Originally Posted on HBFit.com April 11, 2016 2:31AM
Chelsea J. Foss is one of our girl crushes of Instagram. As a stylish Bar Method instructor with a killer aesthetic and a penchant for skincare, she embodies the #HBFITGirl. We asked her to give us an exclusive barre-focused workout, all in RBX Active.
You might remember RBX from Claire Fountain’s flow last week. We love that their clothing transfers well from activity to activity–all at an affordable price. Peep their full collection, here.
Plank: Come down to your forearms and the balls of your feet. Place your elbows directly under shoulder joints, clasp your hands, and separate your feet to hips-width. Align your pelvis with your ribs so that your back is flat and grip your glutes. Tuck your tailbone under your spine to engage your abs and press your heels firmly back to engage your thighs. Breathe sharply and quickly. Hold for 40-60 breaths.
Pushups: Come down to your hands and feet. Place your hands under your shoulder joints with your fingers turned in slightly. Separate your feet to the width of your hips. Grip your glutes and tuck your tailbone under your spine. Contract your abs and dome your upper back. Keep your shoulders spread apart as you bend your arms and push back up, (performing the pushup). Think of pushups as a moving plank. Perform roughly 30 on-tempo pushups.
** For push ups on your knees, keep the set up the same except separate your knees to the width of your hips, point your feet and draw your heels towards your glutes.
Reverse Pushups- Sit down with your feet planted to hips width and your knees bent. Place your hands under your shoulders with your fingers turned out slightly. Grip your glutes, lift your seat off of the floor, and shift your weight back until you feel your upper ribs brush against your upper and inner arm. Tuck your seat up a foot from your hands, lengthen your neck, and soften your elbows. Begin to bend your arms more and less being mindful to never fully straighten your arms. Keep your weight on the heels of your hands. Keep this exercise short (roughly a minute) and focus on form above anything else.
Pretzel- Sit down and bring your right leg in front of you. Bend your right leg to 90 degrees with your knee directly in front of your hip and your shin in front of your body. Place your right hand next to your right knee with your fingers pointed forward. Take hold of your back ankle with your left hand and move your left knee about an inch behind your hip. Keep your left hip closed by tilting your hip forward and down towards the floor. release your back ankle and hold onto your front ankle with your left hand. Shift your weight to the right until there is roughly a 45 degree angle between you and the floor. Engage the muscles that surround your shoulder blades to lift your chest and encourage good posture. Contract your abs and lift your left leg slightly off of the floor. Begin to lift your left leg in a series of lifts with a hold or presses back with a hold. Option to move at a quicker pace once you’ve grasped the exercise. Perform desired choreography for roughly 3 minutes on each side.
Low Curl- Sit down, rest on your elbows and place your feet flat in front of your hips.
Kickstand Curl. Bend your legs roughly to 90 degrees. Grip your glutens and rotate your pelvis under until you feel the flat part of your lower back anchored the to floor (I suggest doing this on a softer surface). Slide your hands up the back of your legs and hold on behind your knees with your thumbs flipped forward. Draw your shoulders back and down to reduce the roundness in your upper back and keep your neck vertical. Start to breathe sharply and rhythmically at varying tempos. For more advanced work, you have the option to let go of your legs and reach your arms up. If you choose this option, be mindful that you maintain your form. If you feel any tension in your neck or shoulders at any point, you may place a thin pillow near the middle of your ribcage (higher than natural waist) under your back for support. When breathing at a slow tempo, keep your releases to 8 counts and 20 for quicker pulse tempo. Do about 4-6 sets of this exercise.
**In a low curl position, never curl or crunch actively. Stick strictly to breathing as your choreography.
Kickstand Curl- Use the same set up for Low Curl but keep your elbows placed sturdily under your shoulders with your fists angled towards your shoulders. Maintain a strong tuck of your pelvis and grip your glutes. In this position (opposed to low curl) it is safe to perform rhythmic curls and/or tucks in addition to your breathing. For more of a challenge, you have the option to lose your kickstand and lift your elbows to shoulder height while maintaining a 90 degree bend in your arms. Keep your release reps small and let repetition of the exercise be what builds tension in your waist. Sets can be the same length as Low Curl.
Back Dancing- Lay flat with your feet separated to the distance of your hips. Grip your glutes and lift your seat and lower back off the floor. Anchor your upper ribcage to the floor and rest your arms beside you. I recommend cranking your favorite song for this one. Choreography can be small, on-tempo tucks, pulse-tempo tucks, and/or full range movements. This exercise should last around 3-4 minutes and act as one last “zinger” for your seat and the back of your legs.
Sponsored by: RBX Active
Routine by: Chelsea Foss of Bar Method.
Photographer: Devin Shallop
