The Fat Burn Revolution (25 page)

You’ll be down on your mat for this exercise working the lower back, core muscles and bum. Activating and strengthening these muscles will help you
to move safely and efficiently, so exercises like this are very important foundation for real-world fitness. This is also a great exercise for improving posture and helping to correct imbalances in
the way you move or stand.

1
Get down on to your hands and knees. Knees should be directly below your hips and your palms on the mat with your wrists directly beneath your
shoulders. Look down at the mat, keeping your neck in-line with your spine. Engage your core muscles and ensure your back is straight, not arching up or bowing downward.

2
In a slow and controlled motion, raise and extend your right arm until it is straight out beside your head, parallel to the floor. Once your right
arm is in place, extend your left leg straight out behind you until it is also parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds, maintaining a flat back and thinking about extending from
your fingertips to your toes.

3
Lower the arm and leg back to the starting position then repeat with the left arm and right leg.

basic crunch

The only workouts you regret are the ones you fail to do.

target area
belly               

The abdominal crunch is a simple, easy-to-master tummy exercise suitable for even total beginners. Get ready to take your first step towards a flat,
sculpted belly.

1
Lie face up on your mat and bend your knees, placing the feet flat on the mat, close to your bum. Slide your hands behind your head to gently
support the weight of the skull as you perform the exercise. Let your elbows point out to the sides and keep them in that position throughout the movement.

2
Exhale hard and pull in your abdominal muscles as you curl your ribcage and lift your shoulder blades up off the mat.

3
Hold for a second at the top of the movement and then gently lower your back down onto the mat. This is one repetition.

side crunch

You are not a quitter

It’s not a question of ‘can you?’ but ‘will you?’.

target area
core               

Side crunches are a simple yet challenging move to help tauten and tighten the sides of the waist.

1
Lie face up with both of your knees bent, feet flat on the mat. Twist the hips to drop your knees to one side, keeping your upper body flat on the
mat. Place your hands behind your head in the same way as basic crunches.

2
Perform the crunch move by curling the upper body straight up off the floor, exhaling hard and contracting your abdominal muscles as you lift.

3
Pause for a second at the top of the movement before slowly lowering your back down onto the mat. This is one repetition. Complete your reps on
one side before beginning the exercise on the opposite side.

steam engine

target area
thighs & core               

This exercise shifts your fat-burning engine into high gear and gets you puffing away like you’re steam powered! You’ll be building core
strength, tightening the tummy and improving your balance in this locomotive-like move.

1
Stand up straight with your hands behind your head, elbows out to the sides, and your feet about hip-width apart, firmly planted on the
floor.

2
Lift the left knee as high as you can while twisting the body down and bringing the right elbow down towards it. Aim to get elbow and knee to
touch, but if you can’t do that just press them towards each other as closely as you can.

3
Return to the starting position before lifting the right knee and lowering the left elbow. Keep repeating on alternate sides.

 

TIPS

Think about ‘crunching’ the abs as you bring the knee and elbow together

Exhale as the elbow and knee come in, inhale as you straighten up

Keep the elbows pointing out to the side of the head, do not allow them to creep in

Start performing the movement slowly while you master the form and then speed up the pace