by Pippa Teague, Strength Coach | Apr 30, 2019 | Exercise advice, Pushups, strength training, Uncategorized
By Jenny Gusella, ACE, CFSC, Personal Trainer and Orangetheroy Fitness Coach
Push-ups are a staple of any workout program from youth to adulthood. You don’t need any equipment, you can do them anywhere, and they are easy to modify them to make them simpler as well as more advanced. However, according to anecdotal evidence I’ve gathered from my clients, push-ups are among the more dreaded of the exercises we do. Reasons range from “I’ve just never been able to do them” to “I feel so weak, I can’t even do one” to “Can’t I just do them from my knees?”
Usually, in life, when a situation isn’t going the way we want, we make an effort to fix it. We aim to improve our situation so we can move on and be happier. If you are someone who dreads push-ups, we can fix your situation, and, if you progress properly, it will feel empowering, not defeating.
Why fix it? First of all, it’s one of the best bang-for-your-buck exercises out there, working your chest, arms, core and even your legs all at once – if you have it in your arsenal, you open up opportunity for greater strength gains. Second of all, push-ups are revealing themselves to be a great indicator of cardiovascular health. A recent study published in the JAMA Network open found that men who could do more push-ups were less likely to experience cardiovascular issues, with those who could do 40 or more seeing the greatest risk reduction. That’s not to say if you just get good at push-ups your heart will become healthy, but practicing some push-ups and seeing where you need improvement may inspire you to pick up a more complete fitness routine (including push-ups, of course!) which will ultimately lead to a healthier heart.
Now, let’s meet you where you’re at to determine how to tackle these push-ups! Find which statement below applies to you, start there, then work your way down as you get more proficient. When you practice push-ups, try to aim for 3 sets of around 8-12 reps.
1. “I cannot hold the top of a push-up” If you can’t hold a high plank (from your hands) then you will not yet be able to perform a push-up, so let’s start there. Try holding a plank for 10 seconds. Make sure your wrists are right under your shoulders, your back is flat enough to hold a mug of coffee on top, and your butt isn’t way up in the air. Increase your plank hold by 5 seconds every few days. By the time you can hold a plank for 30 straight seconds, you’re ready to move on.
2. “I cannot do 1 full push-up” Let’s start by elevating your hands. Find something like a bureau, set yourself up in a plank position with your hands on the edge, and perform a push-up with your chest coming all the way to touch the bureau. Was that easy? Then find a lower piece of furniture, maybe your dining room table, or a coffee table. The lower your hands are, the more difficult the push-up will be. Once you find an elevation that’s challenging for about 8-10 reps (but you can complete it) then find a lower piece of furniture!
3. “I can do a couple but my form really falls apart” Let’s go back to basics. A perfect push-up should start as a perfect plank, then when you lower down, your chest and your hips lower at the exact same rate, and your elbows stay tucked in at least 45 degrees to your body. Keep your eyes looking a few inches in front of you so your head doesn’t drop. Your chest should be able to touch a small pad on the ground below you. Practice doing as many perfect ones as you can, and then do the rest of your push-ups back at step 2 with your hands elevated.
4. “I’m happy with how many push-ups I can do” That’s great! Some fun ways to make them more challenging could be: slow down the tempo, lower to the count of “3…2…1”. Elevate your feet, make sure to stay in that perfect plank. When you push up, jump your hands up into the air. Or try doing push-ups on just 1 foot.
Last step: add some fun music to your routine! Might I suggest “Push It” by Salt-n-
by Pippa Teague, Strength Coach | Apr 23, 2019 | Abdominals, Shoulders, strength training, Uncategorized
Guest Editorial
By Kerry Moynihan
Fit for life after 50
Certified Personal Trainer
Am I the only one amused by the often inventive and entertaining names used for exercises in the fitness world? Deadlifts, Skull Crushers and Crunching, to name just a few, create bone-chilling imagery as you’re just trying to get that pain-free one hour workout in. Or Inchworms, Bird Dogs and Flutter Kicks which have us daydreaming of Earth’s renewal on a lovely May morning rather than working that core to its max.
Regardless of name or the imagery created, only one man can lay claim to having a fabulously effective exercise named just for him…..no bone-chilling moniker, nothing Spring Day about it. It’s The Arnold Press.
Seven time Mr. Olympia, Arnold Schwarzenegger, created the Arnold Press during his illustrious bodybuilding career in the early 1970’s. He can still lay claim as one of the most successful and influential figures in bodybuilding and is credited with inventing this press which targets the anterior, lateral and posterior deltoids (three shoulder muscles). Think: Summer Shoulders.
As with any exercise, form first.
To start: Seated position. Back straight. Feet planted on the floor. Keep core tight and braced throughout.
Grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Start with a very manageable weight to get the motion of the exercise.
Curl the weights up to the shoulders. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level with palms facing the body.
In a controlled manner, slowly press the dumbbells simultaneously upwards and rotate your hands to a forward position until you have fully extended your arms upward. Slowly (with control) lower the weight down by reversing the exercise and repeat the movement.
The true work of the Arnold Press is the downward motion of the weight returning to the starting position.
Not guaranteeing a Mr. or Ms. Olympia title, but when you master the proper mechanics of the Arnold Press, it truly is a great addition to your upper body workout.
Kerry Moynihan
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
by Pippa Teague, Strength Coach | Apr 16, 2019 | Exercise advice, Flexibility, Stretching
By Loni Rodriguez, PT
Infinite Potential Physical Therapy and Wellness
Many of us work at desk jobs, commute to work sitting in a car or on a train? You are basically sitting all day. That can’t be good for you, RIGHT?! Sitting is the new smoking…
Actually, that is a myth. Sitting is not killing us! Recent research has shown is that it is much more common to develop chronic disease from what we consume, how poorly we sleep and how much stress we endure on a regular basis. Sitting is not actually BAD for you and it is more important to be focused on modifying the foods we munch on, the alcohol we sip, our sleep quality and how much we allow stress to affect us. Those are all modifiable, at least much more modifiable than changing jobs…
Let’s rethink this for a minute… If you can not modify your job to be able to stand more frequently, I am telling you that that is okay! Doesn’t that make you feel better already? Put you at ease a bit? Sitting is not hurting you, it is not a direct cause of low back pain, or any pain for that matter. Sure, more movement throughout the day is definitely better than being sedentary. However, there are plenty of very active people who deal with health issues and pain and there are many very healthy people that sit all day. Just let that sink in a bit.
Want a good warm up and full-body mobility routine you can perform without equipment? I have provided you with a grouping of exercises below that take you through a full range of motion of all joints throughout your body. Each of the exercises can be modified by not going as deep into the postures. Click the link below to view the 5-minute routine.
5-MINUTE FULL BODY FLEXIBILITY ROUTINE
Besides the above routine that can be easily performed a few times per day, my best recommendations are listed below:
Focus on your recovery vs doing MORE. I suggested the above routine, but sometimes we focus more on what we should be doing for exercises versus modifying our daily routine.
SLEEP
Try and achieve 7-8 hours of QUALITY sleep.
HYDRATION
Shoot for drinking one half your body weight of water in ounces.
STRESS
Take some time daily to breathe, be mindful, and not let stress build. This can dramatically affect your levels of pain and stiffness on a regular basis
NUTRITION
Simply eating a clean diet can improve your overall energy levels, pain, and stiffness.
MOVE AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN
The more you can get up, the better! Take calls on a walk, plan walking meetings with the team, have a goal to take a walk at lunch 3 days per week.
By following the above advice over time, you will notice a generalized reduction in stiffness throughout your day and improved energy levels!
by Pippa Teague, Strength Coach | Apr 8, 2019 | Ladies, strength training
by Anna Burns, PT, DPT
Infinite Potential Physical Therapist
There are SO many things to consider when pregnant, and physical activity is one of them. In the old days, women were advised to “take it easy” while pregnant. However now, the CDC recommends that pregnant women get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week. Ideally, a pregnant woman should be able to do any exercise she had been doing prior to pregnancy with a few modifications.
Here are a few things to avoid during exercise while pregnant:
- Laying on your back for more than 3 minutes after 20 weeks
- Exercising in a hot, humid environment, whether it’s outside or in a heated studio
- Performing inversion poses or any position where the hips are above the shoulders (handstands, bridges, etc.)
- Exercises that put pressure on the abdomen during mid-to-late pregnancy, have a risk of falling, or contact sports
- Over-stretching muscles
If you lift weights, here are a few guidelines and suggested modifications:
- Decrease your lifting load to 60-75% of your pre-pregnancy “one rep max.”
- Modify asymmetrical movements such as a split snatch or a split jerk if they cause pain in your pelvis.
- If your belly gets in the way with lifting from the floor, lift from blocks instead.
- Switch out front squats for back squats, as the front squats increase your intra-abdominal pressure (which is already increased by the presence of the baby).
Regardless of the type of exercise you participate in, watch for symptoms that signal you should STOP exercising and contact your healthcare provider immediately:
- Bleeding or leaking fluid from the vagina
- Feeling dizzy or faint
- Shortness of breath before starting exercise
- Chest pain
- Headache
- Muscle weakness
- Calf pain or swelling
- Regular, painful contractions of the uterus
You should always talk to your obstetrician or midwife before starting an exercise routine. Don’t let pregnancy leave you sitting around eating bonbons! The more active you can stay, the better you and your baby will feel, both during pregnancy and after delivery!
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by Pippa Teague, Strength Coach | Apr 2, 2019 | Uncategorized
By Pippa Teague, Infinite Potential Strength Coach
I have had the pleasure to work with many young athletes over the past few years, both on and off the ice. Power development is important not only in figure skating but in many sports including lacrosse, hockey, and gymnastics to name a few.
In the world of figure skating, being able to jump high and create power on the ice is essential if you want to land those double and triple jumps. This article provides a few exercises to help develop and improve vertical jump height and power for figure skating.
Before setting out in these exercises it is important to first have a solid base of strength and conditioning. Power is being able to apply strength quickly!
Proper form completing exercises such as squats, lunges, plyometric drills, hip extensions (bridges) and upper body strength all contribute to improving jump height and power.
Depth Jumps
This is performed by jumping or dropping off a box and then immediately rebounding into another jump right after, as soon as your feet hit the ground. This works on reactive timing and power. It can be done to a vertical jump, another box or a hurdle.
Seated box jumps
Start sitting on one box, legs at a 90 degree angle. From that position bring arms back and drive through feet to jump up to another box in front. This box can be equal or higher that the box you are sitting on. This eliminates the stretch reflex that happens in a normal plyometric jump and trains the concentric action only which is great for building explosive power.
Single leg box jumps
This develops unilateral power and strength. As skaters take off from one leg in all jumps, it is important to mimic this movement biomechanically to build the strength, power and stability that can be taken onto the ice.
Standing on one leg without using a step, drive the arms backwards and bend at the knee and ankle. Jump and land onto the box with a soft landing.
*All of these exercises can be done with additional load- dumbbells or weight vest is recommended. Adding weight will force the athlete to over compensate in the jump, forcing them to increase power and explosiveness.
Exercises can also be regressed by decreasing the height of the box!
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