Okay, okay. I didn’t mean this kind of planking. And no, I didn’t sit there flipping through all of the pictures and laughing. Although this one is my absolute favorite. Umm…anyway. As I’ve mentioned in my past posts, planks are great for strengthening your core. It also uses every single muscle in your body, so you can call it a full body toner!

Since I know you’re an expert at planks, I challenge you to bring it to the next level with this move.

Single leg plank with leg pulses

Begin in a basic plank position, with your hands directly under your shoulders. Squeeze your glutes and abs tight. Lift one leg into the air, about 10-12 inches above the ground. Once you maintain your balance, pulse your leg into the air by bringing it one inch higher and lowering it back down to its original height. Repeat for about 30 seconds before switching sides.

Share your planking pictures with me! Fun or fitness, @jackelynho is waiting to see what shenanigans you’re up to this summer.

Now, while we at CollegeCandy don’t condone walking to a campus party in the buff, we do fully support B.Y.O.B-ing. And we can help you do it in style. Now you can bring your own beer in our cute Six Pack Caddy! Sure, you could just lug it over in the Natty Light box it came in, but that’s not cute. Or classy. And we’re all about the classy.

Not a drinker? No prob. This little guy does double duty. You can use it as a pencil holder, condiment pack, or even store all those hair clips and bands in it. Then you can use that money you saved for something you can’t make, like those cute wedges you’ve been eyeing all summer.

Materials:

- Empty cardboard six-pack box
- Decorative paper (wallpaper or gift wrapping paper)
- Glitter, feathers, sequins, pipe cleaners, colored pom-pom balls
- Glue or tape
- Scissors

Steps:

1) Flatten the cardboard box and trace the shape onto the decorative paper.
2) Fold the paper in half so you can cut two of the same shapes at one time, then cut two for the body and two for the handle.
3) Glue or tape the paper to the cardboard and cut the excess paper to trim the edges.
4) Glue any extra decorations you want onto the caddy. I highly recommend extra sparkle if you’re heading off to a rave, or your campus mascot if you’re toting that thing to a football tailgate.
5) Fill the Sixpack Caddy with your favorite drink of choice and head off to PaRtY!

Now, if only we could figure out how to make our own beer. That would be Pulitzer-worthy.

So you’re determined to get those rock-hard, washboard, Jessica Alba abs. And you even stepped up the intensity of your workout by increasing those crunches and sit-ups to ensure that your stomach is flat in no time.

Well, its time to stop that.
Right now.

Turns out, crunches are not good for you.

I know you’ve spent your whole life thinking those painful and annoying little exercises were getting you one step closer to a Britney body (circa 2001), but, sadly, the main thing that crunches do is crunch your spine. And yes that really is as bad as it sounds. According to and article in the New York Times, the way to visualize this concept is to “think of the spine as a fishing rod supported by muscular guy wires. If all of the wires are tensed equally, the rod stays straight.” However, focusing only on the deep abdominal muscles can cause the spine to buckle. To avoid this, it is important to strengthen the entire core.

So what exactly is the core?

Many assume the core just refers to our abs, but the truth is the core includes our abs, lower back and pelvic muscles. Doing crunches only strengthens one set of muscles within the core, so it’s likely that this will destabilize your spine by pulling it out of alignment. This, in turn, causes back pain and can leave you lookin’ like a hunchback. Which, I’m pretty sure, is not the look any of us is going for.

The best thing to do then is to say goodbye to crunches and instead incorporate a core exercise program into your workout that strengthens all of the major muscles that girdle the spine. Just make sure when you do any core exercise that you pull in your belly button as much as possible to reduce injury to the spine and back.

Here are some awesome alternatives to the crappy crunch:

Side plank: Lie on your side, feet on top of one another. Balancing on one forearm, lift your body off the ground, contract your abdominals and relax your shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds. (You may want to look in the mirror to make your body is aligned)

Bird dog: Position yourself on all fours, then raise an alternative arm and leg out straight, pulling in your stomach muscles as tight as you can. Hold for 10 seconds. Switch arm/leg and repeat.

Bridge: This one is really great, because it’s simple and very effective. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor. Tightening your abdominal muscles, raise your hips slowly off the floor until your hips are aligned with your knees and shoulders. Slowly release about 90% of the way, and then repeat.

These moves are all usually covered in Pilates classes, so it might not be a bad idea to check a class out to get an idea of how to perfect the moves. There are also usually different variations to these moves, so you can try whichever suits your ability best. And, the best thing about them, is that they are not only strengthening your core, but they are creating a longer and leaner body, improving balance, coordination, flexibility, posture and physical strength, none of which your standard crunch can do.

Stop crunching and start focusing on your entire core. You’ll have that long, lean (and rock-hard) body in no time.

1 Minute Abs
The one minute abs workout can be done anywhere – from the gym to your dorm. It’s a routine that works every ab muscle and will get results if done properly without rest in between moves. It’s a combination of 3 moves, each for 20 seconds.

*Leg Lifts – To get started, lie on your back with legs straight, lifted about 6 inches above the ground. Feel free to put your hands underneath your butt so your low back doesn’t arch. Lift legs to 90 degrees so they are right above your hips and lower them. Repeat for a total of 20 seconds. This move is commonly referred to as leg lifts.
*Toe Taps – Immediately go into the next move called toe taps. Bring legs above hips, out straight or with a slight bend and reach your hands towards your toes. When you come back down, stay about 3 inches above the ground and reach right back up. You don’t have to actually touch your toes but reach as far as you can without putting too much strain on your neck. Complete toe taps for 20 seconds.
*Bicycle Crunches – Without rest, bend knees into table top position. Bring hands to the temples of your head and crunch up bringing opposite elbow to the opposite knee while straightening out the other leg, and switch sides. Make sure you don’t rock side to side.

Here is a video of the workout if you are more of a visual type person.

Want more quick workouts? Try the world’s fastest workout that promises to burn over 400 calories post-workout by raising your heart rate and metabolism. If you try that and still want more (are you crazy?!), check out the bicycle version that is sure to break a sweat in less than 4 minutes.

Got a question about this workout? Follow me on Twitter and send me a message. If you liked this article, check out my blog for updates throughout the week, including a 1 Minute Buns video that will be live later today on our channel on YouTube!

Invest in Sunscreen- I know. I sound like your mom. That’s because I’m quoting my own mom. But seriously its been months since your skin has been exposed to the sun. The only thing more tragic than coming back with cornrows from the Caribbean is returning to school with a 3rd degree burn and 4 inch blister on your face (true story).

Begin Drinking Dangerous Amounts- (And this is part of the blog where I veer away from anything my mom has ever said.) In just a few days you will be drinking more alcohol than your liver could ever imagine and unless you want to die, it’s essential you start building up your tolerance ASAP. I know that a lot of people have midterms this week but that’s no excuse to be letting your guard down. There should be beers at every breakfast and shots with every snack. If there is any point during the day where you could legally drive, you are not preparing yourself responsibly for whats going to happen during break.

Start Sleeping- When you’re not drinking, you should be sleeping. Sleep so much that you will never want to sleep again. Because you won’t be sleeping. Not for an entire week. Chances are that if you’re not in the mood to get some, your roommate will be. There’s no hope for any 8-hour nights in any spring break destination.

Pack Immodium- Ew. Gross. I know. But some of the places where people will be traveling aren’t exactly known for their safe water and hygienic food practices. All it takes is one slurp of tap water from the bathroom for you to be keeled over for the rest of the break. Save yourself and your dignity by packing a just-in-case box.

Buy a One-Piece- If you haven’t already begun the rigorous (and traditional) spring-break-no-eat-find-out-where-the-school-gym-is diet yet, there is no longer any chance for you get that six-pack that you talked about during New Year’s Resolutions. But don’t freak out. Nothing covers up a long winter of eating like a one-piece. Tankini’s are so 90′s and two-pieces are too flashy. Opt for the always classy one-piece. Maybe even go strapless! If all else fails go for the Speedo lifeguard suit. It’s a great conversation piece and it’s make people feel surprisingly safe around you.

Google Celebrities+Spring Break- Find out exactly which D-list celebrities will be at your spring break location and start bragging. Don’t let anyone else feel like they picked the better destination because Spencer and Heidi will be hosting a wet-t-shirt contest. Let them know that DJ Juice will be kickin it old school next to your hotel. And if there’s no one at your destination, make it up. I thought I had made up DJ Juice until I just googled and found out that he would be making a spring break appearance.

What are your last-minute tips for a great spring break?

If you watched the VP debate last night you heard a lot about Sarah Palin’s BFF, Joe Six Pack. But who is he? What does he like? What does he do?

We don’t know Joe Six Pack personally (though we have hooked up with his cousin, Mark Quarter Barrel…who could not keep it up), but we imagine he’d be something like this:

Description:

5’11, brown hair, brown eyes, some sort of facial hair, big hands and a tattoo of some sort (possibly his kids’ initials) on his upper arm. No actual six pack to be seen behind the slight beer belly hanging over the top of his ill-fitting denim.

Likes:

Beer (most likely Natty Ice and PBR), Nascar, cars with big engines, girls with big boobs, Sundays spent watching football, red meat, keg stands, tobacco, lawn chairs, American flag apparel, Levi’s, the missionary position, pepperoni pizza, boys’ weekends full of beer and conversations about women with big boobs, the Bible, those giant turkey leg things you get at the fair, classic rock, leather vests and “that hot lady who is always with John McCain.”

Dislikes:

Books, politics, vegetables, flowers, people who don’t approve of burping/farting in public, organic anything, beverages that are non alcoholic, women’s sports, and feminists.

How to woo him:

Beer, boobs and talk of WWE. That is, of course, if you have any interest in wooing him.

But why wouldn’t you?

Writing for CollegeCandy has reinforced what I’ve always suspected: I don’t get society’s idea of male attractiveness.

This isn’t me “taking a stand” or “trying to be different” – I literally don’t get it. Never have, never will.

Why are so many women hot for men with six-packs? Seriously – what is it with this ab muscle obsession? It’s not like abs can do anything… I mean, an actually sturdy abdomen is imperative for breath support in operatic singing, but I don’t see ladies get their panties all twisted over the titular character in Don Giovanni.

I am also thoroughly vexed by the concept of male waxing. It seems like such a dichotomy, like, “Oooh, I want a manly-man with big manly-man muscles! Extra manly, please, woo!” …but then they want ‘em as Western-standard feminine as possible with waxed chests? Yeah. Um, hot…?

See, I’m down with chest hair because it actually is a male genetic trait. Same with facial hair. An unrelenting five o’clock shadow is a gorgeous, sexy thing. Y’know, kinda reinforces the idea that I’m dating a dude.

But whatevs, I’m cool with being outside the status quo. Keep your skeevy Ken-doll-mens. Just means all the more Mark Ruffalos for me.

Oh, and P.S.: Hair gel = creepy. I CAN SEE YOUR SCALP, DUDE!

What is your take on guys with six packs?