D. Seat to Heels and Up with Ball
Place the playground ball between your inner thighs, squeezing it just enough to form an egg shape.
Bend your knees and glide straight down until your tailbone hovers above your heels, then come right back up to your starting position. Remember to keep your heels together the entire time and maintain the squeeze on the ball.
E.
Hip Shakes
Shake your hips first right, then left. Again, this is a small, controlled movement rather than a loose shake—your upper body remains still. Rather than swinging your hips wildly from side to side, you want to lift them up toward your shoulders by using your obliques—the muscles that lie along the sides of your torso and help to define your waistline. Pretend there’s a kickstand underneath your heels so they remain in position, not moving.
F. Hip Circles
Roll your hips forward, right, back, and left to make a complete circle. Keep your knees and shoulders as still as possible and concentrate the movement in your hips. Imagine that you are carving the circle carefully, deliberately, always maintaining control. This variation gets a lot of heat going in your abs!
ADVANCED:
You can always stay lower in this position!
Note: If you have any knee issues, stay up higher in the position
.
P
HYSIQUE
57 T
IP
Whenever you feel the heat, you are making muscle. If you’re not feeling it, what you’re doing isn’t working.
SMALL V INCLINE
This variation on Small V changes the angle of the spine to enable you to go farther and work deeper into your thigh muscles. We keep the calorie burn on high and make sure you’re achieving overload at every possible angle. This position also engages more of the core—an added bonus.
MUSCLES TARGETED:
Quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, core
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
A waist-high, sturdy piece of furniture
The Setup
Stand facing your furniture, about a forearm’s distance away, and hold on to it with your hands apart, slightly wider than your shoulders. Your feet are in Small V position: heels together, big toes 2 to 3 inches apart.
Holding on to your piece of furniture, bend your knees and incline your chest forward so your spine is at a 45-degree angle, then lower your seat as close to knee level as possible. Your arms are bent and remain bent while lowering; your feet are flat on the floor; your knees are over your ankles; and your neck and spine remain straight. This is your starting position.
VARIATIONS
A. Pulses
Bend your knees deeper and begin performing small pulses, up and down. Remember, this is a small, controlled movement—only about 2 or 3 inches. Your knees should remain anchored over your ankles throughout the movement. Maintain the angle of the torso and keep your feet flat.