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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Dippity Do Dah

Today’s move is called a Bench Dip. We are going to dip from a bench. Hence, the name. This is a great little exercise for the arms, especially the triceps which are crucial for pushing us up off the ground should we unexpectedly find ourselves there. Or, if we actually put ourselves there.

This not only works the triceps, but the shoulders, chest, upper back, and as so often here in the gym, the core.

Sit on a bench or chair. Grab the front of the seat with your hands, just outside your hips with your fingers pointing forward and wrapped around the edge.

Slide your butt off the seat so your arms are supporting your weight. Keep your back close to the edge of the seat. This is important to keep from straining your back and to protect your shoulders. We are going to keep our knees bent, although if you want to make this super-duper, you can straighten your legs with heels on the floor and toes pointing up. This is a lot of work and way more difficult. So I always keep my knees bent. Start with your feet forward a bit as you are going to move off the seat.

Engage the core, and with your shoulder blade down and back and with chest lifted, lower your body by bending the elbows. Keep your elbows back and don’t flare them. Stop when your elbows reach about a 90° angle or when you feel a comfortable stretch in your shoulders.

To get back up, press into your palms and raise yourself up, focusing on your triceps. Fully extend your arms at the top without locking out your elbows and squeeze the triceps.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
10 jumping jacks
6 bench dips
CIRCUIT
3-4x
5 DB triceps presses
5 dual DB curls
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

We do these often at the Old People’s Gym. They are especially good at targeting the triceps muscles which are a bit tricky to isolate.

Have fun with these. It’s important to be able to get up off the ground and this muscle does more work than you might think. While we know our legs get us up, our arms get us to where our legs can work.

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Swish Swish

Today we are working with a yoga pose again. This one is called windshield wipers because it looks like windshield wipers. It does have, of course, an unpronounceable Sanskrit name. It is great for releasing tension in the lower back, stretching the glutes, and improving hip mobility.

It works the external and internal obliques which control the twisting and lowering of the legs. It also works the abs and hip flexors. It can be done lying down, sitting on the floor, or sitting in a chair. We will focus only on the last two of those options.

We begin by sitting on the floor with knees bent and feet flat. Feet should be slightly wider than hip distance apart. Lean back slightly and support yourself with your palms flat on the floor directly behind your hips. Then, as you exhale, drop both knees toward the floor on the same side. Inhale back to center and repeat on the other side. If reaching the floor is a problem, put a yoga block, a blanket, or a pillow down as a target.

This can be done from a chair as well. The movement is essentially the same as you sit in the chair with feet slightly widened and then drop you knees first toward the left and then back to center and toward the right.

I find these a nice way to loosen up tight hips. The pose can be held for a longer time rather than going at a “wiper” speed.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
12 baby steps AKA heel to toe walk (6/side)
6 windshield wipers/side
CIRCUIT
2-3x
6 crunches
10 step ups (5/side)
rest as needed

These are a fun way to work on mobility without any stress. So that’s different. I hope you enjoy the movement.

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Dirge Drill

Today’s move is called Dumbbell Death March which sounds horrific. But it’s not so bad. No death required! In fact, you don’t even have to get sick.

The major muscles worked with this move are the glutes, back (both upper and lower), core, and forearms/grip. There is also some firing of the quads to stabilize the knee.

Here’s how to do this: Stand tall with feet hip distance apart while holding dumbbells in each hand at your side as in a farmer’s carry. Take a small step forward – not like doing a lunge but a shorter distance, and then keeping your front leg mostly straight, hinge forward at the hips and lower the DBs toward the floor on either side of your front foot. Maintain a flat, neutral back.

If you are able, tap the DBs on the floor. If you aren’t Gumby, just lower them until you feel a deep stretch in the hamstring (back of the thigh). Push through your front foot and squeeze your glute to stand. You can either move the back foot immediately forward, or you can bring your feet together and pause before initiating the next step with the other foot forward.

Tips and tricks: keep most (about 70%) of your weight on the front foot and use the back foot to maintain balance. Tighten your core before hinging to protect your back. Don’t let your shoulders hunch up to your ears, but keep them down.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
10-12 knee raises with taps (5-6/side) alternating sides
10-12 calf raises
CIRCUIT
2-3x
8-10 DB death march steps (4-5/side) alternating sides (with or without weight )
4-5 DB deadlifts
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

There is no need to overexert yourself with this. Don’t push to go lower and lower, but focus on hinging and keeping your back flat and core engaged while maintaining your balance. If you choose to do this without weights, hold something like spice bottles or empty toilet paper rolls in your hands to keep yourself mindful of their position. You then lose the grip strength portion of this, but if it keeps you from falling over, that is a wise tradeoff.

If you are a bit unstable, don’t use weights and stay close to a counter top or wall so you can reach out for support if you need it.

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Here, There, Everywhere

Today we are working with a Cuban press which is not at all the same as the sandwich. Which is a bit of a shame.

This is a shoulder exercise, working just about everything associated with shoulder girdle. Because it is targeting the entire shoulder, it should be noted that if you have issues, don’t do this. Also, because we are moving so many different ways, it is highly suggested (okay, demanded) that you use a lighter weight. That means something as small as a tomato paste can or even nothing at all. The movement is what we are shooting for. I would suggest you hold something in your hands to keep you aware of their position in three dimensional space. A spice jar or empty toilet paper roll in each hand would work.

Stand tall with feet hip distance apart and core tight. Maintain a neutral spine. Hold very light dumbbells in front of your thighs with a pronated or overhand grip.

The move starts with sliding the DBs straight up your torso, leading with your elbow. When your upper arms reach shoulder height, stop. Elbows should now be bent at a 90° angle with your forearms pointing directly down to the floor.

Next, bring your forearms rotating upward which keeping your upper arms stable. Your elbow remains at 90° and you end up with goal post arms. From there, you now press the weights overhead, fully extending your arms without locking your elbows.

To finish, completely reverse the move. Arms down to goal post, rotate forearms downward, the straighten arms to thighs.

This exercise is mobilizing small, delicate muscles so GO LIGHT. The other helpful hint is to keep your elbows high while rotating the weight and keep your upper arms parallel to the floor.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
10-15 second plank hold
10-12 bow and arrows (5-6/side)
CIRCUIT
2-3x
6-8 Cuban presses
1-2 squat thrusts
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

We used to do something very similar to this as a warm-up at The Anvil, the first CrossFit gym I joined. Although we added another move in the middle and used plates instead of DBs. And it wasn’t name a Cuban press. I liked it then and I like it now.

I hope you enjoy the move, with or without using any weight. It is a powerful workout for shoulders which are extremely important for so many of our daily activities from putting the cookies up to a high shelf where the grandkids can’t find them, to pouring a delicious cup of hot coffee.

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A Chorus Line?

Today’s move is a rather simple and easy to do exercise. It is simply stepping side to side, but instead of just the step, do a knee raise and tap your knee at the top.

The muscles used in this exercise include the glutes as hip abductors (the stepping wide muscles) and external rotators which stabilize the femur and knee. Also worked, but secondarily, are the quads (front of the thighs), hamstrings (back of the thighs) and the calves. It is also a core workout and a balance challenge.

Stand tall, take a wider step directly to the left and raise the right knee to tap it. Then place the foot down shifting to the right and bring the left knee up to tap.

If you need additional balance, you can use a chair back, the wall, or a counter top. If you wish to do a “high knee” without touching, the knee can also come straight up rather than shifting to the side.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
10-12 step side to side with knee raises (5-6/side)
10-15 second chair pose hold
CIRCUIT
2-3x
8-10 dead bug (4-5/side)
8-10 calf raises
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

This exercise is a great way to test your balance. By bringing the knee into a raised position, there is a longer pause with only one foot on the floor. There is a different pull depending on whether you choose to go off to the side or go straight up, but both put forth a call for greater balance. If you are at all unsure of your balance, have something handy with which you can support yourself. Have fun with this.

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You Renegade

Today’s move is called a Renegade Row. It’s a dumbbell row done from a plank position. There are many scaling options so there is no need to worry. It can even be done without weights.

It’s pretty much an entire body workout but the primary focus is the back and core. Shoulders and arms are secondary and the glutes and hips fire in order to hold your position.

When using weights, your dumbbell should be the kind with hexagonal heads as round ones will roll and make this rather close to impossible. The more defined the flat surface of the DB, the better.

The goal is to hold your body entirely stable during the move. But if your body shifts, then your body shifts. If you are rotating too far with each rep, try lowering the weight used.

Begin by getting into a plank position with feet slightly wider than hips to give you a stable base. Grab the handles of the DB with your arms perfectly stacked with wrists, elbows, and shoulders in a straight line.

Engage your core and glutes, brace your body, shift your weight slightly to your non-working arm, the pull the DB straight up toward your the side of your hip/ribcage. Keep your elbow tucked. Then return the DB to the floor and switch to the other side.

To scale this: use a lower weight or drop your knees to the floor and hold the plank from there. You can do these weightless and simply hold a plank from feet or knees, and raise one hand at a time up and touch your shoulder. If you don’t do the floor, you can hold your plank from a counter top or raised surface while alternating lifting a hand and bringing it up to your shoulder and tapping before returning to the plank position. Do not try and balance a weight on the counter as it will not be at the right angle and will slip. At the counter, the choice is weightless.

Common mistakes are hiking your butt too high into the air so you are more of a down dog pose instead of a plank. It’s a high plank, not the down dog. Rotating too far by swinging your hips or opening your chest to rotate shoulders decreases the muscle engagement. Flaring elbows puts more strain on the shoulder/rotator cuff.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
15-20 second sphinx pose hold
10-15 second crabby/happy baby pose hold
10-15 no rope jumps
CIRCUIT
2-3x
4-6 alternating arms renegade rows with 2-3/arm
6-8 squats to a target
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

These are a rather difficult move, so do whatever scaling option suits your needs or abilities. I personally love these things because they are difficult and I find the challenge exhilarating. Being able to do hard things is absolutely awesome and so building some challenge into the workouts lets me explore just how much I really can do. It’s more than I believe possible enough times to make it worth the risk.

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The Russians are Coming

Today we are working with a Russian kettlebell swing. This is sometimes abbreviated RKBS for obvious reasons.

The muscles used for this exercise are the glutes, hamstrings (back of the thighs), lower back, and core. Also engaged are the lats, upper back and shoulders, and the forearms and hands with these parts integral to moving the weight up and in front of you.

As always, this can be done with or without weight. However, if you aren’t using a weight, you should hold on to a ruler or empty paper towel roll. You want to have your arms/hands moving in unison. They can be done with a dumbbell as well.

Russian and American kettlebell swings differ in where the KB stops moving. American ones go fully overhead. We are not moving that far.

Stand tall with your feet slightly, but not much, wider than hip distance apart. Have the object (whichever one you choose) in your hands between your legs with your knees bent. This is a hip hinge movement, not a squat movement but you don’t have to keep your legs fully straightened. Swing the weight up by getting some momentum going with a slight move under your torso. Then with force, bring the weight forward and upward until the weight reaches chest to eye level. You don’t go higher than your eyes.

As the weight is reaching the highest level, you should be standing straight and tall. Let the weight fall until your forearms are close or in contact with your torso, then with a slight bend in the knees just for flexibility, hinge the hips backwards for the next rep.

This is a swing that is driven by the lower body. The arms aren’t doing the real work. Don’t squat, but hinge at the hips. Keep your head and neck in a straight, neutral line.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
10-15 second warrior 2 pose held in each direction
10-15 jumping jacks
CIRCUIT
2-3x
5-6 Russian KB swings
5-6 sit ups
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

All the text makes this sound like a terribly complicated movement. But it isn’t. It’s a swinging of the weight. There is a technique and once you have done a few of these, it is easy to understand and work with.

I like working with a kettlebell but they don’t come in the same lower weight options. So using a dumbbell will work but it is harder to get your hands positioned. You squeeze your hands between the heads. That’s usually a heavier DB which then is getting up to the whole KB sizing. If your dumbbell isn’t long/wide enough to accommodate both hands, you can let your pinkie finger hang off the side. According to the internet, kettlebells can come in weight ranges from 5 pounds to over 100 pounds. But they also say the lightest is 4 kilograms which is 9 pounds. Use what you have and enjoy the move.

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Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

Today’s move is called a banded pull apart. It is, amazingly, pulling a band apart. A name that makes sense! I guess it can happen every once in a while. This is another shoulder move. It is working the rear deltoids – the muscles at the back of your shoulders – and while these are the primary muscles engaged it also works the rhomboids (between your shoulder blades), traps (they stabilize your shoulder blades), and your rotator cuff (what stabilizes and supports the shoulder while moving).

This one is pretty straight forward. Stand tall and engage your core. Hold a band with both hands and palms facing down. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder width and your arms are extended straight in front of you. Then pull the band apart, arms coming wide and elbows remain nearly straight, until the band touches your chest. Shoulders should be down and back and not hunched up to your ears. Pinch your shoulder blades together at the stretch and then release with control.

If you feel tension in your neck or you are bending your elbows, select a lighter band to use. One of the cues when pulling the band apart is to imagine “reaching long” away from your body as you pull.

The real trick to this move is choosing the right band. You do not need to struggle mightily with this. If you lock out your elbows completely, you are putting too much strain on that joint. You also want to maintain your proper “stand tall with chest up” throughout the movement. There is no rush here, and make sure you are controlling the return to resting part of the movement.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
6-8 pull aparts
6-8 heel walks
CIRCUIT
2-3x
4-5 overhead squats
4-5 cross body hammer curls per side, alternating sides
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

These are a great warm up exercise. We did them often at Silver Sneakers. Keeping our arms and shoulders in working order helps with everyday life. Getting something out of a cupboard or laundry into or out of the machines all take strong shoulders. We don’t realize how much we do with our various parts and pieces until they stop functioning fully. The goal is to keep them functioning or easing them slowly and carefully back to that functionality.

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Chop Wood; Carry Water

Chop wood; carry water is what one does before enlightenment. Then, after working hard and gaining enlightenment, one still chops wood and carries water. It is an eastern puzzle that lets us know that life goes on regardless. So I would like to enlighten you today about a move called a half-kneeling wood chop.

It is called this because you are half kneeling or what a good Catholic would call genuflecting and you are moving your arms in a chopping manner. But no chopping I’ve ever seen, as it is cross body. Still, the move is excellent for building rotational core strength, improving shoulder stability, and developing hip control. By taking away lower body momentum, it forces your obliques and deep core stabilizers to do the rotational work.

You may want to pad the floor if you are on a hard surface. As always, the move can be done with or without weight, but if you are using a weight grab the light DB by both ends. If you start with your left knee on the ground and your right knee at a 90° angle and foot on the floor. You want your foot over your knee on one leg and your knee directly under your hip with the other leg. This is a 90/90 pose.

If you are using a weight, you want a light weight and bring it up to at least shoulder level, higher if you can manage, on the side with the knee raised . Then, with control, bring the DB or your clasped hands, down to the opposite hip in a chopping motion. Knee up; hands up on the same side.

You want to squeeze your glutes to lock your hips in place so you are rotating from your core. Keep your spine tall and avoid leaning. Try to keep your body upright without leaning in any direction.

This movement can go low to high or high to low depending on who is giving directions. We will go high to low. Do all the reps on one side before moving to the other.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
3-4 goblet squats
3-4 dead bug/per side
CIRCUIT
2-3x
6-8 half kneeling wood chop 3-4/side
6-8 halos 3-4/side
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

The goal for the day is the same as every day. Do what you can and have fun with it. Use weights if you can; don’t use weights if choose not to. The act of moving is important. The more you sit, the more you get attached to your chair.

I do a lot of stuff. You are seeing me after nearly 14 years of doing this stuff. I cried a lot when I started because I couldn’t do the stuff. But I kept at it and worked and struggled and now I can do the stuff. Everything in life comes at a cost. Whether it is time and effort or opportunity costs. This is one of the places where the price of admission is obvious, but the benefits are far-reaching and life changing.

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