Sheri’s Workouts: The Power of Six – BodyWeight Butt and Core

Another installment in the popular Power of Six series!  This one is deceptively challenging, and uses NO weights.  We even filmed the moves in the bottom of a silver mine pit to showcase that you can, indeed, train anywhere…

The background:  when weight lifting, the first 2-3 sets are really just about blood distribution.  When you’re a beginner (in your first couple years of lifting) then this is good – you’ll build muscle at this level, you’ll regenerate tissue, and you’ll recover fast enough to keep you enjoying what you’re doing.  Increased blood circulation is really at the ‘heart’ of all things healthy when it comes to the body.  In this stage, it’s good to do a lot of different types of exercises because you are, really, waking things up and teaching your body to move as a cohesive unit.  This works great for fat loss as well – you’re giving your body a strong message that you need every single little muscle you’ve dredged up from the depths of wherever you have been with yourself.  You strengthen your core and restore some balance and generally wake things up.

Now, when you’re more experienced and you understand what a premium health item that muscle IS, as well as the value of muscle when it comes to lookin’ GOOD – then you want to move on from there.  There are many ways to do that!

The Science:  because the first couple-few sets are just about getting blood to the muscle, it’s the sets that come AFTER that that will really challenge your body and promote growth.  I pick four exercises – 2 primary sets for the body part I’m working, and I super-set with 2 easier sets for another body part (the ‘rest’ stage of the workout).  In this workout, we’re training the large muscles of the behind, along with the entire torso (or core).  It’s imperative that you keep your core engaged in these exercises, and watch your spinal alignment:

POWER OF SIX:   BUTT and CORE

Set 1: (do six times with short 60 sec rests between supersets if needed)

Inchworm – 8 reps (hold the plank 3 seconds.  To increase difficulty, do a pushup instead – to the floor)

Balancing Reverse Lunge – 8 reps each leg – go slow – hands placed lightly behind head or at hips (easier).

Set 2: (do six times with short 60 sec rests between supersets)

Standing Leg Extensions (or ‘Birds’) – 6 reps each leg

Burpees – 6 reps, this version without a pushup in the plank portion.  To increase difficulty, do a pushup in the plank.