Fey Fitness

Beginner Ab Exercises with Resistance Bands or Pilates Reformer

July 23, 2019July 23, 2019 feyfitnessLeave a comment

Hello and welcome everyone to another edition of Fey Fitness! In this video we are exploring a beginner level core exercise that you can use with resistance bands or a Pilates reformer.

Why Do a Core Work with Bands?

By tensing your core muscles you keep the back in proper position to protect it during abdominal exercise. So basically, you are working your abs while keeping the back safe.
Performing this movement helps correct the pelvic tilt seen in people who sit for long periods of time.
Lumbo-hip-pelvic stabilizer muscles are also engaged to strengthen the hips and protect the back.
Motor control is also increased in the body. This means that your body moves more smoothly and effectively when asked to perform movements, such as lifting weights, rearranging furniture in the living room, or getting in and out of bed.
Work multiple areas of the core at once. This move target the rectus abdominis, the transverse abdominis and hip flexors at the same time- so you get more accomplished during your workout.
Improve your balance. You all know by now that I love exercises that increase balance, because it is so useful in our everyday lives. From simple tasks like getting out of bed in the morning, to walking down stairs, better balance means a better quality of life.
The hip adductors and quadriceps will get a slight workout from this exercise, which will make them stronger for activities like running, walking or getting out of chairs.
CORE STRENGTH! CORE STRENGTH! CORE STRENGTH! A strong core also helps us with the rest of our fitness lives. A well-conditioned core helps keep us steady and our posture safe during weighted squats, during an Arnold Press, or when performing back exercises.

How to Perform Core Work with Bands:

Lay down on your back with your shoulders rolled back and your shoulder blades firmly planted on the ground beneath you.
Move your hips into either neutral or imprint, depending on what feels best for you.
Knit the ribs down and inward to engage your deep core muscles.
When you are ready, bring both legs up into table top and place the resistance bands (or Pilates straps) around your thighs between knee and hip height.
Slowly extend your legs to the center of the room, or perform a straight leg lower and lift.
Moving just as slow, return the starting position.
Continue moving in this manner for 12-15 reps and for 3 sets total.

My Patreon page is now live, so please go show some love there as well. I’d like to make some upgrades to my videos to enhance your viewing pleasure, and any support would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Fey

Website: https://www.feyfitness.com

Fitness Videos

Intermediate Ab Roll Ups (with Variations for Advancement)

July 16, 2019 feyfitnessLeave a comment

*Sorry for the late posting. My internet was being weird all day today.*

Hello and welcome everyone to another edition of Fey Fitness! In this video we are exploring an intermediate level core exercise that I like to call a Roll Up.

Why Do a Roll Up?
• Improve your balance. You all know by now that I love exercises that increase balance, because it is so useful in our everyday lives. From simple tasks like getting out of bed in the morning, to walking down stairs, better balance means a better quality of life.
• CORE STRENGTH! CORE STRENGTH! CORE STRENGTH! A strong core also helps us with the rest of our fitness lives. A well-conditioned core helps keep us steady and our posture safe during weighted squats, during an Arnold Press, or when performing back exercises.
• This exercise emphasizes strength in the body and helps create toned muscles.

How to Perform a Roll Up:
1. Lay down on your back with your legs straight on the floor (for a beginner), bent in table top (for intermediate), or extended straight at a 45degree angle (for advanced).
2. Tuck your chin slightly to protect your neck and bring your hands up to point towards the ceiling above your shoulders.
3. As you exhale, articulate up one spinal vertebra at a time until you are completely seated.
4. Roll down slowly in the same manner of articulation until you are flat on your back again.
5. Continue moving in this manner for 12-15 reps. Be sure to repeat for 3-4 sets total.

My Patreon page is now live, so please go show some love there as well. I’d like to make some upgrades to my videos to enhance your viewing pleasure, and any support would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Fey

Fitness Videos

Advanced Upper body and Core Dip ‘n Lift for a Stronger You!

July 9, 2019 feyfitnessLeave a comment

Hello and welcome everyone to another edition of Fey Fitness! In this video we are exploring an advanced level upper body AND core exercise that I call the Dip ‘N Lift. This move does require access to a Pilates reformer, so let’s explore how to use this piece of equipment for some great upper body and abdominal benefits!

Why Do a Dip ‘N Lift?

Tricep dips and ab curls really work that core! The entire abdominal cavity needs to be strong and engaged in order to keep you in this position, so you are strengthening your tummy for a sexy summer body.

Improve your balance. You all know by now that I love exercises that increase balance, because it is so useful in our everyday lives. From simple tasks like getting out of bed in the morning, to walking down stairs, better balance means a better quality of life.
CORE STRENGTH! CORE STRENGTH! CORE STRENGTH! A strong core also helps us with the rest of our fitness lives. A well-conditioned core helps keep us steady and our posture safe during weighted squats, during an Arnold Press, or when performing back exercises.
This exercise emphasizes strength in the body and helps create toned muscles.
Tricep Dips are some of my favorite upper body exercises because they require more core, shoulder and triceps stability in order to complete the movement. This leads to better functional mobility in our everyday lives outside the gym!
Working on these muscle groups helps you build stability, strength and power in your upper body.

How to Perform a Dip ‘N Lift:

Sit on top of the footbar with your hands firmly beside you and your knuckles facing the same direction as your gaze.
Place your heels against the carriage of the reformer and press out to straighten the legs.
Sit up tall and engage your core.
When you are ready, use your upper body to lift yourself off the footbar and perform a tricep dip down into the front well of the reformer.
Press yourself back up to a straight arm position, then use your core to “scoop” your spine up and over the footbar while the booty lifts to the sky. Your abs are the main mover for this and will be able to pull you up and backwards.
Continue moving in this manner for 12-15 reps. Be sure to repeat for 3-4 sets total.

My Patreon page is now live, so please go show some love there as well. I’d like to make some upgrades to my videos to enhance your viewing pleasure, and any support would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Fey

https://youtu.be/_W-EibxyjP0

Fitness Videos

Advanced Plank for Abs and Core

July 2, 2019 feyfitnessLeave a comment

Hello and welcome everyone to another edition of Fey Fitness! It’s so good to be back making fitness content for you all! I missed you guys and can’t wait to dive back into making great health and wellness videos for our community. In this video we are exploring an advanced level core exercise that I call an Advanced Ab Plank.

Why Do an Advanced Ab Plank?

Planks really work that core! The entire abdominal cavity needs to be strong and engaged in order to keep you in this position, so you are strengthening your tummy for a sexy summer body.

Improve your balance. You all know by now that I love exercises that increase balance, because it is so useful in our everyday lives. From simple tasks like getting out of bed in the morning, to walking down stairs, better balance means a better quality of life.
CORE STRENGTH! CORE STRENGTH! CORE STRENGTH! A strong core also helps us with the rest of our fitness lives. A well-conditioned core helps keep us steady and our posture safe during weighted squats, during an Arnold Press, or when performing back exercises.

How to Perform an Advanced Ab Plank:

Sit on top of the Exo Chair and place your toes/balls of the feet on the pedal of the chair.
Press the pedal to the ground and secure the heels of your feet onto the wooden portion of the pedal.
Stand up and then forward fold to place your hands on the ground and inchworm yourself out into a plank position (NOTE: Your heels will naturally lift off the pedal and this is ok, we only want the toes/balls of the feet on the pedal).
Engage your transverse abdominis muscles to pull the feet 1-6” up into the air lifting the pedal off the ground.
Use your transverse abdominis muscles to lower the pedal back to the start position.
Continue moving in this manner for 12-15 reps. Be sure to repeat for 3-4 sets total.

My Patreon page is now live, so please go show some love there as well. I’d like to make some upgrades to my videos to enhance your viewing pleasure, and any support would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Fey

Fitness Videos

Quadruped Leg Circles for Beginners. Work those legs and your core!

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 feyfitnessLeave a comment

Hello and welcome everyone to another edition of Fey Fitness! Today I am teaching you how to do a beginner level exercise called a Quadruped Leg Circle. This exercise can be a great starting point for a beginner because it will work the total body, but have an emphasis on the legs and core. The main thing to remember is to keep your back as straight as possible to not put unnecessary pressure on your spine.

So with all that said, let’s dive into this exercise! With this workout you’re really getting a big bang for your buck. Plank and quadruped exercises work the abs, glutes, chest and back muscles. So this one exercise is a great way to hit several muscle groups at once! However, by adding in the addition of the leg circles we are targeting the glutes and legs to further enhance the muscle growth to these areas- and muscle growth means lean, toned and sexy muscles!

Why Do a Quadruped Leg Circle?
• Motor control is increased in the body by strengthening the hip adductors. This means that your body moves more smoothly and effectively when performing bilateral and unilateral movements, such as lifting weights, rearranging furniture in the living room, or getting in and out of bed.
• Improve your balance. You all know by now that I love exercises that increase balance, because it is so useful in our everyday lives. From simple tasks like getting out of bed in the morning, to walking down stairs, better balance means a better quality of life.
• The hip flexors and hip abductors will get a slight workout from this exercise, which will make them stronger for activities like running, walking or getting out of chairs.
• Work multiple areas of the core at once. This move target the rectus abdominis, the transverse abdominis and hip flexors at the same time- so you get more accomplished during your workout.
• Working on these muscle groups helps you build stability, strength and power in your upper body. This will allow you to have more functional mobility in your everyday life.
• This exercise emphasizes strength in the body and helps create toned muscles.
• Also the gluteus maximus, a prime muscle for hip extension, gets a good workout from this movement. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body, and the one most people are looking to shape and strengthen with the squat and deadlift. So just remember, strong glutes equal a shapely booty!

How to Perform a Quadruped Leg Circle:

Come onto your hands and knees on a soft surface like a yoga mat. Make sure your knees are directly under your hips and your hands are under your shoulders.
Keeping the core engaged and the back straight, extend the right leg out behind you and begin tracing small circles in a clockwise or counterclockwise motion.
Perform the desired number of reps and then make circles in the other direction on the same leg.
Bring the right leg back to the starting quadruped position.
Now repeat this process with the left leg.
Continue alternating legs for 10 reps and for 3 sets. Alternatively, you can set a timer and repeat steps 1-5 for 30 seconds to 1 minute as one set, and repeat this set for 3 more times.

My recommendation is to perform this exercise along with your lower body workout routine get the best results. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me and I would be more than happy to answer them for you!

I love this exercise for the great benefits it brings to my arms, back, booty and hamstrings, but also because it doesn’t spike my heart rate and interfere with my Atrial Fibrillation. As long as you are breathing throughout the exercise the heart rate should stay within a safe range and you can easily perform this exercise without worry of having an Atrial Fibrillation episode.

My Patreon page is now live, so please go show some love there as well. I’d like to make some upgrades to my videos to enhance your viewing pleasure, and any support would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Fey

Fitness Videos

Intermediate Plank Knee Pull Ins

May 7, 2019May 7, 2019 feyfitnessLeave a comment

Hello and welcome everyone to another edition of Fey Fitness! In this video we are exploring an intermediate level exercise called a Plank Knee Pull In. But not to worry, you don’t have to be perfect at this exercise right off the bat, practice makes perfect as we strive for proper form and achieve stronger, toned muscles in the process. If you find your shoulders feeling weak or aching as you perform this exercise, you can always place your hands on a sturdy, elevated surface such as a chair, bench or coffee table to keep the upper body elevated off the ground and make the move easier.

Why Do a Plank Knee Pull In?
• Motor control is increased in the body by strengthening the hip adductors. This means that your body moves more smoothly and effectively when performing bilateral and unilateral movements, such as lifting weights, rearranging furniture in the living room, or getting in and out of bed.
• Improve your balance. You all know by now that I love exercises that increase balance, because it is so useful in our everyday lives. From simple tasks like getting out of bed in the morning, to walking down stairs, better balance means a better quality of life.
• The hip flexors and hip abductors will get a slight workout from this exercise, which will make them stronger for activities like running, walking or getting out of chairs.
• Motor control is also increased in the body. This means that your body moves more smoothly and effectively when asked to perform movements, such as lifting weights, rearranging furniture in the living room, or getting in and out of bed.
• Work multiple areas of the core at once. This move target the rectus abdominis, the transverse abdominis and hip flexors at the same time- so you get more accomplished during your workout.
• Working on these muscle groups helps you build stability, strength and power in your upper body. This will allow you to have more functional mobility in your everyday life.
• This exercise emphasizes strength in the body and helps create toned muscles.
• Also the gluteus maximus, a prime muscle for hip extension, gets a good workout from this movement. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body, and the one most people are looking to shape and strengthen with the squat and deadlift. So just remember, strong glutes equal a shapely booty!

How to Perform a Plank Knee Pull In:
1. Grab two furniture gliders or fitness gliders and place one under each foot.
2. Come up into a plank.
3. Moving at the same time, bring both knees in to your chest.
4. Trying to move seamlessly, and keeping the rest of the body still, extend the feet back out to the starting position.
5. Continue moving in this manner for 12-15 reps and be sure to repeat for 3-4 sets total.

My Patreon page is now live, so please go show some love there as well. I’d like to make some upgrades to my videos to enhance your viewing pleasure, and any support would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Fey