September's 30 Day Challenge


We are going to be working on a full body routine. Please modify if you're having trouble with any of the exercises. If the exercises are too easy, use dumb bells or a weighted vest to increase difficulty.


The 3 Challenges we have for the month of September are:

Lunges, Push Ups & Core (which will include: Crunches, Planks)


Lunges - Exercise for strengthening, sculpting and building several muscle groups in the legs.

Directions:
1. Stand with your torso upright & your hands by your sides. This will be your starting position.
2. Step forward with your right leg around 2 feet or so from the foot being left stationary behind and lower your upper body down, while keeping the torso upright and maintaining balance. Inhale as you go down.
3. Using mainly the heel of your foot, push up and go back to the starting position as you exhale.
4. Repeat the movement for the recommended amount of repetitions and then perform with the left leg.


Push Ups - Exercise for strengthening, sculpting and building several muscle groups in the chest, arms and the midsection as a whole.

Directions:
1. Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart while holding your torso up at arms length.
2. Next, lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
3. Now breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest.
4. After a brief pause at the top contracted position, you can begin to lower yourself downward again for as many repetitions as needed.


Core (which will include: Crunches, Planks) - Exercise for strengthening, sculpting and building several muscle groups in your midsection.

Crunch Directions:
1. Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground & your hands lightly on either side of your head keeping your elbows in.
2. While pushing the small of your back down in the floor to better isolate your abdominal muscles, begin to roll your shoulders off the floor.
3. Continue to push down as hard as you can with your lower back as you contract your abdominals and exhale. Your shoulders should come up off the floor only about four inches, and your lower back should remain on the floor. At the top of the movement, contract your abdominals hard and keep the contraction for a second.
4. After the one second contraction, begin to come down slowly again to the starting position as you inhale.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Plank Directions:
1. Get into a prone position on the floor, supporting your weight on your toes and your forearms. Your arms are bent and directly below the shoulder.
2. Keep your body straight at all times, and hold this position as long as possible. To increase difficulty, an arm or leg can be raised.