strength training
Showing posts with label strength training. Show all posts
Lower Body Burner: Strength + Endurance
This is a great workout to really burn your legs out, build strength as well as endurance at the same time. These super sets are meant to be done with the strength exercise first, followed immediately by the endurance exercise with a little rest after completed.
1. Split Squats 5 per leg
Split stance, sink into the loaded position and press back up, squeeze the glutes and ensure knees don't go over toes.
1a. Reverse lunges 12per leg
Ensure core is stable and press through heel of foot and squeeze through the top, make sure knee doesn't fall in.
Rest 1 minute and perform 4 sets.
1. Goblet Squat 5 reps
Feet just wider than shoulder distance, sink low into hips and push through the feet straight up and squeeze the glutes.
2a. Travelling curtsy's 12per leg
Can be performed without a weight, come into a curtsy lunge pushing off that leg and continue moving down the track performing curtsys on the same side.
Rest 1 minute and perform 4 sets
3. Sled Push 15m
3a. Side lunge to step up 12per leg
Side lunge, push off that leg and step up with it and drive other knee up.
Rest 1 minute and perform 4 sets
Finisher Workout
After a strength workout I will often add in some intensity as a "finisher" meant to really push myself or a client. It's a great way to get the heart rate up, burn more calories and can help you see more results with your strength workouts. It's a great way to add a metabolic component to your strength workouts, especially if you don't have time to add those in other days. Take about 10 minutes at the end of your workouts: 
1. Battle Rope jump Jacks 20s
Rest for 3 minutes, perform 4-5x
**You can only choose one of these exercises to perform for 20s rest 60s and repeat 4-8x, it does not have to be a circuit. Or chose 2-3, again ensuring the work to rest ratio is 1:3
Prep Work for Shoulders
Prep work is often times the most important and most often overlooked part of an exercise routine. Especially on a heavy lifting day it can be so tempting to just get in and get it down. But this can cause further issues down the line with injury, also, you can to ensure the right muscles are being engaged. For example during a pull up, you don't want your traps and neck doing all the work now do you?
This can be used as a great 10 minute prep for a heavy lift day or used on it's own as a recovery day.
1. Laying chest openers, 10x per side 2sets
Ensure knee is bent elevated at 90 degrees, ensure head is neutral (use a block). Opener arm as far as it will go keeping knee bent at 90.
2. Banded stretches
First one for the pec, let the rubber band pull your chest open and keep tension on the band as you push against it, push 10s relax 20s 3x per side
Second one for the lats/rotator cuff, hinge from the hips and allow band to pull arm out pull 10s relax 20s
Banded pull aparts on foam roller: Ensure back is flat on the roller, head is supported. Hold the band straight in front of you, pull the band apart squeezing the shoulder blades together on roller.
1. Banded rotator cuff exercises: Keep elbow tight to body, extend band outside body without moving your torso. Slow and controlled movement. 10x per side 2 sets
3. Hold two light plates (5 LB) in front of body, keep elbows bent, squeeze shoulders to bring arms in line with body. 10x 2 sets
Rest Day
The importance of rest day is often overlooked in the mainstream fitness communities, the focus is go-go, no excuses, push or you're weak. While it's awesome to push yourself and work really hard, it's also equally as important to rest your body and let it recover from these bouts of intense exercise.
When I talk about intense exercise I'm talking about lifting heavy, intense interval training, workout sessions that leave you breathing very heavily or quite sore. These sessions get your heart rate going, release a lot of hormones including cortisol, now cortisol is a stress hormone so too much of it (even if it's from a positive experience like working out) can be bad for you. This increased cortisol can result in:
-Increased weight gain
-Poor sleep
-Low energy
-Increased anxiousness
-Poor sleep
-Low energy
-Increased anxiousness
Now these sound like the things we're trying to avoid via exercise!
Rest days are important in so many ways they aid in the ability to rebuild muscle, when you workout you're tearing the muscle, and to make it stronger/bigger/more toned it needs time to repair these tears. Usually 24-48hours betwen working a muscle group. Rest and recovery ensures you have enough energy for your training sessions. It can also help prevent injury from overworking muscles, or being too tight and stiff from previous training.
Now a rest day doesn't mean sitting on your butt it can involve: gentle stretching like a yin yoga class, foam rolling and postural work, a walk, a leisurely bike ride amongst many other things.Find a strategy that works best for your rest day and helps you feel your best.
Hip Stability
Hip Stability is incredibly important for many different aspects of movement such as: balance, strength in performing weight bearing exercises, single leg exercises and helps maintain proper posture.
Start with releasing the glute med, and piriformis with a foam roller or ball
Banded Exercises:
1. Banded glute bridges: Band above knee, squeee glutes up and down slowly. 10x 3 sets2. Banded clam shells: Knees at 90 degree angle, feet together and raise knee up and open. 10per 3 sets
3. Banded side steps: Knees slightly bent, step out to the side and together 10per 3sets
Stability Exercises:
1. Single Leg Hop: Have something marking where you are hopping to, put all the weight on one leg and hop back and forth to it. Keep hips level as you do this, knee should be in line with foot. 1Oper 3 sets
2. Skaters: Unweighted or with a VIPR. Hop to one side bring VIPR to opposite side and then switch sides. 10per 3 sets
3. Side plank: Unweighted or weighted.On forearm, lift hips into the air and keep core tight. You can have leg along the ground bent or straight in front like this one. 20s per 3 sets
4. Lateral Step ups: Step up push through the heel and squeeze your glute as you go up.. Ensure the hips remain level, if you sway too much box might be too high. 10per 3 sets
6 reasons you should strength train
Everyone can and should strength train at least 2x a week. No matter your fitness level, or what type of dysfunction or injury you may have had it can be safely worked into a program when working with an exercise professional and will be beneficial
6 Reasons why everyone should strength train:
1. Increases Bone Density. This is especially important for us ladies who are prone to lose bone density as we age and are at higher risk for osteoporosis. So ladies, do not be afraid to lift heavy, its going to benefit you in the long run!
2. Increased Muscle Mass. Not only does muscle protect your joints from injury, but it is also an important part of rehabilitating an injury. In any rehab program we focus on building up the muscle around the joint safely to prevent further damage. It also burns more calories even when you are at rest. With more lean muscle mass, you`re less likely to injure yourself and in the long run it helps you lose weight if you have more muscle.
3. Greater stamina, youre going to get stronger and better ability to perform. For example, going for a hike that seems strenuous may seem easier after a 6 week strength program.
4. Better sense of well being. Any sort of exercise releases endorphines and has been shown to improve mood, this is great news for anyone who suffers from anxiety or depression. This can help improve body image, as well as your self confidence.
5. It will NOT make you bulky. I have been strength training for a few years now, my body has definitely changed size and shape but I do not look bulky or manly in any way.
6. It helps with control and prevention of some diseases. It helps those with diabetes control their glucose levels and is helpful in prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Side effects: Can make you feel like a motherfucking badass. Lifting heavy things can give you a sense of accomplishment when you reach new goals and add more weight! So get out there and lift the big weights, and feel amazing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)