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blogilates:

POP Pilates Bikini Ready Abs Workout!

1. Torso Twist: Targets the obliques. Balance on your tailbone with back tall, knees bent, and ankles crossed. Now hold your hands together and bring your elbows wide. Inhale and try to touch your right elbow to the mat. Exhale and lift back towards center. Inhale and take your left elbow down to the mat. Exhale to center. Modification: Keep your heels down. Try 20 of these!

2. Cork Screw: Targets the lower abdominals. Rest on your elbows and tailbone with legs extended and heels pressed against each other, toes pointed. Make sure to keep your chest open with your shoulders back and away from your ears. Now imagine that there’s a clock in front of you. Keeping your legs straight, take your feet from 12 to 3 to 9 then back to 12 to complete 1 circle. Then reverse and go counter clockwise. Breathing: Inhale as your lower and exhale as you lift. Modification: Keep knees bent at a 90 degree angle as your circle the “clock”. Try 12 of these, alternating between clockwise and counter clockwise motions.

3. Criss-Cross: Targets the transverse abdominals. Lie on your back and place your hands on the nape of you neck behind your head. Keep your elbows wide! Now lift your shoulders off the mat so that your upper abs are engaged. Bring your left knee into your body as you lift your right shoulder towards that knee. Hold for 2 seconds, then switch! Breathing: Exhale as you reach and hold and inhale to switch. Try 20 of these.

4. Side Plank: Targets the obliques. Come onto your side and place your palm right underneath your shoulder with legs extended along the edge of your mat. As you come into your side plank, try to actively push your hips upwards to really engage the obliques. Hold for about 30 seconds! Then switch sides. Modification: Go onto you elbow and knee.

5. Teaser: Focuses on your total core strength. Begin lying on your back with arms extended behind you and legs elongated in front of you. Take a big inhale through your nose and on the exhale, squeeze your abs and lift up into a “V”. If this is difficult, don’t be discouraged! Simply go as high as you can and bend the knees if you need to. You’ll get stronger with time and practice. Try to holder your teaser for about 20 seconds.

Great job! Now repeat this whole sequence 3 more times to complete your full Pilates Bikini Abs workout.

Wanna print? Here’s the link to download the PDF » POP Pilates Bikini Ready Abs PDF

(via skinnyminibaby)

Really missing dance lately… and I’ve definitely lost my flexibility from not stretching or dancing in so many months!

I think tonight I’ll do some stretches and warm ups :)

I really need to buy measuring tape…