Personal training in any format, 1 on 1, small group, or online is a lot more than just the right program design for your goals. Accountability and motivation come into play just as much as program design for most people whose biggest issue is never sticking to anything and lack those 2 things. Contact me today to discuss your options!
Category: Exercise Tutorials
There are so many neglected things when it comes to fitness. One of them that can easily be worked in but isn’t often is eye hand coordination. Check out this weeks video to boost not only your eye hand coordination but your core strength as well.
Improve your agility, balance, stability and stamina by working on your side skater progression. Pick the progression level you’re at from entry level to an advanced variation and get after it!
One of the most neglected areas of someones programming is often their rotator cuff. Consistently training your rotator cuff is super important just like any other muscle group. While people might be consistently training other muscle groups this continues to create more and more of an imbalance between the muscle groups and will cause issues down the road. Give this exercise a try to build into your programming to achieve better results!
If you found this helpful or know someone who would, don’t forget to like, comment, and share!
Almost all of us lack mobility in our spines and hips and could greatly benefit from a few simple exercises. Below I’ve put together 3 different ways in 3 different positions to gain that mobility throughout our thoracic spine and our hips. You can do all of these with just body weight! I’ve included options with dumbbells and a steel mace for those looking to enhance the movement even more!
Try adding a version of each of these to the warm ups in your workout. Do them consistently and you will FEEL and SEE a difference in how you move!
Things to remember
Work both sides evenly.
Encourage increased mobility by pausing at each end range.
Sets of 10 or more a side works best.
Kneeling Thoracic Mobility Drill!
- Start by kneeling and choose a leg to put in front.
- If I choose my L leg in front I will put my R hand behind my head.
- Reach your elbow down to your foot as far as you can go.
- As you lift back up sit up tall and extend back as far as you can while you rotate.
- You have the option of keeping the hand on the head or letting go and reaching back with a straight arm.
Prone Thoracic Mobility Drill With 3 Variations!
- Laying flat on your stomach with hands and feet both at “10 and 2 o’clock.”
- Lift your hand up and reach back as far as you can extend and rotate.
- Pause there for a moment. (No matter what variation you’re doing.)
- You can alternate sides or do one side at a time.
- Make sure your feet remain touching the ground even when they rotate!
If you find any of these to be painful or to advanced you can start with the Can Opener!
- Pull your knees towards your chest at 90 degrees.
- Put one arm directly out in front of you and glue it to the ground. (At 3 or 9 o’clock)
- Keep knees held together.
- The arm not in front of you will reach back to the “3 or 9 o’clock,” pause for second and repeat.
Lunge Thoracic Mobility Drills!
- Start by doing a reverse lunge. (Make 2 90 degree angles with your legs with your front foot flat on the ground and the weight on your heel.)
- If I leave my R leg in front I will reach (extend and rotate) with my R hand going behind my head.
- Pause there for a moment. (No matter what variation you’re doing.)
- You can alternate sides or do one side at a time.
- As you lift back up sit up tall and extend back as far as you can while you rotate.
Want abs? 🤔
Try these 2 twists on oblique training you haven’t tried before!
Band Pikes w/Rotation😱
- Start in a pushup position with your feet in the band. As you tuck your knees to your chest rotate as much as you can pulling your knees to the outside of your elbow.
- Band Side Plank w/Rotation + Knee Tuck 💥
Get into your regular side plank postion. Take your top arm and reach as far as you can under your body like you’re hugging yourself. At the same time pull your knees to your chest, pause for a second, then repeat.
These exercises are classics in suspension trainers/TRXs, but don’t offer the same challenge or fluidity that using bands to do it does. The engagement you get in your core by having to physically pull your feet to your chest against resistance along with the rotation it allows makes this a unique “twist” 😉.
Categories
Getting Your First Pull-Up!
Have you tried to get your first pull-up and haven’t been able?
Have you been doing pull-ups for awhile but can’t seem to make the progress you want?
Do you want to build muscle, lose fat, improve your posture, but just haven’t been able to?
Those questions are both common themes I run into. When I meet with clients one of the things I’m asked the most is, “Where will we start?” It’s an excellent question and one you should ask of ANY service professional about their service. One of the areas I explain to them I need to look at whether they’re new to working out or have been at it the past 20 years is how well they can engage and use their shoulder blades. I’m not keeping someones best interest in mind if I’m putting them onto exercises they’re not currently ready for, or can do correctly. I would be wasting their time, limiting their results, and worst yet setting them up for INJURY!
To avoid that and help explain better one of the key areas I want to look at when starting with someone I put together an 11.5 minute video with breakdowns on different pulling exercises to engage your scapula and get your first pull-up!
In the video I will be breaking down these exercises:
- Body Row.
- Hinge Row (Bent Legs).
- Hinge Row (Straight Legs).
- Assisted Pull-Up.
- Negative Pull-Ups
- Flex Arm Hang.
- Pull-Ups!
I recommend doing 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps the Body Row, Hinge Row, and Assisted Pull-Up before moving onto the Negatives, or Flex Arm Hang. Once you can engage your shoulder blades correctly mix in the Negatives and the Flex Arm Hang. You’ll find that with the engagement you get A LOT more out of the simplest movements you were doing before (if you were) but just not very effectively.