This is a great exercise to help with your overall core strength. This even helps with how to do a handstand!
The Dumbbell Seated Calf Raise is a clever alternative for those who do not have a machine based seated calf raise machine. In some ways this set up is actually better than a machine, mainly due to the knees being more free and the sensation of trying to lift your heels up and forward is slightly more effective!
The couch stretch is great for opening the hips by stretching out the quads and hip flexors. The main thing to remember with this one is that quite often people will be tight through these muscle structures so it may not take much to get that stretch happening. Each time you do it, try and increase the angle and positioning! This stretch is great for doing against the couch (hence the name) and also against a flat bench in the gym. Pop a rolled towel or pillow under that knee for comfort!
This is a great exercise for engaging your oblique muscles. Evolutions of this exercise can involve dropping and elevating your hips from that standard straight bodied position.
When I was lying in hospital post surgery and unable to move let alone eat anything solid, my loyal and loving friends brought me in gifts to make me feel better. Or more accurately, to have a laugh at the fact I could only have clear liquids. The theme of their gifts was chocolate. Lots…
Often it can be a case that lower back pain is compounded by certain structures getting tight which makes it difficult to allow the lower back to be in the correct anatomical position. Your Quadratus Lumborum (QL) and Latissimus Dorsi muscles are two such muscles that can be inhibiting your lower back to be neutral! You QL attachment points are the Iliac crest of your hip and the twelfth rib and the tranverse processes of your lumbar vertebrae L1-L4. This stretch is great for stretching these structures!
Body weight exercises are the best way for PTs to illustrate that you can indeed to exercise nearly ANYWHERE at ANYTIME. I say nearly because a funeral or during a fire drill are 2 such examples of times and places that they are not appropriate. Where was I? Oh yes – Bicycles. Great core exercise that really allows you get those pesky obliques!
This recipe came about because I *was* diligently organising myself to do meal prep and I then realised my diligence was rubbish as the turkey mince I had bought smelled weird and I wasn’t going going to chance it. No big deal. No meat – I figured it was a good opportunity to vegetarian it…
Dumbbell Press is a great exercise to progress to from doing your standard barbell bench press. It forces your muscles to work harder to stabilise the movement and means you get more engagement in your shoulder joints.
Lateral raises are easy in that you don’t need much weight but challenging because they are hard work! A lot of people go too heavy with these and sacrifice form for feeding their ego. Let’s not be one of those people eh? đŸ˜€
When starting your weight session, you will need to warm up! Part of the warm up process is ensuring your muscles are ready to engage in the task at hand. This means you need the blood pumping and the nerves innervating your muscles firing and ready to kick arse. The Warm up Calculator allows a…
This one is just for you Lilian!
Your big swinging, pronounced movements!
A simple calf stretch that can be done on any step – provided the step is deep enough to allow you to drop your heels low enough! You can do this stretch both feet at a time or you can do one foot at a time to really get that targeted stretch for each calf.
This is an easy calf stretch that can be done anywhere there is a step. This stretch helps target the Gastrocnemius part of the calves.
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.