2010-03-05

bodyweight workout: core stability

WARM UP
- 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, goodmornings, v-ups/crunches

SPECIFIC WARM UP (10-15 minutes)
core stability

Learn/Practice the front and side plank holds.

Do 15-15-30 second rounds of the following:
- front plank hold
- rest
- left side plank hold
- rest
- right side plank hold
- rest
- back bridge/hip thrust
(For the first 2 rounds, do 15 seconds worth of each, then 30 seconds for the 3rd round.)

* Plank
- Lie on the ground face down with legs straight and hands placed on the floor at your sides near your chest.
- Crunch your abs to slightly hollow your body, then push up until your arms are fully extended. Keep your body straight or slightly hollowed (avoid arching your back). Keep your hips straight as well.
- If this is too difficult, you can place your elbows and forearms and/or knees on the ground. However, always maintain a straight torso and hips. Do not arch your back or sag your hips.

* Side plank
- Lie on your side with legs straight, one leg on top of the other.
- Post up on your bottom arm, and then straighten your body. Only your bottom hand and your bottom foot should be on the floor.
- Similar to the front plank, you can place your elbow and/or knee on the ground. You can also use your top hand on the floor to aid in balance. Be sure to keep your torso and hips straight.

* Hip thrust
- Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet near your bottom.
- Arch your back and lift your hips up as high as you can. Only your feet, upper back, head, and arms should be on the floor.

* Back bridge
- Lie on your back, bend your knees and place yout feet near your bottom. Place your hands on the floor beside your ears, elbows pointing up.
- Push up with your arms and legs and arch your back in order to lift up your hips as high as possible. Only your hands, crown, and feeet should be on the ground.
- If your neck and back are strong enough, you can fold your arms across your chest so that only your head and feet are on the floor.

WOD (Workout of the Day, 23 minutes)
Do 3 rounds of the following:
- 1 minute front plank hold
- 15 push ups in 1 minute
- 1 minute left side plank hold
- 10 forward lunges in 1 minute
- 1 minute right side plank hold
- 10 pyramid push ups in 1 minute
- 1 minute back bridge/hip thrust
- 1 minute rest
(If you can not do the holds for 1 whole minute, hold for as long as you can then rest for the remainder of that minute.)

2010-03-03

bodyweight workout: single leg toe touches, single leg squats

WARM UP (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: squats, pushups, bench dips, goodmornings, v-ups/crunches

SKILL/SPECIFIC WORKOUT (15-20 minutes)
single leg toe touches, single leg squats

Practice/Learn the single leg squat (and it's progressions) and the single leg toe touch.

Do 2 rounds, each in 1 minute intervals;
- Continuous standing leg circles (left side)
- Continuous standing leg circles (right side)
- 10 Forward lunges + 10 Backward lunges per side
- 5 Single leg toe touches
- 5 Single leg squats or squat progressions (if you can not do the full squat yet, do progressions for the regular squat)

(For each 1 minute interval, you will try to perform the exercises with as little interruption as possible, but resting and resetting as needed. For this skill workout, you should not focus on speed, but on awareness and control of your legs and body)

* Single leg toe touch:
- From a standing position, bend forward at the hip while simultaneously raising one leg backwards, until your torso and rear leg are horizontal (similar to the "balancing stick" yoga posture but with your arms down). At the bottom, touch your foot on the floor with one or both hands, then come back up to stand.
- Keep your back straight and both knees locked.

* Single leg squat (variations):
Pistol
- From a single leg balance, raise the lifted foot in front of you to at least knee height, trying to keep its knee as straight as possible. You can bring your arms forward for balance.
- Move your hips back and down as in a regular squat, while keeping the lifted leg off the ground.
Knee down
- From a standing position, bend one knee while keeping your hips extended (raise one foot backward while keeping your knees in place).
- Kneel down on the bent knee, lightly touching it on the floor beside the front foot. Keeping the rear knee bent, come back up to stand with full hip extension.
- Throughout this exercise, always keep your head and chest up, shoulders back, and squatting knee over foot.

* Single leg squat progressions:
Unassisted, partial range of motion
- Perform the regular (single leg) squat as described, but only lower yourself until the point where you start to lose knee stability, then move back up. Try to push this limit.
Assisted, full range of motion
- Perform the (single leg) squat with your hips lowering all the way down to parallel, but with your hands holding on to a support (post/door frame/chair/training partner). Your raised leg can be placed lightly on the ground but bearing no/minimal weight. When doing assisted squats, you should move through the full range of motion (hips should lower to knee height).

WOD (Workout of the Day, 10 minutes)
As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes:
- 3 single leg squats each side
- 6 push ups
- 9 good mornings/back arches
(If single leg squats are still too difficult, replace them with 6 regular squats.)

2010-03-02

bodyweight workout: running drills

WARM UP (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: squats, regular pushups, pyramid pushups, goodmornings, crunches

SPECIFIC WARM UP (5 minutes)
running drills
Do 3 rounds, 20 reps each of:
- high knees
- cheerleader run
- 10 second rest
(If you don't have room to run, you can do these in place. Make sure you stay light on your feet minimizing your contact with the ground, and do not land on your heels.)

* High knees:
- Run and drive your knee up to chest hight on every bound. Focus on flexing your hips.

* Cheerleader run/Butt kicks:
- Without moving your hips, run and try to touch your heel to your bottom on every bound. Focus on flexing your knees.

WOD (Workout of the Day, 5-10 minutes)
21-15-9 rep rounds for time:
(So first round is 21 Tuck ups and 21 Burpees. Second round is 15 each, and third is 9 each. You can scale down to 14-10-6. Rest as needed, But you have to finish the sets in the order provided.)