2022 New Year’s Core Challenge

Fire up your core!

Happy New Year! We’re psyched that you’ll be joining us for the next month of workouts with our New Year’s Workout Challenge. 

Today’s core workout features many plank exercises. The plank is a foundational core exercise—it’s relatively easy to learn and offers tons of variations so you’ll never get bored. 

When doing the plank, don’t let your shoulders and toes do all the work—make sure to engage your core so your hips don’t sag. You’ll also want to keep your neck relaxed and direct your gaze a few inches in front of you. This will ensure your neck remains in line with your spine. 

Remember: Squeeze those glutes, keep your legs straight and stay strong on your toes. 

Check out the banner below or keep scrolling for a detailed overview of each exercise in today’s core challenge. Let’s get going!

Core Crusher

This workout requires no equipment. You’ll repeat this workout a total of 4 times during the month of January. Each week, you’ll add on 10 seconds—the requirements are listed below. 

How to Do Mountain Climbers

1. Get into a plank position, making sure to distribute your weight evenly between your hands and your toes.
2. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders, back flat, abs engaged and head in alignment.
3. Pull your right knee into your chest as far as you can. Then, switch legs—pulling the left knee into your chest and bringing the right leg out.
4. Keep your hips down and run your knees in and out as fast as you can. Alternate inhaling and exhaling with each leg change until time expires. 

How to Do X-Planks 

1. ​​Place both hands on the floor shoulder-width apart and both feet apart behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. Engage your core and maintain a neutral spine, ensuring that your hands are directly below your shoulders. This is your starting position.
2. Elevate your hips and release your left hand to reach towards your right foot (or as far as you can).
3. Lower your hips and place your left hand on the mat to return to the starting position.
4. Elevate your hips and release your right hand to reach towards your left foot (or as far as you can).
5. Lower your hips and place your right hand on the mat to return to the starting position. 
6. Continue alternating between left and right until time expires. Each repetition is equivalent to one touch of your hand to your foot.

How to Do Bicycle Crunches

1. Lie down on your back. Bend your knees and plant your feet on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your arms behind your head, pointing your elbows outward.
2. Engage your core. Lift your knees to 90 degrees and raise your upper body. This is your starting position.
3. Rotate your trunk, moving your right elbow and left knee toward each other. Simultaneously straighten your right leg. Pause.
4. Return to starting position.
5. Move your left elbow to your right knee and extend your left leg. Pause. This completes 1 rep.
6. Repeat until time expires. 

How to Do Side Plank Hip Dips

1. Start in a side plank with your right elbow stacked directly underneath your right shoulder and your right forearm firmly planted on the ground. Your body should be in a straight line with your left foot stacked on top of your right.
2. Keep your body in a straight line and your chest open. Drop your hips down toward the ground and then lift them back up into the start position. 
3. Repeat, making sure your body doesn’t collapse forward and your chest doesn’t rotate toward the ground. Your top hand can be raised toward the ceiling or be placed on your hip.
4. Repeat until time expires on your right side before switching to your left.

How to Do Bear Plank Shoulder Taps 

1. Start in a standard high plank with your hands directly below your shoulders. Walk your knees in until they sit just below your hips.
2. From this position, lift your right hand and tap your left shoulder, then return it to the ground.
3. Do the same thing on the opposite side, lifting your left hand to tap your right shoulder before placing it back on the ground. Keep your core stable to avoid movement in your hips.
4. Keep repeating until time expires.

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