Bicycle Built for Two

Today we are working with a bicycle crunch. This is a basic core exercise. As an aside, I saw that some neuroscientists have determined that activating abdominal muscles brings some fluid distribution in the brain which flushes away some of the collected detritus of all that brain function stuff going on. So that’s a thing. This exercise also works on hip flexors and builds stability and has a bit of a cardio component to it as well.

We will discuss a seated option later.

Lie on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands gently behind your head or ears. Don’t lock your fingers together and don’t pull on your neck. Lift your shoulder blades off the floor which engages your core.

Raise your knees to a 90° angle. Extend your right leg straight out while rotating your torso to bring your right elbow toward your left knee. If they can touch – great! If they can’t touch – great! Then immediately switch sides and bring your right knee back while straightening your left leg and bring your left elbow toward your right knee.

If you want a lower intensity version without the chair, you can do this with your feet on the ground and just lift your knees one at a time while twisting.

In a chair, sit toward the forward edge and lean back slightly, place your hands behind your head/ears as above. Raise your right knee as you bring your left elbow toward it and then return and switch sides.

We are not going for speed. This should be a slower, controlled movement. You are better off doing them slowly and getting your full ROM in rather that going for speed at the cost of form. Focus more on the twisting action than anything else.

Keep your chin lifted away from your chest, looking up instead of straight forward and keep your lower back engaged with the floor to prevent back strain.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
6-8 bicycle crunches (3-4 per side alternating legs)
10-15 no rope jumps
CIRCUIT
2-3x
6-8 Tate presses
6-8 sit-ups, anchored or unanchored
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

There are so many options with this move. It is beneficial for core strength and activation. We think that our legs are what keep us upright, and while true it is only partially true. We really need that strong core to keep our upper body from just flopping around. Working on your core now is the way to keep from falling over later. It is this portion of your physique that catches you when you trip or stumble.

The United States Marine Corps has a saying: Eat the apple and (*&%$ the Corps. While not exactly the same and the spelling is a bit different – get tough with your core.

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White or Red?

Today we’re working with something called a grapevine (there are some other names for it – crossover, Carioca, and braiding). This is an agility exercise and it incorporates some cardio. In my experience, it is also mental work. It improves hip mobility and coordination as well as my favorite – balance. We need some space for this as we will be stepping side to side.

The brain part of this move is remembering where your foot was for the last step because it involves crossing on leg first behind and then next in front. Once you get the hang of the move, you just fly with it. It is normally done as part of a warm-up move. And while it is necessary to go slow while you are learning the move itself, it is fun to go fast once you have mastered it.

Start by standing tall. Step right with your right foot. Cross your left foot behind your right foot. Step over with your right foot. Cross your left foot in front of your right foot. Complete the number of steps or the distance and then go back to your original starting point and lead each step with your left foot.

Tips for success: start slow. Master the sequence before you try to pick up any speed. And if you feel even the slightest bit unbalanced, do this next to a wall or counter so you can hold on for support. Take small steps. This isn’t a distance sprint, it is controlled movement. Keep your core tight and your shoulders relaxed as you move.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
12-20 grapevine steps (6-10 in each direction)
5-6 good mornings with DB/KB
CIRCUIT
2-3x
4-5 Poliquin step ups per side with or without weights
5-6 dual DB kickbacks
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

I find this one of the more fun moves in the gym. Not straining anything, except my brain, and feeling like a whiz kid. While doing CrossFit, I could even keep up with the youngsters with this one which is perhaps, why I liked it so much.

I hope you have as much fun with it as I have.

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Up, Up and Away

Today we’re working with lying or supine leg raises. These can be done from a chair or standing as well, should you not do floor work. They work slightly different muscles from a chair or standing.

The main muscles worked are the hip flexors as they are responsible for moving your legs up and down. This is also a core exercise as you tighten the core for stability. It works the quads and adductors (inner thigh) muscles to keep your legs straight.

Lie on the floor or if you choose, you can do this lying on your bed. Place your hands, palm down, under your glutes or tailbone to support your lower back and pelvis.

The ideal is to keep your legs perfectly straight. The reality is you can bend them slightly or even to a 90° angle and you are still doing the movement. Raise your legs as high as possible or up to a 90° angle with your torso – whichever comes first. Then slowly lower your legs back down with control and again, the ideal is to hover your heels off the floor. However if your feet touch the floor, it’s just what happened. The trick with the lowering part is that you should press your lower back into the floor while doing it.

Tips: avoid arching your lower back. Put your hands under your butt to act as a brace here. The other help is to tighten your core. Bring your belly button to your spine to activate the proper musculature and to protect your back.

From a chair, sit tall near the front of the seat and grab the sides for stability. Raise your feet off the floor until your legs are straight and then lower them.

From standing, hold on to something for support and swing your legs one at a time (all one side and then all the other side) as high as possible before lowering the leg back to the ground.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
4-5 leg raises (if done standing this is per side)
3-4 bird dog per side
CIRCUIT
3-4x
3-4 push ups of choice
20-30 steps of DB farmer carry (weight is in both hands)
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

This move is challenging for me. I have to concentrate to not arch my back. My feet really want to rest on the floor between moves. So I struggle to maintain the proper form. That is part of gym life. It is supposed to be a challenging environment. It isn’t supposed to be demoralizing or harmful. The joy doesn’t always come in the during part, but sometimes the joy come in the having completed the stuff part.

I’ve been doing this stuff for almost 14 years now and I have yet to be unhappy with having had the strength and determination and grit to actually do the workouts. I will admit, there was one that was just not going to work with my body and my heart, so I skipped it. Not too bad, one in fourteen years of 4-5 gym visits per week. And, I was told that no one could do what was written on the board and they changed it half way through the workout. So I felt better. I was also still able to walk normally, which is always a plus. And I did come home and do something else to get a workout in.

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Robin Hood and His Merry Men

Today we are channeling Sherwood Forest adventures with banded bow and arrow moves. We will be using a resistance band and any type of resistance band can work.

This exercise targets the upper back, rear deltoid, and shoulders. It helps with posture as well.

So how is this done?

Stand tall with feet shoulder width apart while holding your band in both hands. The closer your hands are together, the more stretch you will need, the farther apart, the less intense the move. You choice here. The band should be held at shoulder height.

Extend one arm as the anchor and pull the other arm back, bending your elbow, as if you are drawing an arrow.

You can either start by already facing in one direction or you can rotate your body while pulling back on your “arrow”. Slowly return to your starting position.

The key here is to choose the correct band AND to position your hands so you get some pull, but can still elicit the full range of motion. The pulling arm drawing the arrow backwards should be done with the elbow slightly lower than your shoulder but not any lower. Keep your chest up throughout the move.

For some added oomph, you can squeeze your shoulders at the height of the pull and it helps ease shoulder tension coming from leaning over a phone, computer, book, whatever.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
8-10 arrows per side
8-10 mountain climbers 4-5 per side
CIRCUIT
2-3x
6-8 dual hammer curls
6-8 Russian twists
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

You get to regulate the intensity of this move. Your band selection in one part of the equation, but where you place your hands is also key. You want some tension on the band throughout, but you need full ROM to get the benefit of the exercise.

We did these at Silver Sneakers quite frequently. The challenge there was trying to get an entire room full of people all facing in the same directions. While doing this at home, that is no longer a problem. So that’s nice.

I hope you enjoy the move. And I hope the Sheriff of Nottingham doesn’t come looking for us.

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Put That Where?

Today’s move is a tricky one. It’s even trickier under lots of weight. We will be using a PVC pipe or a broom handle or something of that sort. It does need to be a solid stick of some type. A belt will not give you the proper move. We are doing overhead squats.

This move uses just about everything. It targets the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves for the squat part and then it also brings in the shoulders, traps, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, and triceps for holding the bar, and of course – the core for holding it all together. That’s a lot of activity going on. But it really isn’t that difficult.

Stand tall, chest up and all that. Hold the bar (pipe, handle, stick) it a wide grip called a snatch grip. This means your hands are spread very wide towards the ends of the bar. Bring the bar overhead. While “pulling the bar apart” you want the bar aligned directly over your ears/hips/midfoot (which should all be in a nice line). Now squat to a comfortable depth, pushing your hips back and keeping your chest up. Drive up through your heels to return to a standing position. That means don’t come up on your toes, but keep your feet flat on the ground.

It sometimes helps to focus on something on a wall in front of you. This keeps you from bending forward as you squat.

Another tip is to think about pushing the bar up into the ceiling throughout the move in order to keep it stable.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
3 up/down dog
2 eagle arm – 1 with each arm on top and hold for 10-15 seconds each side
CIRCUIT
2-3x
3-4 overhead squats
4-6 triceps press
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

Overhead squats take a lot of stability. The goal is to break parallel with your squat, however, it is not necessary to do so. We are all in different places in life and we each can do only what we can do.

The reason for doing all this nonsense in the first place is to remind ourselves that with practice we can do more and more and even more. Working out is a way to stretch, strengthen, and condition some muscles that may have been spending too much time with Netflix and Chill.

We can do hard things. We can do fun things. We can do freaking amazing things.

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I’ll Be Bach

Today we are channeling Arnold Schwarzenegger. Do not be afraid. We can do this because we are strong, we are motivated, we are capable. That, and it really isn’t scary at all.

This is a shoulder comprehensive compound exercise. That means it targets all three heads of the deltoid muscle. See? Not scary. It also engages the triceps, trapezius, and rotator cuff muscles for stability with the move.

This is unlike a normal DB press because we will be rotating the DB. Due to that rotation, it hits more of those deltoid muscles. Also because of the rotation, it helps to strengthen the smaller stabilizing muscles in the shoulder that support the rotator cuff.

Because it doing all this stuff to the shoulder, if you have a shoulder injury, don’t do this until you are healed and get permission from a health care professional. Of course, you should always make sure you are in good enough shape to start any activity, but I thought I would put that caveat in here again just to remind us that “You are in charge of your own health,” says Dr. Paul Zalzal.

This can be done either sitting or standing, but we will be seated. You can have a back support or not as you wish. Hold the DBs at shoulder height with palms facing toward you. Your elbows are bent here.

Press the DB upward and as you press, rotate the DBs outwardly so your palms face forward or away from you at the top of the movement. Extend your arms fully, locking your elbows at the top and give your shoulders a little squeeze. Then lower the DBs while rotating them back to the original position with palms facing you.

Try to keep the movement fluid. It is a slow, controlled move. We aren’t racing. The goal is full range of motion, not heavier weights. This move does require serious shoulder mobility, so if you are not there, just do a regular DB press or some arm circles.

The DB should not be resting on your shoulders at the bottom of the movement. Choose a lighter weight than a standard shoulder press. Keep your spine straight, without arching.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
6 large arm circles frontwards and backwards (6 each way)
6 inchworms OR 12 jumping jacks
CIRCUIT
3-4x
6-8 Arnold presses
6-8 hammer curls
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

I find it amazing that I can do an Arnold Schwarzenegger exercise. It make me feel like a real gym person. It legitimizes things for me. I hope you can successfully manage this move. However, it is not recommended for those with shoulder problems.

If you are uncertain, try the move without weights and see if you feel any discomfort or pinging or anything untoward. If it feels good, continue. If it doesn’t, stop. That’s really the way to do anything in the gym. It shouldn’t ever hurt. That’s not the goal or the purpose. It is to make us better, not worse.

Stay balanced.

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List of workouts. If you need to refresh options for movements, the links to the explanations are found here. Each blog post also links to the appropriate video.

What a Heel

Today we are going to be working with a move called a Heel Walk. It is, amazingly enough, simply walking on your heels.

It is not hard to understand, but it is a bit tricky to actually do. This is because it challenges our balance, something that naturally diminishes (unless we fight for it) as we age.

The basic muscles targeted in this move are the shin muscles. But it also takes core strength, so you are working that as well. And to stabilize your knee/leg, you activate the quads. It also gives a bit of a stretch to your calf muscles. This move helps to improve ankle stability.

Stand up straight. Chest up. Shoulders back and shoulder blades pulled down. Shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles are all stacked one on top of the other. Feet are hip distance apart.

Lift your toes and the balls of your feet off the ground. If you are unstable, do this next to a wall or counter so you have some support should you need it. You can also have a PVC pipe in hand to use as a cane if that is needed. Walk forward on your heels.

As you move forward, try to keep your elbows close to your body. However, if you need your arms to act as wings for balance, do that. Your arms move back and forth as they normally do when walking.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
20 second heel to toe stand for each foot
accumulate 20 seconds with a single leg stand per side
12 knee raises with tap
CIRCUIT
2-3x
10-12 heel walking steps
6-8 goblet squats to a target
1 squat thrust
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

I remember walking around like this as a kid just because it was fun. It was just a funny way to walk, took no effort, and was a way to kill some time.

It’s more difficult now. Mostly because I haven’t taken the time just to move around having fun with life in the last half century or so. We should do that more often. Move through life finding little pockets of fun, of joy, of challenge, of confirmation that we are still here, still able to laugh, still able to find happiness in the smallest of places.

Or perhaps, give yourself a pedicure and then make sure you don’t mess up the polish. Whatever works.

I hope this move brings back some great memories or gives you a chance to make some for future reference. Hold on if needed. Your sense of balance is not the same as so long ago. Be careful when needed, have fun often, laugh at the situation when possible.

Stay balanced.

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List of workouts. If you need to refresh options for movements, the links to the explanations are found here. Each blog post also links to the appropriate video.

Raid? Flyswatter?

We’ve worked with dead bug before, but wait … there’s more. Today’s dead bug comes with dumbbells.

Dead bugs are great abdominal/core exercises as they work the transverse and rectus abdominis muscles as well as the obliques. Front and sides of the belly. They also engage hip flexors and stabilize the lower back. When adding the DBs, we get some shoulder and triceps work as well. AND the contralateral movement works on our balance and enforces cognitive function.

The movement is the same as the previous dead bug. You start on your back. Have your DBs in your hands with palms facing each other. Arms are up toward the ceiling. Raise your legs up and bend the knees to a 90° angle. You should like like tabletop position upside down.

Engage the core and press your lower spine into the floor to remove any gap. Slowly lower your right leg to the straight position while also bringing your left arm holding the DB behind your head. Bring arm and leg back to starting position and do a rep on the other side.

While lowering both arm and leg, they should hover slightly above the floor. Neither the heel nor the weight go completely to the ground.

If the floor is not for you, from a chair – sit forward on the chair with feet flat on the floor. Hold a DB in each hand, palms facing and arms held straight at shoulder level. Engage the core while simultaneously extending your right arm with the weight overhead and your left leg outward (or lift the knee). Return to the starting position and switch sides for next rep. Remember here, you have to stay balanced in the chair. Don’t sit too far forward.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
6 DB frog pumps
10-15 second boat pose hold
CIRCUIT
2-3x
8-10 dead bugs with DB (4-5 per side)
8-10 mountain climbers (4-5 per side)
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

I’ve seen these done with a single DB instead of one in each hand. This is great if you are using larger weights, but if you are using a smaller DB, your hands are too close together and you will stress your shoulders.

There are loads of different ways to do dead bugs. They range from beginner to advanced and include weighted, banded, and isometric options. When I asked Google for a list, they gave me 12 different option. Some of them looked quite extravagant? terrifying? questionable? I love the movement itself. It is great for not just muscle work, but brain work. That’s the beauty of moving opposite arms/legs.

I hope you play with this move and have some fun with it. It’s great for core work. And your core is essential for staying balanced. This is something I know is needed.

Stay balanced.

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List of workouts. If you need to refresh options for movements, the links to the explanations are found here. Each blog post also links to the appropriate video.

The Farmer in the Dell

Today we are going to be working with a farmer carry. Each time I do this, I am reminded of my father who grew up on a dairy farm. He didn’t go to the gym. He carried two 10 gallon (80 pound) metal containers of milk to the truck and put them up on the bed. He didn’t need a gym, he had life.

Why, I hear you ask, are we doing this stuff? Because, grip strength is a powerful biomarker for overall health, functional capacity, and reflects muscle mass, nutritional status, and aging. A low hand grip strength is associated with risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, sarcopenia (muscle loss), and the biggy – mortality.

First, establish where you are going to carry your weights. Make sure you have a clear path set up. The idea is to hold something heavy in your hands. When using a KB, it is taken from the floor. DBs can be sitting on a chair/bench/table. These can be done with only one weight where you carry the object for half the distance, switch hands, and return. We are going to be using two DBs, one in each hand.

Stand with your DBs held at your sides. Try not to bang the weights into your legs. Walk slowly, with chest and head held high. Avoid leaning over or swinging the weights. Get to the end of your path and turn by making a loop at the end of your path to return. If you are turn without looping, be careful not to go too fast and hurt your knee. This is why I prefer the loop method.

When this is on the menu here, we walk to the end of the driveway and back. But we don’t have a tremendously long driveway. The distance you travel is less important than the ability to hold the weights steady and move along.

Today’s workout:
2-3x
5 dislocates and pass throughs each movement
10 march in place with 5/leg
10 jumping jacks
CIRCUIT
3-4x
12 calf raises
20-30 paces farmer carry (10-15 out and 10-15 back)
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

Grip strength is needed for everyday life. It’s how we carry stuff like grocery bags or even our purses. But we don’t often think about it. Working on this means you are doing the work that helps with things like cardiovascular health and defeating sarcopenia. Living a long, full life is great goal. And it’s one I hope we all reach.

Be brave and increase the weights if you can. It’s amazing how much you can really do. I hope you have fun with this. The only time I don’t is when I’m wandering around in the driveway and it is cold and raining. Otherwise, I get to just see how tough I can be.

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List of workouts. If you need to refresh options for movements, the links to the explanations are found here. Each blog post also links to the appropriate video.

Calling Cleopatra

Today we’re working with a yoga pose that has a Sanskrit name I can’t pronounce so we are sticking with sphinx pose. This is a floor exercise, but can be done from a chair.

It is a gentle back bend and helps with posture, spinal strength, and can relieve back and neck pain.

We begin by lying on our belly and legs extended behind. Place your forearms flat on the ground, parallel to each other and elbows directly under your shoulders. Make sure your feet are comfortable and then press up onto your forearms. Then hold the position and look straight ahead. Roll your shoulder blades down your back so your shoulders aren’t hunching up to your ears.

Don’t try to over stretch here. We aren’t doing cobra, we are doing sphinx and you adjust to keep a slight bend, not an acute angle. If it hurts, lower yourself. Pain isn’t the goal. Do not do this if you have serious spinal conditions.

From a chair, sit on the forward part of the seat, lean forward, place your elbows or forearms on your knees or thighs. This will give you a curve and you can lift your chin for a deeper stretch. If you would rather, you can sit in chair, hold on to the top or sides of the back of the chair, pulling your chest forward and upward as this will also give you a slight curve and stretch.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
8 baby steps also called heel-to-toe walk (4 forward and 4 backwards)
30-60 second sphinx hold
CIRCUIT
2-3x
8 DB or KB sumo deadlift high pull (DB is 4/side; KB is 8)
6-8 lunges (walking if possible; if not alternate legs with 3-4/leg)
add or subtract weight as needed
rest as needed

I have been doing yoga for years and do a 20 minute stretching session each day before I come down to the gym. I do 6 moves for 3 minutes each and have a 30 second pause to reposition between each move. Once a week, I do a 3 minute sphinx pose. It really does help my back. I hope that works for you, as well.

Yoga poses are nice for stretching and for making you hold a position for some time. I would highly suggest that instead of counting seconds, you set a time and try to breathe in and out, deeply and with awareness. It helps with the whole yoga experience.

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List of workouts. If you need to refresh options for movements, the links to the explanations are found here. Each blog post also links to the appropriate video.