J.
Swirl
Bring your knees over your hips. Your feet should be extended out in line with your knees, parallel to the floor, toes pointed.
Place the playground ball between your inner thighs and curl your head, neck, and shoulders up off the floor as high as you can. Your arms should float a few inches off the floor beside your body. Lower your legs to your point of control and hold them there.
Bring your right leg over your left leg, rotating the ball between your inner thighs. Now bring your left leg over your right leg. Continue rotating at a good pace, making sure that your head and shoulders remain lifted the entire time.
ADVANCED:
Work with your legs straighter and closer to the floor whenever possible. Just make sure you maintain a neutral spine!
P
HYSIQUE
57 T
IP
Watch your thoughts—be strong mentally. You’ll have more energy if you think of the results.
ROUND BACK
With our Round Back series, you continue to cinch your core while generating a lot of heat and increasing flexibility in the upper and lower back. These dance-inspired ab moves will keep you poised and graceful all day long, with a strong center to boot. Plus, with variations like the Showgirl and the Oblique Can-Can, it’s your own personal party—we’re so psyched for your midline!
MUSCLES TARGETED:
Entire abdominal wall
The Setup
Lie on the floor and prop yourself up on your forearms with your elbows directly under your shoulders. Your palms are flat on the floor, facing down.
Raise your legs straight up over your hips, and point your toes toward the ceiling. This is your starting position.
Try to maintain a concave feeling in your center during these exercises—if you feel like your lower back is starting to arch up off the floor, you’ve taken your legs too low.
Try to keep your shoulders away from your ears—imagine even your neck lengthening throughout this exercise.
VARIATIONS
A. Single Leg Lift
Lower your right leg to your point of control, then bring it back up to meet the left leg (in the workouts, we’ll do both sides).