Tennis season may be over for Maria Sharapova, but that won't stop her from crushing a lower-body workout. Maria shared a video of her training on Instagram ahead of a Ralph Lauren fashion show, and damn, she is really strong!
In the video, she can be seen doing kneeling ab rollouts to activate her core, deadlifts for strength and power, and reverse lunges with a weight for strength and stability. She then finishes it off with hip thrusts for the booty work.
Hopefully, you'll be taking notes, because this workout will definitely improve your strength and athletic performance! (See the workout deets below.)
The Workout
Kneeling ball roll out * Hex bar deadlifts * Reverse lunges on a slideboard Shoulders-elevated single-leg hip thrustMaria doesn't specify her set and rep scheme, but we suggest doing three to four sets of 10-12 reps for each exercise.
Kneeling Ball Roll Out
If you only have the time (or the patience) to do one abdominal exercise, make it this highly effective move.
- Kneel with the ball in front of you and lean into the ball as you place your forearms on the ball. You should already feel your abs working here, so be sure to pull your navel toward your spine.
- Push your arms into the ball as you roll it away as far as you can without compromising your form - breaking at the waist or over-arching your back. Hold this plank-like position for two to three seconds.
- Slowly return to the starting position by contracting your abs and rolling the ball back toward your knees. That completes one rep.
Hex Bar Deadlift
If there's one exercise you need to be doing to work your core, upper body, and lower body all at once, it's the hex bar deadlift! Unlike a straight bar deadlift (where the weight is in front of you), this move is performed by standing in the center of the bar. With the weight closer to your center of gravity, you're in a better position to pull, putting less stress on your back.
Researchers at California State University found that subjects were able to generate more peak power and force using a hexagonal barbell. These findings suggest that performing deadlifts using a hexagonal barbell may be more effective at developing force, power, and velocity than a straight barbell. If you're looking to improve your overall athletic performance while strengthening your back, it's time to switch up those deadlifts!
Here's how to do it:
- Load the hex bar with the weight of your choice. If you're new to the move, start by just using the bar without any additional weight.
- Stand in the center of the hex bar with your feet hip-width apart.
- Bend at your hips and knees as you grab the handles of the hex bar. Raise your hips up slightly, keeping your back flat, to create tension in the back of your legs (your hamstrings will feel tight).
- Keeping your back flat and shoulders relaxed, drive your heels through the ground as you stand straight up.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of the lift to ensure you get full hip extension.
- Continue to grasp the handles as you lower the weight to the ground with control. Be sure to keep your chest open and your back flat. This counts as one rep.
Glider Reverse Lunge
- Grab two five-pound dumbbells and a glider, and stand with your feet a few inches apart, with your right foot on the glider.
- Put weight into your left foot and slide your right foot back into a lunge position, so both knees are at 90-degree angles, with the back knee just barely touching the floor.
- Slide your right foot forward.
- This counts as one rep.
- Make sure and workout both sides.
Shoulders-elevated single-leg hip thrust
- Lie with your upper back resting on a bench and your feet flat on the floor in front of you.
- Lift your left foot off the ground, then raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- At the top of the rep your left thigh should be perpendicular to the floor.
- Hold for a count and then slowly return to the starting position.
- Don't let your left foot touch the ground between reps.
