Lateral X

What's This?

A couple of months ago this beauty showed-up at the Base Gym in Oromocto where I train.  I'm attracted to new fitness gear like a raccoon to a dumpster, so I jumped on to give it a spin. 

I loved it.  The first time that I used the Lateral X, my quads burned like mad within minutes.  By the second or third time I used this machine I had adjusted to it and was getting a really good cardio workout.  I wish that I had one at home because time flies when I'm on this.

Here's what makes the Lateral X cool:  the foot pedals move in a sideways elliptical motion.  Sort of like a skating stride.  And...you can adjust the width on a scale of 1-10. 


Pedals Wide

Not only does adjusting the pedal width keep one amused while doing what could otherwise be boring cardio but it hits different areas of the thighs/glutes.  I like to slowly cycle the machine through all widths.

Pedals Narrow

The degree of resistance is also variable and is adds nicely to the level of exertion.  I have some clients who hate this machine but most like it.  There are the usual semi-automated programs on the machine and I've played with a few of them but like having the full control that "manual" offers.

See if your gym has a Lateral X.  If not, let them know that you want one.  Maybe you'll get a set of Hammies like these:

Hate Me Now - Thank Me Later

Tom

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Classroom Workout

Sitting at a desk in a classroom can be a strain on the mind and body.  Doing a couple quick exercises once an hour will boost circulation, build muscle and relieve tension.  Here are a few good exercises that teachers can pick and choose from to get their pupils moving throughout the day.  They employ the desk a chair and for the floor-work you can use a yoga mat or some other pad.  This post is dedicated to Tressa, who is dedicated to educating your children.

Air Squats

Air Squats are a great leg and hip exercise that you can do anywhere, anytime.  Here are the cues: feet shoulder-width apart; heels glued to the floor, back straight, bum back, head up.  Squat as deep as you can comfortably go.  Return to erect position.  Do 12.  Gradually increase each day or week.

Step-Ups

 

Step-ups require stable chairs to step on to.  To perform a step-up: stand in front of the chair, lift one foot onto the seat of the chair and step-up on to the chair.  Do five step-ups on one side and then five with the other leg.  This exercise works glutes, hamstrings and quads.  Gradually increase the amount prescribed each week.

Heel Rocking
Prolonged sitting causes blood and other fluids to pool in the lower legs.  Heel Rocking works the calf muscles, forcing the blood out of the lower legs and back to the rest of the body. 

To perform Heel Rocking: start on your tip-toes then rhythmically rock back on to your heels...then back to toes.  This exercise works most of the major calf muscles, including key muscles that run along the shin-bone.

Upper Body Exercises

Add one or two upper body exercise to each mini-session.  Here are a few good ones:

Arm Circles
This is a good warm-up and exercise combined into one.  Feet shoulder-width apart.  Hands out to the sides.  Palms down.  Start with tiny circles to the front.  Slowly go bigger and bigger until arms are circling at full range.  Then reverse direction and go smaller and smaller until hands are hardly moving.

Chair Lift
If you have the space to allow participants to safely lift chairs you can use this exercise:

Chair Lift is a arm and shoulder exercise.  Feet wide apart.  Arms extended.  Slowly raise chair straight overhead then lower to bottom position.  Start with 10 and keep building over time.

Bench Dips
If your classroom has stable chairs that won't slide easily you can try Bench Dips.

Place the heels of your hands on the edge of the seat.  Feet straight out front (the farther - the harder).  If the chair wants to slide, get a partner to hold it in place then switch.  Using the power of your triceps, let your bum dip down toward the floor.  Then push straight back up. 

 

Go for 10 Bench Dips to start with.  Work your way up over time.

 

Floor Work

Time to drag out the mats.  Its time to do some cool core work.

 

Low Plank

Low Plank is an excellent exercise for abdominal muscles.  Adopt the prone position.  Place elbows on the cushy mat, right under your shoulders.  Dig your toes into the floor.  Now - pretend that a snake is trying to slither underneath you - so you have to push your body up off the floor.  Only forearms and toes should be touching the floor.  You can make the participants go up and down or up and hold for a prescribed period of time (start with 5 seconds and work your way up).

Bird Dog
This exercise is like a bird dog pointing at a pheasant.  It works several muscles on the back, shoulders and glutes.  Start on your hands and knees.

Now, raise your right leg and left arm simultaneously.  Lower them into start position.  Then raise the opposite limbs.  Do 12 in total the first time and build from there.

Bridges
This exercise is a great glute/hamstring workout.  Start on your back with heels tucked-up close to buttocks.

Now - push your hips up as far as you can.  Hold for a second and then lower.  Repeat 10 times for starters and build numbers from there.

Cardio

If you don't mind sweaty, panting students, you can get them to do a really cool exercise called Mountain Climber.  Start in the High Plank position (up position for Push-ups).  Place one foot forward.

 

Now, switch your feet back and forth.

 

Really fast...continuously.  Take a count each time a foot comes forward.

Aim for 15 Mountain Climbers the first time and progress from there.

Cool Down
If you did a challenging cardio exercise like Mountain Climber, try to follow it with a more sedate exercise in a supine position.  Here's a favourite twist on the Bridge that will fit the bill:
Single Leg Bridge

 

Start on your back like you would for the regular Bridge described above.  Now place an ankle across a knee.  Next - push your hips up.  This exercise is relaxing after the cardio routine and does a nice job of working the often-neglected muscles on the upper sides of the hip.

 

Do 10 one one side and then 10 on the other.  Everyone should be more relaxed and ready to focus on their studies after that.

 

Programming

Teachers can select one exercise to do between each class if you just have a minute or two.  If you have several minutes you can choose 2-3 leg, 2-3 arm and 2-3 core exercises.

 

Tom

 

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Bulgarian Squat

Bulgarian Squat is a great exercise for your thighs.  It hits quads, glutes and hamstrings.  Grab a pair of dumbbells (or no weights at all if you're beginning).  Stand about 3-4 feet away from a flat bench.  Reach one foot back and place it on top of the bench.

Now, squat down deep.  Pretend that you are trying to touch your back knee to the floor.  Then, return to the starting upright position.  Do 10 reps on one side before switching to the other.  As you get stronger in this exercise, add more weight and/or increase the reps.

Tom

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Wife Carrying

So, you think you're pretty tough?  At your Crossfit club you do "Fran" in 3 minutes you say?  Why don't you try carrying "Fran" through 253 metres of hell instead?  All 175lbs of her!

Originating in Finland this sport is locally known as Eukonkanto.  Its origins are as murky as the sport itself but many believe that it originated in the practice of stealing wives from neighbouring villages.  It has now developed into an internationally recognized sport.

There are a few rules.  The course is about 253 metres long and must feature two dry obstacles (like fences) and a water obstacle (approx 1 metre deep).  You can carry your wife any way you like but she may not touch the ground at any point in the race.

Training for the Wife Carry

You need powerful legs and back to survive the wife carry.  This means Barbell Squat.

Its best to use a squat rack to do the barbell squat.  The rack helps you load the bar onto your shoulders safely.  Feet wide apart.  Heels planted.  Back straight.  Knees out.  Sink down under control and come to a full rest at the bottom (don't bounce Tigger!).  Press slowly upward until your knees lock at the top.  Go for 3 sets of 12.

Deadlift

The Deadlift is a great exercise for developing overall power.  This will work glutes and back muscles.  Just what you need to haul your bride over the gruelling Wife Carry course.  Load the bar up with a humble weight for a set of warm-up lifts and then start stacking the iron on.  Feet wide apart.  Overhand or alternating hand grip on the bar.  Heels planted. Back straight.  Chest up and out.  Now press your feet into the floor until you're standing upright.  Finish the lift by pushing your pelvis forward.  Finally, slowly lower the bar to the floor.  Do 4 working sets of 15.

Cardio

Since you will be doing a lot of running during the Wife Carry.  You need to run in your training.  Run 5 km 3 times a week.  Try to get some hills into your route to beast your glutes and calves.

Burpee Pull-Ups

I'd like to meet the evil genius who invented these.  The cruel offspring of burpee and pull-up.  Its simple:  do a Burpee.  But, as you pop up from your Burpee, grab the pull-up bar and do a pull-up...before dropping back down to do another Burpee...and...just keep going.  This punishment will pay-off as you collect your Wife Carry grand prize.

Technique Training.

Nothing can substitute for the practicality of lugging the Mrs around in training.  This is really what its all about.  She has to work on her gripping technique also.  The most popular carry now a days is "Estonian Style" - head-down, arms wrapped around waist.  Start with short walks around the neighbourhood and work your way up to full 300 metre runs.  Eventually, work some stair training into the routine.  You should do one good wife carry workout per week.

The Prize

The winner gets his wife's weight in beer.  In this photo you can see the proud victor watching as his wife's equal in beer is tallied.

Tom

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Get Ready for the Beach

Now is the time to start getting ready for summer.  That layer of winter weight may not just melt off as fast as it used to.  Just because there are plenty of overweight people at the beach doesn't mean that you have to be one of them.  Its April - you can get in much better shape by July...if you start now.

Weight Training

Ridiculous

You want muscle.  Lean, healthy, calorie-burning muscle tissue.  Being totally fat-free without any muscle is just wrong.  To get muscle you need to jack iron or find some other way to overload your muscles. 

Leg Work
Currently, I really like the Decline Leg Press.  I blast my clients' legs with this machine and use it heavily myself.

This exercise blasts quads, glutes and hamstrings.  This is the foundation exercise to get your beach body.  Do a few warm-up sets with light weight and then start stacking on the plates until you're down to tough sets of 6 reps.

Standing Calf Press

Calf work is next.  Hit your calves with 4 sets of 15 reps on the Standing Calf Press machine.  These will burn...and they will pay off.

Chest Work

Incline Dumbbell Press is a nice exercise to develop your pecs.  If you've been doing flat bench press all winter, this exercise will fill-out the upper chest area.  Grab some moderate weight dumbbells (at least 20lbs).  Rock back onto an incline bench and pump out 4 sets of 10 reps.

Back Work

Seated Cable Row works the lats nicely.  Lats are important to tone and shape the back.  Pictured above is the less common single-handed cable row.  Below is the more common double handed cable row.  Try both for variety.  Go heavy - 3 sets of 8 reps.

Shoulders
Great delts are critical to any physique.  The foundational shoulder exercise is Military Press.  You can use a barbell or dumbbells for this exercise.  Keep your back straight.  Lock your elbows out at the top.  Do 3 honest sets of 12 reps.

The Big Guns

Biceps are fun to work and usually get a lot of attention.  Here is one of my favourite bicep exercises; the Concentration Curl.  One of my clients, Bridget, hates this exercise because she feels like a douchebag doing them.  Frankly, they have made her biceps grow more than any other single bicep exercise that we have used in her training.  Give them a shot.  3 sets of 10 reps.

 



Triceps

The Dumbbell Kickback is a fantastic exercise for triceps.  Aim for 4 sets of 12 reps.  Go nice and slow so that you can really feel it in the muscle.

Abs
Try Knees to Elbows.  This is a wicked ab workout.  Hang from a bar.  Now swing your knees up to touch your elbows.  10 reps should be enough for you.  Keep trying to add one more each time you work out.

Cardio

Cursed cardio.  So hard to get started...so necessary.  Get moving and sustain the motion for about 30 minutes.  Run, swim, bike.  Do something that will get you breathing hard and sweating (that you can sustain for 30 minutes).  This complements your weight training but is not licence to gobble pizza. Do cardio 3-6 times a week depending on how much fat you need to lose.

Nutrition

Your diet is the single most important factor in how you will look on the beach.  Be frugal with what you eat.  Eat clean.  Fresh fruit and vegetables.  Lean meat.  No crap.  No pop (even "diet" pop).  Eat less than you really think you can.  Make peace with hunger.  Drink water.  Lots of water.  Eat lots of fibre. 

Tom

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