The Reverse The Hunch Posture Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 23, 2015

ROLL OUT
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders/Traps/Upper Back
Lats
Thoracic Extension
(Below in the Exercise Descriptions are some basic moves for the areas.)

STRETCH
10 reps Wrist Extension
10 reps Wrist Flexion
10 reps Kneeling Thoracic Extension and Lat Stretch
10 reps each way Quadruped Shoulder Circles
10 reps per side Lying Chest Stretch and Scorpion
10 reps Camel

ACTIVATION

Complete 2-3 rounds of the circuit below.

CIRCUIT:
10-15 per side Back of Hand Band Rows
30 second Downward Dog Hold
15-20 reps Scapular Push Ups

WORKOUT

Complete 3-5 rounds of the circuit below. Rest as needed. This isn’t a fast workout. Instead you want to focus on activating your back and core to reverse the effects of sitting all day.

CIRCUIT:
8-12 reps Inverted Rows
8-12 reps per side Plank with Reach Out and Back
10-15 reps Back Flyes
10-15 reps Stability Press

NOTES:

Really focus on your posture and standing up nice and tall. Also focus on engaging your back and drawing your shoulders down and back. Do not shrug. Focus on your back pulling, your abs bracing and your entire core working.

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EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Wrists/Forearms – To roll out your forearm, place a small ball or roller up on your desk, table or even a box. Place your forearm over the ball with it right below your elbow. Press down on your forearm with your other hand to press it into the ball. Make small circles on the ball, holding on any tight spots. If you find a tight spot, you can also tense and relax your forearm by either making a fist or by pointing your fingers down toward the ground. By flexing and relaxing the muscles, you help the ball dig in and release the tight spot. Once you’ve worked on one spot, move the ball down your forearm. You can use it to roll out both sides of your forearm. Make sure to get the outside and inside of your forearm as there can be trigger points in both spots causing your wrist and elbow pain. Don’t waste time on any areas that aren’t tight or sore. Seek out and spend time on any areas of pain. Apply as much pressure as you can handle and use as small and hard a ball or roller as you can.

Chest – To roll out your chest, a blue foam posture ball is a great tool although you can use a small ball against a wall or up on some books. Place the ball on the ground and lie face down on top of it with the ball right in your chest beside your shoulder joint. Then with the ball right to the inside of your shoulder, move your hand overhead and then back down toward your legs. Move your arms slowly up and down to change exactly how the ball digs into your chest muscles. Hold and relax on any tight spots.

Shoulders/Traps/Upper Back – To roll out your upper back with a ball, stand with your back to a wall and place the ball to the side of the base of your neck. Press the ball into the wall and roll it down along your shoulder blade. Hold on any tight spots. You may even want to pull your arm across your chest as you dig out under the shoulder blade. You can also use the ball against the wall to dig out right at the top of your armpit. If you want to apply more pressure with the ball, you can use a harder ball or use the ball against the ground instead of the wall.

Lats – To roll out your lats, place a roller under one armpit when you are lying on your side on the ground with your arm stretched out overhead. Rock forward and backward on the roller and then move it lower down the side of your back. Hold on any tight spots as you go and make sure to rock forward and backward as you make your way down your side. Work all the way from your armpit to the end of your rib cage.

Thoracic Extension – To work on your Thoracic Extension using a roller, place the roller on the ground and lie back over the roller with your butt on the ground, your knees bent and your feet on the ground. Make sure you start with the roller in your mid-back. You do not want to do this move with the roller in your low back or you could hyperextend your low back. Cross your hands over your chest and, keeping your butt on the ground, extend your back over the roller. As you relax and extend back over the roller, reach your hands overhead and relax your head and neck. Try to touch the backs of your hands to the ground behind you without lifting your butt up off the ground or only extending from your low back. Focus on extending your mid and upper back over the roller. Sit back up and cross your hands back over your chest. You can then repeat, relaxing and extending over the roller as you reach your arms back overhead. Perform the extension a few times, especially if the area feels tight, and then move the roller higher up on your back and repeat. Hold for a second or two as you extend so that you can breathe and relax more over the roller. Work all the way up your mid to upper back. Do not do this move on your lower back.

Wrist Extension – To do the Wrist Extension Stretch, kneel on the ground and place your hands down on the ground in front of you, palms down. Turn your fingertips out and back toward your knees. Then rock back, sitting on your heels, keeping the heels of your palms down on the ground as you sit back. Come back out of the stretch then sit back again, stretching down the inside of your forearms.

Wrist Flexion – To do the Kneeling Wrist Flexion Stretch, start kneeling on the ground. Place your hands down on the ground in front of you with the backs of your hands on the ground and your fingertips pointing in toward each other. Rock side to side slowly, holding slightly to each side so that you feel a stretch down the outside of your forearms.

Kneeling Thoracic Extension and Lat Stretch – To do the Kneeling Thoracic Extension and Lat Stretch, place your elbows up on a bench about shoulder-width apart and kneel on the ground in front of the bench. Make sure you are back far enough that you have room to lean forward and over and drop your head between your elbows. Then with your elbows on the bench, relax your chest and head over, sitting your butt back just slightly. Press your chest toward the ground and feel a nice stretch down your triceps and lats as well as through your thoracic spine. Try to extend your back as much as possible as you press your chest toward the ground. You can either hold here and breathe to stretch deeper or you can come out of the stretch and then relax back into it and try to get further with each rep.

Quadruped Shoulder Circles – To do Quadruped Shoulder Circles, set up on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Without bending your elbows, begin to circle your shoulders forward. Bring them up toward your ears then circle them back toward your hips and back down and around. Try to make a big circle while keeping your arms straight. Circle forward a few times then reverse the circles. It make almost feel like you are circling your back around your shoulders, especially in reverse. Take it slow and focus on the circles. Don’t simply shrug and unshrug your shoulders. Circle backward a few times, still not bending your elbows as you circle. Also, do not sit back on your heels as you move.

Lying Chest Stretch and Scorpion – To do the Lying Chest Stretch with Scorpion, lie on your belly with your arms out straight at shoulder height. Bend the elbow of one arm to 90 degrees so that your upper arm is still in line with your shoulder. Then lift the opposite leg up from the bent arm and bend your knee to kick your foot over and behind you as you press your chest open with your straight arm. Kick your leg back over your body, trying to touch your toe back behind you and feel a stretch through your chest and low back. You should feel a nice stretch down the front of the shoulder of the bent arm. Make sure as you reach the leg back over that you relax your head down onto the ground. Hold for a second or two then bend the other arm and kick the other leg back over. Alternate sides, holding for a second or two each way.

Camel – To do the Camel, kneel on the ground with your knees about hip-width apart and your feet flexed. If you point your toes instead, this will make the move harder and require more flexibility (bottom two photos). Also, flexing your feet will stretch the bottom of your feet more while pointing your toes will get your shins more. With either your feet flexed or pointed, sit back on your heels and place your hands on your heels. Then arch your hips up and away, as you press your chest out and lift your glutes up off your heels. Keep your hands on your heels as you arch away and squeeze your glutes to fully extend your hips. Do not hyperextend your low back. Engage your glutes to stretch out your hips. Relax your head back and arch as much as you can, getting a nice stretch down your chest, core, hips and quads. Do not let your shoulders shrug and really focus on opening your chest up. Hold for 1-2 seconds and relax back down. Repeat, arching back up. You can also make this a static stretch by simply holding the pose for 15-20 seconds. If you are less flexible and can’t place your hands on your heels, you can do this stretch with a couch, chair or table behind you. Kneel down with the coach or table behind you. Place your hands back behind you on the couch or table. If you are at your desk, you can use your desk or chair. Keeping your arms straight behind you, press your chest out and arch away from the piece behind. Relax your head back and really squeeze your glutes to arch away.

Back of Hand Band Rows – To do the Back of Hand Band Row, anchor a resistance band in front of you and either loop it or make sure it has a handle you can put your hand through. Place the band or handle around the back of your hand and point your fingers up toward the ceiling. Step away from the anchor point so that there is tension in the band with your arm extended in front of you. Stand up nice and tall and press your chest out as you face the mini band. Your feet should be about hip-width apart. Make sure you aren’t shrugging your shoulders as you hold your arm out in front of you with the band around your hand. Then drive the elbow down and back as you row the back of your hand and the band into right below your chest. Row low so that you don’t shrug your shoulder. Also, don’t rotate as you row. Feel your back pull the band back. Don’t just use your arms. Also, make sure that your upper traps don’t try to take over. Really press the chest out and drive the elbow down and back. Straighten the arm back out and repeat. Focus on feeling your back pull the band and not just your arm. By focusing on what muscles should be working, you will improve your mind-body connection. Also, make sure to keep your fingertips pointing up toward the ceiling to engage the extensors in your forearm.

Downward Dog Hold – To do the Downward Dog, start in the high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about hip-width apart. Without walking your hands back toward your feet, push your butt up toward the ceiling as you press your chest back toward your legs and drive your heels down toward the ground. Keep your arms straight as you press your chest back and try to get your biceps by your ears. Make sure to press through your entire hand and not simply rock toward the outside of your palms. Feel your fingers gripping the ground. As you hold, focus on getting your back flat and a nice straight line from the heels of your hands up to your tailbone. You want your arms to be in line with your torso (aka your biceps by the ears). As you press through your hands to get your back flat, focus on also driving your heels down as you lengthen through your hamstrings. Really push your butt back and up as you hold the downward dog position and try to drive your heels down toward the ground. Breathe and try to relax deeper into the stretch. While you may need to adjust your exact hand positioning, do not walk your hands in closer to your feet just to get your heels down. You want to make sure you are really focused on driving your chest back and extending your spine to improve your thoracic extension and stack your shoulders.

Scapular Push Ups – To do the Scapular Push Up, set up in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet together. Your body should be in a nice straight line from head to your heels. Without bending your elbows or dropping your hips, pinch your shoulder blades together and press your chest out. Do not tuck your chin or jut your head forward. Also do not let your core wiggle or your elbows bend to try to increase your range of motion. You are not doing a push up. This is a very small range of motion where you are simply focused on pinching your shoulder blades together. Just pinch your shoulder blades together and then relax or even round your back up out of it (rounding your back at the top is another variation but can be very useful for correcting certain push up problems). Keep your core tight as you pinch your shoulder blades together. As you get stronger and build the mind-body connection you will find your range of motion increases. If you struggle to pinch your shoulder blades together without wiggling your core or bending your elbows, go down to your knees as if doing a push up from your knees. If you still struggle, bring your knees under your hips. Do not get caught up on doing this from your toes. Just focus on pinching the shoulder blades together.

Inverted Rows – To do the Basic Inverted Row, you can either use a Suspension Trainer or a Bar. Using a Suspension Trainer, hold a handle in each hand with your palms facing in. Walk your feet forward so that your body is at an incline. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Hang from the straps with your body in a nice straight line and your chest pressed out. Engage your core and glutes and keep your legs straight. You want a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Do not let your low back arch or your hips sag toward the ground. Then drive your elbows down and back to row your chest up to the handles. Keep your body in a nice straight line as you row up and do not bounce off the bottom. Keep your wrists straight as you row up. Also, do not shrug your shoulders. Then lower back down. Do not lose tension at the bottom. Make sure to keep the chest pressed out and your body in a nice straight line. Do not swing to row back up. Make sure to feel your back and arms working to row and not just your arms. Focus on feeling your back pull.

Plank with Reach Out and Back – To do the Plank with Reach Out and Back, set up in a Front Plank from your hands and toes with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. For this move, you will want your feet wider to create a more stable base. Beginners can do this move from their knees. Then from the Plank position, reach one hand back and across toward the opposite ankle, pushing your butt back and up toward the ceiling as you reach. Then reach back forward and out toward the wall in front of you, dropping your hips back into a nice plank position. Do not drop your hips too low and feel your low back engage. Keep your core tight to protect your low back as you come back into that nice plank position. Reach back and across with the same hand until all reps are complete on that side.

Back Flyes – To do Back Flyes using dumbbells, hold a light dumbbell in each hand. Start light so that you can focus on your upper back and the backs of your shoulder’s working without engaging your upper traps, neck or lower back. Hinge over at the hips holding the weights with your arms hanging straight down toward the ground. Keep your back flat and slightly bend your knees. Make sure to drop your chest to about parallel to the ground. If you start to stand back up, you could start to overuse your upper traps instead of using your upper back. You do not want to turn this into an upright row. Then, bracing your abs, fly your arms out to the side. Keep your elbows soft as you lift your arms out to the sides and back toward the ceiling at about, or just below, shoulder height. Pinch your shoulder blades together as you fly your arms open and really feel your upper back and the backs of your shoulders working. Keep your neck relaxed as you fly. Lower back down and repeat the fly. Try not to swing, but really focus on using your back to lift. Also, make sure to keep your elbows soft as you fly your arms up and out. If you feel your neck and upper traps engaging, you can place your head against the wall or on top of a bench. Also, make sure your low back doesn’t engaged as you keep your back flat. You may need to brace your abs more or bend your knees slightly, especially if your hamstrings are tight.

Stability Press – To do the Stability Press, you can use a resistance band or cable. If you are using a band, anchor the band and then hold one handle in both hands. Turn to the side so you are sideways to the anchor point and step away from the anchor point so that there is tension in the band. You want to make sure there is tension or the move won’t be challenging. Stand with your feet no more than shoulder-width apart. The closer your feet are together, the harder the move will be. Choose a stance though that challenges you while allowing you to maintain good form and not lean away. As you become stronger, bring your feet closer together and then even try a heavier band or walk further from the anchor point. Bring your hands into the center of your chest and squeeze your glutes while you brace your abs. Standing up nice and tall with your chest pressed out, slowly push the band straight out from the center of your chest until your arms are straight out. It should be a struggle to press the arms straight out because the band is trying to rotate you back toward the anchor point. Your core should have to work to stabilize and press straight out from your chest. Do not let your arms rotate open and go back toward the anchor. You want to press straight out from the center of your chest without shrugging your shoulders. Maintain a nice tall posture with your shoulder blades drawn down and back and your core engaged. Make sure you also don’t lean away. Then slowly bring your arms back in and repeat. Move slowly to really have to fight the band. If you move too quickly, you won’t get as much out of the move and you’ll probably get sloppy and let yourself rotate toward the anchor point or even shift open and push away. Also, if you allow your stance to rotate open or if you lean away, it will make the movement easier and won’t force that inside side (the side closest to the anchor point) to really work to stabilize. Complete all reps on one side before turning and facing the other way to work the other side. Really consciously engage your glutes before starting to press.

Lunge For A Stronger Core And Legs

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 22, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back

WORKOUT
Complete 3-5 rounds of the first exercise, resting up to 90 seconds between rounds. Then rest 1-2 minutes and move on to the circuits. Complete 3-5 rounds of each circuit, resting as necessary.

EXERCISE:
3-5 reps per side 7-lunge Lunge Matrix

CIRCUIT #1:
8-12 reps per side Front to Back Lunge
10-15 reps Inverted Rows
15-20 reps Reverse Hypers
3-5 reps per side Halos

CIRCUIT #2:
8-12 reps per side Side to Curtsy Lunge
8-12 reps per side Single Arm Dumbbell Row
8-12 reps per side Low to High Chopper
50ft Down and Back Overhead Carry

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back

NOTES:

Try to add weight to the Lunge Matrix as you go. With the halos, focus on a bigger range of motion instead of going heavier. Don’t worry about moving quickly with this workout. Focus more on challenging yourself with weight and variations. However, don’t try to rest a ton if you don’t need it.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

7-lunge Lunge Matrix – All 7 lunges equal one rep. So 3-5 reps is really 21 to 35 lunges.

Front Lunge: Step the left foot forward and sink down into a front lunge. Bend both the front and back knees. Make sure you do not lean forward as you lunge forward. Also make sure you drive off your front heel to push back to standing.
Angled Front Lunge: After returning to standing after the front lunge, you will again lunge forward, but this time out at an angle. Lunge forward toward “11″ on the clock with your left foot. Bend both your back and front knees as you lunge forward, keeping both toes pointing straight ahead. Then drive off your left heel to come back to standing.
Side Lunge: Again lunging with the left foot, step the left foot out toward “9″ on the clock. As you lunge out to the side, you are going to bend the left knee and sit your butt back. Keep your right leg straight. Both toes should be pointing straight ahead. Keep your leftt heel down as you sink into the lunge. Push your butt back and keep your chest up. Then drive back up to standing.
Backward Rotational Lunge: Next you will lunge back toward “7″ on the clock with your left foot. Your left foot, when you step back, will be perpendicular to your right foot, which is pointing toward “12.” Push your butt back and sink into a lunge, bending the left knee while keeping the right leg straight. Do not let the left heel come up. Keep your chest up and sit your butt backward. Driving off your left heel, push back to standing. Make sure that your right toe doesn’t rotate but continues to point toward “12.” Also make sure your right leg does not bend.
Reverse Lunge: Lunge straight back with your left foot. Bend your front knee as you step your back leg back and drop your back knee down toward the ground. You want to lunge back as if moving to half kneel on the ground. Keep your chest up nice and tall and sit back in your front heel as you lunge back. Then drive back through your front heel to come back up to standing.
Curtsy Lunge: Take your left foot and step your left foot back behind your right leg. You will reach your left foot back to about “5″ on the clock. Make sure you step far enough back (do not keep your left foot too close to your right) that you can bend both knees and sink down into a deep lunge. Keep your right heel down on the ground and your chest up. Then come back to standing. Make sure that you feel this lunge in the outside of your right butt cheek when you lunge back with the left leg.
Forward Cross Lunge: Lunge forward and across toward about “2″ on the clock with your left foot. Pivot your left foot so that your feet are perpendicular. Sink down into a lunge, bending both knees. Make sure your left heel stays down as you lunge. Then drive off your left heel to come back to standing.

Front to Back Lunge – Start standing tall then lunge forward on one side. Bend your knees as you sink down. Try to get your front knee bent to about 90 degrees with your knee over your ankle. Drop your back knee down toward the ground as you keep your chest up. Then drive back through your front heel to come back up to standing. Then step back into a backward lunge, lunging back with the same leg.

Inverted Rows – To do the Inverted Row, you can either use a Suspension Trainer or a Bar. Using a Suspension Trainer, hold a handle in each hand with your palms facing in. Walk your feet forward so that your body is at an incline. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Hang from the straps with your body in a nice straight line and your chest pressed out. Engage your core and glutes and keep your legs straight. You want a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Do not let your low back arch or your hips sag toward the ground. Then drive your elbows down and back to row your chest up to the handles. Keep your body in a nice straight line as you row up and do not bounce off the bottom. Keep your wrists straight as you row up. Also, do not shrug your shoulders. Then lower back down. Do not lose tension at the bottom. Make sure to keep the chest pressed out and your body in a nice straight line. Do not swing to row back up. Make sure to feel your back and arms working to row and not just your arms. Focus on feeling your back pull.

Reverse Hypers – To do Bent-Knee Reverse Hypers, (shown in the bottom two photos), lie face down on a bench, box or table with your hips right on the edge of the bench. Hold on to the bench or something in front of you, but make sure it doesn’t make you stretch or tense up your neck and shoulders. Make sure your hips are right about at the edge of the bench. If your hips are too far on the bench, you are more likely to hyperextend your low back in an attempt to get your hips up higher. However, having your hips too far off the bench, will also force you to have to lift more bodyweight and could cause you to engage and use your low back to lift. Keep your legs close together or even place your heels together and turn your toes out to help you engage your glutes. Bend your knees to almost 90 degrees and flex your feet. Then, with your knees bent, kick your heels up toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes as you press your hips down into the bench. You can slightly drive up and out as you lift to really get your glutes to work. Make sure that you squeeze your glutes as you lift and don’t hyperextend your low back just to get up higher. You also want to make sure to drive your hips and pubic bone down into the bench as you lift to make sure you are extending your hips and using your glutes. Lift so that your quads are about parallel to the ground and lower back down. Only lift higher if you don’t feel your lower back taking over. The range of motion isn’t as important as simply getting your glutes engaged and working. Consciously squeeze your glutes at the top and then lower down. You can even slow down the tempo of this move and add in a longer pause at the top to make your glutes work harder. To do a Straight-Leg Reverse Hyper (shown in the top photos), you will set up with your hips on the edge of a bench just like you did with the Bent-Knee Variation. However, instead of bending your knees, you will keep your legs out straight. Start with your feet touching the ground and your legs close together. You can place your heels together and turn your toes out if you struggle to get your glutes to engage and work during the movement. Then, keeping your legs straight, drive your hips down into the bench as you lift your heels up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes as you lift and extend your hips. Lift till your legs are about parallel to the ground and then lower back down. Only lift higher if you don’t feel your lower back taking over. You want to focus on your glutes working to lift not your low back. If you do feel your low back, make sure you are pressing your pelvic down into the bench as you squeeze your glutes to lift. Make sure that you are also consciously engaging and contracting your glutes at the top of the lift. Hold at the top then lower back down and repeat. Pause longer at the top to make the move more challenging.

Halos – To do Halos, stand with your feet no wider than hip-width apart. Stand with your feet closer together to make the move harder on your core. Hold a kettelbell upside down with one hand on each side close to where the handle attaches to the bell (you can also use a plate weight or dumbbell if you don’t have a kettlebell). Then raise the weight up so that it is in front of your face with your elbows down toward the ground. Stand tall with your shoulders down and back. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core as you begin to circle the bell around your head. Bring the bell back and around your head to the right, pointing the bottom of the kettlebell back behind you as you circle it around the side of your head. Then drop it down behind your head, reach the bottom of the kettlebell down between your shoulder blades as your elbows rotate to point up toward the ceiling. As you circle the kettlebell back and reach down between your shoulder blades, keep your core tight and don’t let your hips wiggle. Also, do not tuck your chin or move your head. You want to circle the kettlebell around as your head stays still. Continue the circle and bring it around the other side, handles leading, and back in front of your face. Then switch the direction of your circle and go back the way you just came. Keep alternating directions until all reps are complete. Do not tuck your chin or bob your head as you circle. Brace your abs and glutes so that you don’t rotate your hips as you circle and instead get all of the mobility from your shoulders and not your hips. Bracing your core will also protect your low back. Only the kettlebell is moving.

Side to Curtsy Lunge – Lunging with the left foot, step the left foot out toward “9″ on the clock. As you lunge out to the side, you are going to bend the left knee and sit your butt back. Keep your right leg straight. Both toes should be pointing straight ahead. Keep your left heel down as you sink into the lunge. Push your butt back and keep your chest up. Then drive back up to standing. If you need to, touch your foot down before moving into the Curtsy Lunge. If you don’t need to, move right into the Curtsy Lunge. After performing the Side Lunge, stand up and lunge back into a Curtsy Lunge with your left foot. Step your left foot back behind your right leg. You will reach your left foot back to about “5″ on the clock. Make sure you step far enough back (do not keep your left foot too close to your right) that you can bend both knees and sink down into a deep lunge. Keep your right heel down on the ground and your chest up. Then come back to standing. Make sure that you feel this lunge in the outside of your right butt cheek when you lunge back with the left leg. Then move back into a Side Lunge and repeat on the same side.

Single Arm Dumbbell Row – To do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row, set up with one knee and hand on a bench or box. If you are going to be rowing on your right side, your left knee and hand will be on the bench. Press your chest out and feel the muscles of your back activate. You want your back to stay nice and flat as you row. Hold the dumbbell in your right hand with your right foot on the ground. Keeping your back flat, row the dumbbell up to your side. Drive your elbow up and back as you row and do not let your shoulder shrug. Feel the right side of your back working to row the dumbbell up. Do not row the weight up to your neck. Bring it in to your side at, or just below, chest height. Do not rotate a lot or swing to lift the weight. Once you’ve rowed the weight up, extend your arm all the way back down. Do not reach past full extension to try to drop the weight closer to the ground. You do not want to relax your back at the bottom of the row. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Slow down the tempo or add more weight to make the move more challenging.

Low to High Chopper – Place a band around a low anchor point. Grab the handle of the band in both hands and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Your side will be to the anchor point. Step away from the anchor point so that there is tension in the band even at the end range of motion. Then pivot your feet and bend your knees to reach the handle down outside the knee closest to the anchor point. Your arms should be straight and your chest should be up and there should be tension on the band. Do not round your back to reach lower. Bend your knees and bring the hands outside your knee. Then bring your arms and the band up and across your body as you stand up and pivot toward the opposite shoulder. You should end reaching the other way with your arms reaching up and out at about shoulder height. Do not reach to high up as you reach across. Then control the band back down and across as you pivot and bend your knees. Move in a slow and controlled fashion back down. Do not let the band pull you. Complete all reps to one side before switching.

Overhead Carry – To do a Unilateral Overhead Carry, take one kettlebell and place your hand through the handle so that you can rest the kettlebell on the back of your forearm. If the kettelbell bothers you or you don’t have one, you can use a dumbbell instead. Press the weight up toward the ceiling, straightening your arm up so that your bicep is by your ear. Do not arch your low back or let your elbow bend as you hold the weight overhead. Keep your core tight and your arm up straight toward the ceiling and do not lean to either side or shrug your shoulders. Then, keeping the weight stable overhead, walk around for the allotted distance or time. Then switch the bell to the other hand. Make sure you keep the arm straight overhead and that you don’t feel it in your low back. If you can’t get your arm up overhead and you feel your neck and upper trap really taking over, try a Farmer’s Walk or Bottoms Up Carry.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Protein Shake

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 21, 2015

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Protein Shake

CALORIES

GRAMS PROTEIN

GRAMS CARBS

GRAMS FAT

Servings 1

Ingredients:
1 Scoop Chocolate Whey Protein
1 Cup Coconut Milk
1.5 Cup Strawberries (frozen work best)
2.5 Tbsp Cacao Powder
Water/Ice

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend everything together. Add more ice or water to thicken or thin out the mixture.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 21, 2015

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

CALORIES

GRAMS PROTEIN

GRAMS CARBS

GRAMS FAT

Servings 2

Ingredients
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
4 egg whites
1/2 banana
Sprinkle of cinnamon and even nutmeg
For topping:
1 tbsp. natural peanut butter
1/2 banana
OR
1/4 cup berries
and/or
1 tbsp almond butter

Directions:
Blend all ingredients and one half of banana until smooth. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly grease with coconut oil.

Pour the batter onto the skillet in medium sized circles and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles form on the edges. Flip and then cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from skillet and top with extra peanut butter and sliced banana or berries and/or almond butter before serving.

The Broken Tabata Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 21, 2015

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back

WORKOUT
Set a timer for 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. You will complete 4 rounds of each exercise before moving on to the next exercise. Rest 30 seconds between exercises and then up to 1 minute between rounds. Complete 2 rounds of the circuit below.

CIRCUIT:
4 rounds:
20 seconds Burpee Sit Thrus
10 seconds Rest
4 rounds:
20 seconds Snowboard Hops
10 seconds Rest
4 rounds:
20 seconds Climber Push Ups
10 seconds Rest
4 rounds:
20 seconds Skier Jacks
10 seconds Rest
4 rounds:
20 seconds Bicycles
1 minute Rest

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Hips/Glutes
Chest
Back

NOTES:

Do not rest during the 20 seconds of work. To get the most out of this workout, you need to make sure to go hard the entire work interval and rest during the allotted time. Do not shorten the rest intervals just try and go harder or do harder variations during the work intervals.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Burpee Sit Thrus – To do the Burpee Sit Thru, start standing with your feet together. Then bend down and place your hands on the ground as you jump your feet back into a Bull Dog position. Unlike the Basic Burpee, you won’t jump your feet back into a plank. You will want to jump your feet back so you are in more of a crawling position with your knees bent. From this bent-knee position, kick one leg under your body and through as you lift the opposite hand to “sit through.” Then bring the leg back under your body as you lower your hand back down and sit through on the other side. You will again kick the leg under your body and through as you lift your opposite hand. You want to rotate all the way through so you could actually sit if you lost your balance. Once you’ve performed a sit thru to both sides, jump your feet back into your hands and come to standing. Jump up off the ground at the top and then repeat the movement. Beginners may find they want to jump back into more of a plank position to make the sit thru easier. Advanced exercisers with more mobility will want to perform the sit thru from more of a bull dog hold starting position. AKA straighter legs makes the movement easier. Move quickly, rotating open and sitting all the way through on each sit thru.

Snowboard Hops – To do Snowboard Hops, start standing with your feet parallel and about shoulder-width apart. Face toward one foot, keeping your feet parallel and then step your back foot slightly forward so your stance is slightly staggered. Then squat down, pushing your butt back as you reach the same arm as the foot in front down outside your front toe. You can hinge over at the hips, but do not let your core collapse and simply lean forward. Then explode up off the ground, lifting your hand as you rotate forward and then to face the other way with your body. When you land, your back foot should be in front and your front foot should be in back, slightly staggered forward. Land and squat back down, dropping your front arm down to touch the ground outside your front toe. Then jump back up and rotate back to face the way you started. Beginners may not sink as low or jump as high. They may also do more of a “step” to switch than a full jump. Move quickly and make sure to bend your knees and sink down as you land. Also make sure your heels come down as you squat down. Keep your back flat even as you hinge over to touch the ground.

Climber Push Ups – To do the Climber Push Up, start in a plank from your forearms. You can set your feet wider apart if needed to create a more stable base. Engage your abs and, keeping your body in a nice straight line, climb one hand at a time up to a plank position from your hands. Place your hands right below your shoulders, but outside your chest as you climb up. Then at the top perform a push up. Then climb back down and repeat. You can do the Push Ups from your knees if needed or even regress to just the Plank Climbers as you fatigue.

Skier Jacks – To do the Skier Jack, start standing with your feet together and your arms down by your sides. Then jump one foot forward and the other foot back as you swing the opposite arm up and forward and the other hand back and down toward the ground. Switch your split stance and jump the other foot forward as you swing your arms to bring the other arm up and forward. Keep alternating sides, swinging your arms so that your opposite arm and leg are always forward and backward together. These aren’t lunges, just simply jumping one foot back and the other forward into a split stance. Swing your arms to help you move more quickly.

Bicycles – Lie on your back with your legs out straight in front of you and your hands behind your head. Lift your legs up off the ground. Beginners may need to keep their feet up higher while more advanced exercisers will be able to keep their feet only an inch or two off the ground. Bring your right knee into your chest, keeping the left leg off the ground. As you bring the right knee in, crunch the upper body up and bring the left elbow up and across to touch your right knee. Then straighten you right knee out and bring your left knee in as you rotate your left elbow to the ground and your right elbow to your left knee. Keep rotating and alternating touches until all reps are complete.