Ok, people!  Last week of my January 31 Day Ab Challenge.  How are you feeling?  Who is still with me at the end of five weeks?  Like Week 1, this is somewhat of a short week to wrap things up.  Let’s finish strong, yes?!

January 2013 31 Day Ab Challenge

Sunday 1/27:  Sunday Circuit

The Sunday Circuit usually plays off of my Saturday Core Strength Tip.  Yesterday’s tip was to push yourself and get out of your comfort zone.  That being said, this week’s Sunday Circuit will be just that.

Sunday Circuit Week 5

Jumping jacks until fatigue
To push yourself harder than a regular jumping jack, try crossing your feet one in front of the other as you jack , or jumping your feet out by bringing your knees up first.

15 pushups
To push yourself harder than you would in a regular pushup, try doing them with one leg lifted, with your elbows back, by bringing one knee to the side for a spiderman pushup, making a diamond with your hands, or staggering your arms.

Mountain climbers until fatigue
To push yourself harder, bring the knees in even faster or try driving the knees to the opposite shoulders instead of into the chest.

20 Full Situps
Because I’ve only had you doing crunches, crunch pulses, or butterfly situps so far.

Monday 1/28:  Monday Morning Ab Burner

Do the following moves when you get out of bed on Monday morning!

Monday Morning Ab Burner Week 5

For a reminder on how to do burpees, click here.

For a reminder on how to do your ab ladder, see the notes from Week 2!!

Ab Ladder Series 1

Ab Ladder Series 2

Tuesday 1/29:  Plank for Time

This will be your second to last timed plank!  Hold an elbow plank for as long as you can, trying to beat last week’s time.  Has anyone reached their goal yet??  If so, let’s start making it more difficult!  Try planking on a stability ball, bosu trainer, core board, or another unstable surface.  Otherwise, set a new goal and shoot for the new goal.  Don’t just stop once you’ve reached your first benchmark.  There are ALWAYS ways to improve.

Stability Ball Plank

Wednesday 1/30:  V-Sits Before Bed

For your pre-snooze core work on Wednesday, do as many V-Sits as you can until fatigue!  Start lying on the floor with your legs extended out in front of you and your arms either by your sides or extended overhead on the floor.  Lift yourself up so that you are either..

Here (beginner):

Beginner V-Ups

Here (Intermediate):

Intermediate V-Ups

or here (advanced):

V-Ups

Thursday 1/31:  Tabata Thursday AND Plank for Time

Today is the last day!  First, time one final elbow plank so you can see where you ended up at the end of the challenge in terms of your plank times.  Then finish strong with one last Tabata Thursday.  This Tabata is going to be a TRUE Tabata, where you do the same move for the four minutes.  That move is going to be plank jacks! plank jacks

Do these for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off… 8 times… for that total of four minutes.  Note:  You don’t have to do your final timed plank AND the plank jacks immediately after another.

And there you have it!  Our last week.  🙂

Any questions, let me know.  Enjoy, and good luck!