Middle-aged woman doing forearm planks.
Planks are awesome for strengthening your core and boosting overall stability. They also tone your abs and fix your posture. Starting your workout with them preps your core for the heavy lifting in squats and deadlifts.
To do a plank, get into a modified pushup position with bent elbows and forearms on the ground. Align your elbows under your shoulders and keep your body straight. Engage your core and glutes to hold. Breathe and hold for the set time.
Lunges. Close-up dumbbell lunges.
Lunges hit your lower body, improving balance and coordination. They’re a great add-on to any routine, strengthening quads, hams, glutes, and core while enhancing mobility.
To lunge, stand hip-width apart with hands on hips or holding dumbbells. Step forward with your right foot, land heel first, and bend both knees to lower. Rotate left foot in slightly as you lower left knee. Push through right heel to start over, then switch legs. Do your target reps.