Name: Abdominal Crunches.
Also known as: Ab crunches, crunches.
Main muscles used: Stomach.
Other muscles used:
Top tips:
Cerin
How to: Do the Side Plank
Name: Side Plank.
Also known as: Side Bridge.
Main muscles used: Stomach and sides.
Other muscles used: Shoulders.
Top tips:
How to: Do the Front Plank
The Front Plank – Good
Name: The Front Plank
Also known as: Prone Bridge
Main muscles used: Stomach
Other muscles used: Muscles on the front side of the body
Top tips:
How to: Do a Squat Press
Squat Press – Side
Name: Squat Press
Also known as: Thrusters
Main muscles used: Legs, bum, shoulders, triceps, heart.
Other muscles used: Stomach, back.
Top tips:
How to: Do a Shoulder Press
Shoulder Press – Front
Name: Shoulder Press
Also known as: Overhead press
Main muscles used: Shoulders, triceps
Other muscles used: Stomach, back.
Top tips:
How to: Do Buckaroo Burpees
Buckaroo Burpee
Name: Buckaroo Burpees Also known as: (if you know these by another name, leave a comment below) Main muscles used: Shoulders, legs, heart. Other muscles used: Stomach, back, arms. Top tips:
How to: Do a Burpee
Burpees
Name: Burpees Also known as: (Do you know them by another name? If so, leave a comment below) Main muscles used: Legs, bum, shoulders, arms, heart. Other muscles used: Most of the muscles in the body. Top tips:
How to: Do a Squat Thrust
Squat Thrusts Name: Squat Thrusts Also known as: (if you know these by any other names, leave a comment below) Main muscles used: Shoulders, legs, heart. Other muscles used: Stomach, arms. Top tips: Drive your feet as far back as you can reach. Drive your feet as far forwards as your flexibility will allow. Do … Read more
How to: Do Mountain Climbers
Mountain Climber
Name: Mountain Climbers
Also known as: Single leg squat thrusts
Main muscles used: Shoulders, legs, heart.
Other muscles used: Stomach, arms.
Top tips:
How to: Do Bodyweight Squats
Bodyweight Squats – Good
Name: Bodyweight Squats
Also known as: Air squats
Main muscles used: Legs, bum.
Other muscles used: Back.
Top tips:
Targets: Why some are better than others
First thing I want to say is, targets are good. They help people reach goals. If nothing else, they can be used as stepping stones towards an ultimate goal. They can show the direction to go, your rate of progress in that direction, and they are a good psychological tool making the whole journey more “do-able”. Some examples of these targets include:
Background Activity, Active Design and New York
I’ve talked before about increasing a persons “Background Activity” (click here, and here) to help improve their health and weight. And it looks like New York city has the same idea! Click here for a BBC documentary about how architects in New York are trying to make it harder for people to get about in order to give people more exercise.
Good luck to all those running in the Great North Run today!
Great North Run – picture courtesy of the Daily Telegraph Good luck to all those running in the Great North Run today! The weather looks miserable, but well done! All the best!
Periodisation – what, why and how
What is periodisation?
To me, periodisation is:
“Specialising in different things, in different phases, over a period of time, in order to bring them all together at the end.”
For example, if I were to build a house, I would divide the project up into the following phases:
Weight loss, gain and maintainance diets.
I’ve noticed that when I talk to people about diets, we often end up talking at cross purposes, and they don’t always understand what I’m on about. To your average person, a “diet” means one thing…a short term, drastic change in their eating/drinking habits which they “go on”, in order to lose some weight. When I think about diets, I prefer to use the following definition:
Relax and don’t worry about it
Over the last couple of days I have given the same advice to 2 different people, for 2 different reasons. And none of it had anything to do with reps, sets, intensities, speed etc. Instead it was quite simply to:
Why absolutely everyone should aim to increase their muscle (yes, this includes you!)
You need to do resistance training (weights) and aim to increase your muscle mass. If you disagree with me, or think this does not apply to you, sorry, but you are wrong, and I am right. Read on and I’ll try to explain why…
Recommended reading: Feeding your kids fruit and veg – 5 a day.
I don’t have kids, so there are some problems that I have (thankfully!) never experienced. One of these problems is how to get your kids to eat enough fruit and veg. But my friend who does have children asked me this the other day…so if you have this problem, try reading the following link…
Strength and strength training – What, how and for who.
Many people (including some experienced athletes) tend to equate strength training with bodybuilding…thinking that both are one and the same. They get stuck in the “3 sets of 10” rut and never get out. But there is more than one type of strength, each having its own pros and cons, and each being more or less suitable for different activities. As such there is more than one way of training for strength. Here is a quick run down of the major forms of strength…
General Strength
Training for very practical reasons.
Most people come to the gym to train for aesthetic reasons (to look better). But a special few train for practical reasons (to be able to perform a physical task better). And I like coaching these people! And I had an eye opening opportunity the other day…in a funeral home.