How To Turn Ordinary Core Exercises Into Full-On Ab Sculpting Cardio Workouts

Intro

Hey what’s happening?!!…

This is Isai Rodriguez… host of the DadSplanation Podcast where I cater to the Professional Working Man, 40 and above, who’s looking to make positive changes to his health, lose weight, and become stronger overall through simple lifestyle changes.

I’m here to share inspiration, tips and proven lessons that I’ve personally learned and lived through in my 40+ years on this beautiful blue planet.

So today we’ll start the discussion off with 6 Science-Based Tricks To Motivate Yourself Into Productivity in our first segment and then we’ll move on to our 2nd segment and talk about How To Turn Ordinary Core Exercises Into Full-On Ab Sculpting Cardio Workouts…

And before we get into that, if you’d like to continue the conversation, then get on over to podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip to get on the VIP Insider’s Community where I share more entertaining “behind-the-scenes” stories, tips, and hacks that’ll keep you feeling younger each and every day!

That’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip…

Again, that’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip… be in the know… starting right now

Also, don’t forget to rate me on Apple Podcasts… OR wherever it is you’re listening to this Episode… AND leave me a NICE… FAT… JUICY… 5-star-review and some absolutely beautiful words of why you love the show so much! It really helps me get the word out and it’s honestly the one place where your vote truly matters!

And now let’s move into our first segment… Healthy Conversations…

Healthy Conversations:   6 Science-Based Tricks To Motivate Yourself Into Productivity

So have you ever spent more time talking yourself into doing something than actually doing that something?

I know I have… More times than I’d like to admit actually.

And so if you’re like me, then you know how hard self-motivation can be.

Whether it’s procrastination, distraction, or plain-old “you’re not interested”…

Let me assure you… the struggle is real.

But luckily, there are some tricks that can help get you moving in the right direction.

You see… Science-backed principles of persuasion can be the push that you need to get stuff done.

And here’s the thing…

Self-motivation has a new urgency in these pandemic times when time itself is so distorted.

I mean c’mon… you can’t tell me that you haven’t lost track of what day it is more than once since this whole lock-down started… Especially if you’re working from home.

And if you truly haven’t lost track of the days because of a system you’re using, then please… by all means, please drop that in the comments right now.

Because so many of us are missing cues and structure found in a typical workplace and that being said… anything small that you can use to get yourself going can be super useful.

So go ahead and drop in the comments your secret if you have one…

We’d love to hear them…

But if you find yourself struggling to Get-Shit-Done…

Then you might want to try one of these six tricks.

Just Five to Get Started

Here’s what I mean…

When you’re trying to persuade someone to do something, one tactic is to make it simple for them.

You’re not trying to change their mind, you’re simply trying to make it easy for them to say “Yes”.

So try using this simple Science-Backed technique on yourself by agreeing to just do five to get started.

Not only is it a simple and realistic goal but it gives you the illusion of it being easy from the get go… so you essentially reprogram your brain to say “Oh I can do that. That’s simple.”

So for example, just make five calls to get started, just read five pages to get started, just send five emails to get started, or my favorite, just five little burpees to get started.

Because we have to remember that in most cases, 80% of the problem is simply getting started.

So by making that initial step easy, you’re not trying to change your mind or convince yourself to do something…

You’re simply doing what you need to do to get started and you’ll most likely build the momentum to do a lot more once you do get started.

Set interim goals

Setting goals is how many of us achieve the things we want the most, but goals can also be daunting when they’re too big, like writing a book or losing 40 lbs.

So persuade yourself to get moving by setting smaller, interim goals, such as writing a chapter every week or losing 2 to 3 lbs per week.

Something small… something tangible and easily attained.

This’ll keep you motivated to continue on.

Because here’s the reality… Long-term goals don’t motivate you enough.

They can be too much—something you can’t wrap your head around—and they’ll cause you to freak out.

But goals that are easier to accomplish can be motivating.

And when you see the end of something, you kick harder to get to the finish line.

Make a public commitment

Posting your intentions on social media can also be motivating.

It’s kinda like holding your feet to the fire…

It gets you moving and into action…

This has to do with the behavioral science that watched people are nice people…

So a public commitment is like being watched. You don’t want to lose face or look bad.

And so for this to work, your public commitment persuasion tactic has to involve specific goal setting.

You can’t just make this bold statement that you’re going to write a book or run a marathon.

There has to be some merit to what you say…

So for example… if you’ve never written a book before, then it probably won’t be that effective…

You need to give more specific details like a timeframe or that you plan on finishing a chapter this week.

Something smaller and more specific is better than large and general announcements.

Take breaks

Another cool trick for getting more shtuff done is to take breaks.

Because, Listen… The brain and body are not meant to work nonstop.

They’re not!

For whatever weird reason, we have this idea that powering through is the best way to get stuff done and a sign of our worthiness.

We’ve got it upside down and believe that amateurs take breaks and pros don’t.

That’s insane!

Professional athletes know that taking breaks doesn’t mean you’re straying from great performance… They know that it’s a part of performance.

Simply put… Your drive to get more done will increase if you’d simply take a walk outside every afternoon.

Go out for five- or ten-minute walks with someone you like talking to about something other than work…

You’ll see that suddenly, whatever you were banging your head about will basically resolve itself.

Set deadlines

Having a looming deadline can be a good motivator for committing to action.

You can set them yourself or leverage deadlines given to you by a manager, coworker, business partner, or spouse.

Deadlines ultimately help turn an abstract into something concrete, instead of a dull nagging thing in the back of your head telling you to do something.

They also provide the power of endings.

Just like with the goal setting, it really helps when you see the finish line.

You know you’re right there… just about to finish.

But be careful if what you’re working on has something to do with creativity…

So if you’re working on creative work, be careful with deadlines.

They can actually squash your creativity rather than enhancing it.

Same goes with severe deadlines.

They can kill your motivation.

So just like with the goal setting…

…Set yourself some realistic deadlines.

Reward yourself

There’s something magical that happens when you set aside a small reward for starting and completing something.

It can be as small as a cup of your favorite coffee…

Or as lavish as a vacation.

It’s really up to you but the trick is to line it up with the goal or deadline you’re trying to reward yourself for.

So for instance, if you’re simply setting a goal of losing 2 to 3 lbs per week…

… reward yourself with something of equal or lesser value.

Like a slice of Cheesecake with one of your meals after you’ve hit your goal.

Of course if you’re trying to lose weight, you might want to choose a better reward than cheesecake.

But listen… with so many of us working from home during the pandemic, the structure and time signals of traditional workday are gone.

So having some tricks up your sleeve that can help you motivate yourself can be an important tool for boosting your productivity and reducing your stress.

And once we return to normalcy, just think how these simple tricks will help you stay on track to hitting goals.

Think about it!

So with that all said and done… Let’s move on to our SECOND segment… “Mighty Man”

Mighty Man:   How To Turn Ordinary Core Exercises Into Full-On Ab Sculpting Cardio Workouts

I‘m going to be straight up with you guys today…

I’m constantly looking to cut corners with my workouts.

Not in a bad way but as far as efficiency goes.

My goal has always been to get as much bang-for-my-buck in as little time as possible.

This is why workouts that incorporate full-body moves and HIIT routines have been my go-tos workouts for the longest.

I kinda find them Fun and exciting… almost like playing at a playground on the monkey bars.

So imagine how surprised and excited I was to find out that you could turn any core move into a double-duty cardio burner just by simply adding weights.

Yup! You heard that right!

You can pretty much turn any ab or core workout into a cardio fat burning session just by adding a tiny dumbell.

We’re talking anywhere from 1 to 10 lbs…

That’s it!!

So basically transforming your crunches into a true strength-building and heart-rate spiking workout is as simple as picking up a set of dumbbells.

You see… Adding dumbbells makes the moves more challenging which will raise your heart rate.

The extra load basically changes the whole dynamic and difficulty of the exercise which also increases your heart rate.

It creates a situation in which your heart rate has to increase in order to oxygenate the working muscles by increasing blood flow to them.

So the next time you drop down into a set of sit-ups, grab a set of light weights…

And again… you really don’t need all that much weight to change your dynamics…

All you have to do is grab your weight and hold it behind your head or on your chest just under your chin.

Easy peasy!

This a great little move to help you check off “core” and “cardio” workouts off your list for the day.

Another workout you can convert into a power workout are toe touches…

They’ll go from regular, boring old toe touches to Weighted Toe Touches!

Yeah baby!!

So this’ll hit the entirety of your abs and you’ll work up a serious sweat in the process with this weighted move.

Again, it takes traditional toe-touches to a whole new level.

So this is basically what you do…

First lie flat on the ground while holding a dumbbell over your head and then simultaneously raise your legs and upper body as if you’re trying to touch the weight to your toes.

Boom!

Keep your legs straight and try to get your head and shoulders off of the ground, but be sure to glue your lower back to the floor so that you’re working from your abs and not your neck.

Here’s another one…

A weighted side plank!

Now the regular or traditional side plank is great for balance and strengthening of your shoulders, arms, core, and legs.

You generally start at a plank and then flip to one side or the other for a side plank making sure to keep your hand and shoulder aligned with each other, your hip leveled and in a straight line with the rest of your body, and your feet either stacked on top of each other or staggered one in front of the other (Think of a T formation)

And here’s a little PRO tip… if your feet are staggered, make sure that your top leg is in the front position, that the toes of your bottom leg are touching the back of the foot of your top leg, and that your toes are pointed forward at a straight 90 degree angle

If you can, try angling your feet so that your toes are pointing to your shins… and there you have it… it’s pretty straight forward.

And so with this move, you can easily up the impact of your traditional side plank just by holding a weight in your top arm and extending it high over your head.

To make things even more challenging, switch from one side to the other every 10 seconds, swapping the weight as you move.

Or here’s another variation that’ll help burn those love handles…

Rather than switching from side to side… Just raise your top leg.

So in a side plank, if you’ve opted for the stacked leg variation…

Simply raise the leg that’s on top and see how that hits you nicely in the mid section.

Moving on to another exercise for your obliques…

Russian twists with a medicine ball…

Oh yea!

Russian Twists are known for burning out your obliques and you can really kick things up by integrating additional weight.

So the regular twists are done by holding both your fists together and interlocking your fingers together as you sit with your back at about a 45-55 degree angle to the floor…

And then, as the name suggests… you twist from side to side, touching your fists to the sides of your hips or if you wanna take it to the next level, you can try tapping the floor with your fists.

To turn it up, just hold a dumbbell or weighted ball at your chest and try to touch the ground or your hips as you rotate your body from side to side.

I’ve done this at the gym in one of my group classes and let me tell you… this is a killer.

You can even take this a few steps further simply by raising your legs into a tabletop position.

Oh yeah! It’s so good!! I love it!

Oh and if you’re using the ball, you can also try slamming it down to the ground on each twist… this one is super advanced but I’ve seen it done.

If you’re not at that level yet, then I suggest sticking to no more than the table top.

That’s where I’m at right now… ugh… hurts so good!

Another killer exercise converted into workout in itself is Dumbell Woodchops.

This is a great one because you can easily add weights into your standing ab routine with dumbbell woodchops.

With this workout, you literally use a dumbbell to imitate the action of chopping wood or chopping down a tree.

Now one thing I have to say with this move is that it’s pretty easy to hurt yourself if you do this one wrong.

There is a lot of technique and form that you have to keep in mind.

When you’re lifting your dumbbell (aka your imaginary axe) you want to make sure you don’t overextend in the lifting portion of the movement.

Building on that, when you’re striking with your axe (uh, I mean dumbbell) do not, i repeat, do not hunch over or round out your shoulders.

What you want to do is as you’re swinging up, you want to make sure you twist evenly to the one side and pivot (or come up) on to the ball of your opposite foot.

Keep your chest proud to engage your mid section.

And then when you bring your axe down to strike the wood, make sure to use your midsection to control the swing and bring it down smoothly.

Not too fast but not too slow either… a nice comfortable rhythm is what you’re looking for here.

So to be clear we start on one side from your shoulder (let’s say your right shoulder) and you’re pivoting or you’re on the ball of your left foot…

… and then you swing from that position downward towards your left foot crossing past your chest with the movement and pivoting from the ball of your left foot to the ball of your right foot.

Again, nice easy, comfortable rhythm from up to down and across and then back up to reset.

And then obviously you can switch that up from starting up over your left shoulder and ending down by your right foot while being on the ball of your left.

Here’s another tip to level up this exercise…

So if you wanna turn it up and take it to the next level, you can add in a nice stable lunge (or what’s known as a split squat) to the mix.

And so with your left foot out and your right foot behind you (remembering to keep on the ball of that right foot)…

… use your proud chest to help keep your mid section tight, bring your axe up over your right shoulder, and then chop down towards your left side going over your left leg as your lunging down…

So again, start at the top right, start lunging and chopping at the same time, and ending your chop with your axe over to the outside of your left leg…

… and then bring it all back up to reset the movement and continue on from there.

This is a great great little intense workout right here!

I got some good feedback from all of you on the video I shared where I demonstrated this movement for you.

And you all agreed with me that this move here really hits your obliques and lower abs as well as your upper body, and definitely leaves your heart pounding.

So I’m glad you enjoyed that! You’re welcome, Guys!

Moving on to the last movement I have for you today is a simple (yet very effective) Low Plank weight transfer.

If you’re bored of basic planks, this rendition of a plank is just for you.

So first you start from an elbow plank and place a weight in between one of your hands.

Use that one hand at a time to drag the weight across your body from one side to the other.

So if you’re starting with the weight in your right hand, simply take the weight and place it gently on your left side and return to your low elbow plank.

Then grab the weight with your left hand and simply place the weight on your right side and return to your low elbow plank.

Simple simple simple… yet super effective at burning up your midsection, shoulders, etc.

I’m telling you, you’ll definitely feel this one in your core and your abs after your workout and because this is a cardio abs workout, you’ll notice how fast your heart is beating by the end of the workout.

Boom!! Win Win… Efficient workouts you can do anytime anywhere.

And if you don’t have actual dumbbells, you can pretty much use anything as a weight.

We’re not building up to be like Arnold Swarzennager in his prime…

… we’re just trying to make our workouts more efficient and maximize the time we spend and the results we get!

So you can use anything from different sized cans of soup, all the way up to a small toolbox.

And if you think about it, these odd replacements for weights are actually better because in real life, these are the types of objects you’ll be lifting so why not “practice” lifting them in a controlled manner?

Right?… Something to think about! There’s no excuses, My Friends!!

Well Anyway, with all that said…

Closing

That’s it you guys… That’s my show for today!

I hope you found some valuable information here and if nothing else, I hope I’ve entertained you for a few minutes and was able to bring a little man-ly sunshine to your day.

Thanks for taking some time out of your day to listen to me… it’s very much appreciated!

On next week’s episode, we’ll be talking about Protein Powder: Does It Actually Work? so you definitely don’t want to miss out on that!

And if you’d like to continue the conversation with me, then get on over to podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip to get on the VIP Insider’s community where I share even more “raw-behind-the-scenes” stories, tips, and hacks that’ll keep you feeling younger and younger… each and every day!

That’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip…

Again, that’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip… be in the know… starting right now!

Also, don’t forget to rate me on Apple Podcasts… OR wherever it is you’re listening to this Episode… AND leave me a NICE… FAT… JUICY… 5-star-review and some absolutely beautiful words of why you love the show so much!

It really helps me get the word out and it’s honestly the one place where your vote truly matters!

Until our next chat… Take care!