Projects Archive Page 35 of 35 | Redefining Strength

The Standing Kettlebell Core Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 4, 2013

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Shoulders
Back
Lats
Hips/Glutes

WORKOUT

Complete 3-5 rounds of the exercises below. Rest 30 seconds to 1 minute between rounds.

CIRCUIT:

8-12 reps per side Teapots
8-12 reps per side Windmill
20-50ft per side One Side Rack Carry

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Shoulders
Back
Lats
Hips/Glutes

NOTES:

While you will continually want to go heavier on the windmills and carries, you won’t necessarily want to keep adding weight to the teapots. Make the teapots harder by adding reps.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Teapots – Stand with your feet together or a couple of inches apart. Hold a kettlebell in one hand by your side. Stand up nice and tall. You can place your other hand on your hip. Then slide the kettlebell down your leg, lowering it below your knee. Do not let your chest cave forward. You want to simply hinge to the side. Then pull the kettlebell back up and come to standing. Your arm should stay straight throughout the entire move. Really feel the opposite oblique work to pull you back up. Make sure you stand all the way up. Then repeat until all reps are finished on that side.

Windmill – Beginners will start with no weight or even something balanced on their hand. Advanced lifters will use a kettlebell. Place your hand through the handle and let the weight rest on the back of your forearm. Your feet should be about shoulder width. Turn out the toe of the side that you aren’t going to work to about 45 degrees. Straighten the other arm up toward the ceiling. You are then going to hinge over, driving the butt cheek of the arm that is up out to the side as much as you can. Then you are going to stand back up, keeping the arm straight toward the ceiling the entire time. As you hinge over, use your leg as a guide. Slide your hand down toward the ground. Keep the arm straight up toward the ceiling. Then hinge back up until you are standing nice and tall. You will feel this in your obliques. You will also feel a nice stretch down your hamstring while you feel the glute of the arm raised working.

One Side Rack Carry – Place your hand through the handle and let the weight rest on the back of your forearm. Bring your arm in toward your chest. Your forearm should be right against your chest with your elbow flaring out just a little. Your hand should be around the middle of your chest. Do not let your hand fall out toward your shoulder. Also do not let your elbow flare up as high as your shoulder. Keeping the kettlebell in that racked position, stand up nice and tall. Squeeze your belly button in toward your spine and engage your glutes. Do not lean back or to either side. Fight the desire to lean as you walk 20-50ft. If you don’t have much space, walk around for 15-20 seconds on each side.

Kettlebell Build A Stronger Butt Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 3, 2013

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

WORKOUT

Complete 3-5 rounds of each exercise. Rest 1-2 minute between rounds of the exercise and 2-3 minutes between exercises.

REPS for Circuits 1 and 2:
5 reps for 5 sets if strength is your goal and you are a more advanced lifter.
8-12 reps for 4 sets if your goal is strength and weight loss and are intermediate to advanced.
12-15 reps for 3 sets if you are a beginner or recovering or working on endurance.

CIRCUIT #1:
Sumo Squat

CIRCUIT #2:
Single Leg Deadlift

CIRCUIT #3:
KB swings

REPS for Circuit 3:
10-20 reps for advanced with heavy weight
20-40 reps for beginner to intermediate with medium weight

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

NOTES:

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Sumo Squat – Set your feet up at least shoulder-width apart. Point your toes slightly out. Set one or two kettlebells down between your legs. They should be centered between your heels. Sit your butt back and hinge forward slightly, keeping your back flat. Grab the handles or handle and keep your arms straight as you sink into a wide squat. Pull the kettlebells off the ground and stand up nice and tall. Squeeze your glutes at the top. Then sit your butt back and hinge over to bring the kettlebell(s) back to the ground. Touch them down and then stand back up. Make sure you are driving up off your heels and not rounding your back. Do not lean to far forward. And make sure you sink your butt. This is not a straight leg pull.

Single Leg Deadlift – For this move, you can hold dumbbells or kettlebells in each hand. You can also hold a single bell to make the move easier. Beginners should start with bodyweight. Use a weight that challenges you. Stand on one foot with the knee of that standing leg slightly bent. Hinge over at your hips, sweeping the other leg back toward the wall behind you. Pretend you are driving the heel of that foot straight into the wall behind you. Lean forward with your upper body as you hinge forward, keeping the back nice and flat. Make sure that as you hinge, you are sitting into the heel of your standing leg. Do not lean forward and come up onto your toes. To stand back up, drive through the heel of your standing leg and squeeze your glute at the top. Try not to tap the other foot down at all or at least not till you are fulling standing. Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other leg.

KB 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.

Home Cardio Routine

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 3, 2013

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

WORKOUT

Perform 5-8 rounds of the following circuits. Each exercise will be performed for 10 seconds. Move quickly from one exercise to the next. Rest 20 seconds between rounds and 1-2 minutes between the two circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
Burpees
Sit Thru
Lateral Crawls
Skater Hops

CIRCUIT #2:
Split Squat Jumps
Circle Crawls
Mt. Climbers
Squat Jacks

COOL DOWN
Make sure to walk around and let your heart rate come down before you stretch and roll out.
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Back
Chest
Shoulders

NOTES:

Beginners may need more rest between rounds and circuits. You don’t want to have to rest between exercises so, if necessary, rest longer than a minute between rounds.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Burpees – Start standing with your feet together. Then place your hands on the ground in front of your feet. Jump your feet back so you are in the high plank position. Beginners may need to step their feet back instead of jumping them back. Advanced lifters will then do a push up, dropping their chests to the ground. If you can’t move quickly while including the push up or you can’t do a full push up, you will simply jump your feet back then jump them back in with no push up in between. If you do include the push up, once you press back up, jump your feet back up to your hands. As you stand back up, you are going to jump up off the ground. Beginners may not want to include the jump at the top. After you jump, go right back down and repeat the move.

Sit Thru – Start on your hands and knees. Flex your feet and press up onto your hands and toes with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. You will then rotate open toward the right and bring your left leg under and through toward where your right hand is. As you bring your left leg forward and through, lift your right hand. You should be almost sitting with your left hand down to support you. Then bring the left leg back through so you are back in the starting position. Next rotate to the left and kick your right leg through and forward as you lift your left hand. Move as quickly as you can back and forth. Beginners may need to move slowly or even start in a more spread out position with their legs out straight.

Lateral Crawls – Set up on your hands and knees with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Flex your feet and press up onto your hands and toes, keeping your knees and hands in the same position. You will then move laterally, keeping your knees close to the ground and your back flat. As you move sideways, your hands will come together as you step your feet apart and then your hands will move apart as you step your feet together. Beginners may do a baby crawl to start from their hands and knees if they can’t maintain the table top crawl.

Skater Hops – Start to one side of the space you have to use. You are going to jump lateral, hopping from one foot to the other while trying to move as quickly and cover as much distance as possible. If you start to the right, you are going to push off your right leg and push yourself laterally as far as you can. When you land, you will land on your left leg. Keep your chest facing straight ahead. As you land, sink into a variation of the skater lunge. Then push off your left leg and jump back right, landing on your right foot. Try not to touch the other foot down when you land. Only touch if you need to. Beginners may need to go slower and not jump as far. As you advance, do not pause on either side of the jump to balance. Also, make sure you are jumping as far as quickly as possible.

Split Squat Jumps – Step one foot backward into a lunge. Sink into a deep lunge, bending both knees as if kneeling down to the ground. Then jump up and as you jump, switch into a lunge on the other side. Sink down into the lunge on the other side once you land and then explode back up and while jumping switch back into a lunge on the first side. Beginners may need to do quick step back lunges instead of jumping to switch. The lower you go in the lunge and the quicker you jump and switch, the harder the move will be.

Circle Crawls – Set up on your hands and knees. Flex your feet and lift up onto your hands and toes. Your knees should be under your hips and your hands should be under your shoulders. Pretend their is a string attaching your belly button to the ground. You may even want to put something on the ground under your belly button to keep you centered. Then begin to circle over that spot. Do one full circle one direction then switch and do a complete circle the other way. To move in a circle, you will take a step with the opposite hand and leg. Make sure to move both your hands and feet. You do not just want to move your feet and circle around your hands! Beginners may need to do a baby crawl on their hands and knees to start.

Mt. Climbers – Set up in a high plank from your hands and toes. Bring your right knee in toward your chest. Then drive the foot back out and bring your left knee in toward your chest. As you bring each knee in, you will just lightly tap the toe of that leg on the ground. Do not put weight on that front leg. 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 need to go slowly to start or even put their hands up on a low table or bar to perform incline mountain climbers. Advanced exercisers will want to “run” as quickly as possible or even add sliders or a towel under their feet.

Squat Jacks – Squat jacks are a variation of the basic jumping jack. Start with your hands by your side and your feet together. Then squat down with your feet together. Get as low as you can. Then jump your feet out to between about hip-width and shoulder-width apart. Stay low in the squat even as you jump out. As you jump out, also bring your hands up and together overhead. When you jump back in, bring your hands back down to your sides. Stay low in the squat the entire time.

Stronger Legs For Running

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 3, 2013

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

WORKOUT
Perform 3-5 rounds of the following circuits. For circuit 1, the lunge matrix, go right from one side to the other with little to no rest between sides and rounds. For the second and third circuits, rest 30 seconds to 1 minute between rounds. Rest 1-2 minutes between circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
3 reps of each Lunge in the Lunge Matrix

CIRCUIT #2:
10-15 reps per side Skater Lunge
10-15 reps per side Skater Hops

CIRCUIT #3:
10-15 reps per side Single Leg Squats
5-10 reps 90 Degree Rotational Squat Jumps

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

NOTES:
Focus on progressing the moves every time you do this. For the lunge matrix add arm drivers. For the skater lunges, add weight or slow down the tempo. For the plyometric moves, move more quickly. For single leg squats, use a lower box or TRX/XT straps.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Lunge Matrix – The easiest way to remember all the lunges is to think about lunging around a clock. Start facing “12” on the clock. Doing all the lunges first moving the left foot…

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.
Backward Hinge: Again moving the left foot, step your left foot back so that the toe is even with the heel of your right foot. Both toes will point toward “12.” After taking the little step back, you are going to hinge over at the hips, pushing your butt back toward the wall behind you. You will feel a stretch down your hamstrings. Then stand back up and step forward.
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.
All seven lunges listed above completes the lunge sequence on one side.
One round on each side will be 3 reps of each of the seven lunges. You will complete 3 front lunges before moving on to the angled front lunge. You will complete 3 reps of the angled lunge before doing a side lunge.
One round is 21 total lunges. Advanced exercisers can add in arm drivers, reaching up toward the ceiling then down toward the ground on each lunge.

Skater Lunge – Start by standing on your right leg. Start to bend your right knee as you drive your left leg back. You are going to hinge forward as you also squat down on your right leg. Once you’ve gone as low as you can, keeping your chest up, you will come back to standing. Try not to touch your left toe down between reps. Move your arms as if running in slow motion. As your left leg goes back, your right arm will go back. As your left leg comes forward, your right arm will come forward. Slow down the tempo of this move to make it harder. Take 3-5 seconds to squat down and then quickly pop back up to standing.

Skater Hops – Start to one side of the space you have to use. You are going to jump lateral, hopping from one foot to the other while trying to move as quickly and cover as much distance as possible. If you start to the right, you are going to push off your right leg and push yourself laterally as far as you can. When you land, you will land on your left leg. Keep your chest facing straight ahead. As you land, sink into a variation of the skater lunge. Then push off your left leg and jump back right, landing on your right foot. Try not to touch the other foot down when you land. Only touch if you need to. Beginners may need to go slower and not jump as far. As you advance, do not pause on either side of the jump to balance. Also, make sure you are jumping as far as quickly as possible.

Single Leg Squats – Choose a variation of the single leg squat that is right for you. Beginners may use a box step while more advanced lifters may use a doorway, TRX or XT straps for balance. If you can do a full pistol squat or use a plate weight to counter balance you, do that variation. Choose as hard a variation as you can do. To perform the basic single leg squat to bench, you will start by standing on one leg. Hold the other leg straight out in front of you. Lower yourself down until you are sitting on the box or table. Then driving off the heel on the ground, stand back up. Do not lean way forward or touch your raised foot to the ground. If you use a box, the more you allow yourself to sit down, the easier the move will be. The more you just lightly touch the box and come right back up, the harder the move will be. Also the lower the box you use or the lower down you go on any variation, the harder the move will be.

90 Degree Rotational Squat Jumps – One rep of the 90 Degree Rotational Squat Jumps is actually four squat jumps. You will start facing forward with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Squat down and then as you jump up, rotate to the right about 90 degrees. As you land go right back into a squat to load for the next jump. Do not land with your legs straight even if you are a beginner. Beginners may not be able to go right back into the squat, which is ok. Everyone will squat though before jumping back center. When you land back center, squat down and jump 90 degrees to the left. Then load again and jump back to the center. That is one rep. Repeat by jumping back to the right.