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Creepy Creature Moves to Trick or Treat Your Core

Creepy Creature Moves to Trick or Treat Your Core

Maria Sollon, MS, CSCS, PES

Beware of lurking predators, creepy creatures, slithering serpents…

This Halloween, prepare to face your fears with a killer core routine inspired by nature’s most fearsome beings!  So, be wary… these core moves are a real fright, but trust me, they’ll haunt your body in all the right ways.  It’s the perfect time to confront some of the deadliest creatures all on your Total Gym!

The Top 5 Deadliest Creatures & Moves That Will Slay Your Core

  1. Arachnoid: Black Widow Spider
    • Freaky Fact: Despite their harmless appearance, daddy long legs belong to the arachnid family, just like spiders, and have a reputation for being one of the most venomous creatures, though their fangs are too short to harm humans. A startling number of arachnophobia cases affect around 5.4% of the population in the U.S.  To me, they are still scary when they’re spotted crawling up walls.                                                                                                                                  
    • Fun Fact: Unlike spiders, daddy long legs can’t spin webs, but they sure know how to party! These critters often gather in large groups, creating a spooky scene of legs everywhere.
  • TG Exercise: Daddy Long Legs Core Combo

            (Plank Glide + Crawl + Forearm Knee Taps + High Plank +Knee Tap)

  • Just like spiders weaving a web, this combo challenges every inch of your core, forcing you to stabilize while keeping your body in constant, creepy motion. This move will make your abs crawl with tension!
  1. Reptile: Saltwater Snap Crocodile
    • Freaky Fact: Saltwater crocodiles are fearsome hunters, known to take down anything that crosses their path – humans included! Around 1,000 people fall victim to these prehistoric predators each year to showcase their stealth and strength!
    • Fun Fact: Saltwater crocodiles are the largest living reptiles and can hold their breath underwater for up to two hours while stalking prey. They can also run surprisingly fast on land, reaching speeds of up to 18 miles per hour in short bursts! Now that’s a powerful sprint!    
  • TG Exercise: Floor Crawl (Decline Plank Hold + Knee-Elbow Taps)
  • Channel the relentless power of the croc with a Total Gym crawl that’s as deadly to your core as a croc’s snap is to its prey. Move slowly and deliberately, engaging your core to stay low and lethal.                                                                                 
  1. Scorpions: Brazilian Yellow Scorpion (deadliest)
    • Freaky Fact: With around 3,250 people affected by scorpion stings annually, it’s no wonder these arachnids invoke fear. The scorpion’s venom can paralyze!
    • Fun Fact: Scorpions glow in the dark due to a substance in their exoskeleton that fluoresces under ultraviolet light, which may help them find each other or deter predators.
  • TG Exercise: Side-Lying Single Arm Cable Pull & Recover: Down Dog Scorpion Twist
  • This core move is just as lethal as the Brazilian yellow scorpion! Focus on the spinal twist to sting those obliques while maintaining stability for overall core strength.
  1. Snakes: Saw-Scaled Viper + King Cobra
    • Freaky Fact: Snakes, especially the deadly saw-scaled viper, are responsible for more than 50,000 human fatalities annually.
    • Fun Fact: The saw-scaled viper produces a unique warning sound by rubbing its scales together, creating a hissing noise that can be heard from a distance and is used to ward off potential threats.
  • TG Exercise: Snake-Inspired Pilates & Recover: Quadruped Snake into Cobra Pose
  • These serpents strike with deadly precision and this core move will follow suit by targeting your midsection with a deadly spinal rotation mastered through core stability and strength. Recover with a quadruped snake into cobra pose stretch to help ease the burn from the viper-inspired core move.
  1. Amphibians: Golden Poison Frog
    • Freaky Fact: The golden poison frog may be small, but its venom is strong enough to kill 10 men with just a single drop of its potent toxin.  
    • Fun Fact: The golden poison frog is one of the most toxic animals in the world, but they only produce this lethal toxin because of their diet in the wild, which includes ants and other small insects. Captive-bred frogs, fed a different diet, do not develop the same level of toxicity!
  • TG Exercise: Side-Lying Glute Press Clamshell (Squat Stand or Toe Bar)
  • Don’t underestimate this side-lying move; it’s small but mighty! Just like the frog’s potent poison, this exercise will make your core and glutes scream for mercy.

Core-rupting Creatures: A Halloween Workout to Die For!

These creative core moves will add a fun twist with a creepy vibe. Don’t get too creeped out when you try these moves at first!  First, learn the exercise movement to work with your own strength, practice with good form, modify when needed, and repeat often!  Now let’s creep your core with a workout that is to Die For! 

Directions: The following exercises are listed in a specific sequence to maximize positioning on your Total Gym while keeping a continuous flow. 

  • Perform the following exercise in a circuit format, one after the other with minimal rest in between.
  • Aim for 10 reps per exercise and on each side.
  • Repeat as many rounds as you dare!
  • Please refer to the video demo to see how these exercises are performed on your Total Gym.

*Low Level, NO Accessory*

  1. Daddy Long Legs Core Combo
  • This exercise combines multiple movements to increase core stamina: Plank, Crawl, Knee Taps, Forearm Plank, Knee Taps, Crawl, Reset
  • Modify: perform in stages, take rest when needed.
  1. Salt Water Crocodile Crawl
  • This exercise utilizes your core strength as your upper extremities stabilize and your lower body moves along with the glide board: Decline Plank Hold + Knee-Elbow Taps
  • Modify: Keep knees on glide board or face the vertical column to perform.

*Low-Medium Level & Connect Cables*

  1. Scorpion Sting
  • This exercise incorporates spinal rotation, core stability, and coordination of upper and lower body: Side-Lying Single Arm Cable Pull & Recover Move: Down Dog Scorpion Twist
  • Do on both sides.
  • Note: glide board positioning is important! Find the right body placement prior to performing he movement to encourage a smooth flow.

*Disconnect Cables, Attach Squat Stand or Toe Bar*

  1. Serpentine Viper + King Cobra
  • This powerful movement incorporates shoulder strength and stability while flowing into a Pilates Inspired movement : Pilates Snake & Recovery Move: Quadruped Snake into Cobra Pose
  • Do on both sides.
  • Modify: Perform without using the attachment by placing the feet on floor either inside the rails or straddling the glide board.
  1. Golden Poison Frog Press
  • This movement not only works the lower body, but it is powered from the core to strengthen and trim the waistline: Side-Lying External Leg Press & Waist Lift
  • Do on both sides.
  • Modify: Keep hips on glide board at all times.
  • Advanced: If using the Squat Stand, add a hop on the press.

Haunt Your Core… If You Dare!

So, are you ready to face your fears? Embrace the spooky spirit of the season and make your muscles scream. Building a strong core is essential for anyone and everyone and using this fun theme of creepy critters to get you a little more motivated is what this is all about!   Give these moves a try and see how deadly your workout can be!

Now go and enjoy your treats without the tricks… your core will thank you!

Maria

@GROOVYSWEAT       

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