Tag Archives: upper body

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!

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!

Jackknife

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I have another core exercise for you for this weeks Home Exercise of the Week.  It’s called a Jackknife and it’s one of the more challenging ab exercises but once you get the hang of it you will feel how effective it is!

The Jackknife works all areas of your core as well as your hip flexors and at the same time it isometrically works your upper body muscles.  This exercise can put a lot of strain on your lower back if not done correctly so let’s take a look at the key points to doing it properly.

  • getting on the stability ball can be challenging so the best way is to put your hands on the floor and one leg up on the ball first then put your other leg up.  Your shins should be resting on the ball.
  • it is very important to keep your abs contracted by pulling your belly button in towards your spine.  This will help keep your hips from sagging down which will put a lot of pressure on your lower back.
  • once you have stabilized yourself, pull your knees slowly in towards your chest squeezing the abs and then return slowly to the starting position
  • if you find it hard to do this exercise with your hands on the floor, try using a bench to rest your arms on.  This raises you up a bit and can take some of the pressure off your upper body

So there you have the key points to doing the Jackknife effectively.  Add this to your routine and you will be well on your way to a strong and toned core!  If you want an extra challenge and some extra upper body work, try adding a pushup in between each roll in.  You can also do a side roll to target your obliques more but that is a video for another day! 🙂

Burpee

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This weeks exercise is a Burpee!  It is a very popular exercise used in group fitness classes and boot camps but I would say it’s not a very popular exercise for the people doing it!  The reason being is it is a challenging exercise that will test your strength and cardiovascular endurance.  Any full body movement that involves jumping gets the heart rate up high because all those working muscles are trying to get oxygen and your blood brings that oxygen to them.  More muscles used = increased cardiac output and increased oxygen uptake.

The Burpee shown in this video is a modified basic version and the burpee at the end is a regular basic version.  As I mentioned before, it is a full body movement working the muscles in your upper and lower body as well as strengthening your core, improving coordination and building cardiovascular endurance.  There are many variations to this exercise and I will be showing more versions in the future because I know how everyone just loves Burpees! 🙂