bodyweight workout: pike push ups

WARM UP (10-15 minutes)
- 200 200m run or 200 jump rope jumps or calf jumps
- dynamic stretching/range of motion exercises (shoulder circles, vertical and horizontal arm swings, torso rotations, forward and side to side torso bends, forward-back and side to side leg swings)
- 8 each of: forward lunges, squats, regular pushups, bench dips, goodmornings, v-ups/crunches

SPECIFIC WARM UP(5-15 minutes)
Pyramid/Pike/Downward dog pushups

Learn/Practice the proper form of the Pike push up.

Do 4 rounds of:
- 20 second hold of the Pike/Downward dog position
- 10 second rest

* When maintaining the pike/downward dog position, for our purposes, slightly hollow your body by crunching your abs. Also, make sure you keep your shoulders fully opened (try to hide your ears with your shoulders or arms).

Do 10-8-4-2 rep rounds of
- Pike push ups
(Rest 30-60 seconds per round.)

* Pike/downward dog push ups:
- Starting from a plank position with toes and hands on the floor, bend at the hips while keeping your legs, torso and arms straight, until you form an inverted 'v' with your body. Look at your legs (do not look at the floor) to maintain neck alignment and back posture.
- Keeping your elbows pointed towards your feet, lower yourself until your head touches the floor, and push back up until your arms are straight and your shoulders are fully opened (try to touch your shoulders to your ears).
- You can spread your legs apart so that they can take more of your weight away form your arms, or you can do this with your hands on a bench. To make it more difficult, you can put your feet up on the bench and your hands on the floor.

WOD (Workout of the Day, 10-20 minutes)
30 each, for time:
- Jump squats
- Good mornings
- Push ups
- Squats
- Supermans
- Backward lunges
- Sit-ups/Crunches
- Burpees
(You can scale down to 15 each. Mind your form with the squats. Go fast!)

Bent over rows, Pike push ups

WARM UP (10-15 minutes)

- 200m run or 100 jump rope jumps or jumping jacks

- dynamic stretching/range of motion exercises (shoulder circles, vertical and horizontal arm swings, torso rotations, forward and side to side torso bends, forward-back and side to side leg swings)

- 8 each of: forward lunges, squats, regular pushups, bench dips, goodmornings, v-ups/crunches

SPECIFIC WARM UP (10-15 minutes)

Bent over rows, review of Pike push ups

Learn or review the bent over row, and the pike push up

Do the following, each within 1 minute intervals:

- 10 bent over rows (3 count pull, 3 count pause at the top,)

- 5 pike push ups (3 count push, 3 count pause at the top)

- 5 bent over rows

- 3 pike pushups

- 5 bent over rows

- 3 pike pushups

WOD (Workout of the Day, 15 minutes)

5 rounds for time:

- 10 backward lunges

- 5 bent over rows

- 3 pike pushups

- 100m run or 60 jumping jacks or 30 high knees

* Bent over rows:

- Start by picking up the weights/band while keeping an arched back, extend your arms fully downward and try to bend over until your back is as horizontal as you can sustain (halfway to horizontal will suffice). Your legs can bend slightly to maintain balance.

- Keeping your back arched and elbows pointed back, pull and raise the weights/bands to your sides above your hips (try to reach your ribs). Then lower the weight to return to starting position.

- If this is too difficult, you can do partial reps, pulling only to your hips. If your back keeps on rounding out, you can do bent over bench rows instead. Always maintain a back arch.

* Bent over bench rows:

- With one foot on the floor, kneel the other knee on a bench, bend over and post arm on the same side (as the kneeling leg) on the bench. Hold the weight/band with the free hand and extend that arm downwards.

- Keeping your elbow pointed towards your feet, pull the weight up toward your side, until your elbow is above your ribs. Do the required reps on both sides.

- Always maintain a back arch, and try to minimize torso rotation as you pull.

* Pike/downward dog push ups:

- Starting from a plank position with toes and hands on the floor, bend at the hips while keeping your legs, torso and arms straight, until you form an inverted 'v' with your body. Look at your legs (do not look at the floor) to maintain neck alignment and back posture.

- Keeping your elbows pointed towards your feet, lower yourself until your head touches the floor, and push back up until your arms are straight and your shoulders are fully opened (try to touch your shoulders to your ears).

- You can spread your legs apart so that they can take more of your weight away form your arms, or you can do this with your hands on a bench. To make it more difficult, you can put your feet up on the bench and your hands on the floor.

* High knees:

- Run in place, trying to raise your lifted your knee to chest height on each bound. Always bounce on your calves

bodyweight workout: hollow, arch, and side holds

WARM UP (10-15 minutes)

- 200 200m run or 200 jump rope jumps or calf jumps

- dynamic stretching/range of motion exercises (shoulder circles, vertical and horizontal arm swings, torso rotations, forward and side to side torso bends, forward-back and side to side leg swings)

- 5 squats, 5 regular pushups, 5 pyramid push ups, 5 goodmornings, 5 v-ups/crunches

SPECIFIC WARM UP(5-10 minutes):

Hollow, arch, and side holds

Practice and study the hollow, arch, and side crunch holds for 3-5 minutes.

Perform 3-5 rounds of the following:

- 15 second hollow body hold

- 15 second arch hold

- 15 second side crunch hold - left

- 15 second side crunch hold - right

(go for 5 rounds but scale back to 3 if you have to)

WOD (Workout Of the Day, 5-10 minutes):

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 repetition rounds of the following:

- pushups

- walking lunges

(If you do not have space to do walking lunges, you can substitute with forward lunges instead. You can also start doing the pushups with your body hollowed. Compare your time here with 2009-01-06.)