Aquajock
Cathlete
I've been meaning to do this one for awhile now, so here goes:
As with my other DVD cardio and cardio-leg-circuit mish-moshes, these ab mish-moshes work best with a multi-disc (preferably 5-disc) DVD player so that you can advance to the next DVD without a whole lot of rest or futzing-around-with-the-player time.
A real epoch in my ab life was when I discovered Cathe's Cross Train Express (CTX, for all the newer converts) Kickbox core/ab routine, ESPECIALLY the initial prone (face-down) planks, supine planks with leg raises, and roll-ups. I use that kick-off for almost every Cathe ab routine I do (with the exception of the new Core Max routines). There's something about the knee / leg recruitment that I really like, and I very much like the supine roll-ups afterward. I find I can kick up the intensity of these even more when I wear 2-lb per hand hand weights (that you can get at Power Systems / www.power-systems.com). I also find I can upkick the intensity of the roll-ups by drawing my hands up and crossing them over my chest on the roll-down phase, keeping them crossed over my chest during the initial roll-up phase and then extending them toward the toes only after I've gotten past the "sticky point" that we know so well from that drill.
I've placed a little
beside each of my personal faves. EACH of the following ab mish-moshes BEGINS with the CTX Kickbox prone / supine planks and roll-ups; then goes on to:
High Step Challenge ab / core (no equipment needed; Hard Core series)
Muscle Max abs / core (no equipment needed; Hard Core series)
Pyramid Upper Body abs / core (Stability ball needed; Intensity Series) (note you an substitute an 8-lb med ball or an 8- to 10-pound weight plate for side-to-side seated core twists and wood chops seated on the ball)
Muscle Endurance abs / core (Med. ball needed; Intensity Series)
Cardio + Weights abs / core (no equipment needed; Intensity Series)
Leaner Legs traditional abs (no equipment needed; CTX Series; Ab Hits DVD)
All Step abs (no equipment needed; CTX Series; Ab Hits DVD)
Slow and Heavy Traditional Abs (no equipment needed; CTX Series plus Slow and Heavy Series; Ab Hits DVD)
*****
This one does NOT incorporate CTX Kickbox planks, but it's a doozy:
Kick Punch Crunch (KPC) PLUS Step Jump Pump (SJP) abs (stability ball and an 8-lb dumbbell, weight plate or med ball needed; note ball planks, knee roll-downs and pikes on the ball are OPTIONAL, as you get plenty of plank work at the tail end of SJP) (Body Blast Series; KPC and SJP DVDs; Timesaver DVD {workouts 3 and 5})
*****
I've done the Core Max stability ball and med ball workouts so far, with predictably clown-like results (my husband almost blew out his diaphragm watching me try to do side-lying crunches on the ball); I think the real mountain to climb with that particular disc will be the Tough Core premix (has anyone noticed that she's airbrushed out, like, ALL OF THE REST PERIODS?!)
Hope you enjoy these! And in case anyone thinks this is not-so-subtle encouragement to get more Cathe DVD's for their core work . . . you're right.
Have a great weekend!
A-Jock
As with my other DVD cardio and cardio-leg-circuit mish-moshes, these ab mish-moshes work best with a multi-disc (preferably 5-disc) DVD player so that you can advance to the next DVD without a whole lot of rest or futzing-around-with-the-player time.
A real epoch in my ab life was when I discovered Cathe's Cross Train Express (CTX, for all the newer converts) Kickbox core/ab routine, ESPECIALLY the initial prone (face-down) planks, supine planks with leg raises, and roll-ups. I use that kick-off for almost every Cathe ab routine I do (with the exception of the new Core Max routines). There's something about the knee / leg recruitment that I really like, and I very much like the supine roll-ups afterward. I find I can kick up the intensity of these even more when I wear 2-lb per hand hand weights (that you can get at Power Systems / www.power-systems.com). I also find I can upkick the intensity of the roll-ups by drawing my hands up and crossing them over my chest on the roll-down phase, keeping them crossed over my chest during the initial roll-up phase and then extending them toward the toes only after I've gotten past the "sticky point" that we know so well from that drill.
I've placed a little
beside each of my personal faves. EACH of the following ab mish-moshes BEGINS with the CTX Kickbox prone / supine planks and roll-ups; then goes on to:High Step Challenge ab / core (no equipment needed; Hard Core series)
Muscle Max abs / core
(no equipment needed; Hard Core series)Pyramid Upper Body abs / core (Stability ball needed; Intensity Series) (note you an substitute an 8-lb med ball or an 8- to 10-pound weight plate for side-to-side seated core twists and wood chops seated on the ball)
Muscle Endurance abs / core (Med. ball needed; Intensity Series)
Cardio + Weights abs / core (no equipment needed; Intensity Series)
Leaner Legs traditional abs (no equipment needed; CTX Series; Ab Hits DVD)
All Step abs (no equipment needed; CTX Series; Ab Hits DVD)
Slow and Heavy Traditional Abs (no equipment needed; CTX Series plus Slow and Heavy Series; Ab Hits DVD)
*****
This one does NOT incorporate CTX Kickbox planks, but it's a doozy:
Kick Punch Crunch (KPC) PLUS Step Jump Pump (SJP) abs (stability ball and an 8-lb dumbbell, weight plate or med ball needed; note ball planks, knee roll-downs and pikes on the ball are OPTIONAL, as you get plenty of plank work at the tail end of SJP) (Body Blast Series; KPC and SJP DVDs; Timesaver DVD {workouts 3 and 5})
*****
I've done the Core Max stability ball and med ball workouts so far, with predictably clown-like results (my husband almost blew out his diaphragm watching me try to do side-lying crunches on the ball); I think the real mountain to climb with that particular disc will be the Tough Core premix (has anyone noticed that she's airbrushed out, like, ALL OF THE REST PERIODS?!)
Hope you enjoy these! And in case anyone thinks this is not-so-subtle encouragement to get more Cathe DVD's for their core work . . . you're right.
Have a great weekend!
A-Jock
