ADVENT CALENDAR OF CORE: DAY 2
Good Morning Wild Runners. First up, if you don’t know how you got here or you are wondering what the Advent Calendar of Core is check it out here.
For those of you who are already committed to improvement, lets get into it.
Today is the second day of our core tune up and we are going add another basic exercise into the mix: the lateral bridge or side plank. Don’t panic, we will be keeping our workouts short and manageable and you won’t end up having to do 25 different core exercises in a row on Christmas day!
Side Plank Exercise Cues
Like in the picture below, the basic side plank is performed by transferring our weight through one forearm and two feet. The elbow of your supporting arm should be directly below your supporting shoulder. Our trunk is held straight so that we are neither sagging towards the floor or bowing our bodies forward or backwards. We are going to hold our top arm straight upwards to help us balance on our opposite arm. Small adjustments of our hand can help us stay upright but if you find your hand waving around like you are drowning out at sea, STOP. Hold your shoulder blades down and in and activate your glutes (think $50 note!). Remember to breath and definitely remember to smile!
Your side plank should look like this.
The Exercise Set:
Yesterday we found out which exercise level we should follow so let’s try to stick at that level as we progress. If you are jumping straight in at day two, find out how to hold the plank position correctly here. Remember these exercise are all about form. Anyone can plank curled like a banana but your back will hate you and your core won’t get the workout it needs. If you find yourself shaking uncontrollably, you are sagging in the middle or your back is starting to ache, STOP.
Here are the exercises. Find your level, take five mins to look after yourself and let’s do it!
| Step | Instruction | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hold a Side Plank on your right arm | 10 seconds | 20 seconds | 40 seconds |
| 2 | Rest | 30 seconds | 30 seconds | 20 seconds |
| 3 | Hold a Front Plank | 10 seconds | 20 seconds | 40 seconds |
| 4 | Rest | 30 seconds | 30 seconds | 20 seconds |
| 5 | Hold a Side Plank on your left arm | 10 seconds | 20 seconds | 40 seconds |
| 6 | Rest | 2 mins | 2 mins | 2 mins |
| 7 | Repeat Circuit | 1 more time (2 sets total) | 1 more time (2 sets total) | 1 more time (2 sets total) |
Nice work!
Remember, get down and treat your core, reading this page is not enough!
Let us know how you go in the comments below or by posting a picture on Facebook with #CalendarOfCore .
See you tomorrow for day three where we will add another exercise and go “around the world”!
Please note: these are exercises recommended for fit and healthy individuals with no medical history. Please consult your doctor to ascertain the suitability of each exercise before following the Calendar of Core.
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