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Best Fitness Equipment
12 New Things to Do with Common Fitness Equipment
No need to splurge on pricey new training tools. Instead of upgrading your equipment, upgrade your workout with one of these surprising exercises
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Tone Up With the Classics
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1
DUMBBELL
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2
RESISTANCE BAND
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3
MEDICINE BALL
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4
BARBELL
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5
STABILITY BALL
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6
PULLUP BAR
STABILITY BALL
Image: Thinkstock
Stability Ball Inner-Thigh Pushup
It’s never too early to think about bikini season. The inner thighs are one of the trickiest areas to target, but wasting valuable gym time on muscle-isolating moves isn’t an option for busy exercisers, says Holly Rigsby, an ACE certified personal trainer and author of FitYummyMummy.com. Get more from your workout by combining inner-thigh work with a total-body strengthener like a pushup.
Do It: Begin in high-plank position, hands directly under your shoulders. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels. Keeping your core tight, place your feet on the sides of a stability ball and squeeze the ball securely between them. Bend at the elbows to lower your body into a pushup. (Remember to lead with your chest and not your head or neck.)
Make It Easier: Eliminate the pushup and hold the ball between your feet as directed for 20 to 30 seconds.
Stability Ball Hip Drop
“This challenging move not only strengthens your core and hamstrings, but also fires up your glutes to help sculpt and lift your backside,” says Rigsby.
Do It: Lie flat on your back. Place your heels on top of a stability ball and place your hands on the floor at each side for balance. Squeeze your glutes as you push your heels into the stability ball and lift your hips off the floor. Keeping your hips elevated, bend at the knees and squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to roll the ball toward you with your heels. Maintaining this position, rotate your hips and knees to the left. Then slowly lower your left buttock until it taps the floor. Lift your hips, return to center, and then rotate and drop to the right.
Make It Easier: If a stability ball is too difficult for you to control, complete the move with your feet on a low bench.
Discover 7 more unique exercises you can do with a stability ball
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