Change is a Constant

I’ve been working with my Stay Balanced project for about six months now. I’ve been introducing at least three new moves or exercises each week. We now have a rather large catalog of options available.

There are more exercises out there, but they are more esoteric and sometimes variations of what we already know.

Rather than introducing three new moves each week, I’m going to be posting workouts three times a week using the moves we already know about. I will link the videos and blog posts associated with each workout as well.

For the last six years, Craig – my son and coach – has been writing workouts for us here at the OPG. However, we get a week of workouts and then the following week, we do the same workouts we just did to see if there is any improvement. Doing the moves two weeks in a row means we can contrast and compare our performance. I find this helpful and encouraging.

Sometimes that means, for instance, last week I didn’t get that last rep before failure, but I have the chance to get it this week. (And I did.) Sometimes it means that muscle memory is helping on week two. Sometimes it is familiarity without contempt, but with a challenge to see what I can do the following week. With new moves, it is easier the second week because of all the vast experience I gained the week before.

I am going to institute that same policy here. We will have two week cycles which can give you a better chance to get the moves smoother or less intimidating. I’ve enjoyed having my workouts programmed in this fashion.

I’ve also included what is known in the CrossFit world as the Skill. Each workout is written with a warm-up, a skill, and then a circuit. The skill is simply one move practiced for a number of sets/reps. Fully recover between the sets and then see what happens.

You are in charge of your workouts. Do what you can, scale where you want, laugh often, and mostly be very proud of all the hard work you do. The heaviest lift of all is – getting your butt off the couch. You are doing that. You are succeeding. You are awesome.

As time goes on and I find I wish to introduce a new move, I will once again bring something new to the program. It won’t be routinely done, but it is still an option.

We have learned a lot here together. I hope we continue to do so.

Stay balanced.

Swing Time

Today we’re working with an American kettlebell swing. We have looked at the Russian variety before. This is a bit different. It can be done with a dumbbell as well, but there are caveats. If you choose to do this without weight, your hands should be held together somehow.

The difference between the two types of swings is where the kettlebell actually ends up. With Russian, we stopped at chest or eye level. With American, we are going fully overhead.

We start with feet slightly wider than shoulder width. The weight is grabbed with both hands. If you choose a dumbbell for this, you should place your hands side by side with palms facing your body and not gripping the ends.

Hinge your hips back with a flat, neutral spine. This isn’t a full squat, but a hinge movement.

Engage the lats as you swing the KB between your legs and then drive your hips forward, squeeze your glutes and you move the weight overhead.

The end movement should have the base of the KB facing the ceiling with your arms locked out overhead.

Bring the weight down and hinge to start the next rep.

Because this uses a wider ROM, use a lighter weight than you might for a Russian KB swing.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
4 dual DB front raises
8 jumping jacks
CIRCUIT
2-3x
4 American KB swings
6 crunches
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

This is a powerful move. The weight you choose is totally up to you. Your workouts are what you choose. The outcomes are based on the input and that is based on where you are on your fitness journey. We each reside in a body with different capabilities, different limitations, and with different objectives in mind. As always, have as much fun as you can.

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A Stitch in Time

Today we are working with another yoga move called Thread the needle or Parsva Balasana. That’s why we call it thread the needle. It’s a restorative stretch that relieve tension in the upper back, shoulders, and neck. It provides a mild spinal twist.

Start in tabletop position or if you don’t speak yoga, on your hands and knees. Reach your right arm high into the air as you inhale. As you exhale, slide your arm underneath your left armpit with right palm facing up. Slowly rest your right shoulder and right side of your head (temple and cheek) to the floor.

Once set up there are lots of things to do with your left arm. It can stay where it started or moved closer to your face, you can extend it our forward, or you can switch to a “bound” position where you wrap your arm around your lower back.

To release, put your left hand on the floor, and inhale to un-thread and reach your right arm up to the sky. Return to tabletop and repeat on the other side.

I do yoga stretches before ever arriving to the gym. This is one of them. When I do this, I hold 90 seconds to three minutes per side. It really gives my shoulders a nice stretch and eases the tension in my neck caused by so much arthritis.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
2 up/down dog
3 cat/cow
thread the needle with 5-6 deep, slow breaths hold/side
CIRCUIT
2-3x
3 PVC overhead squat
4 bench dips
5 no rope jumps
rest as needed

I find these very relaxing. The one way to mess them up a bit is to let your hips sway to one side. Try to keep your hips unmoving throughout. They do tend to shift a bit.

I hope you have fun with this. Yoga is a great way to loosen tight muscles. It is, however, not always exactly prim and proper looking. There’s just something weird about sticking your butt up in the air that is a bit amusing.

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Snicker – What a Name

Today we’re working with a DB snatch. It is a power snatch rather than a full snatch because we aren’t going to catch it in a squat. This is our version of the dumbbell snatch. Snatches can also be done with a barbell and be full or power. Go them!

This is a high power, full body compound movement. Already it sounds difficult. There are a lot of moving parts to this move, but once you practice a few times, it flows through rather easily. It really does work just about everything: glutes, hamstrings, quads, lats, traps, and deltoids while relying on the core and forearms.

To start, place the DB on the floor between your feet which should be placed about shoulder width apart. If the ground is too far away to reach, bring it up to you. What does that mean? It means put a book, an inverted plastic container, a stack of small weight plates, a couple yoga blocks, whatever you have and build up a place to set the DB that isn’t so far away. That’s now your “ground” and you have brought the ground up.

Hinge your hips back, keep your chest up, and squat down to grab the DB with an overhand grip. While doing that, extend your opposite arm for balance.

Then drive through your feet while keeping the dumbbell close to the center of your torso. Lead the move with your elbow as you “zip” the weight up your body. As you rise you are moving the dumbbell into a high pull.

Continue driving the weight up and you drive into a partial squat for momentum. Stand tall with the weight overhead. At the end of the movement, your knees, hips, and elbow are fully extended with the weight stable overhead.

Then take the weight down, squat into the beginning position by tapping the DB on the ground to initiate the next rep.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
5 large arm circles forward
5 large arm circles backward
5 air squats to a target
CIRCUIT
2-3x
3 DB snatch/arm
6 single arm DB curls with 3/arm, alternating arms
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

This really sounds like a lot of moving parts. That’s because it is a lot of moving parts. But once you have done a few of them, it is easier.

Some of the more common mistakes are starting with the DB too far forward, it should be directly between your feet. This allows the zipping movement to pull more naturally. You don’t need to look down, keep your chin up. Make sure you are powering up with your legs and your arms aren’t doing all the work.

This is challenging and perhaps that is why I enjoy it. I can do the hard things. You can, too.

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Now to Romania

Today’s move takes us to a different country. The DB Romanian Deadlift is a deadlift movement using dumbbells in the Romanian style.

This exercise targets the posterior chain or the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. To execute this correctly, hinge at the hips while keeping the back perfectly straight and with no or only minor bend in the knees.

Stand tall with a DB in each hand resting on your thighs with palms facing your body. Keep your shoulder blades down and back. Engage the core and maintain a flat, neutral spine. With knees unlocked and a VERY SLIGHT bend in your knees, hinge forward as you push your hips back to the wall behind you.

Keep the dumbbells close to your legs as you lower them. The goal is to get to mid-shin. The reality is go as low as you can while feeling a stretch in your hamstrings or back of your legs.

If your back rounds or knees start to seriously bend, that’s where you stop. Drive your hips forward to stand tall for the completion of the reps.

Common mistakes with this move include rounding your back and bending your knees. Do not turn it into a squat. This is a hinge movement, not a knee bend. Keep the weights lightly brushing your legs as you lower them. If they drift outward, it will strain your back.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
10 calf raises
5 leg swings/side, holding on to a support
CIRCUIT
2-3x
3-5 DB Romanian deadlift
8 bird dog 4/side
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

These are hard at heavier weights but I just love the dang things. They are such a good stretch. With heavier weights, they are also a great way to work on grip strength, one of the ways to measure health and longevity. So all in all, what’s not to love. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

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Cold Comfort

Today we’re working with a Russian Baby Maker which sounds a bit kinky. We aren’t going to make any babies. I have no idea who named this or why but here is where we are.

This is a dynamic hip and hamstring mobility exercise and opens the hips by forcing them outward.

Start by standing tall with feet slightly wider than hips with toes pointing forward or slightly turned out. Bend your knees and lean forward, grabbing your toes, the tops of your feet, your ankles, wherever you can reach down there.

Keeping your chest up and a grip on your toes (or whatever) pull your hips down into a squat, trying for as low as possible. Elbows should be tucked inside your thighs and then should be used to press the thighs apart. Keep your chest up and hold for a few seconds.

Lift your hips without letting goes of your feet and push your butt and hips straight up toward the ceiling as high as you can, feeling a deep stretch in your hamstrings. Hold for a couple seconds. Then repeat for the number of reps.

This one is tough, but a really good stretch. So we do the hard things.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
3 Russian baby makers
8-10 jumping jacks
CIRCUIT
2-3x
5 sit-ups, anchored or unanchored
4 step up per leg, alternating legs
rest as needed

I’m not sure what the Russians are doing, but apparently it takes a lot of mobility. In the weightlifting world, these are a great way to warm up for heavy lifts. In our world, they are a great way to get a bit more mobility and flexibility. Give them a try and see what your can manage, they aren’t easy, but they are effective.

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You May Approach the Bench

Today’s move is a DB Bench Press which can also be done from the floor. This is a great upper body workout and works on increasing the strength you need to get up off the floor.

These work the chest muscles or pectoralis (pecs) as well as the triceps and deltoids. These are the muscles used in pushing yourself up to a position where your legs can take over when you are on the floor. Also worked are the lats, rotator cuffs, and the core. So pretty much a wonderful way to get the upper body stronger.

Sit on the edge of a flat bench with the dumbbells vertically on your thighs gripped with a neutral hand position. Lie back and if you need a boost, use your thighs to bump up the weights to a vertical position over your chest. From the floor grab your DBs and lie back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Turn the dumbbells from in line with your torso to perpendicular or so your hands are facing your feet.

Pinch your shoulder blades together and plant your feet firmly. Lower the dumbbells slowly and then push them upwards, keeping that grip and not lowering past the bench. You want your elbows to be at around a 45° angle. The handle of the dumbbell should be at around chest level. On the floor, you cannot lower too far.

Getting done with these is also a bit tricky. You need to power yourself up from the lying to the sitting position, but you can use your legs here as well to help with the effort. Don’t just drop the DBs at the end, as it might injure your shoulders.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
6 bow and arrow pulls/side
3-4 glute bridges
CIRCUIT
3-4x
5 DB bench press (floor press)
2 push-ups
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

These get difficult quickly as the weight of the DBs are increased. The number of reps also makes a huge difference as fatigue sets in earlier with higher weights. Choose carefully and know you can always adjust and go either up or down with weights to get the workout you desire.

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Get Over Here

Today we are working with a Kettlebell Pull Through. It can also be done with a dumbbell or even with some relatively weightless object like a spice bottle or toilet paper roll.

This is an anti-rotational core exercise targeting the abs, obliques, and shoulders. The goal is to move the object (KB, DB, whatever) from side to side without twisting your torso or hips.

Have the KB on the floor and off to one side. Set up a plank hold with that weight just outside and behind your left hand. The plank should be tall (not on your forearms) and with your wrists directly under your shoulders. Place your feet slightly wider than hip width for a more stable base.

Tighten the glutes, shift your weight slightly to the supporting arm (your left) and then reach underneath your chest with the other arm (your right) and grab the weight and move or pull or drag it across to the other side.

Place your right hand back on the floor, stabilize, and then reach across with the left hand and move/pull/drag the weight back.

As a scaling option, you can do these while holding the plank from your knees.

The most common little boo-boo here is letting your hips sway, rotate, or lift. If you want to shoot for perfect form, imagine a glass of water balanced on your lower back and try to stay dry. If you are rocking, try widening your feet a bit. Don’t let your butt rise too far into the air as this is not a down dog, but a plank position. This is not race, it is a stability exercise, so take your time.

Also, this is pull through, not a push through.

You can simulate this move from a counter plank as well. I would suggest not using anything too heavy in that case but hold your plank from the counter and pick up and move the object from one side to the other and place it outside your hands.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
6 large arm circles forward
6 large arm circles backward
10-15 second plank hold
CIRCUIT
2-3x
6-12 KB pull through (3-6/side) and use whatever weight works for you
1-2 squat thrust
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

If you twist, if your butt rises, if you rotate with the movement, so what? My description is for the ideal form. We work with the form we have and initially, that is always pretty sub-standard. That’s okay. We all start somewhere. There is no one grading your performance. Do what you can with this and enjoy the thrill of something new.

The next time someone asks that smarmy question: When’s the last time you tried something new? Let them know you did this. Any of this. All of this.

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Streeeeetttttch

Today we are working with a Low Lunge Stretch. This is put into our OPG (Old People Gym) workouts with alarming regularity. It’s a great way to warm up the lower body and get it ready for work.

There are two ways to start. The first (and my preferred way) is to stand tall with feet planted, take one step forward and then drop into a lunge. The second is to start on all fours or tabletop position from yoga, and then place one foot forward before raising the torso. Either method of getting here is fine. Your forward knee should be directly over your ankle and your back leg should be positioned with your hip directly over your knee. Untuck your toes so the top of your foot is resting flat on the floor.

Keeping your hips squared, tighten your core and lean forward. You can use your hands for balance if you need to or you can keep your hands on hips with arms akimbo. Hold for 5-10 seconds and then switch the lead leg by starting over from scratch or simply moving from one side to the other.

From a chair, sit upright, chest tall and feet flat on the floor hip width apart. You may want to scoot a little to one side. Then move one leg back and down off the side of the chair. The goal is to get your knee aligned with your hip and your knee at a 90° angle. Hold, come back to center, and repeat with the other leg.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
15-20 second chair pose
1 low lunge stretch/side
CIRCUIT
3-4x
10-12 plank knee twists (5-6/side)
20 steps dual DB farmer carry
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

Craig writes these into our warm-up often. They are nice stretch and you can go as deep as you choose. The added bonus is that after you are done, you are still on the floor (unless you did them from a chair) and now have to get back to standing. Any way you can get up is fine, but do make sure you have an exit strategy in place. I like to challenge myself by rising like a phoenix from the … well, floor and not ashes, but still. In order to do that, you do need to tuck your toes on the back foot so you can leverage yourself up.

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Higher and Higher

Today we are going to be working with a barbell movement. We will be using a PVC pipe (or broomstick or some long solid straight object). It can also be done with dumbbells or a weight plate. It is simply moving an object from the floor to a locked out overhead position. It is called a Ground to Overhead or G2O.

There are four steps to completing a rep. It all starts with the setup. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and the PVC pipe held in your hands. Hinge at the hips and squat trying to get the bar to mid-shin or below knee level. Keep your chest up, butt down, and back flat.

Next step is the drive where you push through your feet while rising to a standing position with the bar held close to your body. As the bar passes your hips, aggressively explode upward to create momentum.

Next is the catch and press part where the bar floats up and you catch in what is called a front rack position. This is bringing the bar up to your shoulders. Ideally, this is a five point touch with the bar touching hand, shoulder, chest, shoulder, hand straight across. At this point, you can reset your stance if needed and then push the bar up overhead. The trick here is to get your head out of the way as the bar goes up and then bring your head back upright so you are “looking through the window” created by the space between your arms.

The last portion is the descent where you simply reverse the move to return to the starting position. This ends the rep and set you up for the next one.

If you wish to do this with dumbbells, you place them on the floor either between your feet or outside your feet to start, pick them up for the first rep and then move through all the steps.

There is a lot going on here and the move is one of those total body workouts. Move your way through it, seeking your greatest range of motion without hurt or harm and don’t worry too much about how low you can get or how straight your arms are overhead. Do what you can in the moment.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
6 band pull aparts
6 air squats
CIRCUIT
2-3x
8 good mornings with or without weight
5 ground to overhead
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

This is a fairly tricky move. It gets progressively harder when adding more and more weight. We, however, are going to stick with a lighter weight. A PVC pipe is great and if you have made yourself a weighted one, you can use that. It’s challenging, but we can do hard things.

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