Tag Archives: glutes

Reverse Lunge Dumbbell Bicep Curl

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Hello, it’s a new week which means it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week!  This time I have a great full body exercise for you called the Reverse Lunge Dumbbell Bicep Curl.

The Reverse Lunge Dumbbell Bicep Curl requires a bit of coordination but with some practice it will get easier.  With this exercise you will primarily be working on your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, and forearms.  You will also be working on the stabilizer muscles of your ankles as well as your core when progressing through the movement.

If you don’t have a set of dumbbells that’s okay.  You can use any object around the house like soup cans or water bottles.  Ideally you would want something a little heavier but if nothing else you will still benefit from the curling motion of the arms.

Here are the key performance points:

  • stand tall with shoulders back, chest held high, and a dumbbell in each hand at your side with your palms facing forward
  • take a big step back with your right leg and bend at both knees until your legs are at 90 degree angles
  • while lunging in to this bottom position you want to curl the weights up at the same time while maintaining that palm forward hand position and squeezing your bicep muscles
  • stay as upright as possible throughout the movement and keep your shoulders back and chest held high
  • from this bottom lunge position, press through the heel of your left foot to drive yourself back up to the starting position
  • on your way back up to the starting position, slowly lower the dumbbells back down to your sides with that same palm forward position
  • from this starting position, repeat the movement for your other leg and keep alternating legs until the desired number of reps are complete

So there you have the Reverse Lunge Dumbbell Bicep Curl.  As with any full body movement, your heart and lungs will work harder, you will burn more calories, and you will be sweating more.  It’s a tough one but the benefits are great!

If you like this exercise please leave a comment below or if you have any questions please ask.

See you next week with another new exercise!

TRX Pistol Squat

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Hello again, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week.  The exercise this week is a very challenging one that is done with a TRX suspension trainer.  It’s called the TRX Pistol Squat.  

The TRX in this exercise is mainly used to help maintain balance throughout the movement so if you don’t have one you can try doing the exercise without it, although it is much more difficult.  In this case I recommend standing close to something you can hold on to for support and balance like a squat rack or even a chair.  However, please do so with caution.

Let’s look at the muscles worked, benefits, and how to do the TRX Pistol Squat properly.

The TRX Pistol Squat is going to target your quadriceps, core muscles, glutes, and ankle stabilizers. 

By doing this exercise you’re going to:

  • improve your balance and coordination
  • build more unilateral strength – the strength of one limb versus the other (by doing unilateral movements you will help to correct any imbalances that may have occurred from doing regular squats)
  • have greater joint integrity and movement
  • enhance muscular activation

Here are the key points to doing the TRX Pistol Squat correctly:

  • grab the TRX handles and stand far enough back from the anchor point until your arms are almost fully extended
  • raise one foot off the ground and extend in front of you
  • firmly plant your other foot on the ground and place your body weight on to your heel
  • squat down while continuing to put your weight on to the heel
  • keep your back straight and push your hips back while squatting (like you’re going to sit down on to a chair)
  • keep your knee from extending past your toes as you squat down
  • lower your body until your butt almost touches the ground
  • from this bottom position push through your heel to raise yourself back up to the starting position
  • as you push up make sure to keep your knee and foot aligned and facing forward
  • use the TRX to help keep you aligned, balanced, and as a tool to help pull yourself back up as needed 

So there you have the TRX Pistol Squat.  It’s a very hard exercise but the benefits are great.

Give it a try and let me know how you do in the comments below.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Dumbbell Burpee Shoulder Press

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Hey there!  It has been a while since I’ve posted a new Home Exercise of the Week but the series is back and I have a whole bunch of new exercises to show you over the next few months.

This week I have the Dumbbell Burpee Shoulder Press.  This is a fantastic full body exercise that will target your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, core, shoulders, and triceps.  You will also get a really good cardiovascular workout from this exercise!  If you don’t have dumbbells that’s ok, you can use any substitute like a medicine ball, sandbag, or just put your hands up in the air.

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing the Dumbbell Burpee Shoulder Press properly.

  • have a pair of dumbbells (or substitute) in front of you at your feet
  • squat down and grab the handles of the dumbbells
  • from this position jump both feet back until you are in a full plank position while keeping your core flexed and tight
  • jump your feet back up to your hands and stand up with the dumbbells in your hands
  • press the weights up over your head to do the shoulder press
  • lower the weights back down to the floor and repeat

So there you have the Dumbbell Burpee Shoulder Press.  It’s a challenging exercise that will get you sweating and your heart pumping!

I’ll be back next week with another new exercise so stay tuned and feel free to leave a comment below about how you did with the exercise or if you have any questions.

Leg Tabatas

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Hey everyone!  I have a new Home Workout of the Week for you to do.  This time we are going to blast your legs.  Prepare yourself for this intense Leg Tabata Workout!  Your legs will be on fire but it’s definitely worth it.

Do what you can in the allotted time and build up your intensity.  Form is very important here to protect your knees and back and for the best results so make sure you practice the moves first before attempting the routine.

Have fun and let me know how you do!

Leg Tabata Workout

Tabata Protocol – 20 seconds of as many reps as you can do followed by 10 seconds of rest; 4 rounds of each pair of exercises followed by a 1 minute rest before moving on to the next pair of exercises

Warm-Up

  • 12 Body weight Squats
  • 12 Spiderman Climbs
  • 30 seconds of Jumping Jacks

Tabata 1

Tabata 2

Tabata 3

Tabata 4

Leg, Shoulder, and Core Workout

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Hey everyone!  Summer is fast approaching and that means less clothing and more of your body showing.  Here is a new Home Workout of the Week for you to do that will help you shed some unwanted pounds and tone your legs, shoulders, and abdominals!

This Leg, Shoulder, and Core Workout is part of a split routine and the rest of the workouts to go along with this one will be coming in the weeks ahead.  Do this workout at a minimum of once a week along with the other routines and you’ll be well on your way to a fit and toned summer body!

Note:  There are a lot of plyometric moves in this routine which means high impact, jumping moves.  If you are a beginner or have knee problems then I suggest you do not do any jumping and just do standard moves.  For example, in the Cross Body Punch Jump Squat you would just do the punches then squat but not jump.

Leg, Shoulder, and Core Workout

Warm-Up

  • 12 Bodyweight Squats
  • 10 Pushups
  • 12 Spiderman Climbs
  • 10 Spinal Rotations for each side
  • 10 Shoulder Circles for each arm

Superset 1

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds then repeat the superset 1 more time

Superset 2

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds then repeat the superset 1 more time

Superset 3

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds then repeat the superset 1 more time

Superset 4

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds then repeat the superset 1 more time