Projects Archive Page 28 of 35 | Redefining Strength

The Full Body Plyo Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 12, 2013

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

WORKOUT

Set a timer for 15 minutes. Complete as many rounds as possible in that time.

CIRCUIT:
5-10 reps each side Alternating Side Lunge and Hop
5-10 reps each side Explosive Push Up Shuffle
5-10 reps each side Single Leg Deadlift Hop
5-10 reps Bobcats

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

NOTES:

Do not go to failure on any exercise so that you can move quickly from one exercise to another.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Alternating Side Lunge and Hop – Stand tall with your feet together. Step one foot out to the side nice and wide. Bend the knee of the leg you stepped out to the side, keeping the other leg straight. Sit your butt back and hinge forward slightly, keeping your back flat. Then drive back up off your outside heel to come back to standing. When you come back to standing, jump up toward the ceiling, reaching up overhead. Then lunge out to the other side before coming back center and jumping toward the ceiling. Keep alternating lunges until all reps are complete.

Explosive Push Up Shuffle – Place a kettlebell (or med ball) on its side with the handle facing away from you. Set up in a push up position from your knees or toes. Place one hand on the bell and the other hand on the ground. Perform a push up, dropping your chest close to the ground. Then quickly push back up and as you do jump your body over the bell, placing the other hand on top of the bell as you place the other hand on the ground. Perform another push up and then explosively shuffle back over. One rep is a push up on one side and then the other. Beginners will take out the push up and just explosively shuffle over the kettlebell or med ball or may want to simply shuffle over instead of “jumping” to shuffle over.

Single Leg Deadlift Hop – Stand on one leg with the knee soft. Hinge over, pushing your butt back and leaning your chest toward the ground. Swing the leg off the ground back toward the wall behind you. Keep your back flat as you hinge over. Hinge over quickly, bending the standing leg just a little. Then quickly drive back up to standing, bringing your chest up nice and tall. As you drive up, explode up off the ground and drive the back leg forward, bringing the knee up. Then land back on the same leg and hinge back over before jumping back up. As you hinge over and drive up, you may want to swing your arms as if running with the opposite arm and leg working together.

Bobcats – Perform 5-10 reps then rest and let your partner or the rest of your group go before repeating. If alone, give yourself about 20 seconds before repeating. The goal of bobcats is to get everything to move together. Choose the variation you can do quickly and with precision. To set up for bobcats, lift up onto your hands and toes with your knees bent and under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Beginners will then quickly bend their elbows and drop their knees to the ground as if they are trying to explode up off the ground. The next level is donkey kicks, jumping the feet up and down on the ground. When that feels easy, stay on your hands and toes and next just lift and jump the hands together. To advance this move further, you will actually lift everything up off the ground and land with hands and feet hitting together. Bend your elbows and drop your knees to the ground, then explode up off the ground and quickly come back down. You don’t want your hands or feet to hit before the other. You want everything to hit quickly together. Move as fast as possible. The goal is to get your core moving quickly together. Choose the level you can not only do well but do quickly.

The Upper Body Strength And Stability Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 12, 2013

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

WORKOUT

Complete 3-5 rounds of each circuit. Rest no more than a minute between rounds and up to 2 minutes between circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
5-10 reps Push Up to Dip
30 seconds -1 minute Power Wheel Push Up Hold

CIRCUIT #2:
30 seconds -1 minute Inverted Row Hold
8-15 reps Inverted Rows

CONDITIONING:
Complete 5-8 rounds of 30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest.

Towel Taz

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Traps
Back/Lats

NOTES:

Do not rest between exercises each round. The whole point is that the first one will fatigue you for the second one and make the second move harder. Rest between rounds and even roll out. You want the same work output each round.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Push Up to Dip – Set up two kettlebells. The kbs should be narrow enough that you can only really slide your feet through. They should be about hip-width apart. Perform two push ups with your hands on the kettlebell handles. The handles should be right outside your chest. You can do these from your knees or your toes. Then swing your legs through and perform two dips. The more you “swing” through and the less you walk back and forth through the kettlebells, the more challenging the move will become. Make sure that when you do the dip, your butt is back by the kettlebell. Also, the straighter your legs are, the harder the move will be. Bend your knees and walk your feet back toward your butt to make the move easier. This move can also be regressed by doing it on an incline. You can use a bench and do two push ups followed by two dips off the bench. One rep is 2 push ups followed by 2 dips. So you will end up doing a minimum of 6 push ups and 6 dips.

Power Wheel Push Up Hold – Hold a handle of the power wheel in each hand. Place the power wheel under your shoulders and set up on either your knees (beginners) or your toes (advanced). Push up into a high plank position on the wheel. Your arms should be straight and the power wheel should be right under your shoulders. Your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Draw your belly button in toward your spine and squeeze your hips. Place your feet closer together to make the moves harder. Hold in that nice straight plank position. Advanced exercisers may want to do small rolls forward with the power wheel as they hold. Slightly roll the power wheel above your shoulders and then bring it back under your shoulders. Your body should stay in a nice straight line as you slightly extend overhead and then pull the wheel back.

Inverted Row Hold – Hold a suspension trainer strap in each hand. Walk your feet out so you are leaning back. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Squeeze your core and glutes and press your chest out so there is tension between your shoulder blades. Then row up, keeping your body in a nice straight line. Row until your chest comes up to the handles and hold there. Do not let your hips sag or your body arch as you hold.

Inverted Rows – Hold a suspension trainer strap in each hand. Walk your feet out so you are leaning back. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Squeeze your core and glutes and press your chest out so there is tension between your shoulder blades. Then row up, keeping your body in a nice straight line. Row until your chest comes up to the handles and then lower yourself back down. Don’t let your hips sink as you lower back down. Also, keep your chest pressed out the entire time (do not let your low back arch though).If there is no bar or XT/TRX on which to do rows, do scapular push ups or corner rows.

Towel Taz – Grab a bath towel,moving blanket, fleece blanket or whatever you have on hand. The bigger and heavier the towel, the harder the move will be. Grab a corner of the towel in each and and start shaking the towel as powerfully and as quickly as you can up and down while moving quickly around from side to side, in a circle, forwards, backwards and every which way. Move quickly, taking only a few steps in each direction as you shake the towel. Keep your chest up and do not round your back. You can shake the towel up and down and in and out. The quicker you move, the harder the move will be.

The Towel Cardio Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 12, 2013

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

WORKOUT

Complete 5-8 rounds of the circuit below. Rest 1-3 minutes between rounds. Try to start the next round as soon as you are recovered enough to do the same amount of work you did the round before.

CIRCUIT:
30 seconds Towel Taz
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Lunge Run
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Fly to Push Up
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Mt. Climbers
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Glute Bridge to Curl
1-3 minutes Rest

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

NOTES:

Do as many reps as you can in the 30 seconds. Do not stop moving during those 30 seconds even if it means regressing the exercise. Rest as much as needed between the rounds so that you are truly ready to work.

Most of the Towel Moves are shown with sliders which can also be used if you have them.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Lunge Run – Place a towel under each foot and step one foot forward. Sink down into a lunge, bending both knees. Pop up out of the lunge and slide the front foot back and the other foot forward. Sink down and then pop back up and switch stances again. It is almost like you are doing split squat jumps but without the jump. Keep alternating lunges until all reps are complete.
Fly to Push Up – This can be done from the knees or the toes. Start at the top of your push up with one hand on the towel. Then slide the hand out to the side and perform a push up. After the push up, slide the hand back into the starting position. Even though this is a wider push up, don’t let your elbows flare way out by your ears. Beginners can do this without the towel and just step the hand out, do a push up and then step the hand back in. Intermediates may use the towel and slide out, do a push up and then slide back in. Advanced may put a towel on both hands and slide one out, do a push up, then slide it back in. Once they slide that hand back in, slide the other out and do a push up then slide that one back in. Keep alternating flyes until all reps are complete if you do the advanced variation. All push up to fly variations can be done from the knees or the toes.

Mt. Climbers – Set up in a high plank from your hands and toes with a towel under each foot. Bring your right knee in toward your chest, sliding your foot in. Then slide the foot back out and bring your left knee in toward your chest. Go as fast as you can, alternating knee drives. Mountain Climbers should look like you are “running” with your hands on the ground. Beginners may not be able to use the towels. They may also need to go slower or even put their hands up on a low table or bar to perform incline mountain climbers.

Glute Bridge to Curl – Beginners may need to start with a single leg bridge and curl while more advanced exercisers may do the two-leg bridge and curl. A beginner may want to start with the towel under only one foot and slide out one leg at a time. To perform the two leg curl, place both feet on a towel about hip width apart. Start in the bridge position and slide your feet out. Keep your hips off the ground and your glutes engaged as you slide out. Then curl the heels back in, bringing the hips up again into a glute bridge. Do not let the hips sag toward the ground as you slide out or come back in.

The Do More Push Ups Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 12, 2013

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

WORKOUT

Complete 1-2 rounds of the Isometric circuit. Rest up to 30 seconds between holds if needed. Then complete 3-5 rounds of the second circuit. Rest 1-2 minutes between the circuits and each round.

CIRCUIT #1:
30 seconds – 1 minute Handstand Hold
30 seconds – 1 minute High Plank Hold
30 seconds – 1 minute Dip Hold

CIRCUIT #2:
5-10 reps Push Up With Holds
10-20 reps Dips off Bench
20-50ft walks each side Single Arm Overhead Carry

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Traps

NOTES:

Do the hardest variation of each isometric hold that you can. Hold for at least 30 seconds. Take time between the exercises if needed so that you can do your best on each exercise.

For the second circuit, take time between each exercise if needed so that you can get the most out of each move. Don’t slack on any exercise just so you can move more quickly through the circuit. It is better to rest and go to failure on each exercise than to complete the workout quickly.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Handstand Hold – Beginners will want to do a modified handstand, almost like a downward dog. Set up on your hands and knees. Then push your butt up in the air and drive your chest back toward your knees. Try to get your back as flat as possible, driving your butt up. Do not worry if your legs stay straight. The most important part is pressing your chest toward your knees so your back stays flat. To advance, you can put your feet up on a table or chair. However, the hardest variation is walking your feet up the wall and walking your hands back toward the wall. The closer and more parallel to the wall you are the harder the hold. Make sure that on each variation, you draw your shoulder blades down and back and draw your belly button in toward your spine. Squeeze your glutes also to keep your low back safe.

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.

Dip Hold – Beginners can do this from a bench while more advanced exercisers can do this off of dip bars or parallel bars. Press up to the top of the dip with arms straight and shoulder blades drawn down and back. Do not tuck your chin or shrug your shoulders. Really press your chest out and maintain a nice tall posture. Your body should hang straight down if on the parallel bars or you should sit like at the top of the dip off the bench. Hold that position.

Push Up With Holds – Set up on an incline or on your hands and knees (beginner) or hands and toes (advanced). You want your feet together and your hands just outside your chest. Your body should be in a nice straight line. Hold for 5 seconds at the top of the push up with your arms locked out and your belly button pulled in toward your spine. Then lower down to the mid-point of the push up. Your arms should be bent to just about 90 degrees. Hold there 5 seconds. Then lower down so you are just hovering above the ground and hold there 5 seconds before quickly pressing back to the top of the push up. Your body should move as one unit as you lower and it should be in a nice straight line as you hold. Do not let your hips sag or your butt go up in the air. Do not tuck your head toward the ground or shrug your shoulders. Then quickly press back up from the bottom and repeat with a 5 second hold at the top.

Dips off Bench – Place both hands on the bench behind you. Your finger tips should hang over the bench and face you. Stretch your legs out then in front of you. The straighter your legs are and the further your heels are from your butt, the harder the move will be. Bend your elbows and drop your butt toward the ground. Drop so your upper arms are parallel to the ground then press back up. Keep your butt and back right up agains the bench. Do not let your body drift forward. Advanced exercisers may want to place their feet up on a bench as well and even put a weight on their lap.

Single Arm Overhead Carry – Take one kettlebell and place your hand through the handle. Rest the kettlebell on the back of your forearm. Press your hand up toward the ceiling, straightening your arm up by your ear. Do not arch your low back. Keep your core tight and your arm up straight toward the ceiling. Do not lean to either side. Walk 20-50ft holding the kettlebell still overhead and then switch the bell to the other hand. If you don’t have much space, hold it overhead and walk around for at least 15-20 seconds.

The 30-Minute Full Body Sandbag Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 11, 2013

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

WORKOUT

Set a timer for 30 minutes and complete as many rounds of the circuit below as possible.

CIRCUIT:
10-20 reps Sandbag Good-morning
10-20 reps Sandbag Row
20-50ft Sandbag Forward Crawl With Pull

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

NOTES:

Try to rest as little as possible and complete as many rounds of possible. This workout should get your heart rate up because you are moving quickly. Use as heavy a weight as you can without going to failure on any exercise.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Sandbag Good-morning – Hold a sandbag up at your chest with your feet no wider than hip-width apart. Hinge over, keeping your back flat. Your knees should be soft as you hinge over and push your butt back toward the wall behind you. You should feel a nice stretch down your hamstring as you hinge over. Do not let your back round toward the ground. Keep your weight in your heels. Come back up to standing, driving through your heels and squeezing your glutes at the top. Do not let the sandbag sag. Keep it up at your chest as you hinge.

Sandbag Row – Hold a handle in each hand. You can change up your grip (holding parallel or with your palms facing away or toward you). Bend your knees slightly and hinge over with your arms hanging straight down and your back flat. Then row the sandbag up to your chest, driving your elbows straight up toward the ceiling. Do not curl your forearms up toward your chest as you row. Then make sure your back doesn’t round toward the ground as you lower the sandbag back down. Do not use your legs to lift and lower the weight. Keep your core tight and your back still and flat as you row.

Sandbag Forward Crawl With Pull – Set up in the bull dog position on your hands and toes with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. The sandbag should be between your feet on the ground. Then reach one hand back to grab the sandbag. As you reach back, sit your butt back toward your heels. Then drive your hips forward to help you pull the sandbag forward toward your head. Pull the sandbag up as far as you can. Then crawl forward moving the opposite arm and leg until the sandbag is again between your feet. Then sit back again and pull the sandbag forward. Try to alternate which arm you pull with.