Tag Archives: lower back

Lying Windshield Wiper

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HOME EXERCISE OF THE WEEK

The Lying Windshield Wiper is a great ab exercise that is going to activate your core stabilizing muscles, specifically the obliques and the rectus abdominus muscle. The exercise also causes muscle activation of the gluteal muscles to help stabilize the hip and it is also beneficial for those with low back pain as the core activation component helps stabilize the spine.

The straight leg version as seen in the video is challenging so if you are having trouble maintaining proper form then you can bend your legs at the knees for an easier version.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Lying Windshield Wiper.

  • start by laying on the floor with your arms extended out to your sides and both legs raised up 90 degrees
  • pull your belly button in towards your spine to keep your abs engaged throughout the movement
  • slowly lower both legs to one side stopping short of touching the floor
  • return to the center and then lower both legs slowly to the other side
  • repeat for your desired amount of reps or time
  • as these get easier to do, try bringing your arms closer to your body so they offer less stability
  • bend your legs at the knees for an easier version if the straight leg version is too challenging

So there you have the Lying Windshield Wiper. You will be well on your way to a strong core with this one! Let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Pushup Bird Dog

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Hello! Here’s another new Home Exercise of the Week for you to try! This week I have another very challenging upper body and core exercise for you called the Pushup Bird Dog.

The Pushup Bird Dog is a compound move that’s going to work your chest, shoulders, triceps, abs, upper and lower back, and glutes. You will also be working on your balance and all the little stabilizer muscles as you perform the bird dog. This exercise will take some practice so start off slow until you get the move down and if you have trouble doing the full pushup, you can start with the modified from-the-knees version which I’ve included in the video demonstration. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Pushup Bird Dog.

  • start by getting in to a full pushup position with your hands and feet wider than your shoulders and keep your hands in line with your chest
  • squeeze your abs and your glutes to keep your body nice and straight and to prevent your hips from dropping
  • now lower your body down towards the floor until you’re almost touching while keeping your arms at about a 45 degree angle from your body
  • push back up and once you have returned to the starting position, extend your right arm and left leg up while bracing your abs until you feel a nice squeeze on your back and glutes
  • lower your arm and leg back down to the floor and repeat your pushup
  • now you will extend your left arm and right leg up once you have returned back to the starting position after the pushup
  • keep alternating arms and legs after each pushup for your desired amount of reps or time
  • perform the pushup from your knees for a slightly easier version if you have trouble doing the full pushup

So there you have the Pushup Bird Dog. It’s a tough one but it’s very effective in targeting your chest and core and it will greatly improve your balance and coordination. You will also look pretty bad ass while doing it!

Give it a shot and let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Superman Back Row Pushup

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Hey there, it’s time again for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This time I have a great core and upper body exercise for you to try called the Superman Back Row Pushup.

The Superman Back Row Pushup works quite a few different muscle groups so there are a lot of benefits to this one. You will be working your upper and lower back, your glutes and hamstrings, your chest, shoulders, and triceps, and also your abdominals. If you suffer from lower back pain from sitting at a desk all day then this is the move to do to strengthen up those muscles. Often times, a little strengthening of the muscles of the lower back goes a long way to giving some back pain relief and prevent back pain in the future.

So let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Superman Back Row Pushup.

  • start by laying face down on your mat with your arms fully extended over your head
  • while keeping your head and neck in line with your spine, squeeze your glutes and lift your head, arms, and legs straight up as high as you can 
  • when you can’t lift any higher, pull your elbows back and squeeze your back muscles
  • after getting a good flex in your upper back muscles, drop your hands down to the floor in line with your chest while lowering your feet back down to the floor at the same time
  • now push your body up on to your hands and toes and stop just before your arms fully lock out
  • lower your body back down to the floor and extend your arms over your head again while lifting up your legs and squeezing your glutes
  • repeat for your desired amount of reps or time
  • if you find it too challenging to do the full pushup, you can do the modified pushup from your knees as seen in the video demonstration

So there you have the Superman Back Row Pushup. This is one of my favourite exercises and it is a great one to add in to your upper body or full body routine.

Let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Single Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

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Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week!  This week’s exercise is called a Single Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift and it’s a great lower body exercise that will target your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back as well as working on balance and the stabilizer muscles of the ankle.

If you don’t have dumbbells, you can use any heavy object that is easy to hold on to or you can even do this without added weights and use your own body weight.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Single Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift.

  • grab on to a pair of dumbbells and hold them at your side while standing tall
  • lift your left foot off the floor and slightly bend your right knee
  • keep your back straight, your shoulders back, and bend at the waist to descend in to the deadlift
  • maintain the same slight bend in the right knee throughout the movement and let the weights hang freely from your arms
  • push your hips back while bending down and push your right knee outward to keep it from caving in
  • lower your upper body towards the floor until you feel a good stretch in the back of your right leg
  • squeeze your glutes and come back up to the starting position until you are standing nice and tall
  • keep your left foot off the floor as much as you can throughout your set unless you need to re-balance yourself
  • complete for your desired amount of reps or time and then repeat for your left leg

So there you have the Single Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift.  Add this in to your lower or full body routine and in time you will feel stronger and have more balance.

Let me know how you like this exercise in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Triangle Jump

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Hey, it’s Home Exercise of the Week time again and this week I have a cardiovascular and core exercise for you to try that I call the Triangle Jump.

The Triangle Jump is primarily a core exercise but you will also be working many other muscle groups including your shoulders, triceps, and legs.  This move is also kind of like a burpee which makes it a fairly intense cardiovascular exercise.  Your heart will be pumping and you will be sweating!

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Triangle Jump.

  • start in a full plank pushup position with your hands directly under your shoulders
  • engage your abs and glutes and keep your back straight
  • jump your feet forward so that they are tucked in underneath you
  • from this tucked position jump both feet back and out to the left at about a 45 degree angle
  • jump both feet back up to the middle and tucked in underneath you
  • now jump both feet back and out to the right at the same 45 degree angle
  • return to the middle and keep jumping side to side for your desired amount of reps or time
  • keep your abs and glutes flexed throughout the movement

So there you have the Triangle Jump.  It’s intense.  It will make you sweat.  Your muscles will be burning.  It will be worth it.

Let me know how you do with this one in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!