Full Body Archives Page 4 of 13 | Redefining Strength

The Anti-Rotational Core Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Sep 11, 2015

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

WORKOUT

Complete 3-5 rounds of each circuit. Rest as needed. Do not rush the movements but take your time to really use your core to stabilize.

CIRCUIT #1:
8-12 reps Unilaterally-Loaded Deadlift
8-12 reps per side Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Inverted Row
6-12 reps per side Renegade Rows

CIRCUIT #2:
8-12 reps per side Single Leg Squat
8-12 reps per side Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Press
8-12 reps per side Stability Press

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

NOTES:

Do not rush through these movements. Take your time to really focus on core stability. Record reps, weights and variations so you can improve upon them over time!

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Unilaterally-Loaded Deadlift – To do the Unilaterally-Loaded Deadlift, you can hold a dumbbell, kettlebell or even a sandbag. Hold the weight in one hand and hold it at your side like a briefcase. With the weight by your side, stand nice and tall with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Then, hinge over at the hips as you sit your butt back and lean forward. Bend your knees as you hinge and lower the weight down to the ground. Keep your chest pressed out and your back flat as you hinge over. Drop the sandbag to the ground without allowing your body to rotate or lean. Hinge straight back and don’t shift to one side. Your Deadlift should look like you are holding weights in both hands. Really sit your butt back as you hinge and keep the abs engaged. Then drive straight back up to standing and squeeze your glutes at the top. Repeat, holding the weight on the same side. Again, do not let your back round as you lower down or let yourself lean or rotate. Once you’ve completed all reps on one side, switch the weight to the other hand. Start light so you can get proper form and make sure that you don’t shift or rotate. You should really feel your core working to keep your body in alignment.

Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Inverted Row – To do the Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Inverted Row, a Suspension Trainer works best. Grab one handle of the trainer in one hand and place the other hand across your chest. You can also reach the free arm up as if holding a strap if that will help remind you to keep your shoulders square. Set up with your body in a nice straight line, squeezing your quads, glutes and core and pressing your chest out. Make sure to relax your shoulder down and back and not shrug up. Walk your feet forward to an appropriate incline. The closer to parallel you are to the ground, the harder the move will be. Make sure that you choose an incline that allows you to row with proper form and feel your back working. You do not want your shoulder to shrug. Square up your body and then row up. Do not let the side not holding the strap rotate toward the strap as you row up or the shoulder of the arm not holding a strap to drop open. You want to row up as if you are pulling with both arms. That means your body shouldn’t close toward the strap or your shoulder shouldn’t open toward the ground. Drive your elbow down and back as you row up and row your chest all the way up to the handle. Do not shrug your shoulder as you row. Then lower back down. Do not let your back round or your body open up toward the ground as you lower. Repeat rowing back up, making sure that you don’t bounce off the bottom or rotate as you repeat.

Renegade Rows – To do the Renegade Row, you will need two weights. Set them on the ground under your shoulders. If you place your hands and the weights closer together, it will make the movement easier and help you balance. Then set up in a high plank position with each hand on a weight. Beginners may need to do this from their knees while more advanced exercisers will do this on their toes. If you are doing this on your toes, set your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart. You can also widen out your knees if doing this from your knees. A wider stance will make the move easier by providing you with a more stable base. In the plank position, engage your core and squeeze your glutes so that your body is in a nice straight line. Then row one weight up toward your chest, driving your elbow down and back. You want to drive it back toward the ceiling, but also down toward your hip. As you row up, fight your body’s urge to rotate. Keep your hips and chest square to the ground. Row the weight all the way up to your chest just below your pec. Keep your core tight and squeeze your glutes. Do not let your butt go up toward the ceiling or your hips sag. After rowing the weight up to your chest, lower the weight back down and then row up on the other side. Keep alternating until all reps are complete. Keep your core braced and fight the rotation as you alternate rows. Do not rush the movement.

Single Leg Squat – To do the Single Leg Squat to bench, choose a bench that is as low as possible. The lower the bench, the harder the move. Stand in front of the bench and lift one leg out in front of you. Then sit back and squat to the bench. The more you completely sit and reset on the bench, the easier the move will be, especially if you lift your standing leg and then stomp it back into the ground. If you just barely touch and go, you may find that the move is harder. Also, the more you swing your arms, the more momentum you will have to help you stand back up. Make sure to keep the heel of the standing leg down as you squat and drive back up to standing.

Another great Single Leg Squat variation to do if you need a little assistance is the Suspension Trainer Single Leg Squat.

Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Press – To do the Standing Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Press with a resistance band, anchor the band behind you at about chest height. Hold one handle in one hand and step away from the anchor point so that there is tension in the band when your hand is in at your chest. You can stand in a staggered stance or with both feet even. Standing with your feet even will make the move more challenging and force your core to work harder to stabilize. If you stand with your feet even, the wider apart your feet are, the more stable your base will be. To challenge your core further, stand with your feet even and close together. Then with your hand up at your chest and your shoulder relaxed down and back, press your arm straight out from your chest. Do not rotate as you press and do not let the shoulder shrug or the hand press up and out. You want to press straight out from the chest, keeping your chest pressed out and your shoulders down. Then once you press all the way out without letting your core rotate, bring the hand back. You want your body to move as if you were pressing both hands, aka with your chest and hips staying square instead of rotating. Complete all reps on one side before switching. You can place the hand that isn’t working across your chest, by your side or on your hip. Do whichever helps you fight the urge to rotate.

Stability Press – To do the Stability Press, you can use a resistance band or cable. If you are using a band, anchor the band and then hold one handle in both hands. Turn to the side so you are sideways to the anchor point and step away from the anchor point so that there is tension in the band. You want to make sure there is tension or the move won’t be challenging. Stand with your feet no more than shoulder-width apart. The closer your feet are together, the harder the move will be. Choose a stance though that challenges you while allowing you to maintain good form and not lean away. As you become stronger, bring your feet closer together and then even try a heavier band or walk further from the anchor point. Bring your hands into the center of your chest and squeeze your glutes while you brace your abs. Standing up nice and tall with your chest pressed out, slowly push the band straight out from the center of your chest until your arms are straight out. It should be a struggle to press the arms straight out because the band is trying to rotate you back toward the anchor point. Your core should have to work to stabilize and press straight out from your chest. Do not let your arms rotate open and go back toward the anchor. You want to press straight out from the center of your chest without shrugging your shoulders. Maintain a nice tall posture with your shoulder blades drawn down and back and your core engaged. Make sure you also don’t lean away. Then slowly bring your arms back in and repeat. Move slowly to really have to fight the band. If you move too quickly, you won’t get as much out of the move and you’ll probably get sloppy and let yourself rotate toward the anchor point or even shift open and push away. Also, if you allow your stance to rotate open or if you lean away, it will make the movement easier and won’t force that inside side (the side closest to the anchor point) to really work to stabilize. Complete all reps on one side before turning and facing the other way to work the other side. Really consciously engage your glutes before starting to press.

The Tabata Bodyweight Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | Aug 28, 2015

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

WORKOUT

Set a timer for 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. Complete all 8 rounds on one exercise before resting 1-2 minutes and moving on to the next exercise.

#1:
20 seconds Jack Burpees
10 seconds Rest

#2:
20 seconds T Push Ups
10 seconds Rest

#3:
20 seconds Skater Hops
10 seconds Rest

#4:
20 seconds Mountain Climbers
10 seconds Rest

#5:
20 seconds Butterfly Sit Ups
10 seconds Rest

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

NOTES:

Pick a variation of each move and a pace that forces you to work hard, but allows you to keep moving the entire 20 seconds each and every work interval. Do not rest longer than 10 seconds. Rest longer between exercises if needed or even do 3 or 4 instead of all 5.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Jack Burpees – To do the Jack Burpee, start standing with your feet together. Then bend over and place your hands on the ground as you jump your feet back into a high plank position with your feet together. From that high plank position, jump your feet out wide then back together. Then jump your feet into your hands and come up to standing. At the top, perform either a basic jumping jack or a plyometric jumping jack, leaving the ground as you spread your legs and swing your arms up to the side and overhead. Like with most burpee variations, to regress the movement, step back instead of jumping back. And instead of jumping your feet out wide in the plank position, step your feet out to the side and back in. And at the top, perform a basic jumping jack or even no jack at all. The quicker you do the movement and the bigger and higher your plyo jumping jack is at the top, the harder the move will be.

T Push Ups – Set up in a regular push up position from your hands and knees (beginner) or hands and toes (advanced). Your hands should be outside your shoulders and your legs should be together. Your body should be in a nice straight line. Squeeze your glutes and draw your belly button in toward your spine. Do not let your hips sag or go up toward the ceiling and don’t tuck your head. Once at the top of a push up, do a push up and then when you push back up to the top, rotate open balancing on one hand as if you are doing a side plank. Hold and then rotate back to a push up position. Do another push up and rotate to the other side. Keep your body in a nice straight line as you do a push up and make sure to really rotate open into a side plank.

Skater Hops – To do Skater Hops, start standing to one side of the space you have to use. This is a lateral hop so make sure you have space to jump to one side. Starting to the right, shift your weight so that you are standing on your right foot. Sink down into a little squat and swing your arms down in front of you and out to the right. Then explode up off the right leg and jump to the side, landing on your left leg. Keep your chest facing straight ahead as you jump and land. As you land on that left leg, sink into a slight squat, pushing your butt back so that you load your glute to help you jump back laterally to the right. Use your arms to not only help you balance but also help propel you further when you jump. Let them swing toward whichever side you are jumping to. 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 the other foot down if you need to for balance. Beginners may need to go slower and not jump as far to each side. While this is a cardio move, you also want to use it to work on your balance. Beginners will want to hold for a second on each leg and balance. As you advance, do not pause on either side of the jump to balance. You want to jump as far to each side as you can as quickly as possible!

Mountain Climbers – To do the Basic Mountain Climber, set up in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet together and legs out straight behind you. Your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Brace your abs before you start so that you don’t feel this in your low back or let your hips sag as you run your knees in. Then, maintaining the nice plank position, begin to run your knees in toward your chest. Bring your right knee in toward your chest with your left leg still out straight. Keep your butt down as you run the knee in. Then straighten your right leg back out as you bring your left knee in toward your chest. “Run” your knees in as quickly as possible until all reps are complete. The faster you go, the harder the move will be. Do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag as you run your knees in.

Butterfly Sit Ups – To do Butterfly Sit Ups, sit on the ground and place the bottoms of your feet together. Bend your knees into the Butterfly stretch, letting your knees fall open as you bring your heels in toward your crotch. Keeping your knees open and feet together, lie back on the ground. Then sit back up and come back up to the seated position. The more you swing your arms, the easier the move will be. Also the closer in your feet are to your body, the harder the move will be (this will also be based a bit on flexibility as well).

The 30/30 Med Ball Cardio Blast

by Cori Lefkowith | Jul 30, 2015

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

WORKOUT

Perform 5-8 rounds of the circuit below. This is a quick workout. Do not take extra rest between rounds.

CIRCUIT:
30 seconds Med Ball Chest Pass and Shuffle
30 seconds Rest
30 seconds Alternating Rotational Throws
30 seconds Rest
30 seconds Squat and Throw
30 seconds Rest
30 seconds Rainbow Split Squat Jumps
30 seconds Rest
30 seconds Sit Up and Throw
30 seconds Rest

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

NOTES:

Work as hard as you can for the 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds. Do not rest during the 30 seconds of work. Instead regress the move if needed. Move from one exercise to the next. Do not rest extra between rounds.

Beginners though may need to take 1-2 minutes between rounds and do only 3 or even 4 rounds instead of 5.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Med Ball Chest Pass and Shuffle – To do the Chest Pass and Shuffle, hold a med ball in both hands at your chest and face a wall. You want to be far enough from the wall that you have room to extend your arms and pass the ball; however, you want to be close enough to the wall that it will bounce back to you and that you can catch and pass quickly. Then throw the ball out from your chest into the wall and begin to shuffle laterally. To pass the ball press it straight out from your chest and extend your arms toward the wall. Drill the ball straight into the wall and then catch it and bring it back into your chest. Shuffle one direction as you pass and then change directions and shuffle back as you repeat the quick passes. Keep the shuffles one direction short. You don’t have to go 50 feet to one side and then back. Room for 3-4 shuffles each way is more than enough. Make sure to stand up nice and tall and keep your chest pressed out as you pass and shuffle. If you have a partner, you can do the Chest Pass and Shuffle together, passing the ball back and forth as you both shuffle the same way.

Alternating Rotational Throws – To do Alternating Rotational Throws, start in a very slightly staggered stance with your side to the wall. Holding the ball in both hands, reach the ball back toward the hip of the back foot. Then, throwing it underhanded, toss it straight against the wall as hard as possible. As you throw, bring your back foot forward and switch to face the other direction and catch the ball, bringing it back toward your other hip. Then throw the ball against the wall and switch back to the first side. Keep rotating and alternating back and forth. The harder you throw the ball and the quicker you move, the harder the move will be.

Squat and Throw – To do the Squat and Throw, hold a med ball in both hands at your chest and stand with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. You can stand facing a way to throw up at or you can simply throw up toward the ceiling. Then squat down with the ball at your chest. As you explode up out of the squat, press the ball from your chest throwing it as high up as you can. It is ok to explode out of the squat and jump as you throw the ball from your chest up as high as possible. Make sure that as you throw you extend your body and your arms up toward the ball. Then catch the ball either straight off the throw or after a bounce on the ground and sink right back into the squat and repeat. Do not round forward as you sink into the squat while holding the ball at your chest. This also doesn’t have to be a squat where you sink your butt all the way to the ground, but you do want to make sure to sit your butt back and down. Throw the ball as high as you can. Add weight if you can easily throw it super high or as high as your space allows!

Rainbow Split Squat Jumps – To do Rainbow Split Squat Jumps, step one foot forward so you are in a nice wide stance. Hold the ball in both hands and bring it outside that front leg. Sink into a deep lunge, bending the back knee down toward the ground as you bend the front knee. Bring the ball outside your front hip. Then jump up and as you do switch your legs so that you land with the opposite leg in front. As you jump and switch legs, swing the ball up overhead and down outside the other hip. When you land and bring the ball outside your other hip, sink straight into a lunge on the other side. Then jump back into a lunge on the first side, swinging the ball in a rainbow overhead and down to the other hip. Move quickly and try to get up off the ground. Get as deep in the lunges as you can as well. Make sure though that you don’t start to go forward, but land and sit back in the lunge a bit. Beginners may not be able to sink as low in the lunge and may need to do more of a step back with a hop instead of a jump from lunge to lunge.

Sit Up and Throw – To do the Sit Up and Throw, sit on the ground with your legs out in front of you. Sit far enough from the wall or your partner that you won’t either bash yourself in the face, or your partner in the face, with the ball. Holding the ball in both hands, lie back on the ground and extend the ball overhead on the ground behind you. Then sit up and as you do perform an overhead throw, throwing the ball into the wall or to your partner. Do not sit up then throw. Throw as you sit up. And sit all the way up as you follow through with the throw. Then as you catch the ball, lie back down, extending the ball back overhead. Try to move quickly, catching, lying back down, and then quickly sitting back up as you throw. Beginners may need to stick with a seated overhead throw instead of including the full sit up.

The 15-Minute Sweat Sesh

by Cori Lefkowith | Jul 12, 2015

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

WORKOUT

Take a minute or two to stretch out. If you need a really quick full-body stretch, try the World’s Greatest Stretch.

Then set a timer for 15 minutes and complete as many rounds of the circuit below as possible in that time. Only rest as needed. Record how many rounds you complete and try to beat that next time!

CIRCUIT:
5-10 reps Bull Dog Burpees
5-10 reps per side Spiderman Push Ups
5-10 reps per side Side Lunges with Hop
3-5 reps per side Sit Thrus

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

NOTES:

When choosing a rep range, choose to do as many reps as you can without resting or without going to failure so that you can’t move quickly from one exercise to another. It is better to do 5 reps and move quickly then to do 10 reps and have to pause between reps or rest after the exercise.

The quicker you move while challenging yourself, the more you will get out of this workout.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Bull Dog Burpees – To do the Bull Dog Burpee, start standing with your feet together. Then squat down and place your hands down on the ground. With your hands down, jump your feet back into the Bull Dog position. Jump your feet back so your knees are an inch off the ground and about under your hips while your hands are about under your shoulders. Then jump your feet back in and outside your hands. Lift your hands and jump up as high as you can before squatting back down and placing your hands back on the ground to jump back into the Bull Dog position.

Spiderman Push Ups – The first Spiderman Push Up Variation is easier because you will include the knee drive at the top of the Push Up. To do this variation, set up in a nice plank position with your feet together and your hands outside your chest. Perform a Push Up, lowering your chest to the ground with your body moving as one unit. Do not let your elbows flare way up by your shoulders as you lower. Then push back up to the top and straighten your arms fully. Make sure your butt doesn’t go up in the air or your hips don’t sag. In this plank position, drive your right knee in toward the outside of your right elbow. Then put the foot back down so you’re in the nice plank position again. Perform another Push Up then drive the left knee in to the left elbow. Keep alternating knee drives after each Push Up. Beginners can do this from an incline or even do the Push Up from their knees then come up to their toes for the knee drive.

The second Spiderman Push Up Variation is more challenging because you will include the knee drive at the bottom of the Push Up, which requires you to hold at the bottom for a little longer. To do this variation, perform a Push Up and at the bottom of the Push Up, bring your right knee in to your right elbow. As you press back up, put the foot back. Then perform another Push Up, and holding at the bottom, bring the left knee in to the left elbow. Push back up and put the foot back. Make sure to keep your core tight as you bring the knee in. Your hips may rotate a bit but your butt shouldn’t go way up in the air and your body should move as one unit as you push back up to the top. Beginners can also try this variation from an incline.

Side Lunges with Hop – To do Side Lunges with 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 with, keeping the other leg straight. Sit your butt back and lean over as you sink into the side lunge. Keep your back flat as you sit back. Then drive back up off your outside foot 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. Make sure your heels stay down as you lunge out to the side. You want to make sure to sit your butt back.

Sit Thrus – To do the Sit Thru, start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet and press up onto your hands and toes. Rotate open toward the right and kick 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 want to rotate all the way through with your left leg out straight so that you are almost sitting with your left hand down to support you. You want to “sit through.” 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 instead of their knees under their hips.

The Mud Run Workout

by Cori Lefkowith | May 30, 2015

WARM UP Stretch and Roll Out: Calves Hamstrings Quads Groin Hips/Glutes Back/Chest Shoulders/Arms Traps WORKOUT Set a timer for 30 seconds of work, 15 seconds of active rest to transition to the next move. Perform 1 minute of active rest between rounds. Complete 5-8 rounds. CIRCUIT: 30 seconds Rope Climb Variation 15 seconds High Knees (in place) 30 seconds Table Top Crawl Forward/Backward 15 seconds Jumping Jacks 30 seconds Hop Over 15 seconds Agility Ladder 30 seconds Rope Pull Up/Jumping Rope Pull Up 15 seconds Sit Thrus 30 seconds Jump Over Climb Under 15 seconds Monkey Bars 30 seconds Explosive Step Ups 1 minute Jog in place COOL DOWN Stretch and Roll Out: Calves Hamstrings Quads Groin Hips/Glutes Back/Chest Shoulders/Arms Traps NOTES: Active rest means you do the exercise but at an easier pace so your heart rate comes down, but you continue to move. It is in a way mimicking the ups and downs of a mud run where you do an obstacle or two but then have to jog for awhile between. The active rest are still challenging moves, but just focus on cruising through them during the 15 seconds. Beginners may need to walk instead of jog for the minute and complete fewer rounds. EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS: Rope Climb Variation and Rope Pull Up/Jumping Rope Pull Up – For the Rope Climb Variations, you can do the Horizontal Climbs, Foot Assisted Climbs or Upper Body Climbs Only depending on your level. See this post for demos of each move as well as the Pull Up Variations. If you don’t have a rope, you can do Inverted Rows and Pull Ups Variations.

High Knees (in place) – Bring your knees up forward as high as you can as you jog in place. You also can move around if you have room. Table Top Crawl Forward/Backward – (You can also include any crawling variation in this post) To do the Table Top Crawl, set up on your hands and knees with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Flex your feet and lift up onto your toes/the balls of your feet. Then take a step forward with your left foot and right hand, keeping your knees close to the ground and your back flat. Make sure to brace your core so that your hips don’t wiggle a lot side to side as you crawl forward. Then step forward with your right foot and left hand. Keep crawling forward, moving the opposite arm and opposite leg together. Take small steps forward so that you don’t get too spread out. You don’t want your hips to start to wiggle and your butt to go up in the air. Also, keep your knees as close to the ground as possible. You can also do the Table Top Crawl backward. Backward may be a bit more challenging and harder on the shoulders. Make sure to keep your steps small, especially when starting out, so that you don’t overload your shoulders and can keep up the contralateral movement. To do the Table Top Crawl backward, step back with the opposite arm and leg. Make sure you don’t get too spread out as you crawl backward. If you reach too far back with your feet and get too stretched out, your going to put a lot of pressure on your shoulders and then you wont’ be able to move fluidly. Keep you steps nice and short and compact to start with and your knees close to the ground. Make sure to brace your core and keep your butt down.

Hop Over – To do the Hop Over, you need a box, bench, punching bag or any other object you can place your hands on and jump over. Stand to one side of the bag or bench with your feet together. Place your hands down on the bag, and putting weight on your hands, jump your feet over the bag to the other side. Keep your feet together as you jump. As soon as you land, jump your feet back over the bag. Continue to do quick hops back and forth over the bag using the support of your hands. Move as quickly as possible, hopping back and forth. Beginners may need to jump one foot over at a time or even have their hands up on something, but not actually jump over anything so that they don’t have to jump more than an inch or two off the ground.

Agility Ladder – Here are 30 Agility Ladder Drills you can play around with.

Sit Thrus – To do the Sit Thru, start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet and press up onto your hands and toes. Rotate open toward the right and kick 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 want to rotate all the way through with your left leg out straight so that you are almost sitting with your left hand down to support you. You want to “sit through.” 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 instead of their knees under their hips.

Jump Over Climb Under – You can do this with a partner or using a bench. With a partner, one partner will set up in a pike/downward dog position. They should have their butt up in the air so that their partner has plenty of room to crawl under them. Their partner will start standing to their side facing them. They will then move down to the ground and crawl under the partner holding the pike position. When crawling under, try not to touch your knees to the ground. Crawling with your knees on the ground will make the move easier. Crawl all the way under and through to the other side of your partner holding the pike. After the partner crawls all the way through, the partner in the pike will drop and hold at the bottom of a push up with their body in a nice straight line. Holding at the bottom of a push up is challenging. To make the move easier, just rest on the ground. Make sure if you do hold in the push up, your body is in a nice straight line. The partner that crawled under will then hop over the partner at the bottom of the push up. Try to hop with both feet together, however, you can make the move easier by hopping over one foot at a time. Once the partner has jumped over, they will then drop to the ground and set up in the pike position so that the partner on the ground can crawl under and then jump over. Keep alternating who crawls under and who holds the pike. If you don’t have a partner, you could use a bench. Jump over the bench then crawl under the bench and repeat. Each round you could start to a different side of the bench.

Monkey Bars – You can play around with any of these Monkey Bar Variations.

Explosive Step Ups – To do Explosive Step Ups, pick a step, chair or park bench that you can explode up off of that isn’t too high. Beginners should use a lower box while advanced exercisers will want to use a higher box but something they can still easily perform a Step Up on. To start, place one foot on top of the box (or whatever you are using). Driving up off the foot on top of the box, jump up in the air off the box. In the air, switch and land with the other foot on top of the box. Touch the other foot to the ground and then explode back up, pushing mainly off the foot on the box. Jump up as high as possible, driving off the foot on the box to switch and land with the other leg on top of the box. Keep alternating until all reps are complete. Don’t jump to simply tap your toe on the box. Your weight shouldn’t be back so you can tap your feet on the box. Truly explode up off the box. Use your arms to help propel you up as you jump. When you land swing your arms back and as you jump swing your arms up overhead.