ABS ABS and MORE ABS. I could do crunches an hour a day, everyday just so I can cheat more and work off the extra guacamole!

My new year’s resolution? To eat smaller portions of everything more slowly. I mean seriously, who doesn’t enjoy chowing down on a huge bowl of guac in under 10 minutes? LOL I know I definitely do.

Along with my smaller portion goals, I’ve been thinking of ways we can be more efficient in our workouts in 2017. I wanto to maximize our calorie burn in 60 minutes or less.

Why? Because our society is simply TOO BUSY. We don’t allow for long workout sessions. Work, work and more work or so it seems. And after office hours don’t forget about your demanding kids, household chores, animals and husbands to feed—the list is endless! Anyone else agree?

To the women and men who make time in their lives to be great parents, successful workers, healthy eaters, and regular fitness fanatics, I toast my first glass of champagne in 2017 to YOU!

I’ve even gone so far as to try and simplify things so that your 2017 workouts become the most efficient in time management, fat burn and diversity ever!

SO I just love the bosu ball. It’s a great addition to anyone’s regular routine. Bosu’s are HARD. They’re DIFFERENT. You have to get CREATIVE with them. And when you’re dealing with your mid section, things can definitely get redundant.

Typical crunches can be SUPER BORING. I teach a ton of gym classes each week and can say from experience, us ladies and gents appreciate diversity. And believe it or not, so do our abdominals.

Our muscles get bored from repetitive activity in the same way that our brain does. Muscles can grow tired and stale FAST. If we don’t constantly learn and process new information, our brains get lazy and relaxed. So do our abs. Performing the same abdominal crunches each and every day will result in less calories being burned over time. To improve our abdominal performance and continuously make changes to them in a “lean and efficient” manner, we need to alter our fitness routines on a regular basis. I call it SHOCKING OUR MUSCLES… so they wake up and say “yikes, we need to work harder to keep up.”

So for a change of routine, try my fantastic bosu ball ab series 30 minutes a day, 3-4 days a week. With a clean diet, you’ll notice chiseled, sculpted, HOT abs in no time!

And make sure you are resting between exercises! Stand up or bring a mat you can rest your knees on between sets.

EXERCISE 1: UPSIDE DOWN BOSU BALL PLANKS HELD 1 MINUTE

Be sure to connect your core, tighten those cheeks and squeeze your pelvic floor muscles to maintain great form and protect your back! Keep your wrists under your shoulders and legs, ankles and toes together.

EXERCISE 2: UPSIDE DOWN BOSU BALL PLANK SIDE TAPS 1 MINUTE

Start from your centered plank position. Take your left leg to the side and tap the floor, then bring your leg to center, change your weight and repeat with the right leg. Repeat these taps over and over again for 1 minute.

EXERCISE 3: UPSIDE DOWN BOSU BALL MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS 1 MINUTE

Center yourself in plank position and begin by bringing one knee at a time in to touch the same side elbow and back to center. Alternate knees the entire minute.

Pick your speed! The more advanced you are, speed up your knees and run for the entire minute.

If you’re feeling lethargic or  tired, slow down your knees. Try not to bounce, keeping your tailbone and butt down just below shoulder level. If you have any lower back issues, stay on the safe side and lift your butt higher than those shoulders.

EXERCISE 4: UPSIDE DOWN BOSU BALL CROSSING MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS 1 MINUTE

Repeat your mountain climbers from the previous exercise only this time, bring your knee to the opposite elbow.

Choose your speed. If you were slow in the first set, I recommend speeding it up for this one!

EXERCISE 5: PLANK PUSH UPS 1 MINUTE

After at least a minute’s rest, get back into your plank position and bend those elbows nice and wide, lowering your chest and body within inches of the bosu.

As a modification, do baby elbow bends for the entire minute or alternate with full push ups and baby bends!

EXERCISE 6: UPSIDE DOWN BOSU BALL SKI JUMPS 1 MINUTE

From your plank position, soften those knees and jump to the side, back to center and then to the opposite side.

For more of a challenge, jump side to side and skip the center. You’ll definitely need to squeeze and engage your core and glutes. Start small and increase the size of your jumps the more stamina you build. After a few weeks it will become much easier!

 

EXERCISE 7: BASIC BOSU ABDOMINAL CRUNCHES 2 MINUTES

Keep your spine round, glutes and abs engaged as you roll down one vertebrae at a time. Keep those rib heads pressing inward as you pause and lift up at the same speed that you rolled down.

MODIFICATION:

Stretch your arms in front of you as you round up and down… the arms will help guide you up and make the motion slightly easier for you.

EXERCISE 8: BOSU BALL BASIC OBLIQUE LEG LIFTS 2 MINUTES

Maintain your position from the previous exercise and crunch your abs as you draw your left knee into your chest. As you lower and roll down, extend the same leg directly in front of you.

Repeat using the same leg for 1 minute.

Change legs for the second minute.

EXERCISE 9: DEAD BUG POSE ATOP THE BOSU 3 MINUTES

I love this one! It feels like kindergarten I guess… something fun towards the end of a great abdominal session!

Find your balance on this one. Take your time and position the base of your tailbone at the edge of the bosu ball with your shoulders off the ball. For neck support you can place your hands behind your head as you begin your crunches.

If you need help balancing, place those hands on the bosu. This will help!

Start crunching those abs by lifting your chest towards your thighs for 1 minute. The higher you can lift, the harder you will work your muscles.

During your second minute, reach your hands towards your feet and lift your chest even higher, up 2 and down 2 counts. Keep your spine slightly roung to protect it.

During minute 3, transition into your single leg extensions. Walk your hands up your left hamstring (back of the leg) and gently pull your leg towards you as you lift your chest. Release, scissor the legs and switch, grabbing the other leg. Repeat alternating legs for the entire minute.

EXERCISE 10: PURE BOSU OBLIQUES 1 MINUTE

Your abs are probably starting to burn by now and the good news is, you’ve completed the hardest parts!

Begin by sitting toward the base of the bosu with extended arms. Round your back and roll down as you open your chest and left arm to the side. Look in the direction of your arm. Roll back up to center and repeat to the right. Keep alternating sides for one minute.

EXERCISE 11: BOSU OBLIQUES IN PRAYER POSITION 1 MINUTE

Maintain your body position from exercise 10 and place your palms together in prayer position. Roll back with a rounded spine and rotate side to side. The lower you go, the more challenging a move for your obliques.

Exhausted yet? Now let’s repeat the entire 15 minute sequence one more time and you will be toned, tightened and sexy!

After 30 minutes of these guys, forget chiseled, I’m feeling SCORCHED! Most people place their abdominal sequence at the end of their workout routine. But guess what? I like to CHANGE IT UP and place my abs every once in a while, at the front of my workout. Try it and let me know how it goes. You may feel a bit more exhausted at the end of each workout! Great, right?

xx Shanna