Push-Up Training

Push-ups are one of the most effective and versatile exercises you can do.  Even if you're stuck in a hotel room, prison cell or bunker, you can do push-ups. 

Trouble with your push-ups?  Try this technique that we've developed at FEAT.  When you're at the bottom of your push-up - raise your hands slightly off the floor.

Raising your hands like this forces you to bottom-out completely.  You will develop a stronger push-up that no one will question.  Once you're strong, you can quit the hand-raising and just blast out good push-ups.  Twice weekly do 1 set of as many good push-ups as you can.

You also need good core strength.  When you do a push-up you are basically moving into a high plank.  So practice your planks.

 

If you can't lock your core when you're doing a push-up it just looks really sad.  Practice planks regularly through the week.  Challenge yourself regularly to reach a new maximum amount.

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Tom

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Rogue Wrist Wraps

Blasting out a lot of heavy pressing workouts can get to be a pain in the wrist.  I decided to get a pair of wrist wraps to see if they could reduce post-work-out joint pain.

Radioulnarcarpal Joint

So, I went online and ordered a pair of 18" Rogue Wrist Wraps.  They were actually a pretty good value at an all-in cost of $24. 

Wrist wraps are elasticized and when wrapped tight around the wrists, give extra support.

Rogue Wrist Wraps are specific to each wrist and close with Velcro.  They go on easily and feel great.  Since they do impair circulation, I only cinch them tight for heavy lifts.

I've used them for three pressing workouts so far and I do believe that my wrists feel better the next day, compared to not using the wraps.  Overall - I'm quite happy with my new Rogue Wrist Wraps.

Tom

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What I Like about Personal Training

I started personal training in 2008 because I love helping people in the gym.  I grew-up with a passion for working-out and weight training.  I always read magazines like Flex and Musclemag.  I understand that most normal people don't cram their head full of exercise concepts.

I like the idea of helping people get into better shape so that they have one less thing to worry about as they do something meaningful with their lives.  Physical fitness isn't the whole package but you don't want to limp around like a casualty when you're trying to help others.

Many people stick their head into the gym and see a confusing jungle of chrome and iron and shaved heads and tattoos.  My job as a personal trainer is to guide them through the gym and make sure that they get a good, safe, effective workout

I feel good when my clients tell me that they are more confident and stronger.  I know that the hard work they put in at the gym will pay off for them.

No matter what they do with their muscles

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Tom

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Wall Climbing

Wall Climbing is a blast.  This safe and thrilling activity tests your strength and endurance.  Whether you're indoors or out; you can get a great workout from climbing.

 

To get the most out of your climbing experience and justify those cool, expensive, technical shoes you bought, you should train for the climb.  Here's how:

 

Cardio

 

Climbing is hard on the cardiovascular system.  You're hardly moving but about a third of your major muscles groups are in full flexion at any given time.  You will move like a sloth but breathe like a race horse.  You need to keep heart and lungs in top shape for climbing.  Get out and run.  Or bike or just go to your basement and do 150 burpees.

 

Grip Strength

 



This is what its all about...almost.  If your grip is weak you should probably find another form of recreation.  Here are a couple of good grip strength building exercises:

 

Get a piece of wood.  A sturdy screwdriver and a couple cruelly long screws.  Screw the screws into the wood.  And then screw them back out.  Do this for 20 minutes.  Your forearms will burn.

 

Seated Cable Rows are a superb exercise for your grip strength.  After a couple of lighter warm-up sets, increase the weight and then haul out 3 sets of 10 reps.  Start at full extension and draw the handle slowly toward your abdomen.  This is a great back workout too.

 

Lats

Your Lats are the big powerhouse muscles which are going to do a lot of the work on the wall.  Lats are the large "batwing" muscles on your back that give you that svelte v-taper.  They pull you up or pull things down toward you...depending on which end budges first.  Here are a couple of nice Lat exercises:

 

Pull-Ups

If you were kidnapped and held captive in a small cell but you could do Pull-ups...do them.  Tons of them, so that when you get a chance, you can get your captor in a crushing headlock.  They're great for climbing too.  Grab a pull-up bar in an overhand grip (or any grip really).  Start at full extension and pull yourself up as high as you can.  Repeat as many times as possible.

 

Dumbbell Rows

 

You need to be a little angry to do Dumbbell Rows.  They're not fun.  They're kind of hateful.  Like when you're yanking the pull-start on a stubborn lawnmower.  Go heavy on these.  Lean over and brace your free hand on something solid.  Grab a respectable dumbbell (hint: if you can curl it - its too light).  Pull the dumbbell up to your side.  Lower it slowly to full extension.  Repeat for 3 sets of 8 reps.

 

Glutes

Step-ups are a good glute exercise that you can do almost anywhere.  Use a chair or any sturdy low platform.  Place one foot onto the top of the platform and then push yourself up.  Do 12 on one side and then switch to the other leg.  Then take a quick break and repeat two more times.

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Tom

 

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Chest Workout

Chest Workout
The very thought of it will bring a thrill to most gym rats (me included).  The pectorals are such a nice set of muscles.  They will make or break anyone's physique.  For FEAT clients, chest day is usually hard work.

Men and women need a good chest routine.

This muscle group dominates the upper half of your torso and is responsible for most of the upper body's pushing strength.

Here's a great Chest Day Routine:

Bench Press

Bench Press is a staple exercise for the pecs.  Make sure that you warm-up with a few sets using light weight and then gradually work your way higher.  Use a spotter if you're worried about dropping the bar.  Don't bounce the bar off your chest.  Visualize squeezing your elbows together at the top.  A little extra push at the top will hit your Serratus Anterior muscles which give those nice finger-like bulges on your ribcage.  Do a few lighter warm-up sets and then pyramid up higher before going back down.  Aim for about 8 sets in total.

Cable Crossover

This is a sweet chest exercise.  Grab the handles.  Brace yourself and draw the cables down to the front of your body.  Pause at the end of the range of motion for as little squeeze so that you feel this in the sternal insertion point of the pecs.  Go lighter and aim for 3 sets of 15 reps.

Incline Dumbbell Press

This exercise hits the upper pectoral muscle fibres.  At FEAT, we teach this to clients who want to fill out their upper chest area.  Set the bench at a moderate incline.  Hoist up a pair of dumbbells.  Start them just above shoulder-level.  Press straight up so that your elbows lock-out.  Get a couple of lighter warm-up sets of 15 reps before hitting the nasty dumbbells.  Working sets should be 3 sets of 10 reps.

Parallel Bar Dips

Set the parallel bars wide if they are adjustable.  Set yourself up with your chest leaning forward.  Lower yourself as far as you can go and then push back up until your elbows are fully locked.  Then push for another inch or two (your serratus anterior will thank you).  Do 3 sets of 10.

 

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Tom

 

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Rotator Cuff Prehab

Meet the Much-Abused Rotator Cuff

What is the Rotator Cuff?
The Rotator Cuff is a network of 4 different muscles which help to stabilize the shoulder joint and move the upper arm.  The shoulder joint itself is inherently unstable, so it relies on the Rotator Cuff muscles to help hold the head of the humerus in the socket.  The muscles of the Rotator Cuff are pictured above:  Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor and Subscapularis.

What is Prehab?
Prehab describes exercises or actions you can take to prevent injury.  Well-trained Rotator Cuff muscles tend to serve their owner much better than neglected ones.  Here is a breakdown of various exercises that you can blend into your workout routine to train the Rotator Cuff muscles.

Suprapinatus
This muscle lays on top of your scapula (shoulder blade) and is responsible for approximately the first 15 degrees of shoulder abduction.  Here's a cool exercise for Supraspinatus:

I call this the Supraspinatus Dumbbell Raise because it hits the Supraspinatus right where it lives.  Hold on to something so that you can lean out to the side.  Hold a dumbbell in your free hand.

 

 
 
 



 Now raise the dumbbell straight out to the side to approximately ear-level.  Go for about 3 sets of 10 reps.  Alternating arms each set.  This exercise will hit lateral Deltoids also.

 

 

Infraspinatus

This muscle fills up most of the portion of your scapula that you can see and feel.  It externally rotates the arm.  Cables work nicely for this muscle.

 

 

 Grasp the handle on the side away from the rack.  Start with your arm across your abdomen.  Keep your elbow stable and pull the cable outwards.  Do 3 sets of 12 reps.

 

Teres Minor

This is a powerful arm adductor muscle.  I like Lat Pulldowns for this muscle.

 

Grasp the bar in an overhand grip and pull down to your chest.  Try to go heavy on this exercise.  Do 3 sets of 8 reps.  Make sure that you get a good stretch at the top.

 

Subscapularis

This muscle lies hidden under your scapula and pulls your arm into internal rotation.  Work the cables in the opposite direction from Infraspinatus.

 

Grip the handle with your hand closest to the rack.  Lock your elbow and start out wide and then pull the handle across the front of your body.  Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

 

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Tom

 

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Fat Grips

So, I just received my new set of Fat Grips.  I bought them at Fitworks in Fredericton.  There were two sizes to choose from.  I started with the regular size.  Available also is a larger size.

Fat Grips are sold in an attractive industrial-like black plastic wrapper that urges the new owner to log-on to the Fat Grip website for tips.  The website is pretty good.

Fat Grips smell neat and are soft and pliable.  They install quickly and easily onto the handles of most exercise equipment.

They fit well to handles that are long enough.  I found a couple of cable handles in the gym that were two short to accommodate the Fat Grips.

I blasted out a few Dumbbell Arm Curls with the Fat Grips to see how they felt.  They were OK.  They were supposed to really crank my forearms.  I honestly didn't feel anything like that after a set of arm curls.  Maybe too early to tell.

I tried the Fat Grips on the bench press next.  They made for an interesting change but didn't really seem to make for more effective presses.

Then I tried the Fat Grips on the Lat Pulldown machine.  This worked better.  The pulling nature of this exercise forced my fingers to really clench onto the Fat Grips. 

I'll keep experimenting with the Fat Grips but my first experience leads me to believe that they would be most effective on pulling-type exercises.

Tom

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Bicep Training Video

Blast your biceps with this basic workout

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to my fellow Canadians.

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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