Slider Leg Curls

The Slider Leg Curl is a combination of a Leg Curl and Hip Bridge. With this exercise you lay on your back with your knees bent and feet each flat on a slider. Then you lift you hips and contract your glutes. From here you will pull your legs in and then slide them back out. Keeping your hips lifted off the ground the entire time.

This exercise is very hard and the first time you try it you may feel like your hamstrings are going to cramp. This is normal the next sets will not feel as bad.

Try to do 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps and you will definitely feel some hamstring soreness the next day.

Just another exercise to add to your list.

Josh

Rubberband Training

Over the past month I have been incorporating the use of rubberband exercises into mine and my clients training. I have to admit I really like it. I never realized how great of a workout you could get with just the use a couple rubberbands of different widths. The use of the rubberband allows you to perform exercises very fast, which can be very dangerous when done with weights, but when done with a rubberband it is completely safe. They also work great as a deloading exercise to provide your joints with a rest from the stress of the weights, but still challenge the muscles.

The bands are also a great tool to use with new clients since they do not provide very much eccentric contraction stress on the muscle, this is the contraction that makes you sore. So by only doing the concentric part of the movement your muscles will get worked, but you will have less soreness the next day than you would if you did weights.

The bands also travel very well. They take up very little space in a suit case and you really only need to take one. Over Memorial Day Weekend I went away and I took one of my rubberbands with me. I got in a great workout each day while I was gone and all I did was rubberband exercises and bodyweight exercises.

With the bands you can do any exercise you can do with free weights plus some more if you get really creative. They can be attached to a door, looped around a door handle, or held in place by any other solid object or person. If you want more resistance you just stretch them more and the exercise is harder.

I will be posting some rubberband exercises really soon. But if you can't wait and would like to get started now go to www.performbetter.com and purchase a Superband and/or the The Superband Workout by JC Santana to see a whole variety of exercises you can perform.

Challenge Yourself In New Ways,

Josh

Slider Mountain Climbers

Slider Mountain Climbers are another great core exercise, especially when done for time (e.g. 2 min.+). They are basically a dynamic plank and target core stability.

To do them, place a slider under each foot and get into a plank position on your hands. From here pull you right knee to right elbow and then return to the starting position. Then pull your left knee to your left elbow and then return to the starting position. Repeat this over and over as fast as you can for 2 minutes sliding the sliders in and out from your elbows. Focus on keeping your back flat and core tight. Do not allow your hips to rise or sag. Do this continuously for 2 minutes and your core and shoulders will be on fire.

Give it a try!

Josh

Slider Reverse Pikes

The Slider Reverse Pike is a lot like the Regular Pike. However, instead of placing the sliders under your feet you place them under your hands. Again, just like a regular pike you start out in a push-up position with your hands on the sliders and feet on the ground. From here you pull the sliders in and raise your butt, keeping your arms and legs straight. Then slide back out to the beginning position. And repeat for 10-25 reps.

Try out these variations also:

Slider Reverse Pike w/ Push-Up
Slider Reverse Pike w/ Chest Fly Push-Up
Slider Reverse Pike w/ Slider Push-Up

Enjoy!

Josh

Alligator Walks

Alligator Walks are performed using the Sliders. They work your core as well as your shoulders and arms. To do them you will need about a 20-30 foot carpeted hallway or other carpeted open space.

Place a slider under each foot and hold yourself up with your hands, like your are going to do a push-up. From this position you just walk forward on your hands dragging your legs behind you. Make sure to keep your core solid and keep a straight line from your feet through your head. Do not allow any sagging of your midsection.

If your wrists hurt when doing this you can hold a 3-5 lb. dumbbell in each hand and this will allow you to do them with out the pain.

Variations:
1. Alligator Walk Push-Ups - perform a push-up with every step your take with your hands.
2. Alligator Walk Push-Ups w/ Knee Tuck - perform a push-up and knee tuck with every step you take with your hands.

Give them a try!

Josh

The Leg Matrix

While I was in Chicago at the Perform Better Functional Training Summit I was introduced to The Leg Matrix by Alwyn Cosgrove. The first time most attempt this is it absolutely brutal. It will challenge your cardiovascular system as well as leave your legs feeling like rubber. So here it is:

24 squats
24 alternating lunges (12 each leg)
24 lunge jumps (12 each leg)
24 jump squats

Use only your bodyweight and perform 1 rep per second with no rest in between. This will only take you 96 seconds to complete, but it will be a very long 96 seconds. If you are able to complete this and feel that it was not too hard. Well, congratulations you are in pretty well conditioned. Now go do it again immediately after completing it 1 time do it all for a second time. I guarantee that will not be easy.

This is a great way to train your legs without using weight and allowing your body to have a deloading day. I like to use it at the end of the workout to provide the body with a muscular endurance conditioning effect.

Give yourself a challenge and become better.

Josh

Spiderman Push-Ups

Here is an exercise that will target both your chest and core muscles.

This variation of the push-up can be done with either your feet on the ground or elevated on a bench. Start in a push-up position. Do one push-up, then bring your right knee to your right elbow. Do another push-up and then bring your left knee to your left elbow. That' s 2 reps. Repeat for 10-20+ reps.

Once you have mastered this move on the ground move on to elevating your feet on a bench and then onto a stability ball. You can also try doing this with the Slider Push Up or Slider Chest Fly Push Up to really work your core.

Try it out!

Josh