Fast, Effective Body Weight Circuit

Here is a simple, yet effective to stay in tip top shape with nothing more than body weight!

Super Leg Circuit:
Squat X 6
Alternating lunges X 6
Alt. Scissor jumps X 6 ( or Lateral Lunges)
Jump squats X 6 ( or squats again)
Upper Extremity Circuit:
Push Ups X 6-10
Alt. Mountain Climbers X 6-10
Plank to Push Ups X 6-10

Complete one round of both circuits, rest and repeat. Build up to 3- 4 rounds for a fantastic metabolic and strength building program. Best of all, it only takes minutes to complete!
Over time you can add reps or sets or even add light weights.
Have fun, work hard and be consistent with your exercise! Your mind and body deserve it!!!!!!!

Get Strong. Stay Strong!
Chris

Single Leg Balance and Reach Exercise

Great Info from the Gray Institute Newsletter TWEAKOLOGY is the transformation of the notion (what we know about function) into the motion (what function looks like).  Knowing that every “tweak” will create a different reaction, mindfully chosen “tweaks” provide the foundation of the exercise strategies that are specific for each individual. This month we highlight the BALANCE REACH as our exercise and use SPEED as our “tweak”.  Before we further describe the exercise, let’s discuss balance in general.  Balance is a state of equilibrium, it is dynamic in nature, it requires a combination of stability and mobility or “Mostability”.  Balance does NOT require stillness and is hampered by rigidity. Back to the task at hand…SINGLE LEG BALANCE REACH.  Two things to look for when observing this exercise are: 1) how far the individual can reach their and 2) the ability to transform the direction of the movement.  Let’s perform three different foot reaches at ground level using the three cardinal planes 1) Sagittal Plane (click HERE to view) 2) Frontal Plane (click HERE to view) 3) Transverse Plane (click HERE to view).  Perform 3-5 repetitions with each foot at a self-selected speed.  Observe not only the reaching foot and leg, but observe the “balance” leg.  Also observe the reaction of the trunk, the shoulders and even the head and hands.  Does each side react the same?  Is there similar control demonstrated?  Similar ranges of motion throughout the body?   Similar quality of movement through the Chain Reaction™?  Now let’s tweak it.  Repeat the balance reaches with decreased speed.  How does decreasing the speed affect control, range of motion, and quality of movement?  If the body senses a loss of stability and control, with the simple tweak of increased or decreased speed it will react with an immediate neurological stiffening to add control back into our system – to prevent one from falling.  Remember, it is always about preserving ourselves within our environment.  As you experience a stiffening effect, do not worry – but note the difference between fluidity in motion versus rigidity. Find the speed of your success.  Also find the speed of success for those that you are assessing, training and rehabilitating.   Depending upon the function that they are looking to improve, condition the movement with slightly decreased speeds and slightly increased speeds, over time without sacrificing fluid efficient movement. As always, safety is the number one concern.  Any time you believe you are not able to complete the movement without the need for additional stability, make sure that you are performing the balance foot reaches in a doorway, next to a wall, or next to a chair or even having someone else control you through hand stability.  Remember to provide the same safety net and opportunities for your patients and clients.

Skyrocket Your Muscle Growth and Fat Loss with Squats

Heavy squats are numero uno for helping your entire body gain muscle at warp speed as well as a great way to skyrocket your fat loss around the clock and speed up your metabolism.

Heavy leg work causes a surge in the release of your growth hormones like no other exercise can. The heavy weights sitting on your back tax the entire body intensely. Your legs and entire back side support the load unlike any other exercise.

You can squat with high reps or low reps, heavy weight or light weight. You can squat with various tools in various positions. A barbell or a heavy sandbag on your back is awesome for building muscle. 
 

Muscle being added to your quads, hips, glutes, hamstrings, lats and lower back cover a large area of your body. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism revs, even when you are NOT training, helping you burn more calories around the clock compared to a weak, skinny individual (or fat and weak individual).

I have performed heavy barbell squats for heavy singles or up to 5 reps, I have also performed high rep back squats up to 50 reps! Talk about brutal!

Try throwing a sandbag on your back, walk 10 yards and squat 2 reps, repeat until you can no longer walk or until you squatted 20 reps.

This workout is not for sissies, only the strong and mentally tough will survive.

Try squats for heavy sets of 3, or several sets of 10, or 1 gut busting set of 20 – 30 reps. The high rep squats will leave you exhausted and wiped out on the floor for a good 10 minutes afterwards. 

The question is, how badly do you want to pack on rugged muscle and transform yourself into a ripped and rugged beast?

Great Info from Zach Even – esh

Get Strong! Stay Strong!

Chris

The Best Exercise You’re Not Doing

By Alwyn Cosgrove

As a trainer, I’ve witnessed some amazing things in the gym, most of which involved 300-pound powerlifters moving weight equal to that of a small SUV. (There was also the adult-film star I trained who had an orgasm every time she did hanging leg raises, but that’s another story.)

 

The most impressive feat I’ve ever seen, though, came courtesy of a 160-pound guy named Steve Cotter. Steve’s a martial artist, and one day he did a dozen single-leg squats while holding an 88-pound kettlebell in each hand. If that doesn’t sound particularly jaw-dropping, try doing one — without any weights.

 

And there lies an important point: Despite the plethora of gym equipment available, some of the greatest exercises remain the ones you can do with just your body weight — for instance, the single-arm pullup and the handstand pushup. Or the lower-body version, the best leg workout to build leg strength and improve athletic performance: the full-range, rock-bottom, single-leg squat.

 

So, while you may not be the strongest guy in the gym, you can still turn heads by banging out a set of single-leg squats. And the attention is just a side benefit. Master this one leg workout and you’ll see gains in strength, speed, and balance. You’ll squat more weight, jump higher, and discover athletic ability you never had before. The best part: You can do it all without setting foot in a gym.

 

Test your best

To determine your leg workout training plan, do as many single-leg squats as you can. If you aren’t able to perform at least two repetitions flawlessly, note the spot during your descent at which you can’t control your speed of movement. This is your “breaking point” — and you’ll need to know it to complete the routine. Once you’ve finished the test, proceed to the leg workout here that most closely matches your maximum effort. 

SINGLE-LEG SQUAT

Stand on a bench or box that’s about knee height. Hold your arms in front of you and flex your right ankle so your toes are higher than your heel. Keeping your torso as upright as possible, bend your left knee and slowly lower your body until your right heel lightly touches the floor. Pause for 1 second, then push yourself up. That’s one repetition.

 

YOUR BEST EFFORT: 0 TO 1 REPS

THE PROBLEM: Individually, your legs aren’t strong enough to support your body weight through the entire range of motion.

THE FIX: A two-pronged attack using “negatives” and “partials,” both of which help you challenge your weak spots and lower your breaking point. Do this workout once every 4 days until you can perform at least two single-leg squats with perfect form.

 

Step 1

NEGATIVE SQUAT

Stand on your left leg, facing away from a bench. Holding your arms and your right leg in the air in front of you, slowly lower your body until your butt is slightly higher than your breaking point. (Ideally, this should take 5 to 7 seconds.) Sit, then stand up using both legs. That’s one repetition. Do six reps with your left leg, then six more  with your right. Complete a set. Rest for 2 to 3 minutes and move on to step 2.

PARTIAL SQUAT

Stand on a bench holding a pair of 5-pound dumbbells. As you perform a single-leg squat, simultaneously lift the dumbbells in front of you to shoulder height. (This helps counterbalance your body, making the movement easier.) Again, lower your body until you’re just above your breaking point, then pause for 2 seconds before pushing yourself back up. Do 10 repetitions with each leg, pausing for 10 seconds instead of 2 on the last rep with each.

YOUR BEST EFFORT: 2 TO 5 REPS

THE PROBLEM: Because you can’t adjust the weight you’re using, as you can with free weights, your muscles give out quickly — and that limits the total number of repetitions you can perform, a key factor in increasing strength.

THE FIX: A technique called escalating density training, or EDT. Popularized by Charles Staley, author of Muscle Logic, this method helps you slow the onset of fatigue, so you can complete more total repetitions than usual. Instead of doing as many reps as you can in each set, you’ll do more sets of fewer repetitions. In addition, you’ll further increase the challenge to your legs by adding two other single-leg exercises: the Bulgarian split squat and the high stepup.

 

Step 1

Determine your starting point

Take the number of single-leg squats you can complete with perfect form and divide it by two. That’s how many repetitions you’ll do each set. (If your best effort is three, round down to one.) Perform the 4-week EDT routine below once every 4 days, doing the number of sets indicated and resting after each for the prescribed amount of time.

 

Step 2 

BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT

Stand with a bench about 2 feet behind you and place the instep of your right foot on the bench. Keeping your torso upright, lower your body until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Your left lower leg should remain perpendicular to the floor. Pause, then push yourself back to the starting position as quickly as you can. Do 12 to 15 repetitions, then repeat, this time with your left foot resting on the bench and your right foot in front. After you’ve worked both legs, immediately (without resting) complete step 3.

Step 3 

HIGH STEPUP

Stand facing a bench or step that’s about knee height. Lift your left foot and place it firmly on the bench, push down with your left heel, and push your body upward until your left leg is straight and your right foot hangs off the bench. Lower yourself back down. That’s one rep. Do 12 to 15, then do the same number of reps with your right leg.

YOUR BEST EFFORT: 6 TO 9 REPS

THE PROBLEM: You have poor endurance.

THE FIX: Training your muscles to resist fatigue. Perform the following routine once every 4 days for 5 weeks.

 

Step 1

Do as many single-leg squats as you can, then rest for 60 seconds

 

Step 2

Repeat until you’ve completed twice the number of reps you achieved in your first set.

So, if you do seven reps in your first set, you’ll do as many sets as needed to complete 14 reps. For each subsequent workout, this will be your repetition goal.

 

Step 3

Each workout, try to reach your repetition goal in fewer sets. For instance, if you need five sets in your first workout, aim for your goal in four sets in your next session. After 5 weeks, repeat the entire process. But in order to keep improving, do the exercise while holding dumbbells at your sides.

Get Strong! Stay Strong!

Chris