BeWOW: Killer Abs, Legs and Chest Workout

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This week’s workout focuses on your legs, chest and abs. Here’s how it work: You’ll start with a lunge circuit and a relatively light weight. In the first round, you’ll do 15 front lunges, 15 side lunges, and 15 rear lunges on the right, and then 15 of each on the left. Then, move on the the Chest/Abs Circuit, which includes six exercises (below) at 20 reps each. After that, you’ll start round two, going back to the Lunge Circuit, increasing your weight, and doing 12 reps of each exercise. Round two ends with another Chest/Abs Circuit with 20 reps of those exercises. For the final round, you’ll increase your weight again, doing 10 reps of the lunges on the left and right, and finishing with the Chest/Abs Circuit once again. Good luck!

BeWOW: Legs, Chest and Abs

Lunge Circuit
Front
Side
Back

Chest/Abs Circuit
Push-ups
Sit-ups
Chest fly
Ab twists
Plank up-downs
Crunches

Round 1: 15 reps for the Lunge Circuit, 20 reps for the Chest/Abs Circuit. Use a lighter weight.
Round 2: 12 reps for the Lunge Circuit, 20 reps for the Chest/Abs Circuit. Use a medium weight.
Round 3: 10 reps for the Lunge Circuit, 20 reps for the Chest /Abs Circuit. Use a heavy weight.

Explanation of exercises
*Click the links below for how-to videos.

Push-up: Start lying face down with your chest on the floor, with hands facing forward and palms down in line with your shoulders; elbows should be pointing back. Push up until arms are extended (the inside of the elbow should be facing forward) and drop back down.

Sit-up: Lie on your back with feet on the floor and knees bent. Put your hands behind your ears. Without pulling on your neck and using only your abs, lift your shoulders off the mat and come to a full sit-up position. Lie back down slowly.

Chest fly: Lying on your back (it’s easiest on a bench), hold a weight in each hand with arms up over your chest. Drop arms to the sides until they are straight out from your shoulders and raise them back up, contracting in your chest.

Ab twists: Sit on the ground with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Lean back, lift your feet, and twist your torso side to side tapping the ground on either side, using your abs to twist.

Plank up-downs: Start in a plank on your elbows. Press up to your hands starting with your right hand, then one arm at a time return back down to your elbows. Stay in a plank the whole time with your shoulders right over your elbows and wrists. For this workout, do 10 with the right hand leading, then 10 with the left leading.

Crunches: Get in sit-up position, with knees bent and hands behind the head. Without pulling the neck, squeeze your abs and sit halfway up. Hold for a beat, and return to starting position.

>> Did you complete this week’s BeWOW? Tell us how you did in the comments! Or, feel free to tweet at us about it using the hashtag #BeWOW. Check out all the BeWOW workouts here.

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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every Monday right here on Be Well Philly.