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Old-Fashioned Push-Up
The old-fashioned push-up is one of the origional totaly body exercises - meaning it workes many of the muscles in the body all together. It workd your chest, arms, abs, butt, and legs, and upper back!! Keep in mide we burn fat/calories in the muscles so we want our exercises to make as many muscles as possible do their jobs (that way you don't have to exercise for 8 hours just do 8 exercises!!) The push-up is also one of the best core (that famous doughnut around the midsection) exercises. Inorder to not let your back sag toward the floor you have to contract your belly - this essentially supports all your body weight, making the push-up as effective as a crunch!!
INSTRUCTIONS: Lay face down on the floor. Hands are wider than shoulder width apart. Easier: Bend your knees so your feet point toward the ceiling. Press through your palms and your knees to lift your body off of the floor. Remember your belly is pulled in like you are trying on a tight pair of pants. Keep your spine like a steel rod - no bending. Roll your shoulders back away from your ears. Bend your elbows bringing your ENTIRE torso toward the floor (not just the upper body - lower everything together as one unit). Push through the palms to straighten the arms again. Harder: Lay with your legs outstretched, curl our toes into the floor. Press through your palms and your knees to lift your body off of the floor. Remember your belly is pulled in like you are trying on a tight pair of pants. Keep your spine like a steel rod - no bending. Roll your shoulders back away from your ears. Bend your elbows bringing your ENTIRE torso toward the floor (not just the upper body - lower everything together as one unit). Push through the palms to straighten the arms again.
REPETITIONS / SETS
Reps: 12 - 15 (how many times to repeat an exercise in a single set)
Sets: 2 - 3 (how many times to come back to an exercise)
Monday, April 30, 2007
Previous Exercise of the Day
BALL CROSS CRUNCH
The ball cross crunch is one of the most effective exercises available for the core (the doughnut around the midsection - abs, himp, butt, pelvis). This is also the BEST core exercise for anyone suffering from low back pain. Recent studies have shown that people who suffer from low back pain tend to stress the verebrae of teh lumbar spine while performing core exercises on the floor. A stability ball curves the lumbar spine into a neutral position and supports it throughout the movement of the exercise. The cross crunch works both the rectus abdominus (the 6 pack area) and the transverse ab( perpendicular to the 6 pk)
INSTRUCTIONS: Sit tall on the stability ball with feet flat on the floor, knees bent to 90 degrees and shoulders back. Contract your abdomen as if you are trying on a tight pair of jeans - KEEP them like that throughout the movement. Slowly walk your feet forward, laying back, until the stability ball is under your lower back. Place your hands behind your head. Keep your feet flat on the floor to prevent slippage, and keep your abs contracted. Looking toward the ceiling, inhale. As you exhale slowly lift your shoulders toward the ceiling -ONLY until you feel your belly contract further. (you are not trying to sit all the way up). Twist one way (as if throwing a punch across your body) then twist the other way. Inhale as you release your shoulders back toward the ball.
BE CAREFUL OF THESE COMMON MISTAKES: Not keeping you belly contracted throughout whole movements Keep you shoulders rolled back and down away from your ears Keep your feet flat on the floor with the knees bent at 90 for stability Keep your elbows wide throughout - we're not trying to decapitate ourselves. :)
REPETITIONS / SETS
Repetitions: 15 - 18
This is the amount of times you should repeat the exercise in a row.
Sets: 2 - 3
This is how many times you should come back to the exercise after a break or another exercise is completed.
The ball cross crunch is one of the most effective exercises available for the core (the doughnut around the midsection - abs, himp, butt, pelvis). This is also the BEST core exercise for anyone suffering from low back pain. Recent studies have shown that people who suffer from low back pain tend to stress the verebrae of teh lumbar spine while performing core exercises on the floor. A stability ball curves the lumbar spine into a neutral position and supports it throughout the movement of the exercise. The cross crunch works both the rectus abdominus (the 6 pack area) and the transverse ab( perpendicular to the 6 pk)
INSTRUCTIONS: Sit tall on the stability ball with feet flat on the floor, knees bent to 90 degrees and shoulders back. Contract your abdomen as if you are trying on a tight pair of jeans - KEEP them like that throughout the movement. Slowly walk your feet forward, laying back, until the stability ball is under your lower back. Place your hands behind your head. Keep your feet flat on the floor to prevent slippage, and keep your abs contracted. Looking toward the ceiling, inhale. As you exhale slowly lift your shoulders toward the ceiling -ONLY until you feel your belly contract further. (you are not trying to sit all the way up). Twist one way (as if throwing a punch across your body) then twist the other way. Inhale as you release your shoulders back toward the ball.
BE CAREFUL OF THESE COMMON MISTAKES: Not keeping you belly contracted throughout whole movements Keep you shoulders rolled back and down away from your ears Keep your feet flat on the floor with the knees bent at 90 for stability Keep your elbows wide throughout - we're not trying to decapitate ourselves. :)
REPETITIONS / SETS
Repetitions: 15 - 18
This is the amount of times you should repeat the exercise in a row.
Sets: 2 - 3
This is how many times you should come back to the exercise after a break or another exercise is completed.
Previous Exercise of the Day
Floor Bridge
This is an excellent exercise to work the muscles of the butt, hips and pelvic floor. METHOD: Lay on the floor with feet a comfortable distance from your rear. Hands by your hips. Shoulders rolled back away from your ears. Tighten yuor abdomen (Like trying on a tight par of jeans). Inhale. As you exhale push through your heels to lift your hips off of the floor up toward the ceiling. Hol for a moment. Then lower back to the mat.
REPETITIONS / SETS = 18 / 3
Repetitions: the number of times to repeat and exercise
Sets: the number of times to come back to an exercise
This is an excellent exercise to work the muscles of the butt, hips and pelvic floor. METHOD: Lay on the floor with feet a comfortable distance from your rear. Hands by your hips. Shoulders rolled back away from your ears. Tighten yuor abdomen (Like trying on a tight par of jeans). Inhale. As you exhale push through your heels to lift your hips off of the floor up toward the ceiling. Hol for a moment. Then lower back to the mat.
REPETITIONS / SETS = 18 / 3
Repetitions: the number of times to repeat and exercise
Sets: the number of times to come back to an exercise
Previous Exercise of the Day
PLANK
Plank is akin of the traditional push-up. It is also a total body exercise designed to challenge the body through assuming a challenging position and maintaining it for a length of time. Procedure: Lay face down. Place your elbows directly under your shoulders. Curl your toes under - pressing them into the floor. Tighten abdomen as if tryin on a tight pair of jeans and roll shoulders away from your ears. Lift up so you are balancing on your forearms and your toes. Keep spine as still and straight as a steel rod.
*Hold for 15 - 45 seconds
Repeat 3 - 5 times.
Plank is akin of the traditional push-up. It is also a total body exercise designed to challenge the body through assuming a challenging position and maintaining it for a length of time. Procedure: Lay face down. Place your elbows directly under your shoulders. Curl your toes under - pressing them into the floor. Tighten abdomen as if tryin on a tight pair of jeans and roll shoulders away from your ears. Lift up so you are balancing on your forearms and your toes. Keep spine as still and straight as a steel rod.
*Hold for 15 - 45 seconds
Repeat 3 - 5 times.
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