The Push Up is a must-do move even though most of us need to make sure we do extra pulling exercises because we sit hunched over a computer for 9 hours a day.
So while you definitely need to include rows and pull ups and all sorts of pulling exercises in your workouts, you can still include Push Ups.
Push Ups are an important bodyweight exercise to include because they work not only your chest, shoulders and triceps but also your entire core. As I’ve mentioned before, Push Ups are basically just a moving Plank.
They can help train the muscles of your core to work together correctly. They can help you develop and improve your mind-body connection so that your core engages and works properly during compound exercises.
However, doing the same basic Push Up over and over again gets boring. Plus there are so many different variations out there that can work not only your upper body, but also your core, in different ways to focus on different muscle groups.
That is why it is important to include different Push Up variations in your workout routine. Check out these 31 Push Up Variations below for some great upper body and core exercises!
When you travel it can be hard to keep up with your workout routine.
You may simply be busy, or relaxing or without access to your usual workout equipment. But that doesn’t have to mean you fall off your workout routine.
While you can take time off on vacation, it can be useful to have some Bodyweight Travel Exercises and quick Travel Workouts on hand, especially if you travel often. These moves and exercises can be something quick you do in your off time, even if all you have access to is the space in your hotel room.
Try these 10 Bodyweight Travel Exercises and Quick Travel Workout.
Many of the clients that I work with come into the gym unable to do a Pull Up. And most have it as a main goal they would like to accomplish.
Some clients may have never even really tried to achieve that first Pull Up, believing that there was no way they would be able to do one while others may have been working toward it for awhile with no real progress forward.
Because the Pull Up is a unique exercise that not only requires strength, but also a mind-body connection that many people with a desk job simply don’t have. So it isn’t as simple as doing some back exercise and BAM! first Pull Up!
It isn’t even as simple as slowly progressing variations from easiest to hardest and BAM! first Pull Up.
Helping clients, or even yourself, achieve that first Pull Up is about building the mind-body connection, reversing the effects of sitting, strengthening your back and forcing your body to take on more and more challenging Pull Up variations. It is about a complete program of foam rolling, stretching, activation and strengthening exercises.
It is about a program that boils down to 3 key things – Activation, not using Assistance and lower reps. End of story.
You can do all the Inverted Rows and Machine-Assisted Pull Ups assisted Pull Ups you want and never achieve that first Pull Up if you don’t think about these 3 things.
Functional fitness is a term that is tossed around a lot these days. It gets used for about every new piece of equipment that comes out.
But for something to really qualify as functional fitness it has to be something that translates to better movements in every day life.
Functional fitness generally means doing compound movements that move you in every direction and force you to move and twist and turn with awkward weights. It means doing movements that will strengthen your body to handle any challenges you may encounter in every day life without getting injured.
And one great functional fitness tool we like to use at the gym is the Barrel.
No we aren’t necessarily all moving barrels around in every day life. But we are required to push and pull and move awkward heavy objects more than we probably even realized. We are asked to twist and turn and stabilize in imperfect positions.
And that is why barrels are such a great training tool. They force you to move in every direction and grip these heavy awkward things. They force your body to constantly adjust and stabilize so that you don’t fall over or push or pull the barrel over.
They force you to push and pull and rotate using your entire body since most of the time in every day life we aren’t simply using one muscle group to move.
Below is more information about getting your own barrels as well as 15 of our favorite Barrel Training Moves to get in a great functional core workout.
Planks are always a popular exercise. And with good reason. They are a great core exercise!
The problem is…it has become a competition to hold a plank the longest. When how long you can hold a plank isn’t near as important as your ability to properly engage and contract the muscles of your core intensely.
It is a much better test of core strength to challenge yourself to engage the muscles of your core so intensely that you create “shakeage” within seconds of starting the plank rather than compensating just to hold longer. If you can engage your muscles so intensely that they are shaking, you will be able to use your core and recruit the muscles of your core more efficiently during other movements.
Developing proper core strength and learning how to properly engage the muscles of your core is why you should truly be including planks in your workout routine. You want to use them to strengthen your mind-body connection!
Below are some tips to help you get the most out of the Basic Plank as well as a few basic variations and a great core burn out workout.
The Power Wheel is a great advanced core training tool. It creates instability and really forces your core to engage and work during compound movements. It can take plank, crawls and glute bridges to the next level.
However, you must make sure that your core activates and engages correctly before using the Power Wheel or you could end up engaging your low back instead of your abs and glutes.
But once you are ready, or using some of the beginner movements below to build up, you can use the Power Wheel to test your core strength and learn how to engage properly during more challenging, unstable and compound movements. (Plus the Power Wheel can be a great home gym tool if you are looking to focus on core strength and stability!)
