elite workout library Archives Page 13 of 25

The Bridge Butt Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 5, 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:
15 reps Glute Bridges
15 reps Table Top Bridge
5 reps per side Sit Thru to Thoracic Bridge

WORKOUT

Complete all 50 reps before moving on to the next exercise. However, pick a weight or variation that doesn’t allow you to do 50 straight through. If you can do more than 25 reps in a row, the weight is too light. Pick something ideally that challenges you between 10-15 reps. Do not rest though more than 15-30 seconds while working on an exercise. Try to rest as little as possible between exercises as well. Complete one round of the circuit below.

CIRCUIT:
50 reps Weighted Glute Bridges
50 reps each side Lateral Step Ups
50 reps Glute Bridge to Sit Up
50 reps Band Pull Throughs
50 reps Glute Cherry Bomb
50 reps each side Alternating Side Lunges

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

NOTES:

This workout is about getting the glutes activated and working. Focus on squeezing your glutes as you do the moves. Do not rush the movements. Slow down the tempo as necessary to really feel the glutes engage.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Glute Bridges – Bend your knees and put your feet flat on the ground just close enough that you can graze your heels with your fingertips when you stretch your arms down by your side. Your feet should be about hip-width apart. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees so that only your upper arm is on the ground. Then drive up through your heels and upper back to lift your glutes off the ground. Drive your hips up as high as possible, squeezing the glutes hard. Keep your belly button drawn in so you don’t hyperextend your back. Do not push backward off your heels. Make sure you are driving straight up and that your knees aren’t caving in. Squeeze your glutes for second or two at the top and lower all the way back down to the ground before repeating. You should feel this move in your glutes and hamstrings and not in your low back. Do not rush through glute bridges. Take time to hold at the top and feel the glutes activate.

Table Top Bridge – Start seated on the ground with your feet flat on the ground in front of you and your hands on the ground behind you. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips up as high as you can. Lean your head back and press your chest out as you bridge up. Keep your core tight as you bridge up. Try to create a “table” with your body. Drive your hips up as high as you can without hyperextending your low back. Hold at the top then lower back down and repeat.

Sit Thru to Thoracic Bridge – Set up on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet and lift up onto your hands and toes. Then lift your right hand and bring your left leg through and place your left foot flat on the ground. Rotate your hips up toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes to lift them up as high as you can. While your lift your hips, reach your right hand down toward the ground, rotating your chest toward the floor. Feel your glutes working to keep BOTH hips up, while you reach your hand down. We have a tendency when we rotate to drop that hip down. Make sure both stay up. You should feel a nice rotation and stretch through your spine. You are twisting almost like someone wringing out a towel. Then drop your hips and step your foot back through while placing your hand back down on the ground. Rotate to the other side, bridging your hips up as high as you can.

Weighted Glute Bridges – Sit on the ground and roll or place the barbell over your hips. Then lie back and bend your knees with your heels close to your butt. Holding on to the barbell, drive your hips up and squeeze your glutes. Make sure you drive through your heels and upper back to lift straight up. Do not let your knees fall open and do not hyperextend your low back as you squeeze your glutes at the top. Hold for a second or two and lower back down. As you lift, you may find you want to press the barbell down and away onto your thighs to help you squeeze your glutes at the top and keep your core engaged.

Lateral Step Ups – The higher the bench or box you use, the harder this move will be. Do not use a box that is too high. If you have to push off the foot on the ground or if you really lean forward to propel yourself up, the box is too high. Stand with the box next to your right side. Place your right foot on top of it without rotating toward the box. Drive up through the heel of the foot on the box until you are standing on the box. Drive the left knee up as you lift up onto the box. Then step back down and repeat. Keep your chest up as you drive up. Do not lean forward or let your heel on top of the box come up. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Challenge yourself first with a higher box and then with weight. If one box is too high and the other is too low, you can add weight and use the lower box to make the step ups harder.

Glute Bridge to Sit Up – Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground about hip-width apart. Bridge up, lifting your hips as high as possible while driving through your heels. Lower your hips back down and let your feet move a little away from your butt. Then sit up, keeping your torso up nice and tall and your feet on the ground. Once you sit all the way up, lie back down, bring your feet back in and then bridge back up.

Band Pull Throughs – Anchor the band around furniture or in a doorway. Step over the band and reach down between your legs to grab the handles. Walk away from the anchor point with your back to it, holding the handles between your legs. Then hinge over, keeping your knees soft. Push your butt back toward the anchor point as you lean forward and reach your hands with the bands back between your legs. Then squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward to come back up to standing. Keep your arms relaxed and straight down, holding the handles between your legs. Stand up nice and tall, fully extending your hips and squeezing your glutes. Then hinge back over, pushing your butt back toward the anchor point. Keep your core tight so that you don’t feel this move in your low back. Also, do not pull the bands with your arms. Your glutes should do all the work. And make sure to keep your back flat. Do not round over as you hinge over and stand up tall at the top of the move. To make the move harder, use a heavier band or walk further from the anchor point. Also, to make the move more challenging you can either slow it down or make it more explosive. You can even make the movement to standing more explosive and then hinge back over slower to really challenge the glutes.

Glute Cherry Bomb – 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. Click here for the modification.

Alternating Side Lunges – You will step one foot out to one side and bend that outside knee, sinking your butt back and down. Make sure you step the foot straight out to the side and have both feet pointing straight ahead. Also make sure to keep your heels down as you sit back. The other leg should stay straight as you lunge to one side. Then driving through your heel, push back up to standing. In one movement, bring that foot you stepped out with back in. Make sure that you don’t lunge out too far so that you can’t come back in with one strong push off. Also make sure you lunge out far enough that you can sit back and keep both heels down. And as you sit back into the lunge, keep your chest up. You may hinge forward a bit, but your back shouldn’t round. Alternate side lunges. Once you step back in from the lunge, step out into a side lunge on the other side. To make the move harder, hold a kettlebell, sandbag or dumbbell up at your chest.

The Desk Job Rehab Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 29, 2014

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Feet
Shins
Calves
IT Bands
Hips/Glutes
Groin
Upper Back and Traps

WORKOUT

Set a timer for 30 seconds-1 minute. Perform each exercise for 30 seconds to 1 minute then switch quickly to the next move. Rest 1 minute between rounds of the circuit. Perform 4-6 rounds.

CIRCUIT:
30 sec-1min each side Warrior III
30 sec-1min each side Side Plank with Rotational Reach
30 sec-1min each side Crescent Pose
30 sec-1min Sit Thru to Thoracic Bridge
30 sec-1min Scapular Wall Hold
30 sec-1min each side Plank With Reach Out and Back
1 minute Rest

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Feet
Shins
Calves
IT Bands
Hips/Glutes
Groin
Upper Back and Traps

NOTES:
Start with shorter work intervals and lengthen the amount of time you work to challenge yourself more as you master the moves. Make sure to maintain proper form and do the hardest variation you can of each movement. With unilateral moves (one-sided moves), do one side then the other before moving on to the next exercise. All Plank movements can be regressed to isometric holds as needed. For more Plank Variations, check out this post.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Warrior III – Balance on one foot with the knee slightly bent. Hinge over lifting your back leg toward the wall behind you. Pretend you are driving the foot straight back into the wall behind you. Lean your torso over, keeping your back flat and your core tight. Reach your hands overhead in front of you. Hold in this position. Do not let your back round or your other foot touch down. Keep your arms in line with your body. You want a nice straight line from the bottom of your lifted heel to the end of your finger tips. Make sure you do not lock the standing leg out as you hold. Also make sure your hips don’t open up as you hold. Squeeze your glutes to keep your hips level. Beginners may need to reach back toward their foot instead of out in front of them. Using a wall can also help beginners. Stand with a wall behind you and when you hinge over have the lifted foot lightly touch the wall behind you to help you balance.

Side Plank with Rotational Reach – Set up in a Side Plank from your forearms and toes (advanced) or forearms and knees (beginner). Reach your top hand under your armpit as if reaching for the wall behind you. Rotate your chest toward the ground as you keep your hips up. Then rotate back open, reaching your hand up toward the ceiling. Do not let your butt go way up in the air as you rotate or your hips drop toward the ground. Repeat, reaching back under and through then up toward the ceiling.

Crescent Pose – Step one foot forward into a wide stance and bend the front knee while keeping the back leg out straight. Your front heel should stay down while your back heel will be up. Make sure you are really sitting back into your front heel. Lift your hands up and reach them back and overhead as you stay low in the lunge. Keep your front heel down as you sit back into the lunge. If your front heel is coming up, you may want to step your front foot forward a bit more. As you hold the lunge, your back heel will stay up and the back leg will stay straight. Make sure though to drive back through your back heel instead of coming up onto your toe. Feel a nice stretch down the front of the hip and quad of the back leg. Hold then switch to the other side.

Sit Thru to Thoracic Bridge – Set up on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet and lift up onto your hands and toes. Then lift your right hand and bring your left leg through and place your left foot flat on the ground. Rotate your hips up toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes to lift them up as high as you can. While your lift your hips, reach your right hand down toward the ground, rotating your chest toward the floor. Feel your glutes working to keep BOTH hips up, while you reach your hand down. We have a tendency when we rotate to drop that hip down. Make sure both stay up. You should feel a nice rotation and stretch through your spine. You are twisting almost like someone wringing out a towel. Then drop your hips and step your foot back through while placing your hand back down on the ground. Rotate to the other side, bridging your hips up as high as you can. For a video of this move, click here.

Scapular Wall Hold – Stand about six inches from a wall. With your back to the wall and your elbows bent in by your side, drive your chest out and lean back against the wall. Only your elbows should touch as you lean back. Do not shrug your shoulders and keep your body in a nice straight line as if holding a plank. Keep your head in line with your spine and do not tuck your chin. Walk your feet back toward the wall to make the move easier or walk them away to make the move harder. Make sure to drive the chest out and draw your shoulder blades down and together as you hold.

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.

The 30-Minute Landmine Cardio Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 21, 2014

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

WORKOUT

Set a timer for 20 second intervals. Work on one exercise for 20 seconds then switch to the second exercise (or side if the move is unilateral) then rest 20 seconds before repeating the circuit. Complete 5 rounds of each circuit then rest for 1-2 minutes before moving on to the next circuit. This workout with a quick warm up and cool down shouldn’t take you longer than 30 minutes!

CIRCUIT #1:
20 seconds (Right) Lunge to Press
20 seconds (Left) Lunge to Press
20 seconds Rest

CIRCUIT #2:
20 seconds Landmine Burpee
20 seconds Ab Twists
20 seconds Rest

CIRCUIT #3:
20 seconds (Right) Rotational Deadlift Press
20 seconds (Left) Rotational Deadlift Press
20 seconds Rest

CIRCUIT #4:
20 seconds (Right) Standing Knees
20 seconds (Left) Standing Knees
20 seconds Rest

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

NOTES:

Adjust weight as needed. You want to start light and make sure that even as you add weight you can move quickly and really work the entire 20 seconds. Remember to rest only 20 seconds after the two exercises and then 1-2 minutes after all five rounds are completed.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Lunge to Press – Grab the barbell in one hand and face the Landmine. Bring your hand up to your shoulder. Then lunge back on the side holding the barbell. Keep your chest up as you lunge back and make sure to sit back into that front heel. Do not go up onto your front toe. As you come back up to standing, drive through that front heel and press the barbell up overhead. Fully extend your arm. Then bring the barbell back down to your shoulder and repeat, lunging back again on the same side. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Keep your chest up tall and your abs braced through the entire movement. Do not lean toward the side holding the barbell. Because your legs will also be helping you press if move straight from the lunge to the press, you may find you can also use a bit more weight.

Landmine Burpee – Hold the barbell in both hands at chest height. Stand with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Press the barbell quickly overhead. Then squat down and lower the barbell down to the ground. Place the barbell on the ground and then place your hands on the ground besides the barbell. Jump your feet back so that you are in the high plank position. Then jump your feet back in about shoulder-width apart so that you are in a squat. Pick up the barbell while in the squat and bring it up to your chest. Stand back up and press the barbell overhead to repeat the burpee. Make sure to use your legs as you pick up and lower the barbell to the ground. You don’t want to use only your back to lift especially as you add weight!

Ab Twists – Hold the barbell in both hands at shoulder height with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Press the bar overhead. Keeping your arms straight and your shoulders down (do not shrug), lower the bar down toward one hip, pivoting your back foot as you lower the bar. Then, pivot back forward, bringing the bar back up center. Then drop the bar down toward the other hip, pivoting the back foot as you rotate. When the bar is lighter you can move very slowly and work on stability. Make sure that you still pivot your back foot to keep your hip, knee and ankle in proper alignment. As the bar gets heavier (and if you want to make this move more explosive), you will want to get your legs and hips more involved and really “pop” the bar up off your hip to drive it to the other hip. You will pivot hard to use the legs to twist the bar from hip to hip. With both moves, make sure to brace your abs as if preparing to be punched to protect your low back during the movement.

Rotational Deadlift Press – Stand at the end of the barbell facing the barbell, sideways to the Landmine anchor. Grab toward the very end of the barbell with an overhead grip and almost at the end of the barbell with an underhand grip. Your hands on the barbell should be about shoulder-width apart. Stand facing the barbell with your feet about shoulder-width apart. They may even be a bit wider. Hinge over like with a deadlift, bending your knees and sinking your butt while keeping your chest up and arms straight. Make sure your heels stay on the ground as you sink your butt. With your arms straight down holding the bar, pull up just slightly so there is tension on the bar before you lift. Your arms will be inside your legs and your shins should be right up against the bar. Then quickly stand up out of the deadlift and as you do, rotate toward the Landmine attachment and press the bar across and overhead. Your back foot, the foot closest to the end of the barbell, should pivot as you rotate and press across. Then bring the bar back down and sink back into a deadlift. Do not just lean over to bring the barbell back down to the ground. Sink your butt back down to drop the bar back down. Move slowly back down then explosively to bring the weight back up and across. Use your legs to power your press up and across. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Make sure you are using your legs to lift the barbell and not your back. Keep your abs braced and a nice tall posture through the movement. You want to power the deadlift and even the rotational press with your glutes not your low back.

Standing Knees – Stand facing the Landmine with the barbell in both hands. Press the barbell up overhead and move back behind the barbell. Set up in a staggered stance with one leg straight back. Then pull the weight down and toward the side of the foot that is staggered back. As you pull the weight down, bring that knee up and in toward your chest. Pull the weight and drive the knee toward each other. Crunch slightly as you bring the two together. Then quickly press back overhead and put the knee back down, driving the foot back into the staggered stance. Again, quickly pull the weight down and drive the knee up. Move quickly and explosively. Complete all reps on one side before switching. If you find you can’t bring the knee close to the bar, you may be in too close to the barbell and need to set up a little more behind it. Start light as this move will challenge your balance more than you realize. Keep your abs braced the entire time so that you don’t feel this move in your low back.

Chest and Back Suspension Trainer Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 13, 2014

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

WORKOUT
Complete 3-5 rounds of each of the following supersets. Rest about 30 seconds between rounds of the superset and up to 1 minute between supersets.

SUPERSET #1:
8-15 reps Inverted Row
8-15 reps Back Fly

SUPERSET #2:
8-15 reps Decline Push Up
8-15 reps Plank Climbers

SUPERSET #3:
8-15 reps Row to Rotational Press
8-15 reps Ab Roll Out

SUPERSET #4:
8-15 reps Chest Flyes
8-15 reps Tricep Extensions

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

NOTES:
Exercisers of all levels should be able to do these moves with the suspension trainer. No weights should be needed. Make sure to do a rep range that challenges you. Do not just stop at 8 reps because that is the minimum. Choose a variation of each exercise that challenges you.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Inverted Row – Hold a suspension trainer strap in each hand. There are three basic grips you can use – palms facing your head, palms facing your feet or palms facing in toward each other. Walk your feet forward toward the anchor point so that you are leaning back. The further forward you walk your feet and the closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Do not sacrifice form though to get lower. If you can’t row all the way up or your body doesn’t stay in a nice straight line, walk your feet back and make the move easier. Then starting at the bottom of the row with your arms out straight, squeeze your core and glutes and press your chest out so there is tension between your shoulder blades. Make sure you don’t shrug your shoulders and that your body is in a nice straight line from your feet to your head. Then row up, keeping your body in that nice straight line. Drive your elbows down and back as you row up to make sure you don’t shrug your shoulders. Row until your chest comes up to the handles and then lower yourself back down. Do not curl your wrists to row all the way up. Keep your wrists in a nice straight line. Also, do not let your back arch in order to get your chest to the handles. Then lower back down until your arms are straight. As you lower back down, don’t let your hips sink toward the ground or your low back arch. Also, keep your chest pressed out the entire time. Make sure you don’t round your thoracic spine at the bottom, but instead keep tension between your shoulder blades at all times. Move in a controlled fashion. You can change up the tempo of the movement to make it easier or harder; however, make sure you are in control of the movement the entire time and not bouncing off the bottom of the row to get back up. Make sure you row low and don’t shrug your shoulders at any point. This is a great movement to activate the big muscles of our back and help alleviate neck, shoulder and upper back pain if it is done correctly. If you shrug your shoulders when you row, you will not activate the big muscles of your back.

Back Fly – Hold a strap in each hand, facing the anchor point of the trainer. Walk your feet forward toward the anchor point. You will not want to walk them in as far as you do with the Inverted Row. Keeping your body in a nice straight line from your head to your heels, open your arms out to the side. You may open them slightly out and down to make sure you don’t shrug your shoulders. Keep your elbows soft, but do not bend your arms as you open to the side. Do not turn this into a row. Pull yourself up so your arms are even with your body and then lower back down, bringing your hands back together. Keep your body in a nice straight line as you row. Do not arch your back to help yourself get all the way up. If you can’t fly your arms all the way open, walk your feet back so you are more vertical instead of horizontal. Do not let your hips sag or arch as you perform the fly. Squeeze your glutes and keep your abs engaged. Make sure you don’t shrug your shoulders as you open. Keep your chest pressed out as you perform the fly. Move slowly and don’t bounce off the bottom. Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades down and together as you perform the Back Fly. If you feel this too much in your neck and upper traps, you may want to try the Scapular Band Fly first to learn how to engage your lower traps. (This post has some other great back exercises as well!)

Decline Push Up – Place your feet in the straps and walk your hands out so that you are in a plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your body in a nice straight line. Squeeze your glutes and quads and draw your belly button in toward your spine. Keep your feet together and your body in a nice straight line as you lower your chest down toward the ground. Do not let your elbows flare out toward your shoulders. You want to create an arrow shape with your arms and body as you lower down. Then press back up, making sure your body moves together as one unit. Do not let your hips sag or your butt rise up toward the ceiling. To make the move harder, make the suspension straps shorter so that the push up is even more of a decline push up. You can also walk your hands forward and pull the suspension trainers straps forward so that when you do the push up, the straps are trying to pull you backward. This Decline Suspension Trainer Push Up is an advanced move to begin with. Do not attempt this if you can’t easily complete a perfect push up from your toes on the ground.

Plank Climbers – Place your toes in the straps and set up in a high plank position from your hands. Your hands should be under your shoulders and your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your toes. The farther out you set up in the plank from the straps hanging straight down, the harder the move will be because the trainer will work to pull you back. Then, engaging your quads, glutes and abs to keep your body in a nice straight line, lower down onto one forearm and then the other. Once in a plank position from your forearms, climb back up one hand at a time, placing your hand where your elbow was. Keep your core engaged and wiggle your hips as little as possible as you climb up and down. Make sure that both hands lead the climb up and down. You can alternate which hand leads each rep or you can switch after a certain number of reps.

Row to Rotational Press – Hold a strap in each hand and walk your feet forward so that your body is at an appropriate incline. The closer to parallel to the ground you are, the harder the move will be. Start at more of an incline than you would for the Inverted Row because of the press portion of this movement. Once you are set at an appropriate incline, place your arms outstretched in front of you with your hands together. Then row your hands in toward your chest, driving your elbows down and back. Do not shrug your shoulders as you row. Once you’ve brought your chest up to your hands, rotate and press your hands out to the right. Then bring them back to the center of your chest and lower back down, straightening your arms out in front of you. Make sure to keep your shoulders down the entire time. Do not let them shrug up by your ears. You want to make the big muscles of your back work. Throughout the entire movement, keep your body in a straight line. Do not let your hips sag toward the ground or your low back arch as your row and press. Alternate presses, rowing up and pressing to the right and then the left. As you fatigue, do not bounce or swing to get up. If you need to make the movement easier as you fatigue, walk your feet back so that you are more vertical.

Ab Roll Out – Kneel on the ground behind the trainer with a hand on each handle. Extend your arms straight out in front of you at about chest height. Then, keeping your core tight, begin to reach your hands up toward the ceiling, leaning forward as you do. Keep your body in a nice straight line as you lean forward and extend your arms up overhead. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs so that you don’t feel the move in your low back. Reach up as far as you can and then, pulling your arms back down with your lats, lower your arms back down in front of you, bringing your body back up. Do not let your butt sit back first as you come back up. You want your body to move as one unit driven by your lats pulling your arms back down to push your body back to the starting position. Repeat, reaching up as far as you can each and every time. Do not let your low back arch. Engage your abs and glutes to keep your low back safe!

Chest Flyes – Stand facing away from the suspension trainer anchor point with a hand in each strap. Hold the straps so that your palms are facing each other. Walk your feet back so your body is at an incline. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Set up with your arms out in front of you in line with your shoulders and your feet together. Your elbows may be slightly bent. Then, keeping your body in a nice straight line, let your arms open up to the sides as you lower your body down forward. Your arms may bend a little as you open them up; however, you don’t want to turn this into a press. Do not let your arms flare up above your shoulders as you open them. Drop your chest in between your open arms. Then, keeping your body in a nice straight line, pull your arms back together and move back to the top of the fly. As you pull your hands back together and return to the top of the fly, do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag down toward the ground. You want your body to move in a nice straight line. Only open your arms out as wide as you can control. If you can’t maintain a straight line with your body or you can’t open your arms up very far, regress the movement by walking your feet forward so you are more vertical instead of parallel to the ground.

Tricep Extensions – Stand facing away from the suspension trainer anchor point with a hand in each strap and your palms facing away from you (so thumbs next to each other). Walk your feet back so your body is at an incline. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Remember this isn’t a big muscle group working so don’t go too low to start. Set up with your arms out straight in front of you in line with your shoulders and your feet together. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and that you aren’t shrugging them up by your ears. Then, keeping your body in a nice straight line and your upper arms in line with your shoulders, curl the backs of your hands toward your forehead. Do not let your hips sag down toward the ground or your butt go back as you curl your hands back. Then, once you’ve brought your hands to your forehead, press your hands back out until your arms are fully extended again at shoulder height. As you press your hands back out, you will press your body away. Curl and press away in a slow and control manner. Make sure to press your arms straight back out. Do not let them go out to the sides. Also, you should not feel this move in your low back. Keep your core engaged and make sure your feel your triceps working.

The Valslide 30/15 Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 8, 2014

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

LOCOMOTION

Set a timer for 5 minutes. Working at about 75% of your maximum effort, jog, backpedal, side shuffle, carioca or do high knees or butt kickers…You can even crawl but move around to really get your blood pumping.

WORKOUT

Perform 3-6 rounds of the circuit below. Work for 30 seconds and then rest for 15 seconds between each exercise. Rest 1 minute between each round. Beginners may find they need more rest between rounds or perform fewer rounds.

CIRCUIT:
30 seconds Oblique Knee Tuck Burpees
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Jumps For Height
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Fly To Push Up
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Plank Wipers
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Glute Bridge and Curl
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Crawling
1 minute Rest

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

NOTES:

Do as much work as possible in 30 seconds. Do whatever level of the exercise allows you to keep moving the entire time. You should be challenged but you don’t want to have to rest during the 30 seconds of work. You want to go all out without going to failure before the 30 seconds is up.

To get Valslides, click here.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Oblique Knee Tuck Burpees – Check out these 10 Burpee Variations for a video demonstration of the Oblique Knee Tuck Burpee. If you have other equipment or would like to vary it up a bit, try one of the other variations as well!

Jumps For Height – To do Jumps for Height, stand with your feet between hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Sit your butt back and hinge over slightly, reaching your arms back and down by your hips. Then explode up off the ground, reaching your arms overhead and fully extending your hips. Then as you land, swing your arms back and bend your knees to sit your butt back into your starting position. Do not squat too low. If you drop too low in a squat, you will actually reduce your power. You want to hinge at the hips and slightly bend your knees. This is a hip extension movement so you want to load your glutes so they can powerfully propel you up as high as possible. You will also want to use your arms to help propel you up. Make sure that when you land, you land with soft knees. You should never land with your legs completely locked. Bend your knees to help you absorb the impact of landing. Remember, to make the move harder, jump up and sink right back into the hinge to repeat as quickly as possible. Really focus on a soft landing and then exploding quickly into as high a jump as you can.

For Fly to Push Up, Plank Wipers, Glute Bridge and Curl and Crawling – For demonstrations and descriptions of these moves, see this Valslide video.