At The Training Room we strive to make fitness accessible to anyone, anywhere and at any time. So move the coffee table aside, get a piece of floor and prepare to burn some calories and work up a little sweat. Only equipment needed for this workout is you.
Complete 2-4 sets going from one exercise to the next. After completing the fourth exercise take as little rest as needed before beginning your next set. By limiting the rest between sets you will increase your heart rate working your cardiovascular system.
1. Body Weight Squats: 10-20 repetitions
With your feet placed shoulder width distance apart, and your toes slightly turned out, squat down like you are trying to sit back in a chair. Remember to keep your weight distributed on your heels as you want your glutes and hamstrings to fire more than the muscles in the front of your legs. Maintain the alignment with your knees over your toes (not in front) and keep your chest tall by looking forward throughout all the reps. Feel free to place a chair, bench or ottoman behind you as a target for your squat.
2. Push-ups: 10-15 repetitions
The push up is probably one of the most under rated, misunderstood exercises that is often performed with incorrect form.
To perform the push up correctly, you must maintain a straight body or plank position. holding the body tight throughout each repetition. The muscles of the back, abdominals, glutes and legs work together to maintain the proper plank position. Push ups may look easy, but there is technique involved in performing a correct push up. Some common mistakes seen with push ups are: looking up or hyper extending the neck, allowing the head to drop towards the floor, or leading with the chin, allowing the hips to drop or sag, elbows out, shallow range of motion.
With that in mind, the correct way to do a push up is:
-Lie face down on the floor with toes pulled under
-Keep elbows at about a 45 degree angle
-Press up to the starting position and slowly lower yourself toward the floor
-Keep a neutral neck – don’t look up and don’t allow head to drop to the floor
-Keep chin tucked
-Keep your abdominals tight and squeeze your glutes
3. Body Weight Lunges: 8-12 repetitions per side
-Stand with your feet approximately hip-width apart and your arms at your sides or behind your head, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
-Take a long enough step to keep your knee behind your toe and in proper alignment. Weight should be equally distributed between both feet.
-Keep your torso erect as you bend your front leg so your thigh is parallel with the floor. As you do this, bend your back leg, bringing the heel off the floor so your knee almost touches the ground. Your shoulders should be over your hips or just slightly in front of them, depending on your flexibility.
-Return to the starting position stepping backwards if you are completing forward lunges, or stepping forward if you choose reverse lunges.
4. Plank and Side Plank Position
Feel free to switch between the prone plank and the side plank to focus on different muscles groups.
Plank on elbows: Hold for 30 seconds – 1 minute
Cues: Low back should look exactly like it does when your standing (slight arch), glutes squeezed tight, and brace core.
Side Plank: Hold for 30 seconds – 1 minute
Straight Leg
If the straight leg version is too difficult, drop down to your knees to reduce the long lever position.
cues: Hips are pushed forward and keep them high; elbow should be directly below the shoulder.
Doug was one of my first clients at the Training Room. He started taking classes in August, 2009 and after a round of classes he decided to try personal training as well. When I first met with Doug one on one my impression was that he was a skinny, shy guy who just wanted to gain some strength and put on a little muscle. Little did I know, Doug really wanted to conquer the whole world of fitness, and somewhere under that quiet exterior he had the drive and determination that could actually get him there. Now, almost a year later, when Doug walks into the doors of the Training Room it is like seeing a new person, both in physical stature and emotional confidence.
When I first put Doug through a fitness assessment, he was 6’3 1/2, weighed in at 170lb and was around 10% body fat. He was fairly inflexible especially through the hip flexors and hamstrings. His upper and lower body mobility was also limited. He could perform only a couple body weight pushups before his form began to suffer and his core strength was almost non-existent. He also had very little body awareness and had a difficult time getting his body into proper positioning for a lift and activating the correct muscles during a lift.
Doug "Before"
If you met Doug now, you would be shocked by these figures. Today, Doug still stands at 6’3 1/2, but he weighs in at just under 200lb and about 12% body fat. This means that Doug has put on about 30lb of pure muscle. He has also made incredible improvements in his upper and lower body mobility and flexibility. His strength has sky rocketed to heights I didn’t even expect when we first began to train. To gain that amount of weight, hardly add on any body fat, and improve mobility, flexibility and strength takes incredible dedication in both training and diet.
Doug "After"
Since Doug wanted to gain muscle while keeping his body fat percentage low, he had to eat a high calorie, nutrient dense diet. This means the foods he ate had to be high in healthy nutrients and high in calories per gram of food so that he could eat more without feeling completely stuffed all the time. Here is a sample entry from Doug’s daily food log:
Breakfast:
2-3 cups of Kashi Go Lean Crunch
1-2 pieces of whole wheat toast or 1 cup of whole wheat oatmeal
(optional, usually depends on time)
Water
Post-morning workout:
Protein shake
Gatorade
Throughout the day:
Water
5-7 pieces of fruit (usually bananas or apples)
Water, Water, Water, Water, More water (I usually drink over a gallon a day)
Lunch:
Cold cut whole wheat sandwich (usually ham) w/ a little mustard or
whole wheat pasta w/ tomato sauce
Protein bar (optional, depends on daily routine)
Dinner:
Whole wheat pasta w/ tomato sauce or rice w/ salmon & broccoli or
chicken burrito bowl (depends on amount of time I have, if any, to
prepare a meal)
Post-evening workout:
Protein shake or Gatorade (depends on nature of the workout)
1-2 cups of whole wheat oatmeal
Now, with this type of high calorie diet, Doug really had to hit the weights hard in order to keep the body fat off and the muscles growing. Here are a few videos of Doug during one of his recent training sessions. Keep in mind that less than a year ago, Doug could do 2 body weight pushups, no chin ups, about a 20 second plank with good form, and only unloaded, body weight squats.
Decline Bosu Ball Pushups with a 10lb plate on his back.
Chin ups with a 15lb dumbbell between his legs
Weighted bar ab roll-outs
TRX Inverted Rows with 10lb plate
230lb Front Squat
Doug is a serious example of someone who wants to do it all. When he first showed up at the training room he had a hard time expressing exactly how he wanted to do it all, and so his three primary goals were pretty broad and overarching. They were:
To get back in the saddle of leading a healthy lifestyle
To feel more comfortable and less intimidated by exercise
To push himself
Over the course of his first year at the Training Room, Doug has accomplished these broad goals is some very specific and awe-inspiring ways. In October while on a trip to Thailand, he went on an impromptu 90km (about 57 mile) bike ride up a mountain outside Chiang Mai. In February he completed his first half-marathon. Currently he is within striking distance of running a 6 minute mile. He understands how to engage specific muscles while strength training which has led to incredible gains in the amount of weight he can lift (as seen in the videos above!) His diligence in his warm-up routine has led to increased mobility and flexibility which have in turn led to more gains in the amount of weight he can lift with perfect form. And these are just his physical accomplishments so far! Mentally, Doug has come a long way and only he can really explain the changes that he has experienced. In Doug’s own words:
“I’ve reached a point where my confidence is through the roof. To be perfectly frank, I’ve wrestled with nervousness and depression throughout my life. Fear of failure kept me going in school but it also made me afraid to deal with other people, to make claims where I had even the slightest doubt I could fulfill them, or to take chances. Combined with some other changes in my personal life, I feel the best that I may have ever felt in my life and hopefully it shines through when I interact with others!”
None of these changes happened over night. If there’s ever a complaint I have about Doug, it’s that he refuses to REST! Doug’s current workout regimen goes a little bit like this:
Monday – 6am bootcamp
Tuesday – 7am personal training session; 6:30pm kettlebell class
Wednesday – 6am bootcamp
Thursday – 6:15am cycling class; 7pm personal training session
Friday – 6am bootcamp
Saturday – day off (only because I make him!)
Sunday – strength training workout on his own at the local Boston Sports Club
On top of all of this, he also goes on bike rides and runs in his spare time.
Today Doug’s goals have become much more concrete. I think this is a great testament to the confidence he has gained through this journey. His ability to set very specific goals now displays his new found belief in himself and in his ability to accomplish anything he puts his mind to. Doug’s current goals are:
To complete a solo bike ride from Boston to Provincetown in June of this year. (completed: June 18)
To run his first full marathon in October of this year.
To improve his swimming abilities and complete an Olympic distance triathlon.
To get involved in the local randonneuring (time-limited long distance bike rides) community.
To continue weightlifting gains.
World domination by Thursday.
Okay, so #6 might not be attainable, but all the others are goals that I have full confidence he will accomplish. Doug has worked so hard and his efforts have really shined through. He has grown into himself physically and emotionally and I really look forward to continuing his journey toward world (of fitness) domination!
With that in mind, the correct way to do a push up is:
