elite workout library Archives Page 15 of 25

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.

The 15-Minute Sandbag Blast

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 16, 2013

WARM UP Stretch and Roll Out: Calves Hamstrings Quads Groin Hips/Glutes Chest/Shoulders/Traps Back/Lats WORKOUT Set a timer for 15 minutes and complete as many rounds of the circuit below as possible. CIRCUIT: 8-15 reps per side Shouldered Reverse Lunge (on slider) 8-15 reps per side Bent Over Rows 8-15 reps per side Halos COOL DOWN Stretch and Roll Out: Calves Hamstrings Quads Groin Hips/Glutes Chest/Shoulders/Traps Back/Lats NOTES: Complete as many reps as possible in the 15 minutes. Have either two sandbags set up or choose a weight you can use for everything so you can move quickly. Because each exercise has a different focus, you may be able to go close to failure on each round just don’t push so hard that you can’t keep moving and need to rest for long periods. EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS: Shouldered Reverse Lunge (on slider/towel) – Start standing with your feet together and a towel/slider under one foot. Place the sandbag up on your shoulder. Beginners will want to put the bag on the side of the leg that doesn’t move while more advanced exercisers may want to try it on the side of the moving leg. Slide the foot on the towel/slider back into as deep a lunge as you can handle. Keep your torso up nice and tall and don’t lean to either side. Make sure to really sit back on that front heel. Then, driving through that front heel, come back to standing. Do not lean forward as you come up to standing. Keep your core tight and don’t let your back round. Beginners may want to do this lunge without the slider or even without the weight.

Bent Over Rows – 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.

Halos – Hold the bag on both sides. Hold the bag with your arms straight down in front of you and your feet about hip-width apart. Then pull it up to one hip and to the side of your body. Once you get to the side of your body, start to pull the bag up and back. You are going to pull the bag in a big circle around your upper body. You will pull up from one hip and back around behind your head and shoulders then back around to your front and down to the other hip. Then across your body and back up and behind your head and shoulders again. Squeeze your glutes and keep your core tight as you swing the bag to prevent injury. Complete all reps one direction before switching. Keep your head still as you circle and do as big a circle as your shoulders allow.

WARM UP Stretch and Roll Out: Calves Hamstrings Quads Groin Hips/Glutes Chest/Shoulders/Traps Back/Lats WORKOUT Set a timer for 15 minutes and complete as many rounds of the circuit below as possible. CIRCUIT: 8-15 reps per side Shouldered Reverse Lunge (on slider) 8-15 reps per side Bent Over Rows 8-15 reps per side Halos COOL DOWN Stretch and Roll Out: Calves Hamstrings Quads Groin Hips/Glutes Chest/Shoulders/Traps Back/Lats NOTES: Complete as many reps as possible in the 15 minutes. Have either two sandbags set up or choose a weight you can use for everything so you can move quickly. Because each exercise has a different focus, you may be able to go close to failure on each round just don’t push so hard that you can’t keep moving and need to rest for long periods. EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS: Shouldered Reverse Lunge (on slider/towel) – Start standing with your feet together and a towel/slider under one foot. Place the sandbag up on your shoulder. Beginners will want to put the bag on the side of the leg that doesn’t move while more advanced exercisers may want to try it on the side of the moving leg. Slide the foot on the towel/slider back into as deep a lunge as you can handle. Keep your torso up nice and tall and don’t lean to either side. Make sure to really sit back on that front heel. Then, driving through that front heel, come back to standing. Do not lean forward as you come up to standing. Keep your core tight and don’t let your back round. Beginners may want to do this lunge without the slider or even without the weight.

Bent Over Rows – 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.

Halos – Hold the bag on both sides. Hold the bag with your arms straight down in front of you and your feet about hip-width apart. Then pull it up to one hip and to the side of your body. Once you get to the side of your body, start to pull the bag up and back. You are going to pull the bag in a big circle around your upper body. You will pull up from one hip and back around behind your head and shoulders then back around to your front and down to the other hip. Then across your body and back up and behind your head and shoulders again. Squeeze your glutes and keep your core tight as you swing the bag to prevent injury. Complete all reps one direction before switching. Keep your head still as you circle and do as big a circle as your shoulders allow.

The VersaClimber Sprint Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 16, 2013

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

WORKOUT

Perform 3 rounds of each of the circuits below. Rest at least 30 seconds between rounds. Beginners may need up to 2 minutes. Rest 2-3 minutes between circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
20 seconds VersaClimber Sprint
20 seconds Sidewinders
20 seconds Pike Plank Inchworm

CIRCUIT #2:
20 seconds VersaClimber Sprint
20 seconds Rainbows
20 seconds Snow Angels

CIRCUIT #3:
20 seconds VersaClimber Sprint
20 seconds Right Hand Plank Waves
20 seconds Left Hand Plank Waves

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

NOTES:

This is a great small group or partner workouts because one or two people can work as their partners rest. Then they will get enough rest as their partners go.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

VersaClimber Sprint – Step onto the VeraClimber and grab the handles. Make sure that you push and pull with both your upper and lower body. Try to keep your core still and not wiggle a ton from side to side. Take long, quick strides to sprint as fast as you can for 20 seconds.
Sidewinders – Loop the rope around an anchor and hold one side in each hand. Keep more slack in the rope than you would with other battling ropes moves. Relax your arms and stand with your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart. Then sweep your arms to the right, rotating through your core even pivoting a little up onto your left toes. Then quickly sweep your arms to the left. Sweep back and forth. Keep your arms more relaxed and only slightly bent. Use your core to push and pull from side to side. You shouldn’t do huge rotations. Your arms and the rope should stay out in front of you. The ropes should make snake-like waves on the ground and swish side to side. They should not move up and down off the ground.

Pike Plank Inchworm – Set up in a plank on your forearms with your elbows under your shoulders and your body in a nice straight line down to your heels. Your feet should be only an inch or two apart. Then begin to walk your feet in toward your head. Keep your legs straight as you walk in, but allow your butt to go up in the air. Walk in as far as you can without bending your legs. Beginners will then walk back out while more advanced exercisers will jump both feet back out. Do not let your hips sag when you jump back out. Keep your core engaged as you walk in and out. Then repeat, walking back in. Beginners may find this move difficult and may need to regress it to a simple plank hold from their feet or even their knees.

Rainbows – Loop the rope around an anchor and hold one side in each hand. Pull the rope out straight then take a step or two in. Hold the rope with the handles facing up. Keep your hands pretty close together. Rotate the handles down and outside your right hip and pivot your left leg. Then pull the rope up and then over and down toward your left hip. Pivot your right leg as you bring the rope to your left hip. Then arch the rope back up bringing the rope up toward your shoulder than back down to your right hip. Keep pivoting and rotating the rope from hip to hip. You are creating a rainbow with the rope as you bring it up from one hip to your shoulders and down and across to the other hip.

Snow Angels – Start seated on your butt with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Advanced exercisers will then lift their feet off the ground while beginners will keep their feet on the ground. Hinge back and reach your arms overhead. Keeping your arms pretty straight arch them down toward the ground as if creating a snow angel. Then sweep them back up, remaining balanced on your butt. Do not round forward. Stay up nice and tall. Keep sweeping your arms until all reps are complete.

Plank Waves – Set up in a high plank from your hands and knees (beginner) or hands and toes (advanced). Your plank will be over one handle of the battling rope. Your feet should be about hip-width apart to help you stabilize and prevent rotation. Grab the rope in one hand while holding a nice straight plank line from your head down to your knees or heels. Then start to create waves with the arm holding the rope. Straighten it a little out in front of you and then begin to lift the rope up and down, almost a little like you are drumming on something. Move as quickly as you can without shifting your hips open. You will do waves on one side for 20 seconds then switch to the other side.

The Back and Butt Sled Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 16, 2013

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

WORKOUT

Set a timer for 15 minutes for each circuit. Complete as many rounds of each circuit as you can in that time.

CIRCUIT #1:
8-12 reps per side Single Arm Rotational Row
20-50ft Sled Row

CIRCUIT #2:
5-10 reps per side Curtsy to Angled Front Lunge
20-50ft Sled Drag

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

NOTES:

Make the sleds as heavy as you can handle for the distance you are working with.

Do not go to failure on any one exercise. Your goal is to rest as little as possible and get in as many rounds as possible during the 15 minutes.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Single Arm Rotational Row – Grab one strap in one hand. Walk your feet forward to put your body at an incline. Reach the other hand up the strap as high as you can with the strap in your hand pulled in to your chest. Do not let your shoulder shrug. Then rotate the hand reaching up toward the ground almost as if you are doing a hanging side plank. Keep your body in a straight line and don’t let the hips sag toward the ground. Keeping your core tight, rotate back to the start. Do not shrug your shoulder as you row. Really feel your lat lock down to keep your shoulders from elevating. To advance (or regress this move), change the incline of your body. The closer you get to parallel to the ground, the harder the move gets.

Sled Row – Hook a strap and handles up to a sled. Then stand facing the sled with a handle in each hand. Walk back so there is tension in the straps and your arms are out straight in front of you. Sink into a nice squat with your torso up nice and tall. Your shoulder blades should be pulled down and back and your chest should be pressed out. Then row the sled in, driving your elbows back and bringing your hands in to just below the sides of your chest. Then take a few steps backward until your arms are again out straight and there is tension in the straps. Again row the sled toward you. Do not let your hips come forward as you row. Stay in a nice low squat. Also, do not round your back as you row. Keep your torso up nice and tall and your shoulders down. Continue to walk then row the 20-50ft. Move quickly and pull powerfully. You want the weight to be challenging but something you can move quickly.

Curtsy to Angled Front Lunge – Start standing tall with your feet together. Then, starting with the right foot moving, step the right foot across and behind the left leg. Step back toward about “7″ or “8″ on the clock. Do not step too close to the left so that you have space to sink down into a deep lunge. Drop the back knee toward the ground, keeping the front heel on the ground. You should feel the lunge in the outside of your front butt cheek. Then bring the right foot back forward and stand up nice and tall. Beginners will want to pause here while more advanced exercisers will want to go right from the curtsy lunge to the angled front lunge. Step the right foot forward out of the curtsy lunge into a front angled lunge. Move the right foot forward and out to about “1″ on the clock. Both toes should be pointing straight ahead as you bend both knees and sink down toward the ground. Keep your front heel down as you lunge down. Then drive off the front heel to come back to standing. Those two lunges are one rep. Then go right from the angled lunge back into the curtsy lunge. Repeat until all reps are complete on that side and then switch.

Sled Drag – Hook a strap and handles up to a sled. Then stand facing away from the sled with a handle in each hand and your arms straight behind you. Lean just slightly forward and begin to walk forward. Keep your chest up and your back flat with your arms behind you. Do not let your chest round toward the ground or your torso collapse over. There should only be a slight forward lean to your body. Really stomp your heels into the ground as you walk forward. (This move can also be done dragging a chain if you do not have a sled.)