Tag Archives: shoulders

Spider Jump

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Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week!  This week I have a core and cardiovascular exercise for you to try called the Spider Jump.  This is a challenging exercise that will get you sweating and your heart pumping.  

The Spider Jump is a modification of the Running Mountain Climber and it will work your whole body but more specifically your abdominals and hip flexors.

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

  • start in a full plank position with your abs and glutes flexed and your hands directly under your shoulders
  • bring your left foot up and to the side of your body towards your left hand (if you’re flexible enough try to place your left foot just to the outside of your left hand)
  • from this position jump your right foot up towards the outside of your right hand while at the same time jumping your left foot back to the starting position
  • now jump your left foot up beside your left hand again while jumping your right foot back
  • keep jumping back and forth between your left and right foot until you reach your desired amount of reps or time
  • you can regress this movement to an easier version by stepping your feet up instead of jumping

So there you have the Spider Jump.  It’s not necessarily a fan favourite with my clients (I usually get a collective groan when I bust this one out) but very effective nonetheless!

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!

TRX Mountain Climber

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Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week!  This week I have a TRX suspension trainer exercise for you to try called the TRX Mountain Climber.

The TRX Mountain Climber is a great ab exercise that primarily works your abdominals and to a lesser degree, your hip flexors and quadriceps.  You will also be working your shoulders and triceps as they help to stabilize and hold you up throughout the movement.  If you do this exercise at a quick pace you will get a cardio workout as well.

If you don’t have a suspension trainer then I highly recommend getting one.  They are very handy to have as you can use it anywhere.  You can hook it on to a door in your home or attach it to a tree in a park.  As you can see in the video, I attached mine to a soccer net.  You can still do mountain climbers effectively though if you don’t have a suspension trainer.  The TRX just makes it a bit more fun and challenging!

Here are the key performance points for the TRX Mountain Climber.

  • hang the TRX straps so they are about 6 inches off the floor
  • place your feet in the stirrups so the tops of your feet are facing the floor
  • place your hands on the floor in line with your chest and take your knees off the floor so that you are now in a full suspended plank position and in a straight line
  • engage your abs, keep your body straight, and don’t let your hips sag down
  • drive your right knee forward towards your chest while squeezing your abs
  • as you bring your right knee back out, drive your left knee forward towards your chest
  • alternate back and forth for the desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the TRX Mountain Climber.  You might think I’m strange for saying this but this is one of my favourite TRX exercises and I find it a lot of fun even though it’s kicking my butt! 

Give this ab exercise a shot and let me know how you do in the comments below or if you find this as fun as I do! 😉

 See you next week with another new exercise.

Iron Cross

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Hey there, it’s time for another new Home Exercise of the Week!  This week I have a variation of a plank called the Iron Cross. 

The Iron Cross looks like it would be fairly easy but it is quite challenging.  With this isometric exercise you’re going to be mainly working your core, chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Here’s how to do the Iron Cross:

  • starting from your knees, position your hands as far out to your sides as you can while keeping them in line with your chest
  • rotate your hands so your fingers are pointing away from your body
  • lift your knees off the floor so that you are now on your toes and in a full push-up starting position
  • engage your abs and lower your body as if you were doing a push-up until you are as close to the floor as you can get
  • from this low position hold the plank while keeping your abs tight and flexed (this will help keep your hips from dropping and your back from arching)
  • if you notice your back arching up and your hips lowering then drop your knees to the floor and continue the hold until the desired time is up
  • hold the Iron Cross as long as you can to complete the set

So there you have the Iron Cross!  It’s harder than it looks and it will get you sweating.  Add this in to your upper or full body routine as a finishing move or incorporate it in to an ab workout.

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!

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, 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