Name: Playbook - Mackenzie Bishop - W2/D2 Leg & core circuit
Uploaded: 2023-03-23T03:29:13.098Z
Duration: 35 min
Description: W2/D2 Leg & core circuit

Today we’re working full body but honing in on legs & core with a circuit style!

Message me if you were able to do this outdoors somewhere pretty and get creative with the equipment!

- Begin on your hands and knees
- Round your back and tuck your chin
- Arch your back and look forward

Cat camel

- Standing tall lift Left arm up to the sky and lean to the right.
- Tilt head as you lean.
- Let right arm hang at your side
- Exhale and breath further into the stretch
- Alternate sides after 30 seconds

Lateral stretch

- Sit on floor and bring soles of feet together 
- Bring knees down as far as you can
- You should feel a stretch in the groin and inner thighs
- Keep your torso tall with hands pressed behind you against the floor
- Option to walk hands to the front of your body and lower as desired

Butterfly Stretch

- Start in pike position with hips high like downward dog
- Keep your legs extended
- Lower your head towards the ground with the crown of your head angled towards the mat below you 
- Push up and down from this position

Pike push up

- Elevate the front half of your feet
- Push through the balls of your feet engaging your calves
- Pause at the top then lower into a slight stretch

Bodyweight calf raises

- Keeping your arms straight, roll your shoulders back 
- Shrug your shoulders up towards your ears 
- Pause for full contraction
- Roll shoulders in both directions for optimal stretch

Shoulder shrugs

- Start by kneeling on the ground
- Bring your front leg slightly diagonally out in front of your body
- Pulse gently into the stretch & switch legs

Forward side lunge stretch

Warm up

Let’s work on our TVA!

What is that anyway? I’m glad you asked! It’s the deepest muscular layer of the core! 

This is an area we can target throughout our entire pregnancies through a lot of balance and side movements that doesn’t cause injury but gives us the strength we need for labor, delivery, and a healthy postpartum!

- Start in a tabletop position 
- Keep a neutral spine, head gazing diagonally forward in front of your hands
- Hands placed under shoulders
- Lift knees off the mat & hold, engaging your core

Bear crawl Hold

- Keep your hand underneath your shoulder, and feet stacked on top of each other (or modify with one knee down as seen in the video example)
- Press your hips toward the ceiling to make a straight line from head to toe & imagine belly button pressing forward so as to avoid a hinge in the hips
- Bring the top leg towards your elbow engaging your obliques
- Complete time on one side and then switch sides and repeat

Side plank crunches

- Keep your hand underneath your shoulder while lying sideways on mat
- Either stack feet on top of each other or modify with the bottom leg’s knee down
- Press your hips toward the ceiling to make a straight line from head to toe
- Lower your hip to the floor and lift back up engaging your core
- Perform 60 seconds on one side then switch sides

Side plank hip raises

Core - TVA

It is imperative we hone in on leg strength through our hamstrings, quads, calves & glutes throughout each trimester so as to maintain proper alignment, posture, and avoid injury from over correction in any of these areas.

- Start a few inches away from the couch, bench or chair
- Place first foot up on couch and press through your heel to bring the second foot up on top of the couch keeping your knees slightly bent at the top
- Never fully stand and straighten your legs (this maintains tension on the quads)
- Lean forward slightly as you step up
- To avoid injury make sure you have stable footing!
- Bring first foot down, then second foot and repeat on opposite side
- Rest for 60 seconds once 6 sets are completed and move onto the next exercise

Couch step ups

- Place your upper back (just below the scapula) on a couch or chair with hands on your hips
- Push through your heel raising your hips 
- As you thrust with your hips lift one leg with the hips and keep it off the ground for the remainder of the reps
- Exhale at the top & engage your glutes and core
- Finish all reps on one side & then repeat on opposite leg

Single leg hip thrust

- Begin in a low squat with feet facing forward and hip distance apart (more narrow than a normal squat)
- Squat down and stand slightly but never fully straightening the legs
- Step the right foot forward and squat again in the same way
- Bring feet together and squat again
- Step the left foot forward and squat again in the same way
- Never fully stand. Repeat continuously & quickly

Quad squat + forward step

Legs!!

This stretches our inner thighs. 

Press upper body only as far forward as is comfortable while pregnant.

Adductor Stretch

Glute stretch

Quad Stretch

- In a standing lunge, with the opposite leg extended in front of your body, lean forward and stretch as much as needed
- Hinge forward at the hips bringing your chest down towards your extended leg
- Alternate legs after 30 seconds

W2/D2 Leg & core circuit

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