Abs and Booty Blast

Format: Perform each movement for the recommended reps/time and repeat entire circuit for 3 rounds

1. Lateral Skipping Sumo Squats (0:45-1:00)

• Begin standing with your feet slightly wider than hip distance in a sumo squat, with your right foot elevated on a bosu ball or rolled up towel.
• With your core engaged, squat down by shooting your booty back behind you, keeping your chest up (don’t bend forward) and weight back in your heels.
• As you drive through your heels and power through your posterior chain to come back to a standing position, hop laterally to your right, switching the foot that is on the object to land in a sumo squat on the other side. 
• Perform this movement back and forth hopping from right to left out of your squat.
• MOD: Take the low impact variation by removing the jump and simply stepping from side to side.

2. Inchworm to Side Plank (3-5 each side)

• Begin standing at the end of your mat, bend your knees to squat down and place your hands on the ground below your shoulders. 
• Walk your hands out into a tall plank keeping your core tight and back flat (not arched) and pivot your body to one side,  reaching your arm up to the side.
• Your hand that’s making contact with the floor should be stacked below your shoulder, and you can stack or scissor your feet (one foot behind the other). Option to also lift the top leg for a more challenging star plank variation.
• Rotate back down to your tall plank position and walk yourself back up to standing, and repeat on the other side. 
• MOD: Perform the side plank rotation from a kneeling plank position.

3. Thrusters (8-12)

• Position your back on an elevated surface (couch or chair). Get the edge of the surface at the base of your shoulder blades. Bend your knees and have them at 90 degrees.
• Optionally, add one to two weighted objects to your hip creases.
• Drop your hips down toward the floor and then press up, driving your heels down and squeezing your glutes at the top.
• Drop your hips back down toward the floor with control and repeat. 
• MOD: Perform a bridge lift which will target these muscles in a similar fashion. Lie on the mat with your lower back pressed down and knees bent. Press your hips up and squeeze your glutes. Repeat.

4. Ball Pass Through (8-10)

• Lie on your back with your core engaged and your exercise ball or towel/pillow between your feet. 
• With your lower back pressed slightly into the mat and your legs bent or straight, bring your legs and arms together to transfer the ball into your hands.
• Extend your body out by bringing your arms overhead and your legs straight out, all while keeping your lower back pressing into the mat. 
• Reverse that movement by bringing your arms and legs back together to transfer the ball back to your feet. Repeat this movement back and forth. 
• MOD: Keep your knees bent throughout this. You may also keep your head down on the mat.

5. Single Leg Deadlift (8-10 each side)

• Begin standing with your weighted objects in each hand with shoulder blades pulled back and down and core engaged.
• Keeping both feet on the ground, perform 2-5 deadlifts to set your form. Hinge forward keeping your weighted objects close to your body (they will kiss your shins as you get to that point in your bend) while pressing your hips back. Your core should remain engaged and you will only bend forward to 90 degrees – with a flat back. Your knees may remain soft (not hyperextended). 
• Using the strength in your glutes,  return to your start position the same way you came down.
• Once you feel stable and satisfied with your form, transition to one leg. Perform the same movement on one leg. Tap your other foot down anytime for stability. Use lighter or no weight at all if you are new to this, as the form is tricky on one leg.
• MOD: Perform deadlifts on both feet to continue to master your form. Once you can do regular deadlifts with some weight, build up to the single leg deadlift with no weight at all. Add it in once you can perform 8-12 single leg deadlifts on both legs with no weight without stopping.

6. Back Extensions (8-12)

• Position yourself over your exercise ball so the ball is at the base of your stomach. Put your feet against the wall and begin bent over the ball.
• Position your hands below your chin and lift your torso upward using your lower back and upper glutes to reach full extension.
• Pause briefly, then return to the starting position.
• MOD: Do this on the ground with a rolled up towel under your hips instead of an exercise ball, or simply fully extended on the mat with no towel as the top half of a superwoman lift..