Five weeks from today marks the unofficial beginning of summer.
I have got some work to do.
Growing and birthing children does a piece of work on your body {can I get an AMEN from you mamas with saggy-skinned tummies?!!}. I’m resigned to the fact that my stomach will never be perfectly flat – at least not without some serious commitment – but I am super motivated to do a few minutes each day to tighten things up a bit.
A fast approaching swimsuit season will do that to you.
So here’s my plan:
{via}
Thanks to pinterest, I initially noticed this sequence because of it’s great graphic appeal. Then I really looked at the workout and realized that it was doable. Last week my 7 year old did the whole routine with me and it was actually really fun. It took us about 12 minutes.
The plan is to do this everyday {maybe minus weekends} for the next five weeks. I may not look like the model by Memorial Day {or ever}, but hopefully I’ll feel a little more confident in a swimsuit and a whole lot stronger.
Want to do it with me?
Operation BANISH THE BELLY is officially underway.
So tell us then? How did you get on? I am intrigued as I have just kick-started my new healthy way of life with the Whole30 paleo programme and am looking for some fitness routines that I can do at home. How did this one shape up? I hope you are feeling fabulous! xx
I do wish I could say I stuck with it, but life gave us some challenges {two weeks of sick kids/sick me!}. I did find a new ballet program that I just adore, so I will post about it soon. I think the main thing I learned is that you really have to incorporate it into your daily life and make it a habit if you want to see results.
Help!!! I don’t know what a plank, side plank, raised plank, or bridge is. Please help me so I can get started. Thank you!
You can google these terms to get an image {probably the easiest way to learn}.
I birthed Number 4 one month ago Tuesday, and you probably heard my AMEN! from 1500 miles away! Let’s do this thang!
Thanks to your encouragement I started this two nights ago and I’m motivated to complete the entire 5 weeks with you! I am SORE and amazed at how weak I am. This is the perfect challenge!
I’m in! I’ll work this in on my alternate days! It will be interesting to how much better my running skirt fits for Relay for Life!
count me in too! We are going into winter here, but i have promised my husband i will be fit and toned come summertime. This i think i can do!
I had a baby in January of this year and I too have been wanting to loose my baby belly. I found this workout below to be very helpful as well. You can do it in the comfort of your home and it doesnt take too much time out of your day either. Anyway- thought it would be a great alternative to the workout found on pinterest. Good Luck!! :)
http://www.fitpregnancy.com/featured-galleries/ab-rehab-workout
I’m in. My babies are growing up and now there are a few extra minutes to focus on getting in shape. This is long overdue! Thanks!
Sounds fun and since I am still lugging around all my baby weight from #2 (who is now 19 months) it could only do my body good!
Today I started a 30-day rear squat challenge I saw in my newsfeed! Gotta get Gulf Coast ready!
I will join you! I’m not very good about working out – and I wasn’t able to do a full 1 minute plank (or 30 second side planks). But, I did what I could this evening, and am committed to keep going every day. I’m confident that if I have discipline here, I’ll be able to complete everything on the list each day and feel GOOD about that. Thanks for inspiring me to join this community in this.
Good job Kate! Keep it up!
Thanks! i’m already pretty sore on the second day. :) Bring it on!
After having 2 kids myself, I’m committed to the cause (ha ha)! So, please count me in!
Hi, sounds good but could you explain what ‘bridge and plank’ is please? x
I’m with ya! I’ve grown out of all my clothes…but not in a good way like the kids. ugh!
I’m in! I just completed it too. I’ve NEVER had tight flat abs, just flab. The only time I’ve had anything taut and firm was my belly during pregnancy lol I’m in for NOT having “water bed” abs anymore! Thanks for the encouragement & the challenge.
I am in! After 5 kids I am ready for my abs back! Those push ups are going to kill me! May have to start granny style! I’m such a wimp. ;) good luck!
This is a great work-out. I will join you in doing it for sure. My husband and I are running a half-marathon Memorial Weekend, so this will work nicely as cross training. My tummy definitely needs it! Esp. after my nine sweet babies!
Love it. I’m in. Heres another one i’m using to rotate to make it interesting!
http://pinterest.com/pin/208221182744334832/
Sounds fun! But if you are going to work the same muscle group every time you should do it every other day so your muscles can recoup. You can work some other part (arms? Legs?) during the in betweens, if you’d like :)
Thanks for the tip. I’ll work in other workouts that I like.
I am doing this with a few girlfriends & my children. We are also adding some lunges & squats for toned quads & glutes. Accountability is through FB. This is a very doable routine that should see results in a few weeks.
My 20th class reunion is this summer so that is my motivation!
Is there a handy printable version somewhere?
I just copied and pasted the graphic into illustrator and resized to print. You could do the same in a program like word.
Count me in! This looks like something the whole family could do together. Thanks for the motivation!
a VERY do-able routine!! I also pinned this on Pinterest because of the graphic appeal :) Turns out its a great workout!
After seeing a DVD by Elise Gulan on your blog, I began to discover ballet-inspired workouts. I now adore the ‘Ballet Beautiful’ workout DVDs by Mary Helen Bowers. 2-3 times a week and your body will transform! No joke, I started seeing results in just a couple weeks:) Thank you for introducing me to ballet-inspired workouts:)
What a great resource! I am excited to try out a few of them. Do you have a favorite?
My favorite is the ‘Classic 60-Minute Workout’ (bought mine on Amazon). It’s a comprehensive, low-impact workout that is broken into six parts. This workout targets the same muscles that real ballet dancers use…so you’ll look like a real ballerina, but without all of the rigorous dancing and training:) In addition to dancing with the NYC Ballet for 10 years, Mary Helen Bowers also trained Natalie Portman for Black Swan. Anyway, it’s so great, I definitely recommend it.
Ugh, yes! I woke up today feeling exactly the same way, only I was searching Tracy Anderson videos online, trying to decide if I wanted to get on board. Here’s hoping my Monday motivation stays with me through the week! :) Good luck!
Oh the belly. One of the hardest places to work and I’ve tried and tried. One thing to consider is changing up the way that you eat. As Tony Horton, P90X man, says, “Abs are made in the ktichen”. Sad but true.
Kristen, that’s so true! I’ve not heard that phrase before, but after falling off the clean/good/whole foods/whatever wagon for the past few weeks, I gained several pounds… all in my belly. I’m pretty thin overall, so it was kind of dramatic to see. I’m headed back to the wagon now :), for overall health as much as the belly factor.
I will totally do it with you! Great motivation but do you have anything for saddle bags and cellulite?
I need that too :)
Pilates and Barre workouts are my favorite. I just need to actually do them.
This is great timing!! Thanks so much for posting it!!
Clean eating along with lifting is the way to do it. Your flat belly is made 75% in the kitchen, not by exercising. I am 44, 3 kids and I’ve been hard at it (clean eating, lifting and just added HIIT and circuit training) for 9 weeks, I’ve lost 13 lbs and gained a ton of muscle! Nothing has ever worked before. I can feel my abs beneath the tiny bit of fat that’s left on my stomach! I say if you’re going to go for it…. Go for it! Don’t ever resign yourself. Skin will tighten! Good luck!
A bunch of girls from my MOPS group are doing a squat challenge! We’re encouraging each other through FB. Good Luck!
AMEN!!! And you can count me in! I will beging today! Thank YOU for the motivation :)
Maybe I should take a spelling class while I’m at it — to learn how to spell “begin”!
I am in!!!!! My yoga class unexpectedly changed to pilates this past weekend and I am STILL sore…wake up call was trying on the {gulp} bikinis though! ;) This looks like a quick routine I can stick too (I will probably have a couple of little ones tackling it with me too!!)
I’m in!!! I just lost 84 pounds of baby weight after baby #3 and my tummy needs help!!! woohoo!! thank you!!
I’ve been doing a similar work out plan throughout April and I’m hoping to continue it next month. I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to stick with it, but so far I haven’t missed one day and I feel very proud of myself :) I’ll be rooting for you, good luck!!
Great job! You are an inspritation. What program are you doing?!
I need to do this! No excuse… I just one kid. I’ve been avoiding exercising to lose my belly fat in hopes of getting pregnant. Well, that’s not happening. So gotta lose it! Thanks for the post.
Yes!! I love things like this.
I am definitely in but am so insanely out of shape that I know I won’t be able to do the entire work-out without adding in some cheater push-ups (i.e. at the knees.) Having 3 teenage boys I can no longer blame anything on baby fat because well the youngest is almost 14 (and I weigh the same as I did just before delivering him… plus i walked about of the hospital 5 lbs lighter than when he was conceived!)
So yes this is the year of the transformation! Slow and sure wins the race… it came on that way so I know the only way for it to come off is the same way.
Thank you for the encouragement!
I’m in but i’m not sure what a bridge is or the raised plank?
Bridge: lay on back with knees bent and feet on the floor. Raise up your bum until just your feet and shoulders are on the floor. Hold for 1 minute. If you are super fancy you can do small pulses or hold a small ball between your thighs for an extra challenge.
Raised Plank: just like a regular plank but with your arms straight rather than on your forearms.
I’m up to join ! Thanks for the encouragement :))))
I’m in… but… it’s been so long since I exercised I don’t know what a bridge is, or a raised plank. :) Help!
Yes, this is totally doable! What a perfect thing to post on a Monday morning, a rather cold, but sunny morning. I’m in – let’s do this thing!
OH I wish I could join you but I have a diastasis recti and crunches and sit ups make a diastasis worse. :-(
Me too!
Mamas should check their bellies for diastasis recti before doing a bunch of crunches. My youngest is 2.5 now and I still don’t do crunches. There are good exercises to help close the separated muscles.
me too! i would LOVE to hear about the exercises or anything i can do to fix this. i had six pack abs after my first whom i delivered naturally. but my second and third were c-sections and my abs have never been the same!
I bought Julie Tupler’s book on healing a diastasis. I just haven’t started doing the exercises daily yet. She also has a video to show how to do them. I’ve had three children and I didn’t diagnosis my diastasis until after my third even thought i am sure I had it after my first.
I will join you! And I am in terrible shape… I got to 30 crunches and had to pause for a breather! :/