"Easy AB Workout"

The goal of the core training program is to improve the athlete’s performance and function. An athlete must keep optimal postures for performance, even as gravity and other players fight against him/her. We want muscular support (stability) on all sides of the trunk. This includes strengthening muscles of the lumbar spine, pelvic, and hip area.

The abdominal area transfers power from the lower body to the upper body. The lumbar spine, pelvis and hip musculature are the origins and insertions of many muscles that power the arms and legs. Without a strong core, using these muscles is like an offensive lineman pushing a defensive lineman on skates. A strong core also leads to balanced and skillful movement because the body’s center of gravity is located in this area.

I recently took the Howard County Housewives, a highly motivated group of ladies, with an average age in the upper 30’s, through an abdominal workout as part of their group conditioning class. The structure of the workout was as follows: mini-band exercises, dynamic warm-up, agility ladder drills, abdominal exercises, 50 box jumps, squat ladder (1-10), and sprints on a basketball court.

I would like to have included a few more abdominal exercises but was restricted in equipment because the class was not performed in the weight room. The primary objective of this workout was to incorporate safe and effective exercises in a group setting to train the abdominal musculature.

1. V-Sit - Hold for 30 seconds
2. Static Hold - Top of push-up position for 30 seconds
3. Side Bridge (L) - Hold for 30 seconds
4. Front Bridge - Hold for 30 seconds.
5. Side Bridge (R) - Hold for 30 seconds
6. Vertical Sit-Up - Continuous for 30 seconds
7. Push-ups - 5 perfect reps
8. Horizontal Abduction w/ Tube - Hold for 30 seconds (balance the push-ups)
Repeat immediately for three rounds!


Holding a dumbell overhead stimulates the core and shoulders.

Interval Training for Fat Loss

A properly performed interval training program can increase fat burning and improve cardiovascular fitness. Interval training incorporates high intensity work effort followed by relief intervals. Research has shown that the total amount of calories burned is elevated up to 142 percent within the hour after exercise with high intensity intervals as compared to low level aerobics. Research has also shown that the calorie expenditure may last up to 48 hours after exercising. High intensity, short duration exercise is the most efficient route to effective fat loss and total fitness.

I recently took the Howard County Housewives, a highly motivated group of ladies, with an average age in the upper 30’s, through an interval training workout. An interval training workout can incorporate various activities such as a row machine, stair stepper, elliptical trainer, sprinting, etc…this particular workout took place on a Cybex Arc Trainer. I used a training protocol promoted by Doc Wilson (docwilson111@yahoo.com). Doc holds a PhD and is a biochemist, physiologist, and nutritionist.

The interval training regimen recommended by “Doc’ calls for a 40 second “fast” portion followed by a 20 second “very fast” portion. This is followed by one minute of a “slower” portion of active recovery. I would characterize the effort level for the “fast” portion as a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. The “very fast” portion is an all-out effort or a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. Five to eight cycles are recommended however fewer (4 intervals) may be necessary if the athlete is working very, very hard.

0:40 “fast” (effort level 7 on scale of 1-10)
0:20 “very fast” (effort level 10 on scale of 1-10)
1:00 “slower” (effort level 3-5 on scale of 1-10)
Repeat 5 to 8 reps (only 4 are necessary if going very, very hard)

The housewives proceeded to complete 7 cycles of intervals on the Cybex Arc Trainer with an incline adjusted to level 10 and a resistance to level 50. I thought this was an appropriate incline and resistance level for the majority of participants for a first time workout on the Arc Trainer. Individual adjustments can be made in the future to accommodate the varying fitness levels. Less fit participants can push their heart rate to easily tolerable limits while the more fit individuals can be aggressive in their approach and push their heart rate to higher levels. *

An interval training workout would typically include an appropriate warm-up and cool down. Because this was part of a group conditioning class, the structure of the workout was as follows: mini-band exercises, dynamic warm-up, mini-hurdle agility and plyometric drills, Tabata squats, intervals on the Cybex Arc Trainer, and abdominal exercises.

*Check with your doctor to make sure you do not have a health problem that can make exercise unsafe for you.

Counting 64 jumps in 30 sec.