top of page

MAC Vault

Core Challenge

Guidelines: 

Throughout August, we will be posting workouts to our social media platforms (IG and Facebook). If you complete the workout, simply comment on the post in order to earn a raffle ticket for MAC Vault gear! We will be raffling off t-shirts, duffle bags, water bottles, hats, and much more! Parents, siblings, athletes, and the general public are welcome to participate.

Don't know what the work out is talking about? Look at the explanations below!

Workout explanations: 

Air squats

To do an air squat: Keep your feet at shoulder-width apart and pointed straight ahead. When squatting, your hips will move down and back. Your lumbar curve should be maintained, and your heels should stay flat on the floor the entire time. In air squats, your hips will descend lower than your knees.

Back Hyper

Lie on a mat on your stomach and straighten your legs behind you. Place your elbows on the ground and slide your shoulders down. Lift your upper back, pressing your hips into the mat. Keep your head and neck neutral. Hold for 30 seconds. Lower to starting position.

Back Hyper with a twist

This is a variation of the Back Hyper. After you lift your back, twist one elbow towards the floor to allow your torso to twist at the top. Release and come back to the floor. Then do another back hyper and rotate the opposite direction.

Bicycles

A. Start in bicycle position on back in tabletop. Twist to bring left elbow to right knee.

B. Twist to bring right elbow to left knee. Repeat for 50 seconds.

 

Dead bug

Lie on your back with your arms extended towards the ceiling and your legs raised with your knees bent at a 90° angle. Simultaneously lower your right leg, straightening it as you do, and left arm towards the ground, until they are just above the floor, then bring them back up and repeat with the opposite limbs.

Decline Push-ups

A decline pushup is an advanced variation of the basic pushup that increases the difficulty significantly by placing your feet higher than your hands. Adjusting the bench height allows you to customize the intensity of your workout using just your body weight.

Extended Arm Plank (High Plank)

Place your wrists directly under your shoulders, using the same form tips as a low plank.

Forearm Plank (Low Plank)

Place elbows directly beneath your shoulders, legs extended. Press through your heels so calves are lengthened. Draw your navel toward your spine and engage your glutes. 

Forearm Side Plank

Start in basic low plank. Make fists with both hands and rotate your right fist into your left elbow to transition into a right side plank. Extend your left arm to the ceiling. Hold the right side plank for 45 seconds then pass through basic plank and rotate your left fist into your right elbow to transition into a left side plank. Hold a left side plank for 45 seconds; do three sets—one set constitutes both sides. (Related: Why Side Plank Workouts are the #1 Way to Challenge Your Obliques) Plank Workout Form Tip: Remember to keep your glutes engaged and navel toward your spine. Drive your hips toward the ceiling and stack your feet to keep your hips square.

High Plank Knee to Opposite Elbow

Assume a high plank position. Bring your right knee to your left elbow, hold for three seconds, then bring your left knee to your right elbow and hold for three seconds.

Keep alternating in this manner for 60 seconds

High Plank Shoulder Taps

Assume a high plank position. Keeping your hips square, working hard not to let them sway side to side, lift your right hand to tap your left shoulder, then your left hand to tap your right shoulder.

Continue alternating for 45 seconds; do three sets. (Related: The Secret Workout Formula for a Flat Stomach)

High Side Plank

Start in basic high plank. Walk your right hand to the midline of your body and roll onto the outside edge of your right foot. Stack your feet, drive your hips to the ceiling and extend your left arm to the ceiling.

Hold for 45 seconds, then pass through basic high plank and repeat on the left side. Do three sets—one set constitutes both sides.

Line Jumps

Pick a line (or imagine one) and jump across it (left to right and back again) as quickly as possible. 

Long Jump with Shuffle

With feet hips-width apart, drop into a squat. Jump forward as far as you can, swinging your arms in front of you for momentum. Land in a squat, then shuffle backwards to the starting position. 

Low-Level Bicycles

These are the same bicycle crunches that you know and love, but with this variation, keep your feet and legs close to the ground.

Low Plank with Hip Dips

Start in a low plank. Rotate your hips to the right as you dip them about three inches from the ground, then rotate them to the left and dip.

Alternate for 45 seconds; do three sets.

Low Plank with Knee Taps

Assume low plank position. Alternate knee taps to the floor, focusing more on your low abdomen.

Low Side Plank with Hip Dips

Assume low plank position and transition into a right side plank. Drive your hips toward the ceiling, then dip your right hip toward the floor, then back to the start position. You should feel this strongly in your right side oblique.

Lunge Jumps

Start with a standard forward lunge. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then take a big step forward and lower until both knees are bent at a 90° angle. Make sure your torso is kept upright and as straight as possible throughout. From this position, summon the energy to push explosively off the ground, switching the positions of your legs while airborne so that you land and can immediately drop into another lunge but with the opposite leg forwards. Make sure you land as softly as possible.

Plank Jacks

Start in high plank. Hop your feet out wider than hip-width without allowing your butt to pop up above the height of your shoulders, then quickly hop your feet back to hip-width.

Continue for 60 seconds; do three sets.

Plank Up-Downs

Start in a low plank. Maintaining square hips, place your right hand under your right shoulder, then left hand under your left shoulder, then proceed to lower back down to your right elbow, then your left elbow.

Continue alternating the hand you come up with first for 60 seconds. Do three sets.

Rocket Jump

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your arms by your side. Squat down halfway and jump as high as you can. Land softly and use the momentum to power into your next rep.

Russian twist

Sit on the floor with your legs bent at the knees and feet held just above the ground. Lean back so your upper body is at a 45° angle to the floor. Link your hands together in front of your chest then twist your torso from side to side.

Scissor Kicks

Lift the right leg up to point toward the ceiling.

As you lower right leg, raise left leg to point to the ceiling. Alternate for 45 seconds.

Single-leg butt kicks

Balancing on one foot, jump into the air and take that foot to your bottom and back down again. You should be using one foot for the entire rep, then switch feet to repeat the rep on the other leg.

Sit-up

Lie on your back with your legs bent at the knees and your feet on the floor. Use your core muscles to lift your torso off the ground until it is vertical, then lower back to the start.

Star Jumps

Start in a quarter squat position with your back flat, feet together, and palms touching the sides of your lower legs. Jump up, raising your arms and legs out to your sides (your body should form an “X” in mid-air). Land softly with your feet together and immediately lower yourself back into the starting position.

Superman Back Hyper

This is a variation of the Back Hyper adding arms extended and bringing your feet off the ground.

Toe Reaches/Touchers

A.Lie flat on back and lift toes and hands, reaching away from each other.

B.Sit up as you pull knees into chest and extend arms forward, then lie back again in extension and reset.

Tuck Jumps

Jump with both feet, bringing your knees to your chest as high as you can. Be sure to land as softly as possible.

V-sits

Start in a seated position with your knees bent and feet off the floor. Your chest should be open and lifted. With your arms by your sides, slowly unfold from your seated v by simultaneously lowering your torso and legs toward the floor. Stop when your legs are around a 45-degree angle, or when you feel your lower back arch away from the floor. Be sure to keep your head and shoulders off the floor and your lower back pressed into the mat. With your core tight and tucked, use your abs to return to the starting position.

Walking lunges

Walking lunges are a variation on the static lunge exercise. Instead of standing back upright after performing a lunge on one leg, as you would in a static bodyweight lunge, you “walk” forward by lunging out with the other leg. 


 

  • White Facebook Icon
  • White Instagram Icon
  • White Twitter Icon
bottom of page