This week, our Diva of Demonstration Heather Chapman got a little help from her friend… Michelle, our new receptionist at WFCC Promenade! Michelle is currently in school for kinesiology.
The Move:
Michelle is doing a Straight Leg Lower on an incline bench; it’s is a great way to target your lower abdominal muscles and build a strong core.
Here’s how you do it:
1. Lay on the incline bench head at the top. Hold on to the bar behind you, and keep your elbow over your shoulders. Activate your TA, or your transverse abdominis: it’s your deepest core muscle, and helps with hip stabilization as well as spinal stability (and helps to keep your stomach flat!) If you don’t know how to activate your TA muscle, use the muscle you’d use to “hold your pee”, and pull your abdominal muscles towards your spine.
2. Bring your legs straight up with your feet over your hips. Keep your back flat.
3. Lower your legs again, and don’t let your back arch!
4. Return to start position.
8-12 reps is ideal; if you can’t do that many at first, do as many as you can and build up your strength!