Tag Archives: lower back

V Crunch

Posted on by
Reply

I have a challenging, stomach and leg burning abdominal exercise for the Home Exercise of the Week!  It’s called the V Crunch and the lactic acid build up in your abs may make you want to cry but in the end it’s worth it!

The great part of this exercise is you will be working your upper and lower abdominals at the same time as well as your hip flexors.  That being said, if you have lower back issues I recommend only lowering your legs a little bit to keep the strain off your back or keep them up throughout the movement.

Some key points to remember when doing the V Crunch:

  • start by laying flat on your mat with your arms overhead and legs straight out
  • slowly raise your legs up keeping them straight while at the same time raising your arms and shoulders off the mat until your hands and legs meet in the middle and hold for a second before lowering
  • it’s important to keep your head in line with your spine during this move so you don’t strain your neck
  • slowly lower your arms and legs back down but stop before touching the floor.  This will keep the tension on your abs throughout the exercise
  • keep your abs flexed and your lower back pressed against the floor by pulling your belly button in towards your spine
  • exhale as you raise your arms and legs up and inhale on your way back down

So there you have the V Crunch.  Add this in to your ab routine or throw it in to a superset and feel the tear inducing burn!

Wall Sit Shoulder Press

Posted on by
2

It’s time for another Home Exercise of the Week!  Get your legs and shoulders fired up with the Wall Sit Shoulder Press.

From the video, it may look simple enough but don’t let that fool you…this will burn!  Grown men have almost cried because of the wall sit, curses have been vocalized through clenched teeth, and sweat has poured down grimaced faces.  I know it sounds horrible and you might be thinking “Craig, why would I ever want to put myself through that?”.

Well the answer to your question is you will gain more strength and endurance in your legs, you will increase strength and mobility in your shoulders, and you will strengthen the deep core muscles of your trunk and your spinal muscles.  All that plus if you’re weird like me, you might even think it’s fun! (Ok I’ll be honest…it’s more fun making people do it than actually doing it!)

The wall sit portion of this exercise is isometric which means you are working your muscles without any movement at the joint.  This is great for building strength and endurance.

Some key points to remember when doing the Wall Sit Shoulder Press:

  • make sure your knees are directly over your ankles
  • slide down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor
  • keep your back pressed firmly against the wall
  • press your arms back against the wall as much as you can throughout the movement (you may not be able to maintain contact with the wall throughout the exercise at first but over time your mobility will increase)
  • exhale as your press up and inhale as you lower your arms

So there you have the Wall Sit Shoulder Press.  Start with a couple sets of 12 repetitions or a couple of timed sets of 30 seconds at the end your leg or shoulder workout and feel the burn!

Plank Crawl

Posted on by
Reply

If you live in Canada, the Thanksgiving long weekend just finished and if you are like me, you took advantage of that and indulged in some good food!  Now it’s time to get back to your routine of healthy eating and regular exercise and this week’s Home Exercise of the Week may help you burn off some of those extra calories consumed over the past few days!

This week I will be talking about the Plank Crawl!  From the video demonstration, you might have visions of this being done in army boot camps through dirt and mud and under barbed wire but this exercise can be done in the comfort of your own home.  I say comfort but I wouldn’t say this is a comfortable exercise!  Far from it actually.  The Plank Crawl will challenge you and get your core working in ways that you may not be used to.

The Plank Crawl will work your core like the regular plank but the added movement will add a cardiovascular component to the exercise and you will also be improving your coordination.  Your shoulders, legs, and lower back muscles will be involved as well giving you a full body workout!

Important tips to remember when performing the Plank Crawl:

  • keep your abs contracted throughout the movement (pull your belly button up towards your spine)
  • keep your body as straight as possible
  • go forward and backward in small movements

Start with one to two timed sets of 30 seconds and build your way up to 1 minute sets.  If you need an extra challenge or if you are thinking of enlisting in the army, wear a weighted vest or heavy back pack.  I guarantee your muscles will be burning!

So there you have the Plank Crawl.  Give it a shot and let me know how it feels.  Happy crawling! 🙂