Rozumitilo

13 квіт. 2016 р.

Lunges

If for some reasons you don’t want (or can’t) do the classic squats, lunges will be great alternative. Though this exercise is preferred by women (it gives an ability to work better on buttock muscles), some complicated kinds of lunges can help even experienced athlete to work on hips and increase the stretch. Also lunges can be used to warm up before the squats, preparing knee joints to increased loads. Besides, don’t forget that in daily life we load our leg muscles alternately more often – lunges give exactly that natural load.

Front Lunges

What muscles work: quadriceps, buttock muscles, rear hip muscles.
Performing the exercise: stand straight, put your feet a little more narrow than your shoulder-width, hands on hips. Move your bodyweight to one leg, make a big step with the other one. In this position the knee of your front leg should be approximately on your toes level (calf almost perpendicular to the floor), your rear leg will be almost straight because of standing on your feet’s finger pads (photo 1). Without stopping try to go down by your knees, until your rear leg’s knee touches the floor (photo 2). By using your muscles and front leg push, go back to the starting position. Repeat the exercise on the other leg.
Lunges (starting position)

Notice: your back should be straight during the whole exercise. The movement should be continuous, but with slowing down (almost stop) in the lower position, and acceleration to go back. Do not let your body swing, go down strict vertically, most of the bodyweight on your front leg. When exercising on hard floor, put a towel under your rear leg’s knee to prevent injuries.
If it is difficult for you to do the full lunges – try to only do the middle part of the exercise, bending your knees without going to starting position or additionally strengthen your leg muscles by doing step ups (raises) on a pillar.
If you can do more than 20 front lunges with perfect technique – move on to the next level, doing back lunges, plate lunges and bulgarian lunges. Also you can increase the load on muscles by putting the front leg on a small, 15-20cm high, pillar (photo 3). By bigger movement amplitude, you can not only regulate the load, but achieve better hips stretch (photo 4), which allows to perform other legs exercises more effectively (for example, full squats).
Pillar bridge (starting position)

Good books to read:

Bret Contreras. Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy - Human Kinetics, 2013 – 224 p.
Kavadlo Al. Pushing the Limits: Total Body Strenght with No Equipment - Dragon Door Publications, 2013 – 224 p.
BJ Gaddour. Your Body Is Your Barbell: No Gym. Just Gravity. Build a Leaner, Stronger, More Muscular You in 28 Days - Rodale, 2014 – 288 p.
Paul Wade. Convict Conditioning 2: Advanced Prison Training Tactics for Muscle Gain, Fat Loss and Bulletproof Joints - Dragon Door Publications, 2012 – 340 p.

Exercises for hips

Hips training – is one of the most contradictory components of training process. On one hand, everybody understands the need to do exercises for legs, as the strongest and biggest muscles in human body. On the other hand – men avoid it, and women make hip slimming one of the main targets. While not seeing the difference between tight muscle hips and hips, covered with fat (also know as “hip ears”). But by including hip exercises in your training program, you will not only replace the esthetically unattractive and dangerous for health excessive hip fat with a lot less in volume muscle fiber. You will create a base for harmonic development of the whole body.
Take a look into the gym (in fact, masked fitness center): most of its frequenters do chest and arms exercises for 90% of their time. That is why they look, at best, like a lightbulb – blubbery from pumping core on thin legs. Don’t repeat their mistakes – spend enough time on leg training (exactly – hips exercises) which they deserve. I propose to start from the easiest exercise, which you do everyday, without even thinking of it.

Step ups

What muscles work: quadriceps, buttock muscles, rear hip muscles.
Performing the exercise: stand tightly to the pillar. Put one leg on full foot on the pillar, connect your hand behind your back or put on waist (photo 1). Move the bodyweight on base leg and using its muscles step up the pillar. Without stopping and touching the pillar with rear leg, move it forward, with knee bent and risen maximum high (photo 2). Hold the top position for one second and slowly go back to the starting position. Repeat for required times and switch the leg.
Step ups (starting position)

Notice: the main job should be on a leg, that is on pillar. Do not push with rear leg, and do not lean forward too much (forehead line shouldn’t come out your base leg’s toes level). Put your leg on a pillar on full foot, main load should be on heel. Rear leg shouldn’t touch the pillar when moving forward or backward. Don’t swing, keep your back straight. Perform the exercise in 2-1-2-1 rhythm (two seconds to go up, one second pause in top position, two seconds to go back to the starting position, one second at the bottom). Synchronize your breath with movement: go up – exhale, go down – inhale. Always start the exercise series from the weaker leg, especially if you don’t alternate them in one set, doing several reps with one leg.
When you can do at least 20 reps on each leg, you should complicate the exercise by increasing the pillar height. But don’t try too hard, maximum height is when base leg’s knee in starting position is bent at right angle (photo 3). First you can help yourself in starting position, leaning at base leg’s hip with your hands. But as your training level rises, try to perform raise only with your base leg’s power (photo 4). Other rules are the same: keep your back straight, do not let yourself tilt front too much, do it slowly and under full control from the start to the finish, breathe rhythmic and synchronous with movement.
High pillar step ups (starting position)

High pillar step ups (starting position)

If those exercises come easy to you – try to differ your training by including other leg exercises: lunges and different kinds of squats.

Good books to read:

Bret Contreras. Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy - Human Kinetics, 2013 – 224 p.

Kavadlo Al. Pushing the Limits: Total Body Strenght with No Equipment - Dragon Door Publications, 2013 – 224 p.
BJ Gaddour. Your Body Is Your Barbell: No Gym. Just Gravity. Build a Leaner, Stronger, More Muscular You in 28 Days - Rodale, 2014 – 288 p.

Other articles about hips exercises:

Squats: high effective basic exercise, which if performed right, will help you to get slim, as well as build mass in shortest terms.
Lunges: famous exercise, which has a couple of performing variations for complete leg training and tendons flexibility increase.

Pillar Bridge

This exercise is considered to be quite difficult (most effective to buttock muscles though), so don’t rush to move up to it until you fully master all the previous buttock training variations (kickback and shoulder bridge). If those are quite easy for you (certainly with correct technique) – try to increase the training load by performing the bridge using additional pillars under your legs and shoulders.
To perform this exercise you will need a stable pillar about 50 cm of height (but not higher than your knees level). The best thing to use is a bed, because it has a soft surface. If you use a chair or a bench – put a towel or other soft object on it, to avoid discomfort during the exercise.
What muscles work: buttock muscles, rear hip muscles, spine muscles.
Performing technique: bend your legs, sit at the pillar, so that your shoulders were at its edge level. You can connect your hands behind your back or put them on hips. Put your legs a little more narrow that your shoulder-width (photo 1). Tilt your head back, using buttock muscles rise your pelvis, so that in top position your body was horizontal (photo 2). Hold the required pause, than go back to the starting position.
Pillar bridge (starting position)

Notice: use a stable pillar or put it buy the wall to avoid slipper. Do not stick your pelvis up too much, and do not led it hang down – your body should be straight from shoulders to knees. Since shoulder rise increases the load on knee joint, you should choose the leg position correctly – at the top position they should be at right angle. Perform the exercise in 3-1-3-1 rhythm (three seconds to go up and down, one second pauses at the top and bottom). If you would like to give your buttock muscles some additional static load by keeping the top position for longer time – don’t hold breath, breathe deep and rhythmic. Increase your training level until you can rise the rep amount to 20. On final reps ask someone to control you, or exercise in front of mirror (you may also record the exercise on video), because as you get tired, you decrease the amplitude unconsciously (especially in top position).
As in case of shoulder bridge, this kind of exercise has two complicated variations: top position leg raise (photo 3) and leaning on one leg at the starting position (photo 4) (always start from the weaker leg). The rules of performing remain the same, but the requirements to correct technique become even stricter. To keep balance you can hold your hands behind your head and spread your elbows, getting additional standing points in that way. Remember, that this exercises require more muscle strength and joints hardness, so don’t rush, first, master all the previous kinds of pelvis raises.
Pillar bridge (complicated variation, with leg raised)

Pillar bridge (complicated variation, with leg raised)

Pillar bridge (complicated variation, on one leg)

If you can perform at least 20 reps of each exercise, proposed here, with proper technique – you can move on to the higher league. Try to master the two pillars bridge: on shoulders and legs. Since in this exercise you can’t place your pelvis lower than your feet level (photo), the rear hip muscles get an additional load. At the top position your pelvis will be higher than shoulders, but your body from shoulders to knees should remain straight (photo). To safely perform this exercise use only stable pillars. Watch your breath, synchronize it with movement rhythm: 4 seconds to inhale and pelvis rise, one second pause at the top position, 4 seconds to exhale and go down, one second to prepare to the next rep. Though for most, even well-trained athletes this variation of bridge is quite difficult, if you want to test your powers – try to perform it in two variations, descripted above: rising one bent leg at the top position and using only one leg at the bottom. But remember, that you should not include those to your training program until you can perform at least 20 reps of classic two-pillar bridge. Good luck!

Good books to read:

Shoulder bridge

I’m sure, that the previous exercise for buttocks (kickbacks) was not a problem for you. If you can do 20 reps on each leg in different variations – it is about time to increase the load on buttock muscles, doing shoulder bridge.
What muscles work: buttock muscles, rear hip muscles, spine muscles.
Performing technique: lay on the floor, with your legs bent (calves are almost perpendicular to the floor) and put on shoulder-width. You can cross your hands on chest or put by your body with palms down (photo 1). Pushing legs towards the floor, using your buttock muscles, raise the pelvis, so that your body was straight from knees to shoulders (photo 2). Fix this position for a few seconds and go back to the starting position.
Shoulder bridge (starting position)

Notice: don’t try to tighten your calves to buttocks at the starting position, just put them as comfortable. Keep the whole body straight, do not let your pelvis hang or stick up too much. Perform the exercise slowly, trying to feel the main working muscles. Breathe in movement rhythm: as pelvis goes up (3 seconds) – inhale, at top position make one second pause, as you go down (3 seconds) exhale. Watch your knees position, they shouldn’t spread or get together during the whole exercise.
If it is difficult for you to perform the exercise with full amplitude (especially if you are recovering from back injuries), decrease the depth by putting bent towel or other soft object under your buttocks.
If it comes easy to you (you can do at least 20 reps with proper technique), you can move on to more complicated variations:

At the top position, keeping your body straight, get one leg off the floor and raise to the right angle between core and hip top (photo 3). After a pause switch the leg, without coming to starting position. Better place your hand along your body to keep balance.

Try to perform this exercise, when standing on one leg at start. To do this, bend one leg in knee and hip, so that your calf was parallel to the floor. Put the base leg’s foot on your body axis. Using muscles straighten the core, without changing the inactive leg angle. Repeat for required times, then go back to the starting position and switch leg. Since the inactive leg’s muscles also get some load, always start from the weaker one. If you feel cramps in hip muscles – go back to classic technique, until your buttock muscles are string enough, and take the main part of the work.

Having mastered all the proposed variations, you can increase the training load by performing the bridge using shoulder and leg pillars.

Good books to read:

Exercises for buttocks

Buttock exercise are traditionally considered to be “women’s” – and they totally shouldn’t. Of course, women (especially girls) watch the body part, where buttocks located, with special attention. But men shouldn’t also ignore buttock trainings. At least because well-trained buttock muscles do not only make woman’s shape graceful, but man’s shape – athletic. Besides, buttock muscle is one of the biggest ones in body, so you should pay special attention to its training, either you want to get slim, or build mass.
Yes, this muscle group is trained in most of leg exercises, but targeted work on buttocks will give you an ability to much increase their efficiency Let’s look at squats, for example. One of the main requirements to correct squats – knees shouldn’t get out of toes level, the back should be bent naturally. Exactly the strong buttocks grant all of those requirements, lowering the risk of injury and increasing the squats efficiency. Strong body is impossible without strong legs. And exactly the buttock muscles are the link between upper and lower body.
Don’t forget about mostly sitting way of life of most of us. What do we sit on? Correct, on buttock muscles. As the consequence – bad blood supply to this body part in result of constant squeezing leads to untrained buttock muscles. It reflects not only on look of this body part, but makes usual daily exercises dangerous (not even talking about power training).
I hope that I have made you sure in necessary to pay attention to this muscle group. In this section the effective buttock exercises are collected, which can be performed at home. Let’s traditionally start from the easiest.

Kickbacks

What muscles work: buttock muscles, rear hip muscles, spine muscles.
Performing technique: stand on all-four (on palms, knees and toes). Put hands on shoulder-width, legs – a little more narrow. Pre-shoulders and hips should be both perpendicular to the floor. Keep your back straight, look down (photo 1). Without core position switch, using buttocks, straighten one leg (photo 2), so that heel was on back’s level (or higher). Hold this position for a second and go back to the stating position. Perform required reps with one leg or switch leg and repeat.
Kickbacks (final position)

Notice: when performing the exercise, avoid pelvis moves and spine bends. Watch you active leg to be always straight: imagine, that you must touch some object behind with your heel or toe (another name of this exercise, “The Kicking Donkey”, will help to imagine the required technique). Keep the other limbs still, do not let your core bend or curl. You can do this exercise slow as well as fast (like kicking with your leg), but it is recommended to start from controlled movement (in rhythm: 3 seconds to straighten/bend and one second pauses at beginning and end).
This exercise is considered as one of the easiest, that is why doing 20 reps won’t be a problem for you. If you did it – try to complicate it, by keeping the active leg bent in knee joint (photo 3). This will help you to work more accented on buttock muscles, and also will get some load off your lower back. As in previous exercise, watch the main movement to be performed only with active leg, do not let spine bends and pelvis unnecessary moves. For this variation it will be better to perform all the reps with one leg, and then switch the leg. But don’t forget to make second pauses at top and bottom points to avoid inertia. Increase your performance to the level, when you can easily do 20 reps on each leg.
Kickbacks (complicated variation)

When you have reached the level, mentioned above, move on to the last, hardest variation of kickbacks. To perform it, when you straighten a leg (like in classic kickback) straighten the opposite hand (for left leg – right and all the way round). Since the right performing of this exercise needs core stabilization, from bend, as well as from curl, the additional groups of spine muscles will be involved, which much increases the training effect (photo 4).
Kickbacks with arm raise

Switch hands after each rep to avoid excessive one-sided muscle exhausting. Raise the reps amount to 40 (20 for each leg).
If you have managed to do the task – continue to develop and strengthen buttock muscles with more complicated exercises (for example, pelvis raises in shoulder bridge position).

Good books to read:

Other articles about buttocks exercises:

Shoulder bridge: an effective buttocks exercise, easily done at home
Pillar bridge: increase the load to work better on buttock muscles, hips and back

12 квіт. 2016 р.

Laying leg raises

You should start performing this exercise only when you master previous two kinds of abs workout (sitting leg raises and alternate leg raises) with correct technique. As you can see from the title, all today’s variations of leg raises are performed in laying position. This gives an ability to unload the spine, but with one requirement: your lower back should not tear from the floor on bend too much up. Always control the fold by trying to put a hand under your lower back in top tension phase: if you can do this – the fold is too big. We will regulate the muscle load with leg straightening rate. Let’s start from the easy variation.

Leg raises with knees bent

What muscles work: rectus and oblique abdominals, psoas muscle, hip muscles.
Performing the exercise: lay on the floor, bend your knees at right angle. Put your hands by your body with palms down. Rise your feet above the floor and hold this position for one second (photo 1). On exhale, leaning on floor, slowly rise your bent legs, until they are parallel to the floor (photo 2). After one second pause, on inhale, slowly go back to the starting position (do not put your heel on the floor). Repeat 20 times.
Leg raises with knees bent (starting position)

Leg raises with knees bent (final position)

Notice: at the top position your body should make two right angles – in knee and hip joints. During the exercise only the angle between hips and core should change. Keep your abdominals always tensed, like you are pushing your lower back towards the floor – this will help to avoid excessive fold. Do not spread your legs, knees and feet should be together. Completely control the movement, move slowly (minimum 3 seconds to go down and 2 to go up), breathe rhythmically and synchronized to movement. If it is difficult for you to do all 20 reps with required technique – you can periodically touch the floor with your heels (for example every fifth tome you go down), but with time aim on rejecting that support. If the movement is easy for you – move on to the next level.

Half-bent leg raises

Performing the exercise: lay on the floor, straighten your hands by your body, palms down (knee angle should be one third bigger than in previous exercise). Before you start, tear your heels from the floor (photo 3). Keeping legs together and leaning your hands on the floor, slowly rise your legs (do not change knee angle). At the top position heel will be on your wrists level, and the lower back will start to tear from the floor (photo 4). Make one second pause and stabilize the body, then go back to the stating position (but don’t put your heels on the floor, hold your legs always in the air.
Half-bent leg raises (starting position)

Notice: muscle load depends mainly on leg straightening rate, so at first stages you may bend them more. When doing the exercise (especially when legs go down), tense your arm muscles – this will help to keep your body straight and prevent swinging. Do not forget to tighten your lower back to the floor, using abdominals and lower back muscles. Synchronize breathing with movement: raise legs – exhale, at the top point hold your breath and tense your abdominals, doing down – inhale. Pay the main attention to slowly bring your legs down (you can reach 7 seconds at it) – in this movement phase all the purpose muscles get the required load. Try not to touch the floor with your heels during all the rep series, regulate the load with knee angle.
Having mastered the technique on proper level (at least 20 reps per set), try to complicate the exercise: at the top point straighten your legs (photo 5) and bring them down straight (photo 6). Watch your knees position, they should not bend to the moment when your legs are fully down (better decrease the depth at the beginning, but knees should stay straight).
Straight leg raises (starting position)

If you can do 20 reps with good technique (spending at least 5 seconds for each lower and making 2-3 seconds pause at bottom position) – you’ve opened your way to the most effective variation: straight legs. This technique makes higher requirements to all the involved muscles, but also works on them fullest. As it seen from the name, your legs should stay straight during all the exercise. Do not forget to tense all muscles to keep your body from swinging and not let your lower back bend. Perform the exercise slowly (spend at least 5 seconds to go down, to go up – 3 seconds), keep full control on your body. When you reach 20 reps with perfect technique – strong and resilient abdominals as the result won’t make you wait. Have a good training!

Good books to read:

Alternate leg raises

If you fully mastered seated leg raises, and can perform the most difficult variation of it at least 20 times – try to increase the load on abdominals, by taking horizontal position. As in plank and push-ups, this will make the exercises more difficult, but more effective. Besides, you won’t even need a stool, but this is one of the advantages of home training – full muscle work without equipment.
What muscles work: rectus and oblique abdominals, psoas muscle, rectus hip muscle.
Performing the exercise: lay on the floor, bend your knees and put straight arms along your body. Take your legs off the floor, bend them in hip joint, so that they were in vertical position (photo 1). Without back bending start to straighten one leg, but don’t put it on the floor at the end (photo 2). After one second pause, get the straight leg to the starting position, straighten the other one at the same time. Repeat for required number of times.
Alternate leg raises (starting position)

Notice: movement should be smooth and slow, spending about 5 seconds on one leg. You can synchronize your breath with movement: straighten one – inhale, straighten the other one – exhale. Heels must move maximum close to the floor, but not touch it during the whole cycle. Watch your lower back, using your muscles keep it tightened to the floor (or keep small initial bend). You must rise the number of reps to 20 for each leg. If it’s difficult for now – try to periodically put inactive (bent) leg on the floor, but as the muscle strength grows, go back to correct technique. If you are exercising on the hard floor, don’t forget to put something soft under lower back or use gymnastic carpet.
If you have mastered this exercise, try to increase the load, adding arms movement: when straighten one led, move the opposite hand (for right leg – left one and all the way round) behind your head (but keep it in the air) (photo 3). When switching active (straight) leg, switch hand at the same time (describing a half-circle in horizontal or vertical plane). In this kind of exercise you must pay even more attention to lower back, because coordinated moves of arms and legs may cause excessive bends up, as well as to the sides (always keep your muscles tensed to avoid excessive lower back moves).
Alternate leg raises (complicated variation)

Alternate leg raises (complicated variation)

If you perform all the exercises descripted above, you will prepare your body to the hardest thing (that works on abdominals really intensively) exercise – laying leg raises.

Good books to read:

Сторінки

13 квіт. 2016 р.

Front Lunges

Step ups

Kickbacks

12 квіт. 2016 р.

Leg raises with knees bent

Half-bent leg raises

13 квіт. 2016 р.

12 квіт. 2016 р.