2025 ALL IN for APRIL – Exercise Details
đ ALL IN FOR APRIL â EXERCISE HOW-TO GUIDE
This page is your go-to reference for how to perform each movement in the All In For April Challenge. Use this guide to ensure you’re moving safely, effectively, and with confidence.
đ Glutes (Ass) Focus
Glute Bridge
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Press through your heels and lift your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top. Lower down with control.
Donkey Kicks
Start on all fours. Keeping your knee bent at 90 degrees, lift one leg up toward the ceiling until your thigh is in line with your body. Lower and repeat before switching sides.
Bodyweight Hip Thrusts
Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench or sturdy surface. Place feet so that knees are bent 90 degrees when you are lifted, and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Squeeze your glutes at the top before lowering.
Lateral Band Walks / Standing Lateral Leg Lifts (Modification)
With a resistance band around your thighs (or ankles), take small controlled steps side to side while staying in a half-squat position.
Modification: Stand tall and lift one leg directly out to the side, focusing on keeping your hips level and controlled movement.
Fire Hydrants
On all fours, lift one knee out to the side like a dog at a fire hydrant, keeping your hip stable. Return to start and complete all reps/time. Repeat on the other side.
Wall Sit
Lean against a wall and slide down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your knees over your ankles and hold.
Bulgarian Split Squats
Stand with your back to a bench or low surface. Rest one foot behind you and bend your front knee to lower into a lunge. Keep your chest tall and front knee aligned with your toes.
Lunges
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart. Step forward with one leg and lower your body until both knees are bent at 90 degreesâyour back knee should hover just above the floor. Push through your front heel to return to standing, then repeat on the other leg. Maintain an upright torso and keep your front knee aligned over your ankle.
Step-Ups
Using a step or bench, step up with one leg, then bring the other to meet it. Step down and repeat, alternating legs.
Sumo Squats
Stand with feet wider than hips, toes pointed out. Lower your hips down and back, keeping knees over toes and chest lifted. Push through your heels to stand.
Jump Squats
Perform a bodyweight squat, then explode up into a jump. Land softly and go straight into the next rep.
Modification: keep feet on the ground and perform regular squats
Side-Lying Leg Lifts
Lie on your side with legs extended. Lift your top leg up and down with control, keeping your toes pointing forward.
Glute Bridge March
Start in a glute bridge position. While holding your hips lifted, alternate lifting one foot off the ground at a time, mimicking a slow march.
đ„ Abs Focus
Plank Shoulder Taps
Start in a high plank position. While keeping your hips stable, lift one hand to tap the opposite shoulder. Alternate sides, avoiding body sway.
Modification: hold a plank position. Also for either version you can modify by performing on your knees instead of from toes
Leg Raises
Lie flat with legs extended and hands under glutes for supporting the lower back. Keeping your lower back pressed into the floor, lift your legs up to vertical and slowly lower back down without touching the ground.
Deadbugs
Lie on your back with arms and legs raised. Extend one arm and the opposite leg slowly, keeping your core braced and back flat. Return to center and switch sides.
Modification: Keep your legs bent 90 degrees at all times through movement
Bicycle Crunches
Lie on your back with knees bent and hands behind your head. Bring one knee toward your chest while twisting your opposite elbow to meet it. Alternate sides in a pedaling motion.
Modification: Keep feet on ground instead of hovering in air
Toe Touch Crunches
Lie on your back with legs straight up. Reach your hands toward your toes while lifting your shoulders off the floor, then lower back down.
Modification: keep one leg with a bent knee, and alternate straight leg when reaching for toes
Russian Twists
Sit with knees bent and feet off the ground (or resting on the floor). Lean back slightly and rotate your torso from side to side, touching the floor beside your hips.
Side Plank Reach Throughs
In a side plank, reach your top arm under your body and twist slightly, then return to start. Focus on keeping hips lifted and stable.
Modification: keep your lower leg knee bent on the floor as you raise hips
Flutter Kicks
Lie on your back with legs extended and slightly off the floor, with hands under glutes to support the lower back. Quickly alternate kicking your feet up and down while keeping your core engaged.
Modification: do not lower legs close to ground, but rather keep them up higher so lower back can stay safely engaged toward the floor
V-Ups
Start lying down with arms extended overhead and legs straight. Simultaneously lift your legs and upper body to form a V shape, then lower with control.
Modification: Alternate single straight legs, keeping the other leg bent on the floor. This will help protect the lower back.
Mountain Climbers
Begin in a high plank and alternate driving your knees toward your chest in a running motion, keeping hips level.
Modification: do the movement in a slower step pace, rather than running motion
Seated Knee Tucks
Sit on the floor with hands behind you for support. Extend legs, then draw knees toward your chest while leaning back slightly. Repeat with control.
Modification: perform this exercise with one leg at a time, alternating
Reverse Crunches
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet lifted. Curl your hips off the floor, pulling your knees toward your chest. Lower and repeat.
Plank to Elbow Tap
Start in a forearm plank. Tap one elbow with the opposite hand or reach toward it without shifting your body. Alternate sides.
Modification: perform this on your knees, keeping straight line form still
Scissor Kicks
Lie on your back with legs straight and slightly raised. Crisscross your legs over each other in a quick, controlled motion.
Modification: keep your legs higher off the ground to ensure keeping lower back engaged throughout movement
Side Crunches
Lie on your side with knees bent. Crunch sideways, lifting your shoulder and bringing it toward your hip. Switch sides.
High Knees
Jog in place while driving your knees high, ideally above hip level, landing softly and keeping a quick pace.
Modification: take out the job and alternate high knees in a stepping pace
Seated Tuck + Twist
In a seated position, alternate between drawing knees into chest and rotating your torso side to side for a combination core move.
Modification: focus on obliques by doing a Reach to Heel exercise instead. (listed below this exercise)
Reach to Heel
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, arms extended by your sides. Lift your shoulders slightly off the ground and engage your core as you reach your right hand toward your right heel, then alternate to the left side. Move side to side in a controlled motion, keeping tension in the obliques throughout.
Reverse Crunch to Pulse
Perform a reverse crunch, then add a small pulse at the top before lowering back down. Focus on engaging the lower abs.
Side Crunch Reach
Lie on your side keeping legs straight and reach toward your feet in a crunching motion, emphasizing oblique engagement.
đȘ Arms Focus
Push-Ups
Start in a high plank with hands under shoulders. Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping a straight line from head to heels. Push back up.
Modification: keep your knees on the floor while maintaining straight line body as above
Tricep Dips (Chair)
Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair or bench. Place hands next to your hips, slide forward, and lower your body by bending your elbows. Push back up. Make sure you are bending your elbows, not dropping in to the shoulders.
Bicep Curls (Bodyweight or Weights)
Stand with arms at your sides. Curl hands toward shoulders while keeping elbows close to your torso. Lower with control.
Arm Circles
Extend arms out to the sides. Make small forward circles, then reverse. Keep your shoulders relaxed and arms straight.
Close-Grip Push-Ups
Perform a push-up with hands placed close together under your chest to emphasize triceps. Keep elbows tucked in.
Modification: perform the same form with the focus on the “negative” or drop down motion going slower, and having a “sloppy” push up to the top to start again.
Overhead Shoulder Press (Weights or Household Items)
Hold weights at shoulder height with palms facing forward. Press them overhead until arms are fully extended, then lower back to start.
Hammer Curls
With palms facing your body, curl weights toward your shoulders. Focus on keeping wrists neutral and elbows steady.
Triceps Kickbacks
Bend forward slightly with elbows bent (can have a staggered stance if you need to protect the lower back). Extend arms straight back, squeezing triceps at the top, then return.
Inchworm with Push-Up
From standing, walk your hands out to a plank, perform a push-up, and walk hands back to standing.
Modification: Perform the inchworm only
Lateral Raises
Lift arms out to the sides until they reach shoulder height, then lower. Keep palms facing the ground and a slight bend in the elbows.
Concentration Curls
Sit with one elbow resting against your thigh. Curl the weight up and down in a controlled motion, focusing on bicep engagement.
Modification: perform this motion in standing, focusing on making the “C” shape of the curl from the hip to the same side shoulder.
Overhead Triceps Extension
Hold one weight with both hands behind your head. Extend arms up to straighten, then lower back down slowly. If you do not have weights at home, then extend arms over head straight with hands in fists, bend at elbows to lower down fists behind head near rear shoulders. Consciously think through the squeezing of the motion as you straighten arms above head. Repeat.
Diamond Push-Ups
Place hands under your chest with thumbs and index fingers forming a diamond shape. Lower your chest toward your hands, then push back up.
Modification: perform from knees, not toes
Front Raise
Lift weights or objects straight in front of you to shoulder height. Keep palms facing the ground and arms mostly straight and avoid swinging.
Zottman Curls
Curl with palms up. At the top, rotate palms to face down and lower slowly. Targets both biceps and forearms.
Overhead Press + Squat
Hold weights at shoulder height and palm facing in toward the head, perform a squat, and press weights overhead as you stand.
Front Raise Hold + Pulse
Raise weights in front of you to shoulder height and hold while performing small pulses up and down. Keep palms facing the ground.
Push-Up Hold
Lower into a push-up and hold just above the ground. Hold for 3 seconds and repeat. Focus on core and full-body tension.
đ§ Mobility / Active Recovery
Cat-Cow Stretch
On all fours, alternate between arching your back (cow) and rounding it (cat), moving fluidly with your breath. Take about 5 seconds in each position before switching.
Worldâs Greatest Stretch
Lunge forward with one foot, place hands on the ground, and twist toward the front knee. Stretch hips, hamstrings, and spine. Work up to the minute hold if this is a new stretch for you. If you need to back out of it and reset to get back in position, please do so.
Seated Forward Fold
Sit with legs extended and reach toward your toes, keeping your back as straight as possible. Great for hamstrings and lower back.
Assistance: use a towel or band to help you reach your feet if the hamstrings are extra tight and unable to allow you motion forward.
Figure 4 Glute Stretch
Lie on your back and cross one ankle over the opposite knee. Pull the straight leg toward your chest to stretch the glutes by reaching hands around the back of the straight leg thigh to pull.
Standing Forward Fold
Stand tall, then fold forward at the hips, reaching for your toes. Let your head and neck relax.
Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneel on one leg and shift your weight forward slightly, feeling the stretch in the front of the hip.
Supine Twist
Lie on your back and twist your legs to one side while keeping shoulders grounded. Helps release tension in the spine.
Downward Dog
From hands and knees, lift hips to form an inverted V-shape. Press heels toward the ground and lengthen the spine.
Disclaimer:
These exercises are designed to be accessible and scalable for all fitness levels. You are encouraged to modify or progress any movement to suit your personal ability and comfort. If youâre unsure about proper form, need guidance on variations, or have any questions during the challenge, please donât hesitate to reach out to the Studio Strong staff. Our priority is making sure your experience is safe, effective, and empowering throughout the month.
Getting Started:
Before each workout, we recommend a quick warm-upâ2 to 3 minutes of light cardio (like walking, jumping jacks, or marching in place) paired with a few dynamic stretches to get your body moving and ready.
Each dayâs workout is designed to take approximately 20â30 minutes, depending on your selected level:
- Beginner: 3 rounds
- Intermediate: 4 rounds
- Expert: 5 rounds
Choose the pace that fits you best and give yourself permission to progress throughout the month. This is your journeyâstay consistent, show up for yourself, and weâll see you strong at the finish line!
