Top 10 Best Ab Exercises #2

#2

Captain's Chair

1. Stand on the chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.
2. Press your back against the pad and keep the shoulders relaxed.
3. Bend the knees and contract the abs to lift the knees to hip level.
4. Try not to arch the back or swing the legs up.
5. Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

Top 10 Best Ab Exercises

#1

Bicycle

1. Lie face up on your mat and place your hands behind your head, lightly supporting it with your fingers.
2. Bring the knees in to the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the floor without pulling on the neck.
3. Rotate to the left, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee as you straighten the other leg.
4. Switch sides, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee.
5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

How to Make a Barre Studio at Home

Leave ample room: While micro movements are everything in a barre workout, you've got to have space to move around. Make sure you set up your studio in a spot with lots of room for fluid movement.

Build your barre: You may consider investing in a portable ballet barre, but there are lots of ways to get creative with furniture you've already got in your home. Find a counter or grab a chair for a makeshift barre. Either will do the trick as a substitute for the real thing.

Roll out your mat: Bring your Pilates or yoga mat out whenever you're moving through a dance-inspired workout at home. Your mat gives your feet necessary traction when performing the barre routine, so you're not slipping and sliding all over your home's floor — or worse, rolling your ankle!

Keep reading for two more tips for creating a barre studio at home.

Grab some weights: Plenty of barre workouts employ the help of some light weights for intensified strength-training purposes. You might have eight or 10 pound weights in your home already, but be sure to grab a pair of small three-pound handheld weights that don't get in the way of your ability to perform.

How to Make B Vitamin Water for Natural Energy

You will need…

-Sprig of rosemary (B1)
-1 sliced lemon (B2)
-1 Peach (B3)
-5 or 6 chunks of Watermelon or Pineapple (B6)
-Handful of raspberries (B5)

Directions

Slice up your fruit into roughly equal sized pieces and place in a pitcher. Fill the pitcher with cold water, and then let the mixture infuse in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. Pour a glass and enjoy daily, changing the fruit after 5 days or so.

Homemade Cliff Bars (no bake!)

Ingredients

• Homemade Cliff Bars (no bake!)
• There is plenty of room for variation here, so let your mind and tastebuds run wild. I have a few variation ideas to get you started. And yes, you can definitely double this recipe and press into a 13×9-inch pan insteads of an 8-inch pan.
• 1 and ¼ cups crisp rice cereal (e.g., I like Erwhon Crisp Brown, but Rice Krispies are fine)
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal)1/4 cup finely chopped dried fruit (e.g., raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, etc.)
• ¼ cup finely chopped nuts or seeds (pepitas are great)
• ⅓ cup honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup
• ½ cup nut or seed butter of your choice (e.g., peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Combine the rice cereal, oats, flaxseed meal, dried fruit, and nuts in a large bowl.
2. Combine the syrup and nut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted and well-blended (alternatively microwave in small microwave-safe bowl 30-60 seconds until melted). Stir in vanilla until blended.
3. Pour nut butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until coated (use a wooden spoon at first, then get your hands in it. It will be sticky, but this way you can really coat everything. Just scrape off your hands when you’re done).
4. Press mixture firmly into an 8-inch square pan (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray) using a large square of wax paper (really tamp it down).
5. Cool in pan on a wire rack, then chill at least 30 minutes to help it set.
6. Cut into 12 bars. (Wrap bars tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator).

Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn

Ingredients:

• 8 cups popped popcorn
• 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
• Cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Spread popcorn in a single layer on a baking sheet.
2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate, stirring often, until smooth.
3. Drizzle chocolate over popcorn then dust with cocoa powder.
4. Let the chocolate firm up then serve.

Zucchini Pizza Bites Recipe

Jazz up your pizza! The next time you want to make mini pizza bagel bites, try using zucchini slices as the crust instead. It’s an easy way to add some more vegetables to your snack routine. 

Cut one or two zucchinis (the more bites on your plate, the merrier) into quarter inch slices. Spray or brush on some olive oil to both sides so they won’t stick when you cook them. Grill them for about two minutes per side. Then, add pizza sauce and cheese and broil it for another minute. Watch out for your cheese. You don’t want it to burn.