Archive for Exercises
Drop And Give Me Twenty!
Posted by: | CommentsWhile fitness fads come and go, some exercises will outlive any trend. One of those exercises is the push-up, which uses your own body weight and gravity to tone and condition muscles. Some fitness experts have called the push-up the closest thing there is to a perfect exercise. And with good reason.
They don’t require any equipment, can be done anywhere, use multiple muscle groups in the body, and everyone-from beginner to advanced fitness levels-can do them and benefit from them. Don’t be intimidated by them, they are not just for the military!
The primary muscles that are worked are the chest and tricep. However, if you look at the form needed to do a perfect push-up, you muscles from your neck all the way to your toes are engaged in some way. This includes the all important core muscles, back, shoulders, legs and hips.
They are an all-around great exercise. Most people don’t love doing them, and many people don’t do them at all. Many people claim that they can’t do push-ups, even though they have never really tried (or they are just unwilling to push through because they are difficult). But the benefits are well worth the hard work. You have to start somewhere to train your body to do them! Start with the modification on your knees, and slowly build up to being able to do full-body, on your feet, push-ups. You will love seeing yourself get stronger as you are able to do more reps on your feet. It’s a great way to measure your progress! Also, once you master the basic movement, there are many modifications to change it up and to increase the level of difficulty.
To Perform:
With feet together and with hands placed (fingers pointing forward) as wide or slightly wider than shoulder width. Keeping the body straight, lower body to the ground by bending arms at the elbows. Raise body up off the ground by extending the arms. Repeat.
Body weight should be lifted by the arms; don’t be tempted to use your butt, stomach or the lower half of your body to pull yourself up. To maintain correct body alignment, imagine a straight line running from your head down to your ankles.
Modification: “Knee” push ups – to reduce the lifting load, you can do the same exercise, but do it on your knees. Keeping a straight line from neck to torso is still important, so please pay attention to correct body alignment as you do them.
3 Reasons You’re Not Squatting Low Enough (the Squat-Part 2)
Posted by: | CommentsPreviously I mentioned some of the benefits of squatting but with that, there is still much skewed information out there regarding this exercise. Many “so-called experts” like to say how they are bad for your knees or your back…blah, blah, blah but have no legit evidence to back up their claims. If you do any exercise wrong, there’s a good chance you can harm some part of your body. That’s why you need to learn proper form/technique with all exercises, especially the squat.
When done properly, the squat is very beneficial and will actually strengthen your knees, back, etc. But most people that squat, don’t get low enough. They only perform “partial squats” instead of full squats. This happens for 3 main reasons.
1) Laziness: They just don’t want to work that hard. It’s much easier & more comfortable to do partial squats.
2) Pride: They have to use less weight or do less reps to perform full squats so they don’t appear as strong (happens very often with guys).
3) False Info: They have heard and believe squats are bad or “Getting too low is bad for your knees” but the pic below speaks for itself.
So if you’re already squatting, then continue to work on your form and perform full squats (make sure you are getting low enough). Then after you master that, add weight, increase the amount of repetitions you can do in a certain amount of time, etc. And if you’re not squatting, you’re missing out and need to start…today!
To Squat or not to Squat…Part 1
Posted by: | CommentsSquats are one of my favorite exercises. Not because I love doing them so much but because of all the many benefits you get from doing them. So to answer your question, yes you should squat and here’s 3 reasons why:
1) It is a functional movement. 
The squat movement is a daily part of life. Every time you sit in a chair or stand back up, you are doing a variation of a squat. When you get in or out of bed, down on or up off the floor, on or off the toilet, guess what you have to do…squat. If you’re not able to squat, your mobility in life is very limited.
2) It burns a lot of calories. Caloric burn is the name of the game when it comes to weight loss and getting lean so why not do the exercises that are going to burn the most calories. The squat is one of those. You get a lot of ROI with this one (Return on Investment). We call that “getting a lot of bang for your buck.”
3) It boosts your metabolism. Not only do you burn a lot of calories while doing them, squats have the ability to help you build a lot of muscle. And the speed of your metabolism is a direct product of the amount of muscle you have. This means you will burn more calories while you AREN’T working out. Sounds like a pretty good deal huh?
Most people don’t like doing squats, though, because they aren’t a comfortable exercise to do. I mean I even have a Love/Hate relationship with them. Love them for all the benefits but I’m not going to lie. They are tough and can cause some serious nausea when done with some intensity as well as a lot of soreness…Check back soon for more on the squat in Part 2.
New BodyByBuck Twitter
Posted by: | Comments
Check out the brand new BodyByBuck twitter for quick tips on exercise, nutrition, motivation & fitness. Don’t miss out: http://twitter.com/bodybybuck
Make time to sneak in some exercise
Posted by: | CommentsDon’t have time to workout some days? Make time and sneak it in. Set a goal to do some exercise every time you have a break or at a certain time interval (every hour or hour and a half). Or if you’re watching TV, then every commercial.
There is time. You just have to be disciplined to find it or make it.
Work in an office or at a desk? Every hour or so, stand up and do some bodyweight squats or other exercise for 30s – 60s. Or if you work at home or have a flexible schedule? Knock out some bodyweight exercises every hour for one minute a minute or so.
You can do squats, pushups, lunges, planks or situps or even go walk a few flights of stairs.
Sometimes at the Fire Academy when we’re in the classroom all day, me and a few firefighters will knock out a set of pushups at every break. By the end of the day, that’s an extra 100-200 pushups completed as opposed to just going to the vending machine for something terrible. And it didn’t really cost us any extra time.
I promise all these little times will add up. Not only will it help give you a boost of energy but can also boost your metabolism and burn some extra calories. Plus you’ll make healthier choices since fitness is on your mind. Make time and sneak it in.
Burn fat while watching TV
Posted by: | CommentsWatching TV can be one of the worst things for your figure. Not only are you not burning any calories while watching (which is often for hours at a time) but it usually it involves some type of snacking typically on something unhealthy (chips, soda, candy, etc). So one thing you can do to reverse that trend and turn it into a much more profitable time is to exercise during the commercials. Here are some easy exercises to do:
- Jumping Jacks
- Squats
- Lunges
- Pushups
- Situps
Just think, you could easily knock out another 15-30 mins of exercise while watching your favorite show(s) on TV. And it actually works pretty well because the commercials hold you accountable to exercise and you get plenty of rest during TV time. Also it helps you to not snack on junk food. And if you watch TV already, it doesn’t take any more time out of your schedule to exercise. So there ya go. Try it and turn TV time into a calorie/fat burning yet relaxing healthy activity. Let me know how it goes.
Want to strengthen your lower back, glutes and hamstrings at the same time?
Posted by: | CommentsThen try the “Good Morning” exercise (below). It will hit all those muscle groups at the same time if done correctly as well as help increase your flexibility. You can use just bodyweight(hold your hands behind your head) or add a barbell to your back and load appropriately. This is an exercise you definitely don’t want to go too heavy on. More isn’t better if you can’t move b/c you injured your back. Start light and slowly progress with weight over time.
Incorrect Form
Correct Form
Tips: Keep good posture/your back flat/chest out as you bend with your hips/waist. Keep a slight bend in your knees all the way through the motion. You can go to where your back is parallel to floor at lowest position if range of motion allows. Reverse the process maintaining good posture with your back. Pull shoulders back slightly if rounded. Repeat.
Core Exercise: Woodchop
Posted by: | CommentsThis is one type of woodchop which is a great exercise that works the core, lower and upper body. It’s great because it strengthens the core and works multiple muscle groups which means more caloric expenditure, meaning more “bang for your buck” (no pun intended). The picture is self-explanatory.
A few tips:
Make sure to fully extend your arms at the top and bottom.- Don’t lock your knees and hips. Allow them to rotate during the exercise.
- Work one side for 8-15 reps (depending on what you can handle) and then the other side. Rest and repeat.
- If you have lower back pain, then stop. Work in the range of motion your body will allow without it being painful. And increase your range of motion as your body allows.
- If that is too hard, then do less reps. If it’s too easy, add more weight or do more reps/sets.
Try it and start strengthening your core and burning some calories which can help get you on your way to your goal(s). Though this is a great exercise, remember there’s no magical one. And if somebody tells you there is, RUN! Cardio, nutrition, and weight training are all equally important. Try it and let me know what you think.
