This variation on the leaning calf stretch targets the second muscle that makes up your calves – the Soleus muscle. It sits behind the Gastrocnemius muscle and is more of a longer sheath of muscle compared to the somewhat bulked up look of the Gastrocnemius.
An easy stretch that can be done practically anywhere there is something you can lean into. By straightening out the back leg and keeping that heel on the ground, we can get a great stretch through the calf muscles of that leg. In particular the Gastrocnemius muscle which is that mango shaped muscle we generally see as the calf muscle.
In this progression, we throw in some extra challenge by having the swiss ball under us. By holding the body in correct alignment, you will also want to squeeze your glutes to help you stay on the ball.
If you are unable to get your head against the wall, try propping a towel that is rolled up enough to enable you have your head against it.
In this progression, the wall angel is done without any support under the hips. By holding the body in correct alignment, you will want to try and get your elbows against the wall and if possible your wrists too.
If you are unable to get your head against the wall, try propping a towel that is rolled up enough to enable you have your head against it.
This exercise isolates your quadriceps. This is also an exercise where you need to keep your ego in check as you don’t need to kick out a lot of reps with ALL THE WEIGHTS. A lighter weight with controlled movements should do the trick nicely.
Dead Lifts are often considered to be the biggest and most beneficial lift in the gym. It makes sense as to why too. The number of muscles recruited and the amount of weight the body can lift are both impressive and very effective in changing your body.
The Dead Lift is also one of the more technical lifts in the gym but if you learn correctly first time around, they can be seen as a simple lift! Afterall – it is simply lifting a dead weight from the floor 🙂
This is a great exercise to get some control and activation happening in your glute and hamstrings. The aim of this exercise is control your descent down to the floor. If you kinda free fall and then “plonk” to hit the floor it means you didn’t control the movement with your glutes. Old ladies with lots of cats plonk – we don’t 🙂
The key to get the most out of this exercise is to ensure that the working legs knee never goes in front of the ankle. Directly above or slightly behind is the way to go. Also make sure when you get to the top of the movement you are leaning back and that there is tension in your arms at all times!
This exercise is an evolution of your standard Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls. It’s a great exercise to really get a serious contraction happening in the hamstrings as well as engaging your glutes as well.
To make this exercise more challenging, you can have only your elbows pressed into the ground which reduces your stability. To make it more difficult again, have your arms straight up in the air.
The Swiss ball back extension builds strength and stability in the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. Performing the exercise on a Swiss ball will actively engage the core and improve balance.
This is a great exercise to really get your biceps contracting. In the kneeling position and with your elbows above your head, the bicep is able to contract to its shortest position meaning you can really get some fantastic tension and pump in muscle. The cable machine enables you train the biceps with a different force curve also.
14 March, 2017 Annnnd it’s that time of year again. The Biggest Loser is almost upon us and that effectively means we are about to see some “amazing” transformations in 8 weeks. Errgh.
7 March, 2017 Surprise! It’s Kidney Health Week! I know, I know.. like I needed to remind you all! It’s totally etched into your brain like your birthday is, like Christmas Day and Easter. No? Doesn’t ring a bell? At all?
18 February, 2017 Another year, another Hallmark Valentine’s Day. I like to think that you should show your significant other that you value and love them every day which ultimately makes Valentine’s Day a pointless exercise. Save for buying cards, flowers and chocolates. Giving gifts is nice and all but often certain indulgences are what…
Carbohydrates – HIGH ENERGY Carbohydrates – LOW ENERGY Carbohydrates – HIGH ENERGY Consume within the metabolic window! Food examples: FAST ABSORBING: Glucose, Maltose, Maltodextrin, Sucrose. Examples include Gatorade, Powerade, or other sports drinks. GRAINS: All Breads (Whole Grains Are the Most Nutritious), All Pasta (Whole Grain Varieties Are the Most Nutritious), All Types of Rice…
This exercise is a deceptively challenging exercise to help activate the often pesky Glute Medius. Strengthening this muscle will assist with keeping your pelvis aligned. It is quite often used for eliminating knee and back pain as when the muscle is weak, it causes the hips to cock out to the side which puts the lower back into play and also can put the knee out of optimum biomechanical alignment. You will feel the burn on this one!
This is a great exercise for targeting your lats but one side at a time. It is also a handy one to use if you are attempting rebalance your self in the situation of having one side of the body being weaker than the other. Focus on posture and technique is better achieved doing this motion also.
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