Posts85

Neutral-grip chinup Difficulty level: Advanced Equipment: Pull-up bar Muscles involved: Biceps · Lats · Delts Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Grasp a chin-up bar using an overhand grip so your palms face each other, arms fully extended. STEP 2 Squeezing your shoulder blades and driving your elbows down, pull yourself up until your collarbone reaches your hands. Slowly lower your body to the starting position. Tips Come to a full hang at the bottom position. Do not pull through your wrists. Drive your elbows behind you. Finish the rep by pulling your chest to the bar. Keep your chest… Read more

Roll over Difficulty level: Advanced Equipment: No equipment Muscles involved: Core Focus: Strength · Mobility · Flexibility Steps STEP 1 Lie on your back with your arms by your sides, palms down, and raise your legs overhead, straight to the ceiling. STEP 2 Scoop your abs to move your legs over your head to a 45 degree angle. STEP 3 Open your legs to hip width. See all steps Tips Hold your knees close to your chest with your ankles crossed as you tighten your abs to raise your pelvis off the mat.… Read more

Lateral slide Difficulty level: Beginner Equipment: No equipment Muscles involved: Glutes · Calves · Abs · Hips Focus: Strength · Power Steps STEP 1 Stand in a semi-squat position with your feet about hip-width apart. STEP 2 Shuffle laterally twice out to one side followed quickly by two shuffles in the opposite direction back to the starting position. Tips Avoid allowing the knees to cave inward during the exercise. Do not rotate your torso. Keep your hips and torso facing forward. Do not stand up too tall. Stay low in an athletic stance… Read more

Barbell bench press Difficulty level: Advanced Equipment: Bench · Barbell Muscles involved: Chest · Triceps · Delts Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Lie on your back on a bench. Grasp a barbell with an overhand grip just wider than shoulder-width apart and hold it above your chest with your arms fully extended. This will be your starting position. STEP 2 Lower the bar straight down in a controlled motion. Make sure you keep your elbows tucked in close to your body so your upper arms form a 45-degree angle to your body in the down position. Pause, and then press the bar in a straight line… Read more

Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat Difficulty level: Intermediate Equipment: Dumbbells · Bench Muscles involved: Glutes · Quads Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms fully extended at your sides and your palms facing each other. With your feet hip-width apart, place the instep of your rear foot on a bench. Your feet should be approximately three feet apart. STEP 2 Lower your hips toward the floor so that your rear knee comes close to the floor. Pause and drive through your front heel to return to the starting position. Tips Do not bend the torso excess… Read more

Dumbbell biceps curl with static hold Difficulty level: Intermediate Equipment: Dumbbells Muscles involved: Biceps Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Grab a pair of dumbbells with palms facing out. Allow them to hang at arm's length by your sides. Raise the dumbbell on one side so that the elbow is flexed at a 90-degree angle. STEP 2 Maintain that position while keeping an upright posture. Then curl the dumbbell in the opposite arm to shoulder. Pause, then slowly lower the weight back to your side. Keep the static hold throughout all the reps of the lifting arm. Tips Be sure to hold the p… Read more

Single-leg back extension Difficulty level: Advanced Equipment: Roman chair Muscles involved: Glutes · Hamstrings · Back · Spinal erectors Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Set up a back extension machine or Roman chair with the thigh pad just below your waist. Place one leg in the machine and leave the opposite foot on the top of the ankle pad. Cross your arms over your chest. STEP 2 Contract your glutes and hamstrings of the stationary leg as you raise your torso upward. Form a straight line from you shoulders to your feet. Return to the starting position. Tips Be sure to complete the… Read more

Tip toe pose Difficulty level: Intermediate Equipment: No equipment Muscles involved: Core · Legs · Joints Focus: Strength · Balance · Mobility Steps STEP 1 Begin in a standing forward fold with your hands on the ground. STEP 2 Transfer weight into your hands, and keeping your toes and knees together, rise up on the balls of your feet, bend your knees and squat, lowering your butt to hover just about your heels. STEP 3 Walk your hands back to so that they are on either side of you and take one hand to the center of your chest in a half prayer. See all steps Tips Get comfortable… Read more

Reverse-grip incline bench press Difficulty level: Advanced Equipment: Bench · Barbell Muscles involved: Chest · Triceps · Delts Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Position your body on an incline bench at a 30-45-degree angle. Grab a barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing toward you, shoulder-width apart, and hold it above your chest. Extend arms upward, locking out elbows. STEP 2 Lower the bar straight down in a slow, controlled movement to your upper chest. Pause, then press the bar in a straight line back up to the starting position. Tips Do not hyper extend the neck. Maintain a… Read more

Teaser Difficulty level: Advanced Equipment: No equipment Muscles involved: Core Focus: Strength · Balance Steps STEP 1 Lie on your back with your thighs touching, knees bent, and your feet flat. Rest your arms straight by your sides, palms facing up. STEP 2 Lift one leg to the ceiling. STEP 3 Raise your arms to the ceiling. See all steps Tips This is a balance challenge. Imagine that all of your body is lifting toward the ceiling. Tighten your abdominals in the area between the pubic bone and navel… Read more

Kneeling hip flexor stretch Difficulty level: Beginner Equipment: No equipment Muscles involved: Hamstrings · Hips Focus: Strength · Flexibility Steps STEP 1 Get in a kneeling lunge position with one knee on the floor and the other leg bent 90 degrees in front of you with foot flat. Place one hand on your hip. This is your starting position. STEP 2 Squeezing your back glutes, shift your body weight slightly forward while maintaining an upright torso. Reach around to grasp your foot with your free hand to increase the stretch. Hold for the prescribed time. Tips Avoid losing tension i… Read more

Swiss ball EZ-bar preacher curl Difficulty level: Beginner Equipment: Swiss ball · Cable attachment Muscles involved: Biceps · Abs Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Grab an EZ-Bar with an underhand grip and hands positioned slightly less than shoulder-width apart. Kneel your torso over a Swiss ball, with your triceps resting on top of it. STEP 2 Keeping your elbows in a fixed position, pull the weight as close as you can toward your shoulders. Pause, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. Tips Don't let your elbows move. Keep your elbows in line with your body. Slow… Read more

Single-leg standing dumbbell calf raise Difficulty level: Beginner Equipment: Weight plates · Dumbbells Muscles involved: Calves Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Grab a dumbbell in one hand and stand with the balls of your feet on a weight plate. Lift one foot off of the plate and cross it behind your calf. The dumbbell should be on the same side as your supporting leg. STEP 2 Press the ball of your foot into the plate and raise yourself up as high as possible before returning to the starting position. Tips Be sure to squeeze the calf at the peak extension of the movement. Keep your su… Read more

Incline dumbbell fly Difficulty level: Beginner Equipment: Dumbbells · Bench Muscles involved: Chest · Shoulders Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on an incline bench positioned at a 45-degree angle. Hold the dumbbells directly above your chest with your elbows slightly bent and your palms facing each other. STEP 2 Lower the dumbbells in an arc toward the sides of your body, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Once your upper arms are parallel to the floor, reverse the movement back to the starting position. Tips Complete the exercise with proper form befo… Read more

Split barbell good morning Difficulty level: Intermediate Equipment: Barbell · Box Muscles involved: Glutes · Hamstrings · Back · Spinal erectors · Total body Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Place a barbell across your upper back, pulling the bar down while squeezing your shoulder blades together for stability. Grip the bar so your palms are facing forward. Place one heel on a small box or bench, keeping that leg completely straight. Maintain a slightly bent knee stance with your rear knee. STEP 2 Push your chest out while driving your hips backwards, bending forward from the hips and go… Read more

Inchworm to side plank Difficulty level: Beginner Equipment: No equipment Muscles involved: Hamstrings · Back · Hips · Shoulders · Total body · Abs Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Stand tall with your hands down by your sides. Push your hips back and reach your hands down towards the floor. STEP 2 Walk forward on your hands until you're in the top of a push-up position. STEP 3 Tighten your abs and rotate one side of your torso with your arm reaching straight up toward the sky. Return to the push-up position to repeat on the other side. Tips Brace your core throughout entire movement.… Read more

Face pull Difficulty level: Intermediate Equipment: Cable machine · Cable attachment Muscles involved: Shoulders · Back · Forearms Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Stand in front of a medium-height rotating pulley and grab each side of the rope attachment. Step back away from machine until arms are fully extended in front of you. Feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart and with a soft bend in your knees. STEP 2 Brace core and drive elbows past back, while pulling the rope handles slightly outside of your ears. Hold and contract shoulder blades together. Tips Be sure to d… Read more

Swiss ball w raise Difficulty level: Beginner Equipment: Swiss ball Muscles involved: Traps · Hips · Delts · Spinal erectors Focus: Strength · Mobility Steps STEP 1 Lie face down on a Swiss ball so your chest is parallel to the floor. Hang your arms down in front of the ball with your elbows bent to 90-degrees. STEP 2 Keeping your elbows bent to 90-degrees, raise your arms up and to the side of your body as your squeeze your shoulder blades together. Continue raising them until your arms are parallel with the ground with your hands beside your head. Pause, then slowly lower your arms… Read more

Incline dumbbell bench press Difficulty level: Advanced Equipment: Bench · Dumbbells Muscles involved: Chest · Triceps · Delts Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Set an adjustable bench to an incline of 30-45 degrees. Lie on your back on the bench and hold a pair of dumbbells directly above your shoulders with your arms fully extended. STEP 2 Pull your shoulder blades together, and slightly stick out your chest. Lower both dumbbells to the sides of your chest. Pause, and then press the dumbbells back to the starting position. Tips Do not hyperextend the neck. Maintain a neutral long spine… Read more

Hex dumbbell hold Difficulty level: Beginner Equipment: Dumbbells Muscles involved: Forearms · Traps · Abs Focus: Strength Steps STEP 1 Place a hex dumbbell vertically on one end on the floor. Squat down and grab the end of the dumbbell with one hand. STEP 2 Stand up and hold the dumbbell at your side for up to 20 seconds. Squeeze your fingertips around the hex portion of the dumbbell and squeeze your core. Lower the dumbbell to the other side of your body, grab it with the other hand, and repeat. Tips Avoid allowing your upper back to round. Pull your shoulders down and back to pre… Read more