Just J.Faye

Hiking & Other Adventures

Plank-Less Ab Workout

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I had a request to post a plank-less ab workout. So, here it is!

Plank-Less Ab Workout

My aunt Linda has been doing a “Just J.Faye Challenge”. Since the beginning of April she has been doing a Just J.Faye workout everyday. This was totally her idea to do and it made me super happy when she told me. So far she has done the burpee run, superset tabata clover, jumping jack circuit, 5-4-3-2-1 variety speed, stair workout, fartlek run, 20-minute plyo tabata, and the 10-10-10 lower body workout. She has also been posting comments about her experience with the workout. How fun is that?! You are welcome to do the same 🙂

A week or so ago she got tendonitis in her shoulders and is required to lay off on the shoulder/upper body exercises for the next few weeks. Major bummer. Although there are still a lot of things you can do with a shoulder injury, it still puts a damper on things.

Planks are not one of those things you can do with a shoulder injury. Technically, you probably can, you just shouldn’t. Heal first. Plank later.

Since a lot of my workouts include planks – because I love them! – she asked if I could put together an ab workout that avoided them. My response: of course!

This workout is a bodyweight, plank-less ab routine. All you need is a mat and the willingness to feel your abs burn.

This is what we’ll do:

Plank-Less Ab Workout

This mix of ab exercises hit your front and lower abs as well as your obliques. I know that “plank-less” sounds similar to “painless”, but I guarantee you that this will not be painless. You should really feel your abs burning. This is good pain that is making your body stronger!

Here are the exercise cues:

  • Crunches: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your knees bent and your hands behind your ears with your elbows straight out. Keeping your neck straight, engage your core and raise your shoulder blades up off of the mat. Lower back down. Continue.
  • Russian Twists: Sit on a mat with your knees bent, your torso at a 45-degree angle to the mat, and your fists in front of you. Twist your torso to one side, then twist to the other. This is one rep. Continue and make sure to keep from twisting your legs. To progress: hold a weight in your hands and/or raise your feet a few inches off of the ground.
  • Leg Lifts: Lie on your back on top of a mat. Raise your legs straight up in the air. Slowly lower your legs back down until your heels are 1-inch away from the ground. Continue and make sure to keep you arms and shoulder blades flat on the mat. You should feel this in your lower abs.
  • V-Ups: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your arms outstretched overhead. While you raise your legs straight up in the air, simultaneously raise your arms up to reach your toes. Lower arms and legs back down until they are 1-inch away from the ground. Continue.
  • Heel Touches: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your knees bent and your arms along your sides. Raise your shoulder blades and neck off of the mat. Reach your right arm to your right heel then your left arm to your left heel, focusing on your obliques. This is one rep. Continue.
  • Flutter Kicks: Lie on your back on the top of a mat with your arms along your sides. Raise your legs up about 6 inches off of the ground. As one leg kicks up the other should go down, like a scissors. Continue by making small, rapid movements. Kicking up your right leg then kicking up your left leg is one rep.
  • Toe Touches: Lie on your back on top of a mat. Raise your legs straight up in the air with your knees slightly bent. Reach your arms up to touch your toes, making sure to use your core to raise your shoulder blades off of the mat. Lower back down to the mat. Continue.
  • Bicycle Crunches: Lie on your back on top of a mat. Raise your knees up to about a 45-degree angle. With your arms behind your ears and your elbows straight out, raise your shoulder blades and neck off of the mat. Reach your right elbow towards the left knee, then twist to reach your left elbow towards your right knee. This is one rep. Continue.
  • Windshield Wipers: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your arms out to your sides. Raise your legs straight up in the air with your knees slightly bent. Lower legs to one side until your thigh hits the floor. Raise back up and then lower to the opposite side. This is one rep. Continue and make sure to keep you arms and shoulder blades flat on the mat.

Throughout all of these exercises please, please, please be careful of your lower back and neck, especially if you are prone to injury. Do not strain them! When you are lying on your back be sure to keep your tailbone and back flat to the mat. When you are lifting your shoulder blades and/or neck off of the mat, make sure to keep your head in alignment and your neck straight. If you are feeling pain in either of those areas, stop. Then re-assess your form. This is not the good pain that I mentioned earlier!

This ab workout would be great to add after a cardio session; however, it’s a great stand alone workout as well.

Linda, I hope you enjoy this. Keep up the awesome work and heal quickly!

Everyone else, I hope you enjoy this too! If you are looking for any specific type of workout, feel free to leave a comment in this post or email me (justjfaye @ gmail . com).

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10-10-10 Lower Body Workout

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How much are you loving this springy, sunshiney weather over the last few days?! I’m obsessed with being outside right now and hit two spring milestones this week: first run in shorts and first time sitting out on my balcony. Amazing.

Speaking of shorts… I put together a lower body workout. Let’s get some super strong and toned legs!

10 10 10 Lower Body Workout

We are going to do 10 lower body exercises for 10 reps each and we’re going to do that 10 times; hence the “10-10-10”.

Let’s do the math. 10 reps x 10 sets = 100 reps per exercise. 100 reps x 10 exercises = 1000 reps total. Ummm… yeah, that is a lot of reps!

It’s going to be hard. Your legs are going to burn and they are going to hate you.

BUT THEN they will love you. Over time you’re legs are going to get stronger and more toned and there is absolutely nothing bad about that.

Here’s what we’re going to do:

10 10 10 Lower Body Workout

It looks fun, doesn’t it?

Throughout this workout it’ll be imperative to keep proper form. On the squats and lunges, watch your knees. Make sure that stay in line with your ankles and make sure they do not extend past your toes. I realize that by the time you’ve already complete 50 squats you’re going to be tired, but improper form risks injury and nobody has time for that.

Summertime is reserved for running around in shorts, hanging out on the lake, and sitting out on patios. So focus on your form.

After doing this lower body workout a couple of times you may want to start progressing a few of the exercises. Feel free to hold weights for extra resistance during the squats, donkey kicks, lunges, calf raises, and glute bridges. It’ll mean more burning, but it’ll also mean more muscle. #worthit

Feel free to shoot out any questions in the comments! Happy squatting!

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10-Minute Bodyweight Pyramid Workout

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A 10-minute bodyweight pyramid workout!

Bodyweight Pyramid Workout

You guys, this is a fun one. We are going to work really hard and these 10 minutes are going to fly by. This is a high-intensity workout consisting of three moves: burpees, squats, and push-ups. That’s it, just those three. No equipment necessary.

By the time we are finished we will have completed 50 burpees, 50 squats, and 50 push-ups in just 10 short, heart-pumping, sweaty minutes. Afterwards, we will reap all the benefits of high-intensity exercise, like increased calorie burn, increased aerobic and anaerobic fitness, and boosted metabolism.

GREAT. This is what is going to happen -> We are going to do a round of burpees, squats, and push-ups, 2 reps each. Then in increments of 2 we are going to work up to 10 reps of each. This is the tip of the pyramid – more than halfway done! Then we are going to work back down to 2 reps of each and give ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done.

Bodyweight Pyramid Workout

A few cues:

  • BURPEES: Begin in a standing position. Lower down into a squat, place your hands on the ground in front of you, and quickly kick your feet back into the push up position. Lower your body to the floor, raise back up, and return your feet back to the squat position as quickly as possible. Immediately jump up as high as you can.
  • SQUATS: Begin in a standing position. Lower your body by pushing your hips back until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure to keep your back straight and your knees behind your toes. Raise your body back to standing position, pushing through your heels, and engaging your glutes.
  • PUSH-UPS: Begin in push-up (plank) position. Keeping your body in a straight line with your core engaged, slowly lower your body while bending your elbows to 90 degrees. Push your body back up to starting position.

This cycle of burpees, squats, and push-ups is really working our whole body: lower body, upper body, core, and cardio. And if you think about it burpees are basically squats and push-ups combined in one move with some jumps in it. Sooo… a pretty great combination of moves going on here.

I recommend doing this 10-minute bodyweight pyramid workout 1-2 per week. It would be great to do after a 30- or 45-minute session of steady state cardio or after a strength training routine. However, this would be just as effective to do as a stand-alone workout for days when you are in a time crunch.

If you really love burpees (who doesn’t?!), make sure to check out this burpee run!

 

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Stabilization Strength Training Workout

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When I was taking my classes to become a personal trainer I learned all about NASM’s Optimal Performance Training (OPT) model. This model is designed to systematically progress clients through three phases of training (stabilization, strength, and power) leading them to reach their fitness goals.

Last week a friend and I got into a conversation about strength training, because he wasn’t seeing the results that he wanted. Long story short, I started telling him all about the OPT model. It was probably way more than he wanted (or cared) to know, but I was getting really revved up about it.

I left the conversation feeling super energized. It helped remind me why I wanted to get my personal training certification in the first place. This stuff is just so interesting to learn about and discuss with others.

Interesting to me, anyways.

With that said I wanted to talk a little bit about the initial phase of the OPT model: stabilization. I will focus on the strength and power phases at a later date. Feel free to start getting excited about it now.

Stabilization Strength Training Workout

The primary focus on the stabilization phase is to increase muscular endurance while enhancing coordination (or “neuromuscular efficiency” if you wanted to get technical). Basically, the exercises in this stage are performed in an unstable environment with low intensity and high repetitions.

Rather than progressing to higher intensities (from 5 lbs weights to 10 lbs weights) we progress through various levels of unstable environments (single leg, stability ball, foam pad, bosu ball, etc.).

Another key piece of the stabilization phase is the tempo in which the exercises are performed, which is described as 4/2/1: 4 counts for the eccentric movement, 2 counts for the isometric, and 1 count for the concentric. Let’s walk through some examples:

  • Biceps curls: Lower the dumbbells in 4 counts, hold at the bottom for two, and curl back up in 1 count.
  • Squats: Lower from a standing position to a squat position in 4 counts, hold the squat for 2 counts, and rise back up to standing in 1 count.

It’s a little difficult to grasp at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. When in doubt, do the “harder” piece of the exercise in 1 count. This is usually the concentric movement: the curl, the press, the extension.

During the stabilization phase we also focus on correcting any muscle imbalances so that proper form and alignment are developed and can be maintained. This is always important, but will become even more important when progressing to the strength and power phases.

Ok. Now let’s get into this stabilization strength training workout.

Stabilization Strength Training Workout

Here are the cues to guide you through the exercises:

  • Squat Jumps with Stabilization: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Lower body into a squat, making sure knees stay behind your toes. Jump up, extending arms overhead. Land back in the squat position ensuring proper alignment. Hold for 3-5 seconds before jumping again.
  • Ball Squat, Curl to Press: Stand with a stability ball between a wall and your low-back region, feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Lower into a squat, making sure knees stay behind your toes (starting position). As you rise to stand, curl the dumbbells up with a biceps curl. When you are completely standing press the dumbbells overhead until both arms are fully extended. Slowly lower your body back to starting position.
  • Push-Up: Begin in push-up (plank) position. Keeping your body in a straight line with your core engaged, slowly lower your body while bending your elbows to 90 degrees. Push your body back up to starting position.
  • Ball Dumbbell Row: Lie face-down on a stability ball with the ball under your abdomen, your feet straight back behind you, and your arms extending in front of you toward the floor with a dumbbell in each hand (starting position). Make sure to engage your legs for stabilization. Row the dumbbells back by bending your elbows and pushing your shoulder blades together. Slowly return to starting position.
  • Seated Stability Ball Military Press: Sit on a stability ball with toes facing forward hip-width apart. Hold dumbbells at shoulder level with palms facing forward (starting position). Engage your glutes and core for stabilization. Press dumbbells overheads until both arms are fully extended. Slowly lower dumbbells to starting position.
  • Single-Leg Dumbbell Curl: Stand on one foot with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides (starting position). Keeping your core engaged and your elbows at your side, curl the dumbbells up to shoulder level. Slowly lower dumbbells to starting position. Switch legs half-way through the set.
  • Stability Ball Dumbbell Triceps Extensions: Lie on a stability ball with the ball at your shoulder blades, feet hip-width apart, toes facing forward, and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Engage core and glues to keep the shoulders, hips, and knees all in line. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight above you (starting position). Keeping your upper arms and elbows still, slowly lower your forearms down until the dumbbells reach the sides of your head. Raise dumbbells back up to starting position.
  • Step-Up to Balance: Stand facing a box or step with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides (starting position). Step onto the box with one foot and push body up so that you are standing on the box or step balancing on one leg. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Step back down to starting position. Repeat with other leg.
  • Ball Crunch: Lie on a stability ball with the ball at your lower back, feet hip-width apart, toes facing forward, and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Your head and the top of your shoulders will extend off of the ball. Place your hands behind your head with elbows sticking straight out (starting position). Engage your core and crunch up until your shoulder blades are off the ball. Slowly lower back to starting position.

I would encourage you to try this stabilization strength training workout 1-2 times per week over the next few weeks. Concentrate on the 4/2/1 tempo and your balance as you work in the unstable environments. I have some personal issues with balance (AKA, I fall over a lot), so when I started doing some stabilization phase training it really helped out!

Ok. That was a lot of information to read through, especially on a Monday morning. I’m impressed that you made it all the way down to this sentence. I hope you found it interesting and helpful. Feel free to shoot any questions or comments in the comment section, I would love to hear your thoughts!

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Run + Strength 30-Minute Workout

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A full body 30-minute workout that alternates between treadmill running and strength training circuits.

30-Minute Run + Strength Workout On Saturday it was -3 degrees outside with a -20 degree wind chill. That’s not ok. I was volunteering at the photo stop for the Valentine’s Day TC 5K and it was so, so, so very cold. I bundled up in lots of layers, but my poor feet were frozen. Despite putting hand warmer packets between my layers of socks I still lost all feeling. It felt like I was walking on nubs.

BUT despite the cold, it was such a great event! There were hundreds of volunteers and runners out there making the most of the day. Evidence here. The running community in Minnesota never ceases to amaze me.

After my body fully thawed I hit the treadmill for 10 miles. That is the most I have ever run on a treadmill and the longest I’ve run since the Philadelphia Marathon. I’m not going to lie, it was hard. I went slow and took a few short breaks (for mental not physical purposes), but I’m glad I did it. Even though my hips are still a little mad at me right now.

Anyways, I put together a workout involving the treadmill; however, instead of running 10 miles we are only going to be doing three 5-minute sets. Between those sets we are going to do a strength circuit. It’ll be fun.

30-Minute Run + Strength Workout With this routine you will get a full body workout, plus some cardio, in under 30 minutes.

Pretty cool, huh?

I think so. Not as cool at -20 degrees though, which is a good thing.

PS – Did you watch last night’s 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Live?! Oh.My.Goodness. I was dying.

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The 10-Minute Quick-I-Need-A-Workout Workout!

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This is your 10-minute quick-I-need-a-workout workout. Some days 10-minutes is just all that you have. But hey, that’s ok. 10 minutes is better than no minutes.

Quick, I Need A Workout! On Saturday my parents and younger brother were heading out early in the morning to drive to Sioux Falls for my sister’s birthday. I knew I wasn’t going to get a workout in, so I put this together as something we could all do quick in the morning before sitting in a car for 3.5 hours. My dad opted out, because he had to go “drive around and check things out” around the farm.

This workout consists of 10 exercises that you perform back-to-back for 1 minute each. It works your upper body, lower body, core and even includes a few cardio bursts. You can do this workout anywhere and the only equipment you need is some sort of timer – a stopwatch, a phone, an app, a microwave timer, whatever is convenient!

This is what you’ll do:

Quick, I Need A Workout! You may think, “10 minutes? What is even the point?” And if you do, I can totally see where you’re coming from, but I promise that his workout will still challenge you (Pushups for a minute? Not fun.) as long as you push yourself to work and make those 10 minutes worth it.

Plus, if 10 minutes is all that you have, then 10 minutes is what you should take.

So on Saturday morning at about 7:15am my mom, brother, and I started this workout. The first minute was spent doing jumping jacks while trying to stop laughing over the fact that we were doing jumping jacks… in a our dining room… while Taylor Swift played in the background. We were quite the sight. Another giggle-attack started during the lunges and then another during the pushups. The laughter just helped us burn a few extra calories! Regardless of the all the giggles, we did it and all felt better for it.

Besides being short and effective another bonus of this workout is that you don’t need to get re-ready afterwards. You’ll get your heart pumping, but you won’t be drenched in sweat. So if you need to squeeze in something during your lunch break, between work and happy hour, or even just on a super busy day, you won’t need to spend a lot of time to refresh yourself afterwards as you probably would after this workout or this workout.

This is perfect for all you business travelers out there! You can easily do this in your hotel room before heading out for the day or after work before going to dinner.

And what if you have more than 10 minutes? Do it twice. Or three times. Or add in a minute of burpees. Or a round of intervals on the treadmill. So many great options here!

The next time you don’t think your schedule will allow you to fit in a full on workout, try to at least carve out 10 minutes of time for this one! You won’t regret it.

As always, if you have any questions about the exercises feel free to ask them in the comments.

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