Tag Archives: core strength

March Ab-ness Contest Begins!

rock hard abs It’s time again for March Ab-ness, when we take a month to focus on strengthening our abs. This year we’re adding a little healthy competition. Keep track of how many minutes of ab exercises you do each day. They can be crunches, sit ups, full planks, knee planks, etc. Each week we’ll post our minute totals for that week. At the end of the month, whoever has worked their abs the hardest will win a free autographed copy of my new book, due to be released in a few short months. What could be better than Sex Soup and Two Fisted Eating? MORE Sex, Soup, and Two Fisted Eating!

So set a goal, work your abs, and let’s celebrate March Ab-ness!

Did you know that strengthening your abs also strengthens your back?

Posted by Katie Robles. Categories: SEX: Sleep and Exercise. Tags: contest abs, core strength, march ab-ness, march madness. 1 Comment

Mar. ’17

Strengthen Your Core in the Kitchen

core-is-cookin Women spend a lot of time in the kitchen. If we did core exercises every time we entered the kitchen, we’d be able to use our iron hard abs to tenderize meat. Whether you’re deciding what to cook for dinner, waiting for water to boil, or unloading groceries, a minute or two of core exercises here and there add up to better fitting pants.

Women’s Health has a good (and short) video showing four ab exercises we can do standing up. Replace those dumbbells with cans of beans, gallons of milk, or sacks of flour, and we’ll be cookin’ in the kitchen in more ways than one.

March Ab-ness has begun, but it’s not too late to join in! Pick a goal and start today!

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10

Posted by Katie Robles. Categories: Interesting Tidbits. Tags: core kitchen, core strength, march ab-ness, march madness, standing core exercises. Leave a comment

Feb. ’17

March Ab-ness 2017

It’s that time of year again! Trees are budding, basketball tournaments dominate sports news, and the multiple clothing layers that have hidden bodies from sunlight since mid-October are being stripped away one at a time as the temperature rises. We do not sweat t-shirt weather because we are participating in March Ab-ness and by the time we’re down to one layer, our core will be strong.

For those of you who are new to March Ab-ness, here’s how it works. Choose a core-strengthening goal for the month of March, do it, and see how great you feel and how much better your pants fit in April. It can be a certain number of crunches crunched, minutes spent planking, or even second sucking in your belly. (Sucking in is contracting the muscles and technically, that counts as exercise.)

core My goal this March is 3 minutes per day of ab exercises for a total of 93 minutes of core building. I find that having a daily goal and a grand monthly total helps keep me on track. If I miss a day here or there, I can make it up and still stay on par for the month. If three minutes sounds like unattainable agony for you, aim for one minute. Let’s be honest: for most of us, even ten seconds a day is an improvement and an ab-worthy goal.

core-fruit A bikini is not in my future, Katie, so why should I participate? March Ab-ness is not all about looks. It’s about strengthening your core. “Think of your core muscles as the sturdy central link in a chain connecting your upper and lower body. Whether you’re hitting a tennis ball or mopping the floor, the necessary motions either originate in your core, or move through it.” Your ab muscles and back muscles work as a team; if one side weak, the other side will try to compensate which can lead to injury or pain. In fact, core strengthening exercises are often prescribed to relieve lower back pain.

core-snowmen Some more benefits of a strong core are better balance, better posture, and better performance in sports, chores, and the bedroom. That’s right, ladies, a strong core improves your tennis swing, your vacuuming, and your love-making. You can read more about the benefits HERE.

If you’re going to participate, consider leaving a comment below with your goal to encourage others (and me!) to make this March a core-changer.

The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him. Exodus 15:2 NKJV

Images courtesy of: mixtapecomics.com (ab exercises-I love this picture, by the way…finally, someone else who exercises in baggy shorts!), bizarrocomics.com (snowmen), offthemark.com (fruit)