Narrow push-up:

Keep your arms close to your side to work more of your triceps.

Knuckle Push-ups:

Start in a normal push-up with your hands a few inches apart from each other, below your shoulders; they should be a bit closer in than with regular push-ups. Instead of using a flat hand on the floor, make a fist and balance on your knuckles.

Eccentric push-ups:

Do a normal push-up but lower yourself down slowly for a couple seconds and rise normally. When you slow down you will get the blood flowing in your muscles.

Pike push-ups:

From the push-up position, put your hands in the shape of a diamond and lift your hips as high as they can go while keeping your legs and back straight with the top of your head pointing downward (you want to make a triangle shape out of your body). Push your body up and down, activating your shoulders.

Single-leg push-up:

Lift one leg up off the ground while doing a push-up. Switch legs on the next set. 

Up down Push-ups:

Start in a push-up position. Bend your left arm so you are now on your forearm. Then bend your right arm so you are in full forearm position. Come back up and do a push-up then repeat.

Shoulder tap push-ups:

Do a regular push-up and when you come up, tap your hand to your opposite shoulder and repeat with the other side.

Renegade row push-ups:

Start in push-up position with hands on dumbbells. Do a push-up. Row your right dumbbell and then your left. Repeat.

Feet-elevated push-ups:

Do a normal push-up, but with your feet elevated on a stable platform like a box or bench. The higher the platform, the more you’ll work your shoulders, chest, core, and scapular stabilizers.

Plank Challenge!!!

Follow along with me! 🙂

Forearm Plank (low plank):

Starting from standard plank position, lower yourself until you’re resting on your forearms. Keep forearms parallel to each other with hands flat on the ground or clasped together like I am.

Rocking Plank:

From a basic plank, rock forward on your toes until your shoulders move past your hands. Then push your shoulders backward until your heels extend beyond your toes. Move slowly and controlled.

Plank with shoulder Taps:

From a plank position, reach your right hand to touch your left shoulder. Put it back down and repeat with your left hand tapping your right shoulder. Try not to let your hips sway side to side as you move. This will keep the focus on a tight and stable core.

Walking Plank:

Start in plank position. Slowly lower your right arm down to your forearm then bring your left arm down as well so you are now supported by your forearms. Then place your right hand on the ground and begin to push your body back up, followed by your left hand. Repeat.

Side Plank:

Starting in plank position, bring your legs together until your heels touch. Lean to your left while lifting your right arm up toward the ceiling or rest it on your hip until you are balanced.

Side plank mermaid raise:

Get into a side plank position. Drop your bottom hip toward the ground. Then lift your hip up as high as you can and repeat.

Single arm plank:

Start in standard plank position. Slowly lift your right arm, extending it out in front of you. Keep your back flat and try not to tilt your hips. Repeat with your left arm.

Single-leg Plank:

Start in a plank position. Lift one leg up behind you, keeping your body flat and both the extended and supporting legs straight. Repeat on the other side.

Plank Toe Taps:

If jumping is too tough, you can always start by walking your legs out one at a time.

Plank Jacks:

Start in a plank with your legs together. Jump your feet out as if you were doing a horizontal jumping jack. Jump feet back together.

Here are some ab exercises you can try on the cable machine next time you are at the gym!

Cable Tuck Reverse Crunch:
Connect a rope to the cable machine.
You’re going to use a mat and lie back and grab the rope with both hands.
Then pull the rope forward in a crunching motion as you bring your knees in towards your abs.

Cable V up:
Lie flat on a mat
Then pull the cable forward and separate the rope as your legs come up.
You will be working some of your arms with this exercise as well.
But always make sure to keep your core engaged the entire time.
Cable scissors:
Lie back on a mat and grab the rope
Keep your arms extended the entire time while scissoring your legs back and forth
Go slow and controlled and you will definitely feel the burn!

Weighted Cable Crunch:
Attach a rope to the cable machine on the top setting.
Get down on your knees facing the cable machine.
Grab the rope and lower it until your hands are at the side of your head
From there, you’re going to crunch your body and bring your elbows down towards your knees.
You want to inhale as you come up and exhale as you come down and contract your abs.

Standing cable baseball swing:
Attach a handle to about head height on the cable machine
Grab the handle and distance yourself a little from the cable machine
Start with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and your feet are going to point in the direction that you are facing
Keep your arms fully extended during this entire exercise And pull the handle across your body to your opposite side.
You want to rotate through your trunk and keep a slight bend in your knees.
You want to perform this exercise in a controlled matter.
You don’t need a lot of weight for this.
If you’re struggling to move the handle or if you can only move it slowly, then the weight is too heavy.

In this video I am walking you through 9 different squat variations. I am starting with:

Back Squat:
Depending on where you hold the bar will have an impact on the muscle groups that you’re targeting.
When the bar is on your back, you have to bend forward to keep the bar stable
So as you come up you have to use more of your glutes and hamstrings to extend, and you are also still using your quads.

Front Squat:
When you squat down you have to keep more of an upright posture to balance the bar. So there is less forward bend at the hips. Which means you are going to use less glutes and hamstrings and it puts more emphasis on your quads. 
Start out with just the bar until you get the form right and then slowly start adding weight.

Narrow Stance:
You’re going to stand with your feet close together. Bend your knees keeping your back straight and bringing your things parallel with the floor. Come back up and squeeze your glutes at the top.
Single-Leg Box Squat:
For this exercise use a bench or a box and start in a seated position.
Lift one leg off the floor and find your balance to stand with your other leg.
Then you want to sit your hips back and slowly lower yourself down to keep the tension on your muscles.
Push back up with the heel of your foot and squeeze your glutes at the top

Bulgarian Split Squat:
Place your foot behind you on a bench or raised platform.
You want to keep your core tight and your back straight as you lower down and bend at the knee to really feel the stretch.
Putting that back leg up allows you to go lower with your front leg.
Going lower recruits more of your glutes!

Squat with Plate Raise:
For this squat exercise you will also be working your shoulders.
As you squat down, lift the plate up to shoulder level.
And then as you stand, drop the weight towards your hips and squeeze your glutes when you come up.
Goblet Squat:
For this exercise you can either hold the dumbbell in front of your chest or let it hang down like I am.
I like doing it like this so I feel it less in my back and when you hold it out in front of your chest its also going to target your quads more.
Keep your chest and head up and your back straight.

Cable Squat walk:
Put the cable on the lowest setting.
Then wrap your forearms around the bar.
You’re going to remain in a squatting position the entire time as you take a couple steps back and then a couple steps forward.

Cable Squat:
Put the cable on the lowest setting.
Keep your arms straight and lean back a little.
Slowly squat down
Then push up with your glutes and squeeze at the top.
Keep your weight in your heels and that will focus more on your glutes.