Create tension in the band by taking a slightly wider than hip width stance, and bend the knees to get in an athletic stance. As mentioned above, this variation can be used to increase the difficulty of different push-up variations (e.g. Hi! Since your average daily training session is just thataveragewe find that basing your training off of a peaked, ideal-condition scenario (like a 1RM) is not as flexible as working off a Training Max. Can also be done with a partner holding the board on your chest. If possible, set your adjustable back to a low angle, roughly 15- or 30-degrees (this is usually the first or second notch), as well as adjust the seat so that the front is elevated. Laying on your stomach, extend your arms overhead and extend legs and feet. Stand up straight and hold a dumbbell in one arm, with the weight in front of the thighs. For full size plates, we recommend using a deficit height of 1-2 this tends to be enough to overload the range of motion, but not so high that our mechanics, pulling technique, start position, and bar path are drastically different. Starting in a kneeling position with the balls of your feet down, sit your hips back towards your heels, then drive up explosively, jumping up and landing in a squat position. Aim to keep the contact with your shirt as light as possible, but dont stop above the shirt (make sure you touch your shirt, after all!). Perform squats to depth while keeping an upright torso with bodyweight or with a light kettlebell. At the start of the pull, you will likely find that you have slightly lower hips and a bit more knee angle than a conventional deadlift (where your hips tend to be higher). This is a three-exercise giant set, intended to be performed continuously with no rest in between exercises. To scale this version to an easier variation, modify this exercise to alternate one leg at a time until you reach the prescribed number of reps per leg. Return to the starting position. The more that the front of your hips is pointed to the floor, the more this movement will require contraction at the glutes. While holding them at this height, tuck your ribs down and squeeze your abs while reaching your hips back as far as you can. Lie on floor with feet flat on the ground and a long resistance band hooked around your feet and drawn out across your hips. Once youve identified your starting level, perform a baseline test on your first available session (even if you join us mid-cycle). To scale this movement, bring your feet closer (easier) or further away/elevated (harder). Goblet Squat, Band Abducted Goblet Squat, Goblet Squat w Adduction, Front loaded (DB, KB, barbell) squat; Belt Squats; Leg Press or Hack Squat; Leg Extensions. Set up just behind a Barbell with a wide stance (feet externally rotated) and hands inside of your legs. Perform with feet flat on the ground, unless specified otherwise (e.g. Use a stair, low box, or other stable surface (e.g. Shins should be close to the bar, similar to the deadlift position. Set up on an incline bench in a squat rack, or use a fixed incline bench press rack. With a glute band just above the knees, lie on the ground. Anchor a band in front of you in a low position. Keep in mind that if your bar is loaded with plates smaller than traditional 45lb/20kg plates (or bumper plate equivalents), you may already be pulling from a deficit. This movement can be performed in a number of different planes, whether parallel (as demonstrated here), low-to-high (low anchor with hands finishing together in a high position), or high-to-low (high anchor with hands finishing together in a low position). It can take months and/or years of dedicated training for many lifters to get their first pull-up. With a handle in each hand, step forward so there is some tension in each arm. If you are able to improve your score relative to your baseline test, then we are definitely moving in the right direction, and we are proud of you. Lower back down and repeat. Start in a plank position with sliders, paper plate, or towels on each foot. ); Leg Press variations (especially glute focused, such as wide stance or feet further in front of you); Step Up, Lunge, or Split Squat variations. Any unilateral pulling or rowing movements (DB Rows, Cable Rows, Hammer Strength Rows); Lat Pull Over (DB or Cable); Vertical Pulling movements (Pull Ups, Chin Ups, Lat Pull Down); Horizontal Pulling movements (Barbell Rows, Inverted Rows, Chest Supported Rows, etc. If at any point you feel uncomfortableinthis process, please contact us atsales@strongstrongfriends.comso we can best support you and ensure your safety and trust are maintained. Standing in front of a weight plate or similar, aim to elevate your toes by 1-3. Barbell Curls, EZ bar curls, Alt. Birddog Demo Here, A series of 3 core exercises performed in a row: the Curl-Up, Side-Plank, and Bird-Dog. Now that you are in position, transition from forearm to hand on one side, followed by the other youre now in High Plank. Do your best to maintain level shoulders and hips here there should be minimal swaying or rotational movement even as you lift one hand off the ground. If substituting for another curl variation, aim to complete in sets of 15+ reps, and pushing to technical failure. **Please ensure you are using your Training Max as defined in the popup or FAQ below, as this will best set you up for long-term sustainable progress.**. Standing upright, place your feet on top of a long resistance band, and hold the loose end with a parallel (palms together) grip. Hold the position for 10 seconds, then relax and switch sides. Banded Hamstring Curls; Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls; 2-Up, 1-Down Hamstring Curl; Hamstring Curl 21s; Glute Ham Raise; Romanian Deadlift; Stiff-Leg Deadlift. Keep bicep and elbow close to torso and control the weight through the entire movement. Resistance implement can be substituted if needed if a plate, band, or pair of DBs are unavailable, you can substitute for a loaded book bag for resistance. Keeping the upper arms stationary, and curl the bar forward and up while contracting the biceps. Lift your hips off the ground, and maintain a neutral spine by tucking the ribs and squeezing the glutes and abdominals. Neither are inherently right or wrong, and we recommend training a combination or alternating (for balance), or whichever is more comfortable for you. To scale to a more challenging intermediate variation, perform Hanging Knee Tucks on a pull-up bar. With a dumbbell in each hand and a slight bend in the elbow, lift weights out to the side and slightly in front (elbows coming 10-30 degrees in front of your torso) until your arms are parallel with the floor. Keep constant tension here, and try to avoid resting the weight on your thighs at the bottom. As you come back up, squeeze your front leg glute as you bring your rear foot forward to meet your front foot. Using bodyweight or a PVC Pipe, slowly start to lower the upper body by tucking the chin and rolling down, one vertebrae at a time. These weight increases can be anywhere from 2-5%+ of your training max. Place a long band around one foot, anchoring the loose end with your hands. While maintaining a slight elbow angle, pull the bar down towards your waist. Curl Up Demo Here Laying on the ground on your side, bend your knees 90-degrees while maintaining extended hips you should have a straight line from knees to hips to shoulders. Extend the knee and then open the hips in rapid concession. Start by holding one DB with your arm at 90-degrees (an isometric contraction) while performing the prescribed repetition with your other arm. From an extended position with your arms starting away from your body and a slight bend in the elbow, bring your arms together until they meet in front of you. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and raise each dumbbell out and up away from the torso. In this variation, descend as far as you can as slowly as you can, while lengthening the hamstrings until your arms catch yourselves. Keep your body in a straight line, making sure not to raise or sink the hips. Slowly lower, while reaching away from the body as you lower. On a good day, this is a weight you might be able to hit for 2-3 repetitions when just starting out. Control the speed and distance the by engaging the core. Aim to maintain a straight line in your body, from knees to hips to shoulders. Using DBs, perform bicep curls. Meg Gallagher, aka @megsquats on Instagram, competes in powerlifting and has probably popped up on your feed. Lower back down with control and repeat. Keep your head, shoulders, and butt on the bench and your feet on the floor, while holding a pair of dumbbells one in each hand. Grab the attachment with both hands, and stand upright,with arms down and the weight in front of the thighs. Repeat for 3-8 repetitions per side, if rep range is not prescribed. From there, you can screenshot still-frames of your video to be used for yourcheckin. Glute bridge variations (banded, single leg, etc. Continue in one direction for prescribed reps, and then reverse directions. If you do not have access to cables, you can perform these variations with bands. wide or close grip push-ups). See demo link above (shown as 3+3+3 rather than 7+7+7). In pushup position with forearms and balls of your feet on the ground, modify your traditional plank setup by internally rotating one forearm until it is almost 90-degrees (so your fist sits below your opposite shoulder), then raise the unused arm off the ground and hold it straight down by your thigh. Get in an upright seated position facing a cable pulley, with handles attached at the low position. Perform for the prescribed repetitions, then switch sides and repeat. Return the dumbbell to the top of the movement. Press the low back into the floor and raise your extended leg ~3-6 inches off the floor, while also lifting your head off the floor and keeping a tucked chin. Repeat for the prescribed time or repetitions. Next, raise your legs with knees bent at 90-degrees until your knees are stacked over your hips and shins are parallel to the floor. Return to start position and repeat. Can be performed with bodyweight or weighted (DBs, KBs, or even BBs!). Ensure that the machine is adjusted to your height so that your knee is directly in line with the axis point (fulcrum) on which the pad rotates. Starting with feet together, take a step forward and begin to perform a walking lunge. Hold a PVC pipe, broom, or band in front of your body with arms extended straight. Setup with an adjustable bench set to a high incline position (45-85 degrees of angle) and sit with your back against the upright. Lie on your back with legs extended. Standing facing the cable machine, grab the bar with an overhand position at shoulder width apart or wider. These sets will allow us to use heavier (ascending) weights when we feel good and move well, yet stick with the minimum prescribed percentage on off days, to make sure were making progress and moving forward no matter what. Control the speed and distance the roller travels by engaging the core. Lift the band straight up toward the chin, leading with the elbows and keeping the band close to the body. Diamond Push-Ups; Traditional Push-Ups; Close Grip Bench Press; Skullcrushers; Rope Pushdown; Bench Dips; Chest Dips. Single arm fly and cable crossover variations. By maintaining the same elbow angle throughout the entire range of motion, your movement should be controlled by your pecs. Begin performing curls with your banded arm for the prescribed reps. Lying on the ground with a swiss ball at your feet, set up with your heels on the ball and your legs fully extended. Continue descending until you feel a light to moderate stretch in your hamstrings and/or glutes. Can be performed with a DB or EZ Curl Bar behind your legs. Descend back to the start position and repeat. Can also be performed holding a one kettlebell in each hand, or a pair of DBs instead. Start in a plank position with sliders, paper plate, or towels on each foot. Close Grip Bench Press, Neutral Grip DB press; Close Grip Push-Ups; Bench Dips; Chest Dips. Return to start position. Continue dipping down until your shoulders are at or below your elbows, as comfortable, then press yourself back up by straightening your arms until you are back at the top. Bend at the elbows to descend the torso, aiming to keep your elbows as tucked as possible as you lower your chest to the floor, coming close to touching the ground. Perform dips by lowering your torso until your elbow joint reaches roughly 90-degrees, then press yourself back up to the top by pushing into the bench. Bring both feet, bending the hip only, keeping the legs extended. Repeat for the prescribed repetitions. 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