How to perform: Lie down flat on the floor with your toes pointed towards the ceiling and arms stretched above the heard. Simultaneously raise your feet and arms off the floor until your legs reach a 45-90 degree angle and your arms are directly over your belly button. Your shoulders should also be off the floor at this point. Slowly return to starting position, maintaining continuous tension and then repeat.
The following video warns against using momentum while performing a typical V-up and suggests possible variations to increase the intensity of this exercise.
- Three-point multi-directional lunge:
Jason Walsh, Jessica Biel’s trainer told Glamour magazine that walking lunges and multi-directional lunges are the main moves in her leg routine to keep her butt in prime shape. Multi directional lunges are also a great warm up before a long, outdoor run. When done explosively, they serve as a great conditioning drill to prepare for sports like hockey and tennis, which demand a lot of hustling in different directions.
How to perform: The image on the right demonstrates a forward lunge at point A, side lunge at point B and a backward lunge at point C.
For greater clarity, watch the following video.
- Inchworm:
Unlike popular exercises like sit-ups and leg raises, this move does not just work your abs in isolation; it challenges your entire core including the deepest muscles, the transversus abdominis. A strong core helps you stabilize your body weight a lot more efficiently and takes the load off all the other muscle groups, making way for more skilled, agile and pain free movement patterns in the body.
As reported to GQ magazine, celebrity trainer, Ron “Boss” Everline, often uses inchworms in the dynamic warm up circuits of R&B hit maker, Ne-Yo’s typical morning workouts to activate his core before making him perform mini-circuits of compound exercises. This approach, Everline, claims is ideal to maintain a lean look with a busy schedule.
How to perform: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hinge forward from the hips and walk your hands forward in front of your body into push up position while keeping your abs tight and legs straight (but not locked). Try to extend your hands further away from your shoulders for greater intensity and hold for as many seconds as you can, before walking right back into starting position.
For greater understanding, watch the exercise demonstrated in the following video.
- Single leg hip extension:
Despite ensuring occasional exercise, most of us sit too much, for far too long. This leads to tight hip flexors, weak hips and hamstring muscles to create the dreadful belly pooch over time. An exercise to counter this problem would be the single leg hip extension. Extending the hips, one leg at a time creates greater instability to provide a deeper challenge to the hips, hamstrings and the core, thus generating greater carry over benefits to motions that involve running, jumping, throwing or tackling.
Since, Hollywood actors need to maintain a great posterior and a flat stomach; this move comes highly recommended by Joe Dowdell, who has trained the likes of Eva Mendes.
Single leg hip extensions are also one of the many favored bodyweight moves by Rosie Huntington Whiteley, particularly when she is travelling and does not have access to a regular gym.
How to perform: Lie face up on the floor with your arms spread out to the sides. Bend your right leg at the knee while keeping your left leg straight. Raise your left leg until it reaches a 45-degree angle and from there lift your hips off the floor until your body forms a straight line from shoulder to knees. Hold at the top for a couple of seconds before coming back down and then repeat. Finish all your repetitions on one side before switching legs. To ensure correct form, watch the following video.
- 8 count bodybuilders:
Cameron Diaz’s trainer, Teddy Bass affirms that the best way to generate the greatest after burn from a good workout that does not demand several hours is to fit in time efficient fully body power moves that keep your heart rate up throughout the workout as well as tax all the major muscle groups.
The 8-count bodybuilder is a one-move workout in itself. At the end of a torturous circuit, it will particularly incinerate the fat off your body, leaving your lungs burning and your muscles pumped.
This is also one of the staple moves in the US Navy seal exercise regimes. When Rihanna was preparing for her role in 2012 movie, Battleship, she hired former navy officer, Jacqueline Carrizosa to help her realistically portray her role as Officer Cora Raikes. When it comes to conditioning, the one move Carrizosa swears by? You guessed it, the infamous 8-count bodybuilder!
How to perform: From standing position squat down towards the floor and thrust your legs out to get into a push up position. Perform a push up followed by a plank jack in which you jump out with your legs, on either side, at least hip width apart and back. Jump back into squat position and then stand back up. That is one repetition. Repeat.
For detailed illustration, watch the following video.