#ToningTuesday Moves with Coach Brittany

The NYC fitness scene is filled with crazy workouts, high intensity plyometric moves, and a go-go-go mentality. But when you're trying to tone, it's important to get back to the basics and make sure that your form is correct before taking your workouts to the next level.

Coach Brittany Ignas knows all about toning! As a versatile trainer teaching at some of the hottest studios all over NYC, she is no stranger to intense workouts that hit every muscle in your body.

But she is also very focused on form, and in today's blog, Brittany takes us through 3 well-known moves and gives detailed step by step instructions on how to make sure your form is perfect!


​And did we mention she's leading a fit-cation to Tulum this February? Check out these moves to get you ready for her trip!

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Brittany's tips to perfect your planks:
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1. Positon your shoulder so their directly above your elbows
2. Lengthen your body by pulling your shoulders away from your ears
3. Flatten your spine so a dinner plate could rest on your back without sliding off
4. Elongate your neck while gazing at your finger tips 
5. Squeeze your booty!
6. Straighten your knees
7. Kick through your heels to help your spine stay straight
8. Enhance the burn by pushing your elbows and toes into the ground
9. Close your rib cage while holding still
10. Breathe!!

Brittany's tips for great squats:

1. Stand with your feet a little wider then hips distance 
2. Position your toes so they're turned slightly outwards 
3. Bend your knees
4. Sit your booty down and backwards
5. Maintain an upright upper body, keeping your chest lifted and gaze up
6. Flatten your spine
7. Put your weight in your heels, not over your toes
8. On the way up, power through your heels and use the back of your legs to help lift you up
9. Add a toe raise at the top to work your calves for an extra burn
   
10. Don't forget to breathe!

Brittany's tips for effective bicycle crunches:

1. Lie on your back and place your knees at table top positions (knees bent at 90 degrees right above hip)
   
2. Extend one leg out in front and twist that elbow to the opposite bent knee
   
3. Bring your shoulder high off the floor in the twist
   
4. Keep your lower back on the floor the whole time 
   
5. Place your hands gently behind your head but make sure abs are working and you are not tugging at the back of your head
   
6. Continue to switch legs for a timed interval, play with going faster or slower to feel the burn
   
7. If you feel any back pain, keep your knees bent the whole time and only twist your shoulders, or start with your feet on the floor and bend one knee in
   
8. Breathe with each twist

Can't wait until Tulum to get your toning fix? Brittany is leading a toning event at Lululemon's Hub Seventeen Sunday 11/6. We'll get a great workout in, and then enjoy some salads from Sweetgreen! Click here to sign up!

Want more from Brittany? Check her out on Instagram at @bmignas.

By,
Ros