The Leg Press has often had a bad reputation in the gym. Elitists mocking it because EVERYONE SHOULD SQUAT. Yeah, whatever ya big meat heads.
The Leg press has a multitude of uses that make it a fantastic piece of equipment. You can go much heavier than with squats, you can use it for rehabilitation.. the list can go on.
Ensuring that your back isn’t copping the load is important and remember – it shouldn’t matter how heavy you lift.. we want a weight that does the job. You’d be surprised as to how many people lift too heavy and don’t get the full benefits of the Leg Press!
Believe it or not – most people simply don’t know how to do a plank properly.
Nope! No idea!
Then when they learn, they realise how challenging it can be. This is where the modified plank comes in. Allowing you to understand the biomechanics of the exercise and making it easier to focus on technique.
If you are in your 30’s and above.. you might remember a TV commercial for product called the Stable Table? The tray that had a pillow underneath so that you could balance things better on the tray? It was AWESOME. But anyway.
This exercise is named after that universe altering product as when you sit down into what is basically a one legged squat, your lap should be level enough so that you could rest your stable table on it!
Some tips on this one!
Make sure your knee does not collapse in and does not track forward.
When someone says “have a stretch”, this is often the first stretch they think of – and that’s no bad thing!
The Quad stretch is a great one as often we get tight in the hips and the quads can contribute to this tightness.
It’s a rare situation that this one occurs but hey.. if it happens – we have to fix it!
Due to the posture we take when sitting at a computer, it is common for shoulders to roll forwards, our chest to become tight and our back to become tight and weak. Also included in this postural deviation is that our humerus bone can also rotate inwards. Given that when we sit at a computer, often we have our right hand on the mouse which means our right hand is on the outside of our elbow.. whereas on the left side, our elbow is often on the outside of our hand which is on the keyboard. It is often that it is our left shoulder that has problems because our humerus bone is used to being rotated inwards so that the left hand can be on the keyboard. When this happens, the muscles that externally rotate the humerus bone become weak and stop doing their job.
This exercise is designed to get them firing again and if you have this one prescribed to you – DON’T GIVE UP DOING THEM. Yes they can feel like you aren’t doing much but let’s put it this way.. the muscles in question are small… so therefore the amount of weight and movement required isn’t going to be much either.
Keep at it because if you don’t get this issue sorted, you are in for a world of problems later on!
This stretch is something SO. MANY. PEOPLE. SHOULD. DO.
Especially if you work at a computer.
Tight upper trapezius muscles cause so many problems. It can cause headaches, dominance over other muscles, protracted shoulders.. the list goes on! Doing this stretch is a fantastic way to help avoid these problems!
Big tip for this exercise is to be very gentle with the tilting of your head. There is no need to rip it to the side. Gentle is key!
Why aren’t you doing it already? WHY??
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This stretch is more a yoga pose but hey – it works! Fantastic for stretching out the hips and hamstrings and that’s a good thing. This particular pose is a SCREAMING PIGEON. How extreme!
The calf release using a foam roller is a great way of releasing those tight calf muscles. Due to postural imbalances, the calves can become tight so this is a great way to sort them out!
Due to so many people being in a seated position for many hours of the day, the hip flexors (Tensor Facia Lata and Psoas Major) tend to get a bit tight and ultimately can cause the pelvis to tilt forward which can lead to lower back tightness and soreness. This neat stretch can help stretch those pesky hip flexors out and avoid the tightening happening in the lower back!
The Pec Stretch is something that nearly everyone should do.. REGULARLY. We often get so tight through the shoulders and often the chest muscles are the ones that play a part in this tightness.
This stretch is a minor but vital variation on the good old pec stretch.
The Pec Minor stretch stretches out and helps loosen up tight and protracted shoulders which is ever so important for those who work in offices or do anything heavy lifting wise where the weight is needed to be lifted or dragged down and toward you.
Initially a tricky release to get positioned for, the wall scrum is actually a pretty awesome substitute for a well placed elbow, which some of us might even welcome!
This exercise can be done on a post, a door frame.. pretty much any object that allows you to get into the position. You can do this without a towel but we generally suggest using one to make it somewhat more comfortable!
Given it’s name due to the similarities to the stance used by Sumo Wrestlers, the Sumo Squat is a great butt shaper!
The Split squat is effectively a fancy term for a lunge. Let’s be honest đŸ˜‰
This is a great exercise to get your quads and glutes firing. It also has a number of great variations that can change things up for your program.
This is one of the big exercises on the gym floor. Many do it incorrectly and many could stand to implement it into the program.
A few tips on this exercise!
1. You can do this exercise with an underhanded grip of an overhand grip
2. If you find it difficult to maintain the angle of your spine, use a bench put on an incline to prop up your chest!
3. It is important to try not to shrug your shoulders up to your ears.
Bench Press – One of the staples of the gym.. yet scarily enough – most people don’t know how to do it safely or effectively.
Things to note are that your connection to the ground through your feet and thus ability to engage your core will help your lift to no end. You should be able to lift your hips off the bench by pushing through your feet.
Bar positioning above the chest is very important. You want the bar to always be above the wrists, elbows and shoulders.
In this image, you can see that the forearms are vertical in from a side and front view. It is vital that you keep the weight stacked in this way to keep the lift about working the right muscles!
If the weight begins to be a struggle, by pushing into the floor with your feet, engaging your core and lifting your hips from the bench can aid in getting that last rep out!
The pull up is such a strong and versatile exercise. You don’t need any real equipment other than something above your head and able to be hung onto.