your fingers behind your head). This will be your starting position. 2. Start raising your head off the floor and towards your midsection along with your arms as you contract your upper abdominal muscles as hard as you can while keeping your back and feet stationary on the floor. 3. Slowly return your head back to it’s starting position while keeping your upper abdominal muscles fully engaged. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : Be careful not to strain your neck as you perform this exercise, while mainly focusing on executing a slow and controlled movement to engage your abdominal muscles as much as you can.
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Lie flat on your back with your legs crossed and your upper thighs held up so it’s perpendicular to the floor, and with your lower legs (calves) parallel to the floor. Place your hands lightly on each side of your head, with your elbows held slightly up and pointing forward (do not lock your fingers behind your head). This will be your starting position. 2. Start raising your head off the floor and towards your midsection along with your arms as you contract your upper abdominal muscles as hard as you can while keeping your back stationary on the floor and your legs crossed and held up while parallel to the floor. 3. Slowly return your head back to it’s starting position while keeping your upper abdominal muscles fully engaged. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : Be careful not to strain your neck as you perform this exercise, while mainly focusing on executing a slow and controlled movement. It is normal for you to feel a slight burn and tension in your hip flexors and quads muscles due to the effort being done to keep your legs hanging up in an elevated position the entire time while performing this exercise.
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Lie comfortably on a Swiss Ball with your legs bent and your feet firm on the ground at about hips width apart. Place your hands lightly on each side of your head, with your elbows held slightly up and pointing forward (do not lock your fingers behind your head). This will be your starting position. 2. Start raising your head off the ball and towards your midsection along with your arms as you contract your upper abdominal muscles as hard as you can, and while keeping your back on the ball and your feet on the floor. 3. Slowly return your head back to it’s starting position while keeping your upper abdominal muscles fully engaged. 4. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : Be careful not to strain your neck as you perform this exercise, while mainly focusing on executing slow and controlled movements. This is also a balance & coordination exercise so it’s normal for you to feel your hip flexors and legs muscles getting engaged due to the effort being done by your hips and lower body to keep your torso balanced and centered throughout the entire movement. Make sure the floor surface beneath you isn’t slippery to avoid the possibility of having the ball slip from underneath you at any point while performing this exercise.
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Attach a Rope to a high pulley machine or a cross cable machine then select your desired resistance to be used. 2. Stand a couple of feet away from the pulley then grasp the two ends of the rope in a neutral grip, with the palms of your hands facing each other. Lower down the rope until your thumbs are right in front of your forehead with your elbows tucked in and parallel to each other. Lean slightly forward by bending at the hip/waist to allow the weight to hyperextend your lower back muscles just a bit before starting. Place your feet at about hips width apart. This will be your starting position. 3. While keeping your hips stationary (not moving), start contracting your abdominal muscles by crunching down with your torso so your elbows would start travelling down along with your arms holding the rope. 4. Slowly return the rope back up to it’s starting position while keeping your abdominal muscles fully engaged and under constant tension. 5. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : NEVER use a heavy weight setting when performing this exercise to avoid getting any core (abdominals or lower back) injury. A proper adjusted weight setting that is not too heavy should have you mostly engage your abdominal muscles -as it should- instead of having you rely on your arms, shoulders and/or lats muscles to perform this exercise. Lower down the weight resistance if you felt that your abdominal muscles are not fully engaged as they should.
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Attach a Rope to a high pulley machine or a cross cable machine then select your desired resistance to be used. 2. Kneel a couple of feet away from the pulley then grasp the two ends of the rope in a neutral grip, with the palms of your hands facing each other. Lower down the rope until your thumbs are right in front of your forehead with your elbows tucked in and parallel to each other. Lean slightly forward by bending at the hip/waist to allow the weight to hyperextend your lower back muscles just a bit before starting. Place your knees at about hips width apart. This will be your starting position. 3. While keeping your hips stationary (not moving), start contracting your abdominal muscles by crunching down with your torso so your elbows would start travelling down along with your arms holding the rope. 4. Slowly return the rope back up to it’s starting position while keeping your abdominal muscles fully engaged and under constant tension. 5. Repeat this motion for the recommended amount of repetitions. CAUTION : NEVER use a heavy weight setting when performing this exercise to avoid getting any core (abdominals or lower back) injury. A proper adjusted weight setting that is not too heavy should have you mostly engage your abdominal muscles -as it should- instead of having you rely on your arms, shoulders and/or lats muscles to perform this exercise. Lower down the weight resistance if you felt that your abdominal muscles are not fully engaged as they should.
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Alternative Exercises
Instructions
1. Lie flat on your back then get into an abdominal crunching position with your head elevated, hands placed lightly beside your head and elbows pointing up & forward. Bring your knees up so that they are almost perpendicular to the floor, with both your lower legs (calves) parallel to the floor. This will be your starting position. 2. Now engage your abdominal muscles & hip flexors to simultaneously go through a cycle pedal motion by kicking forward with your right leg while bringing in your left knee, and as you bring in your right elbow closer to your left knee by crunching to your left side. 3. Go back to your initial position. 4. Apply the same motion to your other side and that will be considered as a ‘single repetition’. 5. Continue alternating in this manner until the recommended amount of repetitions for each side have been completed. CAUTION : Be careful not to strain your neck as you perform this exercise, while mainly focusing on executing a slow and controlled movement to better engage your abdominal muscles as much as you can.