Buh - Bye Muffin Top!

My problem area has always been my waistline. In particular those pesky little muffin tops! They're the last to go when I loose weight, and the first to come back when I gain weight. Ughh, how I hate them! Luckily, there are some exercises we can do to combat the unwanted muffin top...

Side Plank & Cross-Body Mountain Climbers

30 Second Side Plank

Positioning: (Weights optional) Make sure that your arms are stacked in line with your shoulders. Engage your core --we should be in one long line so suck in those bellies and squeeze your booty! You should feel the waistline engage right away. Hold this position for 30 seconds or as long as possible.

If you're more advanced, lift your top leg. If you need to modify bend your bottom knee.

From here we go right into a cardio burst with 1 Minute Cross- Body Mountain Climbers. Starting in a high plank position, alternate bringing your knees to the opposite elbow. Twisting through the waistline, we continue to engage the core (and work on that muffin top!). 

Go as fast as you can for one minute. Keep your back flat (no bouncing booty's!) and the abdominals drawing in towards your spine. Make sure that your hips are not dropping to the floor -- imagine like there is a string that is pulling your belly button all the way through the lower back up to the sky but don't let that booty pike up! 

Switch to 30 Second Plank on the opposite side. 

Take a 30 Second break and see if you can repeat this sequence 3 times! We should feel a burn in our shoulders & arms, our abdominals (especially those obliques) and our heart-rate should be up! Adios, muffin top!

Advancements:

If you are more advanced, use a weight in side plank. With or without a weight, try to wrap your top arm around the body and return back to starting position. You can also try raising your top leg -- work on that balance!  

Modifications:

In side plank, feel free to bend your bottom leg and rest it on the ground. You can also come down to your forearm. If you are in a forearm side plank, make sure your arm is coming across your body and your elbow stays stacked underneath your shoulder. You can also remain on your forearms for mountain climbers.

Let me know how it goes, and don't worry babes, I've got plenty more tricks where these came from!