Beach Barre

Hi Babes! Get ready for a great exercise that will help to lengthen and strengthen your thighs. This should take you about 4 minutes (or your favorite song) to complete. Your legs will feel the burn!  When we get into our cardio interval we will also be working the booty and waistline. Love it. 

Leg Lifts

• Set Up: Engaging the core, float your right leg up as high as you can. Keep your leg straight, starting with your toe pointed. Shoulders stay stacked over your hips. Remember to keep your abdominals engaged the whole time to make sure you don't lean back and to keep this movement out of the hips.  
• Lifts: With a pointed toe, lift the leg 20 times - this should be a small movement and your range of motion should only be about an inch. With each lift try to get your leg one inch higher and lengthen one inch longer. 
• Presses: With a flexed foot bend and extend your leg 20 times - again, this is a tiny little bend. Inhale as you soften the knee and exhale, engaging your abs as you press all the way through the heel.
• Toe Taps: Point your toe and inhale as you slowly lower the leg. Gently tap the floor and exhale as you flex your foot and raise it all the way back up. Point and lower, flex and lift 10 times. 
• Finishing Move: On your last toe tap, hold your leg at the top for 10 seconds. Finish off with 10 more lifts!!
• Stretch: Grab your right ankle and bring your heel to your booty. Drop your tailbone under and enjoy the thigh stretch all the way into the hip. You can do this standing, on the floor, or holding onto a chair or wall. 

Modifications & Advancements: To modify, hold onto a chair or wall to help you balance.  If you're more advanced you can work on your balance with arms extended over head or in front of your body. For a little stability, you can use a ball as pictured below. The more advanced you are, the higher you'll be able to lift your leg. But it doesn't matter how high your leg is as long as it's straight you will feel this. Remember, never compromise your form for height!

Squat, Crunch Interval:

• Set Up: We start with feet shoulder width apart, toes facing forward. Our weight is in the heels as we bend the knees and shoot the booty out behind us. Make sure that the knees are tracking over the toes and we keep the core engaged. Pelvis should remain in neutral.
• Squat: 20 Times pressing through the heels and squeezing the booty at the top. 
• Crunch: Continue squatting but at the top bring your right knee to your elbow and engage your abdominals. Squat again and bring your left knee to the elbow. Keep your arms over head as you squat and crunch as you draw your elbow and knee together. Alternate your knees between each squat for a total of 10 on each side. 

 When you're finished with squats, it's time to do Leg Lifts on the Left! 

The tops of your thighs should be burning during leg lifts.... The more they burn, the more your body is changing! During squats, try to go to the beat of your favorite workout song to keep a steady, fast pace. Get your heart rate up to burn some extra calories! Enjoy, babes :)