Monday Muscle: Anatomy of the Obliques

The internal and external obliques, also known as the side, are muscles located in the trunk. The external oblique is the largest and outermost muscle of the abdomen. It extends from the iliac crest to ribs 5 – 12. The internal oblique lies below the external oblique.

What They Do – The obliques are responsible for the movement of the spine.

Spinal Flexion: The obliques work to flex the spine, allowing the spine to move forward while the thorax moves towards the pelvis.

Spinal Rotation: The obliques work to create rotary movement, which allows the spine to move side to side.

Lateral Spinal Flexion: The obliques work to flex the spine, allowing the spine to move left or right while the thorax moves to the side towards the pelvis.

Exercise – Follow the next post and I’ll show you how to do side bridges.

Answer This...

What percentage of gym memberships go unused?

About 60%!

HIIT at HOME: Do This Quick, Calorie Burning Workout

It's cold outside! And if you live in the Midwest like I do (I'm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin), it's been snowing.....a lot! Don't let the cold and snow stop you from getting your weightloss workout in. Do this HIIT workout routine complete with body weight exercises you can do from home.

What is HIIT?

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. This type of calorie burning workout is great for weightloss, burning fat and the perfect addition to your current weight training program. When you do a HIIT workout routine, you combine bursts of quick, all out physical activity with short recovery periods. (Example: sprint for 1 minute, walk for 30 seconds). HIIT workouts are versatile and can be done almost anywhere.

HIIT Workout

This HIIT workout routine includes 3 different rounds of bodyweight exercises - no equipment needed! Remember to keep your quick bursts intense and keep moving during the rest periods (walking, deep breathing, etc).

Round 1:

Complete each body weight exercise for 30 seconds followed by a 15 second rest period

Jumping Jacks

Butt Kickers

Burpees

Round 2:

Complete each body weight exercise for 45 seconds followed by a 30 second rest period

Jump Squats

Mountain Climbers

Flutter Kicks

Round 3:

Complete each body weight exercise for 1 minute, followed by a 45 second rest period.

Lateral Jumps

Lunge Kicks

Plank Jacks

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