Bird Dog Crunch

Hey there!  It’s time for the Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a great core exercise to show you.  It’s called the Bird Dog Crunch and it’s going to work your lower back and abdominals.  Also, if you have some back pain the Bird Dog Crunch can help give you some relief.

Let’s take a look at how to do the Bird Dog Crunch properly.

  • get in to the starting position on your hands and knees
  • extend your left arm out in front of you and your right leg behind you until they are in line with your back
  • crunch your right leg in and at the same time try to touch your knee with your left elbow
  • get a good squeeze on the abs then extend back out and repeat for desired amount of reps or time
  • when you are finished with the one side repeat on the other side for the same amount of reps or time

So there you have the Bird Dog Crunch!  It’s a fairly straight forward exercise that is very effective to strengthen your core.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Split Squat Jump

Hey everyone!  It’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a plyometric lower body exercise for you to try.  It’s called the Split Squat Jump and I won’t lie…this one is going to burn!  Don’t let that scare you away though because the benefits outweigh the temporary discomfort.

The Split Squat Jump is going to target your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. This will also help to improve your balance and the plyometric component of the exercise will burn more calories and help improve your cardiovascular conditioning.

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing the Spit Squat Jump properly.

  • start in a lunge position with one foot in front of you and one behind
  • maintain an upright position throughout the movement with your head up and shoulders back
  • lunge down until both legs are at 90 degree angles
  • from the bottom position, explode up quickly jumping in the air while maintaining your leg position
  • land from the jump and immediately lunge down again and repeat
  • do 10 to 12 reps on one side or for the desired amount of time then switch to the other side

So there you have the Split Squat Jump!  Give it a try and let me know how you do.  Work hard, stay healthy and I’ll see you next week with another new exercise!

Plank Jumping Jack

Hey everyone!  It’s time for the Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a plyometric core exercise for you to try.  It’s called the Plank Jumping Jack and the plank part of the exercise will isometrically work your core and the jumping jack part of the exercise will add the plyometric component to increase your heart rate and burn more calories.

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing the Plank Jumping Jack properly.

  • get in to the plank position on your forearms and toes with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders, hips down, and head in a neutral position
  • contract your abdominals throughout the movement
  • jump your feet out wide and then jump them back to the starting position
  • repeat at a quick pace for the desired amount of reps or time
  • to modify the exercise for a slightly easier version you can step one foot out at a time instead of jumping

So there you have the Plank Jumping Jack.  Give it a try and let me know how you do.  See you next week with another new exercise!

Bridge Hold Knee Crunch

Hey everyone!  It’s time for another Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a great exercise that is going to isometrically work your hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, and triceps and it will also work your core.

It’s called the Bridge Hold Knee Crunch and it’s a great exercise that you can do for time or reps.  30 seconds each leg or 15 to 20 repetitions for each leg is a good place to start.

Let’s look at the key points to doing the Bridge Hold Knee Crunch.

  • sit on the floor, lean back slightly and place your hands on the floor behind you
  • keep your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent and drive your hips upward
  • keep your hips up throughout the movement and squeeze the glutes
  • take one foot off the floor and pull your knee in towards your chest while squeezing your abdominals
  • extend your leg back out and repeat for desired reps or time then switch legs to complete the set
  • to make this a bit easier, lay your upper body on the floor while performing the movement

So there you have the Bridge Hold Knee Crunch!  Give it a try and let me know how you do.  I will see you next week with another new exercise!

Spiderman Pushup Knee Tuck

Hey everyone!  The Home Exercise of the Week series is back and I have a bunch of new exercises to show you over the next few months to take your training to the next level.  Some of these exercises will be very challenging but as always I will show you some modifications to make them more manageable.

So for this weeks exercise, I would like you to try the Spiderman Pushup Knee Tuck!  This is a great exercise for your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.  It will also add a plyometric component to the exercise to increase your heart rate, burn more calories, and make you sweat!

As always, make sure your form is good and keep your core tight!  If you have any questions at all please leave a comment.

See you next week with another Home Exercise of the Week!