[GROUP FULL] SPARTANS: No Excuses November Chat - Wk 1

Great job everyone!!! Way to ***BRING IT*** right out of the gate!

***** SPARTANS! *******

Here are your orders for today and tomorrow (for our international time travelers)

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==== DAY THREE CHALLENGE ====
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FLEXIBILITY. 5, 10, 15 minutes of flexibility routine. inner thigh, hamstrings, calves. Especially after those calf raises yesterday! Make sure you are breathing very steady and slow, really quiet your mind, oxygenate your brain, oxygenate your cells, while you're holding your stretches.

Here is a great video - 3 minutes long with some suggestions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AFb1DmNiT4&feature=related

Enjoy the break, Spartans, because we're back at it on Day FOUR!

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==== DAY FOUR CHALLENGE ====
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CORE. Super intense abs! Not just ANY sit up or crunches - Spartan Style! This circuit will BLAST your obliques, lower abs, and then crush the entire core.

Side Jackknife Crunch

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The side jackknife crunch is the most intense oblique exercise there is, but once again, the majority of the resistance is isometric. To perform a side jackknife crunch, lie on your right side on an exercise mat. Place your right hand palm-down out in front of yourself for balance. Place your left fingertips behind your ear. Lift your left leg, performing a side leg-lift. At the same time, perform a side crunch. At the top of the movement, contract your left oblique abdominal muscle as hard as you can. Hold for a moment, then release back down. Perform in sets of 10 to 20 reps.

Reverse Crunch

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There is argument over whether it's possible to work the lower abs more intensely during an exercise, or if the entire rectus abdominis acts as one muscle. Still, it's good to perform abdominal exercises that are intended to target the lower abs, if only to add some variety to your routine that will shock your abs into growth. The "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding" explains that you should lie on your back, lift your legs and point your toes toward the ceiling, keeping a slight bend in your knees. Keep your hands on the ground at your sides for stability. Crunch your abs, lifting your butt of the ground and tilting your pelvis toward your ribcage. Hold the contraction. Release back to the ground. Perform in sets of 10 to 20 reps.

Abdominal hold

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The abdominal hold doesn't look like a crunch, but it's a *very* intense one. To keep your body from rotating, your entire core contracts, and your rectus abdominis crunches very hard. To perform an abdominal hold, you need a weight bench or a very sturdy wooden chair. Sit with your hands solidly on the seat and your fingertips gripping the edge. Press down through your palms and raise your butt off the seat and your feet off the ground. Fitness Magazine explains that you should hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds before lowering yourself. Repeat for a full minute.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/136948-the-best-kinds-crunches-abs/#ixzz1cdYbK9rP

Note: If you can't get to the full set listed, do as many as you can. If you can easily get to it, try to double it and get as far as you can. This goes for all challenges! Beginners, go for half.