In pursuit of strength gains, improved performance and/or a chiseled toned abs? Then it’s important to utilize every method at your disposal.
Too many times, gym-goers get stuck on a single technique or school of thought and dig themselves into a rut that’s hard to escape. This type of training can lead to experiencing plateaus. . In order to grow, we need to reinvent ourselves and the things we do. In the gym, this involves stepping outside of your comfort zone and seeking fresh, dynamic programs.
Cross-Training epitomizes this approach, drawing from a variety of disciplines and incorporating them into vigorous and supremely productive workouts. Cross-Training is the method of combining several different workout strategies (for instance, body building, track and field, and boxing) for a single, comprehensive training session.
In our effort to help you #becomeyourelite, we are bringing cross-training to every inch of our floors with brand new equipment. Check back every Tuesday this month for a brand new workout featuring new machines, exercises and training methods. This week we shed some love to your arms and abs with a 2-for-1 circuit on the new weight benches.
Weight Bench Abs and Arms Circuit
Decline Oblique Twists
- Sit on a decline bench with your feet secured under the foot support.
- Bend your legs to 90-degrees and contract your abdominal muscles. Hold your back off the bench at a 45-degree angle.
- Hold a medicine ball in your hands and straighten your arms.
- With your arms straight, raise and lower the ball from one side of your body to the other, forming an arc around you.
Decline Medicine Ball Sit-Ups
- Sit on the bench with your legs resting through the pads.
- Holding the medicine ball at your chest, lean back until your back almost touches the bench.
- Raise yourself back up until your upper body is vertical. Press the medicine ball above your head then lower again.
Decline Bench Press
- Lie back on bench. Using a medium width grip, lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked.
- Lower the bar down slowly until the bar touches your middle chest.
- After a brief pause, push the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out. Focus on pushing the bar using your chest muscles. L
- Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position at the top of the motion, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again.
Bench Crunch with Leg Raise
- Begin on a bench as in a bench press. Keep the bar locked out at arms’ length and do a crunch while simultaneously doing a leg raise.
- Don’t let the arms drift back or forward.
- Concentrate on keeping the bar locked-in and flexing the hell out of your abs.
