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<p>It's lower body & core Monday and we're going to start the week by really activating your core with this three-block workout.</p>
<p>Block 1 is all about bear squats. Lock your legs and keep your spine long at starting. If it hurts your knees, reduce the range of motion. Keep your arms pushed up and back the entire time. These are awesome for your quads and the functioning of your knees. Start in a downward dog position and freeze your upper body and then bend your knees as close to the ground as possible, and then extend them back up to downward dog. Challenge your legs to do a lot of the work. Your legs are doing the work here so it’s important to keep your upper body frozen and not use your arms to do this movement.</p>
<p>For block 2, we'll do reverse crunches. These are much better than standard crunches and will actually get you that flat stomach you want because they work your rectus abdominus, or your lower abs. They target the correct muscle group, but you need to make sure you hold that core strong and tight, while using your legs to change the pressure on your abdominal muscles while you tap your heels on the ground and back up. Hold that core strong and tight and make sure your legs are actively changing the pressure on your abdominal muscles while you tap your heels on the ground and back up.</p>
<p>Starting off block 3 with table tops. If you have neck pain or back pain from poor posture, these can really help you. Make sure you open your chest and squeeze those shoulder blades back and together to stop bad posture and make sure to dig through your heels to activate the movement. You don’t want to use your arms to push up, but use your legs. Keep that chest open and squeeze those shoulder blades back and together. This will help your posture. Remember that you’re pushing through your heels to activate the movement, and it’s your legs that are making it happen, not your arms.</p>
<p>Then we'll do alternating reverse lunge. Initiate the movement by putting the weight slightly on your heels and hinging slightly forward on the hips. Emphasize the glutes and your front leg, NOT your back leg. Use the hinge of the hip. Keep your torso forward. Act as if you’re going to a sprint. The leg at the front is the one really controlling the movement and feeling the burn in the quadriceps –– just make sure that knee is always in line with your toes. You want to initiate the move by keeping the weight on your front foot and hinging through the hips as you put your back foot back and tap that knee to the ground. The idea is that you’re putting very little pressure on that back foot and using the hinge of the hip and front leg to do the movement.</p>
<p>Next up are kneeling planks. People tend to get lazy with this exercise but you want to keep your body active by keeping your glutes squeezed to bring that pelvis forward which will challenge your lower body. Focus on tension in your abdominals by thinking about dragging your elbow towards your belly button to make it difficult. The kneeling plank shouldn’t be super easy, you should really feel it challenging your whole body.</p>
<p>Let's finish this whole workout with drinking birds. These are one of the absolute best exercises you can do for your back, posture and even flexibility. It seems like a simple exercise, but you want to make sure you’re keeping your legs, back and upper body engaged. Once you master this variation, you can move on to one-legged exercises that will help strengthen your legs and feet. That might sound weird, but strong feet will prevent plantar fasciitis, ankle pain and other pain in your legs. Be sure to keep your feet planted straight and really focus on keeping the weight on them as you push your butt backwards for this move.</p>
<p>Now let’s feel the burn from the core and beyond!</p>
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<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wm-wmade-static-media/media/public/Assets/Block_1.png" alt="Block One">
<div class="sub-head">20 seconds work ｜10 seconds rest ｜8 rounds</div>
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<video class="d-block mx-auto" autoplay loop muted>
<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/BEAR-SQUAT.webm" type="video/webm">
<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/BEAR-SQUAT.mp4" type="video/mp4">
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<p>BEAR SQUATS</p>
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<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wm-wmade-static-media/media/public/Assets/Block_2.png" alt="Block Two">
<div class="sub-head">20 seconds work ｜10 seconds rest ｜8 rounds</div>
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<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/REVERSE-CRUNCHES.webm" type="video/webm">
<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/REVERSE-CRUNCHES.mp4" type="video/mp4">
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<p>REVERSE CRUNCHES</p>
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<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wm-wmade-static-media/media/public/Assets/Block_3.png" alt="Block Three">
<div class="sub-head">40 seconds work ｜20 seconds rest ｜2 rounds</div>
<div class="row justify-content-center text-center">
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<video class="d-block mx-auto" autoplay loop muted>
<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/TABLETOPS.webm" type="video/webm">
<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/TABLETOPS.mp4" type="video/mp4">
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<p>TABLETOPS</p>
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<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/ALTERNATING-REVERSE-LUNGES.webm" type="video/webm">
<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/ALTERNATING-REVERSE-LUNGES.mp4" type="video/mp4">
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<p>ALTERNATING REVERSE LUNGES</p>
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<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/KNEELING-PLANK.webm" type="video/webm">
<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/KNEELING-PLANK.mp4" type="video/mp4">
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<p>KNEELING PLANK</p>
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<video class="d-block mx-auto" autoplay loop muted>
<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/DRINKING-BIRDS.webm" type="video/webm">
<source src="https://d1ghrtdbdq2gkr.cloudfront.net/media/public/Assets/media/exercises/beginner/DRINKING-BIRDS.mp4" type="video/mp4">
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<p>DRINKING BIRDS</p>
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