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Category — Workouts

Bicycle Crunches

  1. Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. For this exercise, you will need to put your hands beside your head. Be careful however to not strain with the neck as you perform it. Now lift your shoulders into the crunch position.
  2. Bring knees up to where they are perpendicular to the floor, with your lower legs parallel to the floor. This will be your starting position.
  3. Now simultaneously, slowly go through a cycle pedal motion kicking forward with the right leg and bringing in the knee of the left leg. Bring your right elbow close to your left knee by crunching to the side, as you breathe out.
  4. Go back to the initial position as you breathe in.
  5. Crunch to the opposite side as you cycle your legs and bring closer your left elbow to your right knee and exhale.
  6. Continue alternating in this manner until all of the recommended repetitions for each side have been completed.

Notes: While you cannot add resistance to this exercise you can concentrate on perfect execution and slow speed.

September 2, 2010   Comments Off

World’s Greatest Stretch

  1. This is a three-part stretch. Begin by lunging forward, with your front foot flat on the ground and on the toes of your back foot. With your knees bent, squat down until your knee is almost touching the ground. Keep your torso erect, and hold this position for 10-20 seconds.
  2. Now, place the arm on the same side as your front leg on the ground, with the elbow next to the foot. Your other hand should be placed on the ground, parallel to your lead leg, to help support you during this portion of the stretch.
  3. After 10-20 seconds, place your hands on either side of your front foot. Raise the toes of the front foot off of the ground, and straighten your leg. You may need to reposition your rear leg to do so. Hold for 10-20 seconds, and then repeat the entire sequence for the other side.

September 2, 2010   Comments Off

Calf Press On The Leg Press Machine

  1. Using a leg press machine, sit down on the machine and place your legs on the platform directly in front of you at a medium (shoulder width) foot stance.
  2. Lower the safety bars holding the weighted platform in place and press the platform all the way up until your legs are fully extended in front of you without locking your knees. (Note: In some leg press units you can leave the safety bars on for increased safety. If your leg press unit allows for this, then this is the preferred method of performing the exercise.) Your torso and the legs should make perfect 90-degree angle. Now carefully place your toes and balls of your feet on the lower portion of the platform with the heels extending off. Toes should be facing forward, outwards or inwards as described at the beginning of the chapter. This will be your starting position.
  3. Press on the platform by raising your heels as you breathe out by extending your ankles as high as possible and flexing your calf. Ensure that the knee is kept stationary at all times. There should be no bending at any time. Hold the contracted position by a second before you start to go back down.
  4. Go back slowly to the starting position as you breathe in by lowering your heels as you bend the ankles until calves are stretched.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Caution: Be very cautious as you place the feet in the bottom part of the platform as if you slip and the safety bars are not locked then you could suffer a serious accident.

Variations: You can perform this exercise one leg at a time.

August 24, 2010   Comments Off

Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl

  1. Sit down on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand being held at arms length. Tip: Keep the elbows close to the torso.This will be your starting position.
  2. While holding the upper arm stationary, curl the right weight forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. As you do so, rotate the hand so that the palm is facing up. Continue the movement until your biceps is fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second as you squeeze the biceps. Tip: Only the forearms should move.
  3. Slowly begin to bring the dumbbell back to starting position as your breathe in.
  4. Repeat the movement with the left hand. This equals one repetition.
  5. Continue alternating in this manner for the recommended amount of repetitions.

August 19, 2010   Comments Off

Isometric Neck Exercise – Front And Back

  1. With your head and neck in a neutral position (normal position with head erect facing forward), place both of your hands on the front side of your head.
  2. Now gently push forward as you contract the neck muscles but resisting any movement of your head. Start with slow tension and increase slowly. Keep breathing normally as you execute this contraction.
  3. Hold for the recommended number of seconds.
  4. Now release the tension slowly.
  5. Rest for the recommended amount of time and repeat with your hands placed on the back side of your head.

Variations: You can also do this exercise by placing your hands on the sides of your head. First do one side and then the next.

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August 18, 2010   Comments Off

Barbell Seated Calf Raise

1. Place a block about 12 inches in front of a flat bench.
2. Sit on the bench and place the ball of your feet on the block.
3. Have someone place a barbell over your upper thighs about 3 inches above your knees and hold it there. This will be your starting position.
4. Raise up on your toes as high as possible as you squeeze the calves and as you breathe out.
5. After a second contraction, slowly go back to the starting position. Tip: To get maximum benefit stretch your calves as far as you can.
6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Variations: You can use the smith machine or the seated calf raise machine in order to perform this exercise. Alternatively, you can also use dumbbells by placing one on top of each thigh.

August 17, 2010   Comments Off

Advanced Kettlebell Windmill

  1. Clean and press a kettlebell overhead with one arm.
  2. Keeping the kettlebell locked out at all times, push your butt out in the direction of the locked out kettlebell. Keep the non-working arm behind your back and turn your feet out at a forty-five degree angle from the arm with the kettlebell.
  3. Lower yourself as far as possible.
  4. Pause for a second and reverse the motion back to the starting position.

August 14, 2010   Comments Off

Barbell Full Squat

  1. This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for safety purposes. To begin, first set the bar on a rack just above shoulder level. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, step under the bar and place the back of your shoulders (slightly below the neck) across it.
  2. Hold on to the bar using both arms at each side and lift it off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso.
  3. Step away from the rack and position your legs using a shoulder-width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Keep your head up at all times and maintain a straight back. This will be your starting position.
  4. Begin to slowly lower the bar by bending the knees and sitting back with your hips as you maintain a straight posture with the head up. Continue down until your hamstrings are on your calves. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement.
  5. Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing the floor with the heel or middle of your foot as you straighten the legs and extend the hips to go back to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

This type of squat allows a greater range of motion, and allows the trunk to maintain a more vertical position than other types of squats, due to foot position and the higher bar position.

August 14, 2010   Comments Off

Balance Board

Note: This exercise is designed to increase balance.

  1. Place a balance board in front of you.
  2. Stand up on it and try to balance yourself.
  3. Hold the balance for as long as desired.

Caution: If your balance is poor, start out with one of the less challenging boards.

Variations: You can perform this exercise using various types of balance boards. Some are more challenging than others.

August 14, 2010   Comments Off

Trap Exercises

  1. Stand up straight with your feet at shoulder width as you hold a barbell with both hands in front of you using a pronated grip (palms facing the thighs). Tip: Your hands should be a little wider than shoulder width apart. You can use wrist wraps for this exercise for a better grip. This will be your starting position.
  2. Raise your shoulders up as far as you can go as you breathe out and hold the contraction for a second. Tip: Refrain from trying to lift the barbell by using your biceps.
  3. Slowly return to the starting position as you breathe in.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Variations: You can also rotate your shoulders as you go up, going in a semicircular motion from front to rear. However this version is not good for people with shoulder problems. In addition, this exercise can be performed with the barbell behind the back, with dumbbells by the side, a smith machine or with a shrug machine.

August 3, 2010   Comments Off