Projects Archive Page 24 of 35 | Redefining Strength

The Improve Your Pull Ups Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Oct 16, 2014

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Traps
Upper Back

ACTIVATION

Complete 2 rounds of the circuit below.

CIRCUIT:
30 second Scapular Wall Hold
30 second Dead Hang
30 second Pull Up and Hold

WORKOUT

Complete 4-5 rounds of the first exercise. Rest up to 1 minute between rounds of the first exercise. Then rest 1-2 minutes before moving on to the supplemental circuit. Complete 4 rounds of the circuit resting up to 1 minute between rounds.

EXERCISE:
Max Pull Ups (See below for variations and tips to get the most out of these rounds)

CIRCUIT:
8-15 reps Pull Overs
8-15 reps Inverted Rows
8-15 reps Hanging Abs

NOTES:

With the Max Pull Ups you want to try to go to failure or even past failure each and every round. If you can only do a few pull ups with a variation, you may want to regress right away and complete a few more to try to increase your work capacity. For instance, if you can do 2 regular pull ups, you may want to try to do 5 more reps, but with a little foot assistance or even a jump to the top and then a slow eccentric down.

Or if you can already easily do a ton of pull ups, you may want to use the Max Pull Up rounds to try more challenging variations such as a really slow eccentric variation instead of just do 40 or 50 pull ups.

The circuit will then be used to target a few common areas to help you build your pull ups further. Use a challenging weight or variation for the circuit exercises. Rest as needed so you can increase weight or at least stay the same each round.

Beginners may want to do slightly higher reps and lower weights than advanced exercisers.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Scapular Wall Hold – For a description of the Scapular Wall Hold and variations, click here!

Dead Hang – G

Pull Up and Hold –

Pull Ups – For these pick the hardest variation you can do. Whether you can do full pull ups or need to try a modification like the foot assisted pull ups or jumping pull ups, you want to concentrate on working your back. For Pull Up Variations, click here and see the picture below for a few different options.

Pull Overs – Place your upper back on a bench or box. Grab a dumbbell in both hands and bridge your hips up. Keeping your arms fairly straight with only a slight bend to the elbow, reach back over your head toward the ground behind you. Reach back as far as you can without bending more at the elbows and then bring the dumbbell back forward over your chest. Keep your hips up the entire time. Really feel your lats and abs stretch and work to control the reach overhead. Then feel your lats and abs work to pull the dumbbell back over your chest. Do not turn this into a tricep exercise. Keep the arms straight and do not start to bend at your elbows. If you can’t reach very far back overhead, you may want to use a lighter weight. Concentrate on feeling your lats work to pull the weight back over. You can also lie fully on the bench; however, that move doesn’t force you to engage your glutes as much. Having to engage your glutes can help protect your low back from hyperextending as you reach back and over.

Inverted Rows – For the Inverted Row and even variations you may want to include, check out this post. You can easily vary this workout by simply doing a different inverted row variations. To do the workout as written, stick with the basic inverted row shown below.

Hanging Abs – For 10 different Hanging Ab variations for every level, check out these 10 options! Beginners may want to start with a pelvic tilt while more advanced exercisers may want to do a knees to elbows or even a straight leg variation to work their lats more.

The Suspension Trainer Glute Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Oct 11, 2014

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

WORKOUT

Complete 3-5 rounds of each of the following supersets. Rest 30 seconds to 1 minute between rounds of the circuit and 1-2 minutes between supersets.

SUPERSET #1:
8-15 reps per side Balance Lunges
10-20 reps Straight-Legged Glute Bridge

SUPERSET #2:
8-15 reps per side Side Balance Lunges
10-20 reps Glute Cherry Bombs

SUPERSET #3:
8-15 reps per side Runner’s Start Lunges
10-20 reps L-Sit To Posterior Plank

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

NOTES:
Use the variation of each exercise and rep/set range that is right for you. Beginners may want to choose an easier variation and do higher reps while more advanced exercisers may want to choose a harder variation that they can do for fewer reps. No matter what rep/set range and exercise variation you choose, make sure to challenge yourself to get the most out of the workout.

For more Suspension Trainer Exercises, check out these 10 Suspension Trainer Exercises.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Balance Lunges – Place the toes of one foot into a suspension trainer strap. The shorter the strap and the higher your foot is from the ground, the harder the move will be. Make sure that you have the strap at a height that allows you to perform a full range of motion. It doesn’t have to be super high for this move to really make you work! If you need to, hop out on the other foot so you are in a nice wide stance with your back foot up in the strap. Then sink down into a lunge, dropping your back knee toward the ground. Really sit back into the lunge. Make sure you aren’t going forward and that your front heel is down. Also make sure your chest stays up and your back is flat. Do not round forward as you sink into the lunge. You should feel a nice stretch in the front of the leg that is back when doing this move. If you are really struggling to balance, hold the other suspension trainer strap in your hands. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Slow down the tempo of the move to make it harder or even hold a weight up at your chest or down by your sides.

Straight-Legged Glute Bridge – Place your heels in the CoreX foot straps. Lie back on the ground with your legs out straight in front of you. You can either bend your elbows to 90 degrees or leave your arms on the ground down by your sides. Squeezing your glutes and driving down through your heels, lift your hips up as high as you can while keeping your legs straight. Keep your abs engaged so that you don’t hyperextend your low back as you lift. Hold at the top for a second and lower back down.

Side Balance Lunges – Place one foot on its side in a suspension trainer strap and face to the side. Your leg should be out straight to the side in the strap. Then bend the standing leg and push your butt back as you sink down into a lunge. Let the leg with the foot in the strap slide out to the side as you sit back and down. Keep your chest up. You may hinge forward a bit as you sink but do not let your back round. Then, driving through the standing heel, come back to standing, pulling the leg in the suspension trainer back in toward your standing leg. You will feel your adductors work to pull the leg back in. Do not bend the leg in the suspension trainer. Also make sure to squeeze your glutes as you come back up to standing. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Beginners may want to hold the other strap in their hands to help them balance. Make sure that you don’t put the strap for your foot up too high. The height of the strap will be very dependent on your hip mobility. You can also hold a weight to make this move harder or slow down the tempo.

Glute Cherry Bombs – Place your heels in the suspension trainer straps and lie on your back on the ground. With your legs out straight and your feet close together, bridge up, squeezing your glutes and driving through your heels. Keep your core engaged so you don’t hyperextend your low back. Then curl your heels in toward your butt while maintaining the nice high bridge. Keep your glute engaged. Straighten your legs back out then and, keeping the nice straight bridge, move both feet out laterally, opening your legs up. Keep your hips up high as you spread your legs. Feel the outside of your butt work to open your legs up. Then bring your feet back together and repeat, curling your heels in toward your butt. This is an advanced movement. Beginners may not want to include the curl or may only want to do a single leg curl instead of the double leg curl. (First image is the advanced variation. The second is the beginners without the curl in.)

Runner’s Start Lunges – Hold a CoreX strap in each hand with your arms bent. Start back behind the anchor point with one leg lunged back and the front knee bent. Then driving through the foot of the front leg, bring the back leg forward and up. Drive the back knee up as you straighten the standing leg and push all the way up onto your toe. Then quickly bring the knee back down and sink back into the lunge, dropping the front heel back down to the ground. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Make sure to maintain a nice tall posture and not round your shoulders forward as you lunge. You also really want to focus on driving off that standing leg and extending the hip as you squeeze your glute to bring the back knee forward. This is an explosive move. You can make it more challenging by completely jumping off the front leg as you drive the back knee forward and up instead of just coming up onto the toe.

L-Sit To Posterior Plank – Place your heels in the foot straps. With your legs straight in front of you, sit on the ground and place your hands on the ground behind your butt. Then drive your hips up, pressing down through your hands and heels. Try to get your body in a nice straight line, leaning your head back as you lift. Then lower your hips about an inch from the ground and pull your butt back in between your hands. Keep your legs straight the entire time. Then press your hips back up into the posterior plank before repeating the L-Sit. Keep your arms straight throughout the entire movement.

The Bodyweight Power Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Oct 4, 2014

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

WORKOUT

The focus of this workout is Power. That means everything is done for short intervals and low reps, but done with high intensity. The movements are meant to be explosive and quick. You should give an all out effort for the quick interval and then rest until complete recovered, about 3-5 times the amount of time you worked.

Complete 5-8 rounds of each exercise before moving on to the next exercise. Rest up to 1 minute between exercises. Make sure to really challenge and push when you work and then recover fully.

EXERCISE #1:
5-8 reps Forward Jumps
Rest 3 to 5 times the time you worked

EXERCISE #2:
5-8 reps Plyo Push Ups
Rest 3 to 5 times the time you worked

EXERCISE #3:
10-12 second Sprint
Rest 30-60 seconds.

EXERCISE #4:
5-8 reps Pull Ups
Rest 3 to 5 times the time you worked

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats

NOTES:

For each exercise, you want to move quickly and do the hardest variation you can. We are training power, which means if you can’t move explosively or quick with any movement you need to rest longer or end your sets there. You do not want to train slowness.

If you are struggling to bust out reps of the pull ups or push ups, you need to regress the movement or lower the reps so you can do a few quick, challenging repetitions.

Do not allow yourself to move slowly with these movements!

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Forward Jumps – To do Frog Jumps, set up in the hip hinge position with your arms reach down and back by your hips just like you would for the Jumps for Height. Sit your butt back with your knees slightly bent. Your chest will be leaning forward a bit as you sit your butt back. Make sure though that you don’t round forward. Then driving off your heels jump forward and up, extending your hips and swinging your arms forward and overhead to propel yourself forward. As you land, sink back into the hinge, bringing your hands back down. Focus on landing softly and sinking right back into the starting position. The quicker you land and then jump again, the harder the move will be because more core strength is required to keep you balanced with your momentum wanting to propel you forward. For all jump movements, beginners can start with a hip hinge movement in place instead of ever leaving the ground. A quick hip extension in place will train the movement pattern without any impact. Once you’ve mastered the motion, make the movement more explosive by coming up onto your toes. Then progress it further by small jumps off the ground. Make sure you’ve mastered the mechanics before really progressing the jump.

Plyo Push Ups – Beginners may start with Incline Plyo Push Ups or quick Push Ups off the ground if they can’t do a full plyometric push up from the ground.To do a Plyo Push Up, you will set up in a nice push up position with your hands outside your chest and your body in a nice straight line down to your heels with your feet together. Set up at the top of the push up with your arms locked out. Lower your chest down to the ground, keeping your body in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Then push up quickly from the bottom of the push up, exploding up off the ground at the top. You can choose to clap your hands or just jump up off the ground with your arms straight. Keep a nice straight line with your body as you explode up. Try not to push your butt up in the air just to try to get higher off the ground. Force your core to really work and keep your body in a nice straight line. Come back down and quickly lower back down into the push up and repeat.

Beginners can do this explosive move with their hands up on a bench or bar or from their knees. They can even simply do a quick regular push up if they can’t keep their core tight when trying to leave the ground. Advanced exercisers may want to do plyometric variations to have some fun like decline plyo push ups or staggered stance or even a plyo push up shuffle.

Sprint – For the sprint, you can do this on a hill, in place, with a partner holding a resistance band or even on a piece of cardio equipment if you can’t, or don’t want to, run. If you do use a piece of cardio equipment instead of running, your best options are a Rower, Airdyne Bike or a VersaClimber. The Sprint should be an all out effort right from the beginning. If you are running, make sure your first step is forward.

Proper Sprinting mechanics if you are running:

Your arms should be bent to about 90 degrees (angle may change as they swing a bit) and the opposite arm and leg will work together. Your left arm will swing forward as your right leg is forward and as you drive through the right leg and your left knee comes forward, your right arm will swing forward. Make sure that you drive your elbows back and allow your core to rotate as your arms swing. Do not “chop vegetables” and just move your arms at the elbow. You actually want to drive the elbows back and swing your hands from cheek to cheek (from about your chin to your hip). Although your core will rotate as you sprint, do not over rotate your core and exaggerate the movement. You should also maintain a nice tall posture. You should never be rounded over even though at the beginning of your sprint (your “acceleration phase”) you may be leaning forward. Make sure to keep a nice even gait as you run. You don’t want too long or short a gait. Over-striding will cause improper mechanics and injury. Make sure with each stride that you are pushing forward and not just bouncing up and down. Also make sure that your knees aren’t caving in as you run and that your feet aren’t pronating. Your hip, knee and ankle should all be in line. If you are sprinting from a dead stop, you may also want to work on your start. Your first movement at the start should be forward. Many of us often step back before we go forward, but this is inefficient and won’t improve your first step speed (and when sprinting, first step speed is very important). Work on almost “falling” forward and make sure your first movement is forward.

Pull Ups – Hang from the bar with your palms facing away (you may also sub in chin ups or a neutral grip pull up). Press your chest out and draw your shoulder blades down and back. Then pull your chin up above the bar. Once your chin reaches above the bar, lower back down. Stay in control. Do not kip or swing. Make sure to move quickly without bouncing off the bottom. If you struggle to get your chin above the bar, you are done. Do not try to bust out those last few reps to failure. It is all about moving quickly and powerfully. You can also do plyometric pull ups or other challenging variations. Beginners may want to start with an Inverted Row or jumping pull ups if they can’t do full pull ups. Just choose a move that challenges you but allows you to move quickly. This is not the time for slow tempo reps or failure. For more details about pull up form and variations, check out our post about How To Do A Pull Up.

The Push Up Challenge Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Mar 23, 2014

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Traps
Upper Back

ACTIVATION

Complete 1 round of the circuit below to get your body read to do push ups.

CIRCUIT:
30 seconds Dead Hang
30 seconds High Plank Hold
30 seconds Posterior Plank
30 seconds Pelvic Tilt

WORKOUT

Complete the 3 minute push up test then rest 1-2 minutes before moving on to the second circuit. Complete 6-8 rounds of the second circuit. Focus on the push up variations that target your weak points. Rest 15-30 seconds between rounds.

CIRCUIT #1:
3 minute Push Up Test

CIRCUIT #2:
15 seconds Push Ups (Pike press, staggered, close grip, wide grip, eccentric only, incline, push up with release at bottom)
15 seconds Scapular Wall Holds or Lying Bat Wing (or Inverted Row Hold)
15-30 seconds Rest

NOTES:

Don’t do this workout more than every other week unless you cut out the 3 minute push up test. Once a month is actually best to test and see your progress. Any more than that and you will just keep burning yourself out. The second circuit though is perfect to improve your push up work capacity.

Also, make sure to pick a push up variation that you can do the entire 15 seconds. If you can’t keep moving, regress to an incline push up instead of letting your form break down or resting. The point is to keep moving while working on your weak points.

Feel free to post your 3 minute push up test score in the comments!

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Dead Hang – Hold on to a pull up bar or suspension trainer and hang from the bar. Your hands can be facing toward you or away from you. As you hang, do not let your shoulders shrug up. Keep your chest pressed out and your core tight. Your legs should hang down toward the ground. Do not tuck your knees up toward your chest.

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.

Posterior Plank – Start seated on the ground with your legs out straight and your hands on the ground behind your butt. Your finger tips should be pointing toward your butt. Drive through your hands and heels and raise your hips up off the ground toward the ceiling. Press your chest up and out as you raise your hips. Keep your legs straight as you bridge up and relax your head back. Your body should be in a nice straight line at the top. Beginners may need to bend their legs a bit to hold the bridge at the top.

Pelvic Tilt – Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. You should almost be able to reach your hands down by your sides and touch your heels with your finger tips. Feel the space between your low back and the ground as you lie there. Then draw your belly button in toward your spine and press that space away. You should feel your low back against the ground. Beginners may need to hold there. More advanced exercisers will add in a march or even draw both knees in. To do the march, they will bring one knee at a time in toward their chest and then return their foot right back down to the ground. Their low back will never leave the ground as they march. If they can keep their core engaged while marching for 10-15 reps per side, they may then pull both knees in at one time and then lower their feet back down. Their knees will stay bent the entire time and their back will stay pressed against the ground. Complete 10-15 reps then move to the next exercise. Make sure you really focus on keeping your core tight and your back against the ground no matter which variation you do.

3 minute Push Up Test – For this test, you have three minutes to do as many push ups as possible. You may sit back on your heels and rest whenever you need. For the push ups to count, you must drop your chest to the ground and lock your arms out at the top. Your body must move in a nice straight line. If your form breaks down, the push up doesn’t count. It is best to have someone to count for you.
Push Ups (Pike press, staggered, close grip, wide grip, eccentric only, incline, push up with release at bottom) – Mix up the type of push ups you do for the 15 seconds and really target your weak points or challenge yourself to do new and difficult variations to become stronger. If your shoulders are weak, the pike press or staggered push up could be a great option. If your triceps are weak, try the close grip or even push up to dip. If you want to work your chest, try a wide grip push up. If your core fails and your range of motion isn’t great, try an eccentric only or push up with release. Here are some other great and fun push up variations.

Scapular Wall Holds or Lying Bat Wing (or Inverted Row Hold) – For descriptions of all Bat Wing Variations, click here. To do the Scapular Wall 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.

The Great Glutes Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Feb 15, 2014

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Feet
Shins
Calves
IT Bands
Hips/Glutes
Groin
Quads
Hamstrings

ACTIVATION

Complete 1 round of the circuit below.

CIRCUIT:
10 reps each side Fire Hydrants
10 reps each side Donkey Kicks

WORKOUT

Complete 3-5 rounds of each of the circuits below. Rest up to 1 minute between rounds. Rest up to 2 minutes between circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
8-12 reps each side Backward Rotational to Front Cross Lunge
8-12 reps each side Single Leg Glute Bridge Off Box

CIRCUIT #2:
8-12 reps each side Step Downs
15-20 reps each side Reverse Hypers

CONDITIONING

Perform 5-8 rounds of the exercise below.

CIRCUIT:
20 seconds Kettlebell Swings
40 seconds Rest

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Feet
Shins
Calves
IT Bands
Hips/Glutes
Groin
Quads
Hamstrings

NOTES:

Many of these moves do not need weight to be progressed. Often going slower and/or holding longer at the top can make them harder and activate more muscle fibers. Do not rush through these moves.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Fire Hydrants – Place your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Flex your feet. Then raise one leg out to the side, keeping the knee bent to 90 degrees. Lift it as high as you can while keeping your arms straight. Try to not let the foot get higher than the knee or the knee get higher than the foot. Really squeeze the butt cheek as you lift. Hold for a second or two at the top. Lower down and then repeat. Complete all reps on one side before switching.

Donkey Kicks – Keep the knee bent close to 90 and keep the foot flexed as you kick one leg back and drive the heel up toward the ceiling. Don’t let the low back arch. Make sure that as you lift you are squeezing the glute of the leg you are raising. Also make sure the foot is driving straight up to the ceiling. And do not let your elbows bend to get the leg higher. Hold at the top and squeeze the glute then lower and repeat. Make sure you are driving straight back and that the knee of the raised leg isn’t flaring in or out.

Backward Rotational to Front Cross Lunge – This move is two lunges, one opening back and the other lunging forward and across. One rep is both the open back lunge and the front cross lunge. For the backward lunge, you will lunge toward “5″ on the clock with your right foot. Your right foot, when you step back, will be perpendicular to your left foot, which is pointing toward “12.” Push your butt back and sink into a lunge, bending the right knee while keeping the left leg straight. Do not let the right heel come up. Keep your chest up and sit your butt backward. Driving off your right heel, push back to standing. Make sure that your left toe doesn’t rotate but continues to point toward “12.” Also make sure your left leg does not bend.Once you push back to standing, you are going to take your right foot and step forward and across. Beginners will need to pause between lunges while more advanced exercisers will go right from one to the other. For the front cross lunge, lunge forward and across toward about “10″ on the clock with your right foot. Pivot your right foot so that your feet are perpendicular. Sink down into a lunge, bending both knees. Make sure your right heel stays down as you lunge. Then drive off your right heel to come back to standing and repeat going into the backward rotational lunge. Front load, holding a weight at your chest to advance the move.

Single Leg Glute Bridge Off Box – Beginners should do a single leg bridge from the ground or even a two leg bridge if they can’t get their hips up as high with the single leg bridge. Intermediate exercisers may want to do a two leg glute bridge with their heels up on the box. The single leg glute bridge off the box is an advanced progression. To do the glute bridge off the box, place your heels on the box. Your butt should be right against the box. Bend your arms to 90 degrees with just your upper arm on the ground. Lift one leg up and point the toe toward the ceiling. Do not bend that leg or use it to help you bridge up. Drive through the heel on the box and press your hips up as high as you can. Squeeze your glutes and keep your core tight as you bridge up. Hold for a second or two and then lower down. Complete all reps on one side before switching.

Step Downs – Start standing on the bench or box so that you can step off of it to the side with your left foot. Your right foot will be near the edge of the bench as if you are going to step down onto your left foot. Slowly hinge forward, keeping your back flat. Push your butt back as you bend your right knee, dropping your left foot toward the ground. Do not touch your left foot down. Once you go as low as you can, drive right back up to standing. Do not do more than touch your left toe down. You don’t want to be able to push off your left foot at all. Make sure you are only driving through your right heel and not using your left foot on the ground.

Reverse Hypers – Lie face down on a table, bench or box. Make sure your hips are right at the edge. Hold on to something in front of you if you want. Keep your upper body relaxed. Squeeze your legs together and point your toes out. Lift your legs to basically parallel to the ground, keeping your legs straight. Do not hyperextend your back and lift way higher than parallel. You do not want to feel this in your low back. Hold for 2-5 seconds and then lower down. Keep your core tight and really squeeze your glutes as you lift.

Kettlebell Swings –Set the kettlebell down on the ground and slightly in front of you. Place your hands on the handle. Hinge over, bending your knees slightly and pushing your butt back as you lean forward. Keep your back flat. Then hike the kettlebell back between your legs like you would a football. Pull it back and up between your legs. Then squeeze your glutes and drive your hips forward as you stand up nice and tall. Pop your hips forward and propel the kettlebell up. Do not worry how high it goes. It shouldn’t go higher than your shoulders. Keep your glutes tight and wait for your forearms to connect with your hips before you hinge back over and bring the kettlebell back. The kettlebell should drive the movement. Do not lean forward and hinge over before the kettlebell comes back down. You want to maintain the connection between your hips and forearms to protect your low back. Also, don’t allow the kettlebell to sink low between your legs. You want the kettlebell up close to your crotch. Move quickly with the swings. When done with the 40 seconds, place the kettlebell back on the ground. Use as heavy a weight as you can handle.