9.4
Excellent
Tyre Flip Images
Tyre Flip Instructions
- Begin by gripping the bottom of the Tyre on the tread, and position your feet back a bit. Your chest should be driving into the Tyre.
- To lift the Tyre, extend through the hips, knees, and ankles, driving into the Tyre and up.
- As the Tyre reaches a 45 degree angle, step forward and drive a knee into the Tyre. As you do so adjust your grip to the upper portion of the Tyre and push it forward as hard as possible to complete the turn. Repeat as necessary.
9.1
Excellent
Step Mill Images
Step Mill Instructions
- To begin, step onto the stepmill and select the desired option from the menu. You can choose a manual setting, or you can select a program to run. Typically, you can enter your age and weight to estimate the amount of calories burned during exercise. Use caution so that you don’t trip as you climb the stairs. It is recommended that you maintain your grip on the handles so that you don’t fall.
- Stepmills offer convenience, cardiovascular benefits, and usually have less impact than running outside while offering a similar rate of calories burned. They are typically much harder than other cardio equipment. A 150 lb person will typically burn over 300 calories in 30 minutes, compared to about 175 calories walking.
9.3
Excellent
Snatch Images
Snatch Instructions
- Place your feet at a shoulder width stance with the barbell resting right above the connection between the toes and the rest of the foot.
- With a palms facing down grip, bend at the knees and keeping the back flat grab the bar using a wider than shoulder width grip. Bring the hips down and make sure that your body drops as if you were going to sit on a chair. This will be your starting position.
- Start pushing the floor as if it were a moving platform with your feet and simultaneously start lifting the barbell keeping it close to your legs.
- As the bar reaches the middle of your thighs, push the floor with your legs and lift your body to a complete extension in an explosive motion.
- Lift your shoulders back in a shrugging movement as you bring the bar up while lifting your elbows out to the side and keeping them above the bar for as long as possible.
- Now in a very quick but powerful motion, you have to get your body under the barbell when it has reached a high enough point where it can be controlled and drop while locking your arms and holding the barbell overhead as you assume a squat position.
- Finalize the movement by rising up out of the squat position to finish the lift. At the end of the lift both feet should be on line and the arms fully extended holding the barbell overhead.
Caution: This is a very advanced exercise so be extremely careful with the weight used. Bad form on this exercise can lead to serious injury.
9.6
Excellent
Single-Leg Press Images
Single-Leg Press Instructions
- Load the sled to an appropriate weight. Seat yourself on the machine, planting one foot on the platform in line with your hip. Your free foot can be placed on the ground. Maintain good spinal position with your head and chest up.
- Supporting the weight, fully extend the knee and unlock the sled. This will be your starting position.
- Lower the weight by flexing the hip and knee, continuing as far as flexibility allows. Do not allow your lumbar to take the load by moving your pelvis.
- At the bottom of the motion pause briefly and then return to the starting position by extending the hip and knee.
- Complete all repetitions for one leg before switching to the other.
9.2
Excellent
Rope Jumping Images
Rope Jumping Instructions
- Hold an end of the rope in each hand. Position the rope behind you on the ground. Raise your arms up and turn the rope over your head bringing it down in front of you. When it reaches the ground, jump over it. Find a good turning pace that can be maintained. Different speeds and techniques can be used to introduce variation.
- Rope jumping is exciting, challenges your coordination, and requires a lot of energy. A 150 lb person will burn about 350 calories jumping rope for 30 minutes, compared to over 450 calories running.
9.1
Excellent
Olympic Squat Images
Olympic Squat Instructions
- Begin with a barbell supported on top of the traps. The chest should be up, and the head facing forward. Adopt a hip width stance with the feet turned out as needed.
- Descend by flexing the knees, refraining from moving the hips back as much as possible. This requires that the knees travel forward; ensure that they stay aligned with the feet. The goal is to keep the torso as upright as possible. Continue all the way down, keeping the weight on the front of the heel.
- At the moment the upper legs contact the lower, reverse the motion, driving the weight upward.
9
Excellent
Narrow Stance Squats Images
Narrow Stance Squats Instructions
- This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for safety purposes. To begin, first set the bar on a rack that best matches your height. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, step under the bar and place the back of your shoulders (slightly below the neck) across it.
- Hold on to the bar using both arms at each side and lift it off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso.
- Step away from the rack and position your legs using a less-than-shoulder-width narrow stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Feet should be around 3-6 inches apart. Keep your head up at all times (looking down will get you off balance) and maintain a straight back. This will be your starting position. (Note: For the purposes of this discussion we will use the medium stance described above which targets overall development; however you can choose any of the three stances discussed in the foot stances section).
- Begin to slowly lower the bar by bending the knees as you maintain a straight posture with the head up. Continue down until the angle between the upper leg and the calves becomes slightly less than 90-degrees (which is the point in which the upper legs are below parallel to the floor). Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: If you performed the exercise correctly, the front of the knees should make an imaginary straight line with the toes that is perpendicular to the front. If your knees are past that imaginary line (if they are past your toes) then you are placing undue stress on the knee and the exercise has been performed incorrectly.
- Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing the floor with the heel of your foot mainly as you straighten the legs again and go back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Caution: This is not an exercise to be taken lightly. If you have back issues, substitute it with the dumbbell squat variation or a leg press instead. If you have a healthy back, ensure perfect form and never slouch the back forward as this can cause back injury. Be cautious as well with the weight used; in case of doubt, use less weight rather than more. The squat is a very safe exercise but only if performed properly.
Variations:
As previously mentioned, there are various stances that can be used depending on what you want to emphasize.
You can also place a small block under the heels to improve balance.
Dumbbells can be used as well for resistance by holding them to your sides. The use of wrist wraps is a necessity due to the amount of weights used. I find this an excellent variation when my lower back begins to act up after many weeks of regular barbell squats. (Note: For wide-stance dumbbell squats you will have to hold the dumbbells in between your legs as opposed to both sides in order to be able to distance your legs sufficiently).
Another way to perform these is by using a weight belt and attaching weights to it in between the legs. This variation is referred to as weight-belt squats which need to be performed with the legs placed on two well secured, raised, but separated platforms, that allow the weights to go up and down in the middle. This exercise is an excellent choice for people with lower back problems. The issue however is finding the platforms that meet the criteria. The only way I have been able to perform this is when I have two benches placed opposite to each other with spotting platforms that are facing each other. If you move the benches close enough then you get can execute the weight-belt squats by using the spotting platform.
Finally, you can also perform squats in a Smith Machine though I do not recommend this. The reason for not performing regular squats on the Smith Machine is that since the machine allows you to execute the exercise while leaning versus the bar, hip flexor involvement is minimized taking the hamstring out of the exercise. While this does take pressure off the lower back, hamstring involvement is a requirement to stabilize the knee-cap. So, as a result, what is created is a situation where destructive forces place a huge stress on the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament; a primary ligament in the knee capsule whose job is to provide knee stability) by pushing the knee-cap forward. For this reason, I highly recommend against Smith Machine use for squats. If you still insist on doing so, make sure it is a sporadic use rather than frequent, and also be sure to control the amount of weight used.
8.8
Excellent
Narrow Stance Leg Press Images
Narrow Stance Leg Press Instructions
- Using a leg press machine, sit down on the machine and place your legs on the platform directly in front of you at a less-than-shoulder-width narrow stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Your feet should be around 3 inches or less apart. Tip: Keep your head up at all times and also maintain the back on the pad at all times.
- Lower the safety bars holding the weighted platform in place and press the platform all the way up until your legs are fully extended in front of you. Tip: Make sure that you do not lock your knees. Your torso and the legs should make a perfect 90-degree angle. This will be your starting position.
- As you inhale, slowly lower the platform until your upper and lower legs make a 90-degree angle.
- Pushing mainly with the heels of your feet and using the quadriceps go back to the starting position as you exhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions and ensure to lock the safety pins properly once you are done. You do not want that platform falling on you fully loaded.
Caution: Always check to make sure that when you re-rack the weight the platform is securely locked.
Variations: All foot stance variations described in the foot stance section.
N
8.8
Excellent
Narrow Stance Hack Squats Images
Narrow Stance Hack Squats Instructions
- Place the back of your torso against the back pad of the machine and hook your shoulders under the shoulder pads provided.
- Position your legs in the platform using a less than shoulder width narrow stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Your feet should be around 3 inches or less apart. Tip: Keep your head up at all times and also maintain the back on the pad at all times.
- Place your arms on the side handles of the machine and disengage the safety bars (which on most designs is done by moving the side handles from a facing front position to a diagonal position).
- Now straighten your legs without locking the knees. This will be your starting position.
- Begin to slowly lower the unit by bending the knees as you maintain a straight posture with the head up (back on the pad at all times). Continue down until the angle between the upper leg and the calves becomes slightly less than 90-degrees (which is the point in which the upper legs are below parallel to the floor). Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement.
- Begin to raise the unit as you exhale by pushing the floor with mainly with the heels of your feet as you straighten the legs again and go back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
9.3
Excellent
Hang Clean Images
Hang Clean Instructions
-
- Begin with a shoulder width, double overhand or hook grip, with the bar hanging at the mid thigh position. Your back should be straight and inclined slightly forward.
- Begin by aggressively extending through the hips, knees and ankles, driving the weight upward. As you do so, shrug your shoulders towards your ears.
As full extension is achieved, transition into the final pull by aggressively shrugging and flexing the arms with the elbows up and out. At peak extension, aggressively pull yourself down, rotating your elbows under the bar as you do so. Receive the bar in a front squat position, the depth of which is dependent upon the height of the bar at the end of the third pull. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed. Continue to descend to the bottom squat position, which will help in the recovery.
- Immediately recover by driving through the heels, keeping the torso upright and elbows up. Continue until you have risen to a standing position.