FITNESS BEYOND 21
Phase Two Exercises
These will be a little harder!
NOTE: To prevent muscle soreness, start with only a few repetitions of the resistance exercises. Your muscles will adapt. You need not get sore if you don’t try to do too much. Increases volume as your muscles adapt.
Lunge Stretch
Start in a standing position with your feet together. Take a big step forward with one foot. You are now in the start position. Lower the back knee toward the floor until you feel a stretch in the front of the back leg (red). Make sure that the knee of the front leg is directly over the foot (if you bend that knee past 90 degrees it can cause knee pain). Remember to breathe. Hold the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds and repeat 3 or 4 times, then repeat the same procedure with the opposite leg.
Side Squat with Groin Stretch
This is a stretch but also a strengthener of the support leg. Start with feet wider than shoulders. While keeping one knee straight, slowly move your hips to the opposite side and sit back until you feel a stretch in the groin area of the straight leg.
Keep the heal flat on the weight bearing leg. In the stretch position, the hip, knee, and ankle should all line up directly over the foot. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds.
Single Leg Forward Touch
Balance weight on one leg. While maintaining balance on the support leg bring the other leg forward and touch the toe about a foot in front of your base of support. Bring back, repeat 5 times each leg. This is a balance exercise; you may want a support beside you.
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Walking Balance
Hold body weight on one leg and balance. Take an exaggerated step with high knee as you maintain balance for about 5 seconds, then slowly switch legs and repeat. Have a support close – this is a balance exercise.
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Walking Lunges
Start with your feet together and take a big step forward with one leg. While maintaining your balance and keeping your chest up and forward, lower the back knee towards the ground. Hold for a 3 count. NOTE: To prevent knee pain, the front knee should NOT be bent more than 90-degrees (keep the knee directly over the foot). Now come back up and take a big step forward with the other leg. Repeat 5 times each leg.
Sit-Back Squats
Hold your dowel at arms-length in front of you, palms facing down. Your feet should be slightly wider than your shoulders. Try to bend the dowel by twisting your palms toward each other (bend the bar up in the middle). This will help you keep your shoulder blades down and back (think of putting your left shoulder blade in your right back pocket and vice-versa. While maintaining the bend in the dowel, use the “sit back” technique that you have practiced earlier; squat as low as you can without lifting the heals. Remember to keep the dowel at arms-length (shoulder blades locked down and stable, elbows straight). Keep your head up. Repeat 5 times.
Touchdown Squats
Starting position is with feet wider than shoulder width and your hands up in the “touchdown” position. While keeping the arms in the air, pull the scapula’s down (remember think of putting them in your opposite back pocket). Now, lock in that position as you do a sit-back squat like you did above. Remember to keep your back stable, heals flat and your head up. Repeat this squat movement 5 times.
Hamstring Bendovers
This is a balance exercise as well as a hip (gluteus maximus) firming exercise. Support your weight on one leg; while slightly bending that leg and maintaining good back posture, reach across your body and try to touch the outside of the ankle of your support leg with your opposite hand. Push the non-support leg backwards. (This will aid in keeping your low back straight). Keep your head up and remember to breathe. As you come back to standing position, twist away from the support leg. Repeat 5 times each side.
Sit-Back Squats with Resistance
Hold a light weight and start in the same position as you started with the sit back squats with the dowel. Sit back; squat as low as you can go without lifting your heals and while keeping your back straight. You don’t need a heavy weight, but that weight will give you a “counterweight” allowing you to sit back a little further without putting a lot of stress on the knees. That resistance will trigger a contraction of the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and erector spine group. This is a foundational all-body exercise
Abdominal Press Ups
Start with one leg straight and one leg bent. Hold a light resistance as shown, tighten your abdomen (as if someone is going to drop a ball on it); look at a spot directly over your head, keep your eyes on that spot and lift shoulders off the mat DON’ T BEND THE SPINE, THIS IS NOT A SIT UP! Remember to breathe while you hold the position for 10 seconds. Change the leg position after each repetition. Repeat, 5 to 10 times.
Side Bridges
Start with side lying position on your exercise mat. Your elbow should be bent and directly under the shoulder and your knees together on the mat. Remembering to breathe, lift your hips off the mat with your support being on the elbow and the knees (or in this picture, the ankles). Hold for 10 seconds, rest and repeat 4 times each side.
Front Bridges
Lie on your mat, chest down, with support on both elbows. Lift your hips off the mat with your support being on the elbows and the knees. An alternative (more difficult) way to do it is with the support on the toes. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 5 times.
Push Ups
As we know, push-ups are great for the PECTORALS and TRICEPS, but it is also a great CORE exercise. Start with 2 or 3 repetitions (with straight core) and build up only when you can do so with that solid core (not allowing the hips to drop). Note: 5 sets of 2 repetitions (with a rest between) done with perfect form is better than trying to do 10 straight if you can’t maintain a solid core. If you are unable to do it on your toes, do it from your knees.
Shoulder Rolls
Start lying on your back with one knee straight and the other knee slightly bent. Hold a light weight or a ball with arm in the air perpendicular to the floor with the elbow straight. Roll away from the arm that is in the air but keep that arm in the same relative position. Roll like a log until the body is perpendicular to the ground. Return to start position. Repeat 5 times then do the other side.
Tricep Curls
While lying in supine position with med ball (or light weight) above chest, move ball back and forth from nearly touching the thighs to nearly touching the floor above the head. This will help firm the back of the arms and, if you don’t touch the floor above the head, the directional change will cause a tightening of the core.
Side Step Ups
Step ups are a great way to strengthen (tighten) the entire hip complex. If you lean forward the hamstrings (which are anti-gravity muscles) will engage - aiding the quadriceps and glutes in lifting your body weight. Leaning forward will also help reduce stress on the knees. Done with proper technique, step-ups are an all-lower-body exercise! If you don’t have a box, you can use the bottom step of any staircase.
PROPER TECHNIQUE: START POSITION: Lean forward and push your hips (backside) back with straight low back (lumbar) alignment. Always keep the foot on the box and stand up straight with good spinal alignment at the top. START WITH 10 REPETITIONS each side. Try not to push with your back leg.
Front Step Ups
Step ups are a great way to strengthen (tighten) the entire hip complex. If you lean forward the hamstrings (which are anti-gravity muscles) will engage - aiding the quadriceps and glutes in lifting your body weight. Leaning forward will also help reduce stress on the knees. Done with proper technique, step-ups are an all-lower-body exercise! If you don’t have a box, you can use the bottom step of any staircase.
PROPER TECHNIQUE: START POSITION: Lean forward and push your hips (backside) back with straight low back (lumbar) alignment. Always keep the foot on the box and stand up straight with good spinal alignment at the top. START WITH 10 REPETITIONS each side. Try not to push with your back leg.
Single Arm Press Ups
Since you only have a weight in one hand it engages the core on the opposite side (see the red). NOTE: This exercise is often done with both arms at the same time but doing the exercise that way reduces core involvement. START WITH 5 OR 6 REPETITIONS EACH SIDE.
Suitcase Deadlift
Much like the single arm press above, one arm at a time engages the core much more significantly. Be sure to use the good squat patterns that we have covered earlier; spine straight, shoulder blades pulled down and head and chest forward. Keep your heals flat. Use a dumbbell, kettlebell or even a suitcase. Start with 5 or 6 repetitions each side.
Single Arm Rows
Start with a weight in one hand. Use a bench or chair to support your back as you pull the weight up in a rowing motion. Squeeze as high as possible and then lower the weight in a controlled fashion. This will strengthen the biceps, triceps and brachioradialis (front of the forearm) (red) Repeat 5 or 6 times each arm.