Exercise for 2-15-11 Sharon Mann Yoga/Pilates & Stability Ball

I have become used to not posting my workouts (from not doing my normal stuff due to moving) so I'm forgetful lately. I'm sorry!

On Tuesday we attempted to do a Sharon Mann Yoga/Pilates workout. Even though it's Yoga/Pilates, she still throws in other things. I chose my own combo workout pattern which was a balancing warm up, strength training with weights, stability ball strength training, then a pilates cool down. For some reason my computer went nutso and crapped out half way through the workout and would not play the rest of it.

Regardless, here's the DVD info:
THE WORKS with Sharon Mann
DVD #2  "YOGA & PILATES
One of the industry's hottest new crazes. Yoga & Pilates
is great for all ages and fitness levels.  This fully-interactive DVD offers a huge selection of  workouts including: Yoga,
Tai Chi, Pilates, Flexible Strength & more! Choose from
a number of pre-programmed workouts or design your
own using the fully interactive menu.  There are three
different levels of fitness demonstrated for all exercises.
With all the choices offered on this one disc, you can
create over 1000 different workout combinations!  

Pre programmed workouts include:
Mixed Yoga Workout,   Flexible Strength Workout Pilates Workout,   Pilates & Yoga Workout  +
Yoga For Strength,  Pilates Mat Work,  Body Sculpt, 
Pilates Core Training,  Strength Training,  Total Yoga,
Stability Ball Training, Tone & Strengthen + More! 



Soooo...we did the balancing warm up which was nice. I love balance training as it helps with every day life and activity. Then went on to strength training with weights. Sharon likes to combine multiple workouts so you get a lot done in a little amount of time. My hubby and I always use heavier weights to make it more challenging so were sweating and breathing heavy. The workout crapped out right when we were laying on the floor doing chest presses and the video just froze. So we layed there for several seconds with the weights held at the top...just waiting...hoping it would kick back in. It did, but it was choppy and not doable. ANNOYING!

We turned it off and watched X-Files on Netflix while doing some more exercises to finish the workout. Most muscle groups were worked to exhaustion with Sharon, so I finished off with over head military presses, push-ups, overhead tricep extensions, dead rows and calf raises.

For abs I used my stability ball. Here's a couple of my fav ab exercises to do with the ball. I don't have names for these. I learned them several years ago from a fitness magazine and have done them regularly ever since. I just don't remember what they are called. So if you know, tell me. :-)
With abs it's hard to separate a particular area, but you can dig in and put more focus onto a specific area you want to work on with the right exercise and form.

To work your upper and lower abs
#1. Lay on your back, hold your knees up so your shins are parallel with the floor. Place the ball on top of your shins and just hold it. Then if you feel you need more, keep holding it and place your hands behind your head for support and do crunches. Just laying there and holding it you should feel your entire abs engaged.

To work mainly lower abs
#2. Depending on the size of your ball, this could be easy or hard to pull off. I have two sizes so I use my smaller one for this. Lay on your back as though you are going to do crunches, take the stability ball and place it under your knees. Dig your heels into the ball and squeeze towards your bum. This should cling to you and not roll out from under you if you have a good hold onto it. Once you have the position down, do reverse crunches focusing on the lower abs by pushing up with the pelvis. If you can't hold onto the ball this way, you can just hold it between your knees and still do reverse crunches.

To work mainly lower abs
#3. This one is hard and I LOVE it. Lay on your back, arms down at your side, keeping your legs straight and knees aimed up, raise one leg up, place the ball between your legs on the lower half of the legs (looks like scissors about to cut a ball in half) holding the ball with the front of the leg on the floor and the back of the leg being held up. Squeeze the ball so it doesn't get away from you. Then raise your legs up together still holding onto the ball. Remember to keep your hands at your side for stability. I will do a few sets of at least 10 on each side. Feel the burn! It's honestly the only exercise I have been able to do that makes my lower abs sore. :-) If this is too difficult, rather than raising your legs over and over, you can lift up so you're only an inch from the floor and just hold for a few seconds.


I hope those made sense! Ha! If you need pictures for better understanding...I'll see if I can do that for ya. :-)

I'm not feeling too great today but I still plan on working out tonight. So I may give my Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown another go since it's on the lighter side.

You can get Sharon Mann DVD's here: Sharon Mann
She's not nearly as evil as Cathe, but like I said, she crams a bunch of stuff together on 30 minutes so if you don't have much time, Sharon's "The Works" series is great. She has a few other DVD's but I've never tried them.

Hope you all are having a wonderful week!

~BLIX