WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Feet
Calves
Hamstrings
Groin
Quad
Hips/Glutes
Back
Chest
WORKOUT
Complete 3-5 rounds of the circuit below. Hold each exercise for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Try not to rest between exercises. Rest as needed between rounds no more than 1 minute.
CIRCUIT:
Toe Hold
Warrior II Hold
Scapular Hold
High Plank Hold
Glute Bridge Hold
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Feet
Calves
Hamstrings
Groin
Quad
Hips/Glutes
Back
Chest
NOTES:
Hold as long as possible and really focus on activating the correct muscles. This is a great recovery workout and can even be shortened into a nice little warm up.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Toe Hold – Stand with your feet only a few inches apart. Then lift up onto your toes. Do not rock to the outside of your feet. Try to get up onto your big toe as much as possible. Hold that position. To make this move harder, do a single leg balance, lifting up onto the ball of only one foot.
Warrior II Hold – Set up in a nice wide stance with one foot forward and one foot backward. Turn the back toe out so your feet are perpendicular. Sink down into a lunge, keeping the back leg straight. Try to get your front knee bent to 90 degrees and your quad parallel to the ground. The lower you sink in the lunge, the harder the move will be. Do not let your front knee cave inward. Squeeze the glute and keep the knee in line with your hip and your ankle. While in the low lunge, open your arms out at shoulder height. Reach one forward over the front leg and the other back over the back leg. Keep the chest open and do not lean forward. Keep your weight centered in the lunge.
Scapular Hold – Stand with your back to the wall. Step a couple of inches away and bend your arms to 90 degrees. Keep your elbows in by your sides and drive them back toward the wall. Lean onto your elbows on the wall. Do not let your upper arms or back touch the wall. Relax your head back. Pinch your shoulder blades down and back while keeping your core tight as you lean into the wall. You should feel this move low between your shoulder blades. To advance the move, move your feet a bit further from the wall.
High Plank Hold – Set up on your hands and toes (advanced) or hands and knees (beginner). Feet are together and hands are underneath your shoulders. Draw your belly button into your spine and squeeze your quads, glutes and adductors. Your shoulder blades should be down and back and your shoulders shouldn’t be up by your ears. Do not let your upper back round. Keep your head in line with your spine. If you really draw your belly button in and tilt your pelvic forward, your abs should almost instantly start shaking.
Glute Bridge Hold – Lie on your back. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground about hip-width apart. Bring your heels in close enough to your butt that you can touch your heels when you extend your arms down by your sides. Then bend your arms to 90 degrees with only your forearms on the ground. Drive up through your heels, lifting your glutes up as high off the ground as you can. Squeeze your butt and keep your core tight. Do not hyperextend your low back. Also make sure your knees do not fall open and you are not pushing yourself backward. You want to drive straight up. Beginners will want to stick with a two-leg glute bridge while more advanced exercisers will want to progress to a single leg glute bridge.
