Tag Archives: strength

One Arm Elbow Out Row

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This week I would like to show you a variation of the dumbbell row for the Home Exercise of the Week.  It’s called the One Arm Elbow Out Row and this exercise will target your upper and middle back as well as your rear shoulders.  If you sit at a desk for most of the day there is a tendency over time to hunch your shoulders forward and your posture goes out the window.  Adding this exercise to your routine will go a long way in helping you recover your posture by bringing those shoulders back to a natural position.

Let’s take a look at how to do the One Arm Elbow Out Row properly.  Arm position is everything in this exercise as a simple shift in arm position will change which muscles you are working.

  • step your right foot back and lean forward resting your elbow on your left knee
  • keep your back straight and your torso as parallel to the floor as you can (don’t round your lower back)
  • let the dumbbell hang at your side with your palm facing behind you
  • as you pull the dumbbell up, flare your elbow out to the side keeping it in line with your upper back
  • make sure you are retracting your shoulder blade first then following through with the rest of your arm.  This will ensure that you are engaging your back muscles properly for optimal contraction.
  • exhale as your pull the weight up and inhale as you lower it back down
  • perform 8 to 15 repetitions depending on your goals then switch arms and foot position to complete the set

So there you have the One Arm Elbow Out Row.  This is a great upper back/rear shoulder exercise to add in to your upper body or full body routine and having a strong back helps your posture, it helps prevent debilitating back injuries, and generally makes life a lot easier and more enjoyable.  So take care of your back with good strengthening exercises and proper form!

Jump Squat and Hold

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Hey there HomeBody followers!  If you find your leg workouts getting boring or too easy (ok, too easy is probably not possible) and you want to shake things up a bit then give this Home Exercise of the Week a try.

Jump Squat and Hold – There are a few different aspects to this exercise that will challenge your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves in ways that standard squats just can’t do.  Regular squats are awesome and you will get great results and strength from doing them but with the Jump Squat and Hold you get the benefit of plyometric and isometric training.

Plyometric exercises will build explosive power, increase your metabolic rate, burn more calories, and strengthen your cardiovascular system.  Isometric exercises burn fat and build muscle and don’t place a lot of stress on your joints.

Before you jump right to the exercise (pun intended) and start feeling that lactic acid buildup, let’s take a look at how to do this exercise properly.

  • start with feet shoulder width apart and toes pointed out slightly
  • squat deep down keeping your head and chest up with shoulders back
  • keep your knees in line with your toes
  • from the deep squat position, jump up in the air as high as you can and with as much force as you can muster
  • land back down and immediately go back in to the squat position but this time hold the squat for 5 to 10 seconds
  • while holding the squat, extend arms out and raise them up to shoulder height.  This will give you a bonus isometric anterior deltoid (front shoulder) exercise
  • after holding the squat, jump back up and repeat

So there you have the Jump Squat and Hold.  Kick your metabolism in to high gear with this one and even try changing up the exercise a little to keep your body guessing.  For example, you can do this by doing 5 jump squats before the hold or extending the hold for longer than 10 seconds.  There are many combinations you can do but whatever you choose, have fun and work hard!

Side to Side Leg Raises

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I have another abdominal exercise for you for the Home Exercise of the Week!  Your core muscles are very important for maintaining a healthy posture and back health as well as providing stability and strength to all other exercises and every day activities.  So please make sure you are not neglecting your core and to help you with that I would like to show you the Side to Side Leg Raise.

Side to Side Leg Raises target your lower abdominals and your obliques.  Proper form is key as with any exercise but with this one especially since improper form could lead to strain on your lower back.

Let’s take a look at the key points for proper Side to Side Leg Raise execution:

  • lay flat on the floor with your arms extended out to your sides (this will stabilize you and keep you from rolling over) and legs together straight up in the air
  • pull your belly button in towards your spine which will activate your abdominals and allow them to do more of the work instead of your back
  • with legs together, lower them to the side until they are almost touching the floor
  • keeping your abs contracted, raise back up to the starting position and repeat on the other side
  • keep your head down as much as you can throughout the movement

Add the Side to Side Leg Raise to a superset or to your ab routine with a rep range of 12 to 20 reps to start.  If you find keeping your legs straight to be extremely challenging then you can bend your legs at the knees giving you a shorter lever which in turn will make the exercise easier.  On the flip side, if you find this not challenging enough then try holding a dumbbell between your feet!

Now go and get your abs burning!

Sumo Squat

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Happy new year everyone!  It’s a brand new year and I’m sure many of you have set some resolutions or revisited some previous years resolutions but regardless it’s time to get your butt in gear!

What better way to get your butt in gear than doing a leg exercise.  The first Home Exercise of the Week for the new year is the Sumo Squat.

The Sumo Squat is a safe and effective leg exercise that really targets your inner thighs along with your glutes and hamstrings.  It will really help too if you plan on doing some sumo wrestling! 🙂

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing the Sumo Squat effectively.

  • start with your feet wider than your shoulders with your toes pointed out slightly
  • keep your back straight, head up, and shoulders back
  • squat down keeping your knees in line with your toes (don’t let them shoot past your toes)
  • once your thighs are parallel to the floor or below, push yourself back up through your heels
  • don’t lock your knees at the top
  • inhale as you go down and exhale on the way back up

So there you have the Sumo Squat!  Add this to your leg routine and in no time you will have strong, toned legs and will be ready to take on any sumo wrestler who comes your way! 😉

Superman Back Row

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I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season and I’m sure many of you have set some fitness resolutions for the new year so here is a Home Exercise of the Week to get you started.  It’s called a Superman Back Row or Superman with a Back Squeeze as the video says.

The Superman Back Row is a great core exercise that targets your lower back muscles and works your upper back muscles at the same time.

Let’s take a look at how to do this exercise properly.

  • lay face down on the floor with your arms straight ahead of you
  • raise your arms and legs off the floor as much as you can while keeping your limbs straight the whole time
  • slowly pull your elbows back until you feel a good squeeze on your shoulder blades then extend them forward again
  • it can be challenging to breath while laying on your stomach but do the best you can to breath consistently.  Exhale as your pull your elbows back and inhale as you extend them forward.
  • start with 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions or 1 to 3 timed sets of 10 to 30 seconds

So there you have the Superman Back Row!  A strong core is the foundation for strength and balance everywhere else so make sure to add this in to your routine in the new year!