WOW! Side to Side

The WOW, or Workout of the Week, is a short workout that you can do on your own as an add-on to your training. These workouts are designed to be mostly equipment free (so you can do them anywhere) and of medium to high intensity. Modify as needed depending on your fitness level and intensity needs.

The internal and external obliques are two parts of your abdominal musculature. These muscles are located on the side of your trunk, and have a variety of functions including trunk rotation, spinal rotation, abdominal compression, trunk stabilization, and side bending.

While the obliques won’t be aiding in any side bending or twisting in this WOW, they will be doing a big job as spinal stabilizers and supporters, so I’m calling the workout “Side to Side”. Plus, “Side to Side” is way more catchy than Transverse Abdominis Workout.

You’ll do four exercises for 10 repetitions, and complete four rounds of the cycle:

10 Half Rollbacks w/ Arm Scissor (4 scissors each time you roll back)
10/10 Plank Reaches
10/10 Banded Bird Dogs
10 Straight Leg Sit Ups

Make sure to warm-up before each WOW. Some suggestions are a minute or two of jumping jacks, jogging, or stair walks. Then do two to three minutes of 10 squats, 10 push-ups, 10 half roll backs, and 10 bird dogs. Do the squats and push-ups at an easy-for-you modification.