by Cori Lefkowith | Aug 20, 2015 | Blog, Bodyweight, Push Ups, Vs.
Bodyweight exercises can be a great way to work your chest, shoulders and triceps as well as your core.
And two of the best bodyweight exercises you can do to work your chest, shoulder, triceps and your core are the Push Up and the Dip.
While both pressing moves may work the same muscle groups, they work them in different ways, which is why a good exercise program should include both movements.
If you include both pressing movements in your workout routine, it is also important that you include a variety of pulling exercises in your workouts as well.
Because we sit in flexion all day at a desk, it is important that we do enough pulling movements (aka work our back) and don’t simply focus on pressing exercises. If we only focus on pressing movements, we are going to further imbalances caused by sitting all day at a desk, which could lead to pain and injury.
To prevent injury as you include both the Push Up and the Dip in your workouts, make sure to also include Pulling Exercises, such as Rows and Pull Ups, as well as a proper foam rolling and stretching routine.
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by Cori Lefkowith | Jul 22, 2015 | Blog, Bodyweight, Exercises
Working out can definitely be more fun with a friend. It can also hold you accountable and make you push harder.
Plus, a friend can be all the equipment you need to get in a great full-body workout.
With these 20 Partner Exercises, you can build strength, get in a great cardio workout and even improve your coordination.
And if you are looking for a great Partner Workout, check out the ones at the bottom!
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by Cori Lefkowith | Jul 15, 2015 | Blog, Bodyweight, Exercises, Pain Relief
Isometric Exercises are a great way to build mobility, stability and strength in your lower body.
While most people include dynamic and static stretches in their workout routine, they often forget about the importance of Isometric Moves to developing mobility and even flexibility.
And Isometric Exercises are key.
Dynamic and static stretches do improve your flexibility and mobility; however, they don’t at the same time strengthen and build stability through that new range of motion.
Then when we go lift, even after doing the stretching, we often don’t work through the increased range of motion, which simply means we tighten everything back up only to have to stretch out and loosen up again.
By including Isometrics, you not only improve your flexibility and mobility, but you also work and strengthen through the new range of motion to help you keep the increased range of motion.
And, by doing Isometrics, you can learn to activate and feel the correct muscles working during the movements so that, when you go to lift weights, the correct muscles are being recruited through a full range of motion!
Below are 15 Leg Isometric Exercises you should include in your workout routine to not only improve your hip mobility and the flexibility of your legs, but also strengthen and build stability.
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by Cori Lefkowith | Jul 2, 2015 | Blog, Bodyweight, Exercises, Pull Ups, Vs.
To work your back, you need to include Pulling Exercises in your workout routine.
However, not all Pulling Exercises are exactly the same because there are a lot of different muscles that make up your back that are worked to different degrees by different movements.
The two most basic types of Pulling Exercises you need to include in your workout routine though are the Vertical Pull and the Horizontal Pull.
Both work the muscles of your back differently and activate and target different muscles.
The most common bodyweight Vertical Pull is the Pull Up/Chin Up while the most common bodyweight Horizontal Pull is the Inverted Row.
Both moves need to be included in your workout routine and activate different muscles of your back to different degrees.
And while the Inverted Row is often used to help beginners work up to the Pull Up, you need to be aware that these two moves are very different and that the Inverted Row is still a very important movement for even the advanced lifter to include. (The Inverted Row alone also won’t get you to that first full Pull Up because it is a different movement.)
Below we will discuss the differences between the Pull Up and the Inverted Row and even some fun variations of each move you should be including in your workout routine.
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by Cori Lefkowith | May 27, 2015 | Blog, Bodyweight, Exercises, Functional Fitness
Have you always wanted to be able to climb a rope, but never been able to? Think you just don’t have the upper body strength?
While upper body strength is important to be able to climb a rope, so is using your feet properly to help.
Below we will teach you how to climb a rope using your feet while also helping you build upper body and grip strength with Rope Climb Variations.
Whether you are looking to participate in a mud run or obstacle course or simply want a great back, bicep, core and grip workout, you should include some of these Rope Climb Variation in your workouts.
Use these tips and variations and learn how to climb a rope today!
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by Cori Lefkowith | May 14, 2015 | Blog, Bodyweight, Exercises, Workouts
When people think “cardio,” they usually think of running. Or they think of hopping on a treadmill or some other cardio machine.
But you don’t have to run to get in a great cardio workout. Actually the 20 Bodyweight Cardio Exercises below may be even better cardio workouts than running, especially chronic, steady-state cardio like long distance running.
And none of them require any equipment (ok a TOWEL but hopefully you have some sort of towel or blanket at home!). They can all be done at home in your living room even.
So if you aren’t a runner and you are looking for a cardio workout you can do at home, check out the 20 Bodyweight Cardio Moves below and scroll to the end for some KILLER Interval Workouts!
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