Abs with Abs

This Thought-Of-The-Week is all about finding and working your abs. We all have them and they are our source of so much power in movement! There’s a lot more to your abs than just your 6-pack muscles. Here's a little anatomy lesson:

You have 3 major abdominal muscles:

• Transverse Abdominals (Deepest)

• Internal and External Obliques

• Rectus Abdominals (6-pack)

It takes a lot of mind/body practice to get your deepest abdominal layers to fire, but you'll build a deeper strength from the inside out if you can access them before moving anything else. This week I'm taking you through some of my favorite abdominal exercises, and giving you cues to make sure ALL your abs get a workout in.

Hot Tips for Class

• Corset Your Waist

  • Do this before you move anything else. Think about cinching up a corset or tightening a seatbelt around your ribs and hips. The "corseting" engages your transverse abs for a stronger, deeper, safer burn. Still need help feeling this? Try slowing down exhaling with the most effortful part of the movement.

• What About When You Feel Your Back?

  • Retraining the deep abs to fire and take on more than the hip flexors takes time, so be patient! If you feel your hip flexors or lower back taking over, it's better to 1. Stop 2. Re-engage 3. Try again with slower movement or with more points of contact on the ground.

  • It will become more second nature over time!

Want More? Let me talk you through some of my favorite ab exercises in this mini- workout on Instagram!