Hey and happy Tuesday!  I hope your Monday was great and Tuesday is treating you well too!

A few weeks ago, I was SO happy and excited to receive a copy of Jen’s (Peanut Butter Runner) new book, Ultimate Plank Fitness:  101 Plank Exercises for a Strong Core, Killer Abs–and a Killer Body.

Jen and I have been virtual blogging friends for quite some time! I absolutely LOVE her workouts, delicious recipes, pictures of her adorable puppy, and I love seeing pics of all of her cool yoga poses.  She really is inspiring in many ways, and I hope that someday I get to meet her in real life 🙂

Her book is beautiful and packed with amazing exercises all centered around the plank.  Some exercises are bodyweight only (no equipment) but she also does a fantastic job of including exercises for all levels, plyometrics, and exercises utilizing equipment.

The book starts out with a great definition of the word “core.”  Being in the fitness industry, I catch myself using this word all. the. time. but I realize that my definition may be a little different than someone else’s.  I think Jen really clears things up with her definition and it is something we can all use and think about when working out.

Jen’s definition of core:

Your core is composed of many muscles in the abdomen, hips, back, butt, and legs, and it’s necessary to work all of these muscle groups to build a strong core.

Each exercise has easy to understand, step-by-step instructions and includes a “common faults” section so the exerciser knows what NOT to do when completing the exercise.

I also love the “extra credit” section!  This section is a bit more advanced as it combines equipment and plank exercises.  There are definitely a couple of moves in there I need to work on.

While I love the exercises and the simple explanations that accompany each one, I think my favorite part of the book is the “Sample Workouts” section in the back!

There are 10 Sample Workouts that vary from beginner to advance and are composed of the plank exercises in the book!  I gave on of the workouts a try (and loved it!).  Jen kindly gave me permission to share this workout with all of you, so if you are  looking for a new bodyweight workout, this plank-based fitness routine is definitely worth the try!

Pulsing full planks:

Side plank with knee crunch:

Dolphin plank push-ups:

I definitely recommend checking out Jen’s book for other amazing workouts, plank variations, and fitness tips.

I hope you all have a great rest of the day!

Question of the Day:

• What is your favorite plank variation?