Several of you all have requested for more workouts on the site to take with you during your travels and at home when you don’t have the time to hit the gym or St. Pete Boot Camp. Now that the summer is in full gear, the kids are out of school, and vacation and travel times are approaching time is of essence, leaving long workouts secondary.
Here’s an intermediate workout you can try at the gym or at home using very little exercise equipment. All you need is a stability ball and dumbbells to perform 5 exercises designed to give you a total body workout in as little as 24 minutes. If you’re part of the Rapid Fat Loss Body Transformation Contest, this is a great one to use to have an edge over your competition : )
1. DB Incline Pushups
2. Bent Rows
3. DB Sumo Deadlift
4. One-leg Squat
5. Drop and Catch
Each exercise will be done 15 – 25 repititions before moving to the next station. Perform all exercises before resting 45 – 90 seconds. Repeat for a total of 3- 5 sets.
Make sure to post a comment and tell me how’d you do.
PS – Make sure to sign up for the fourth 8-week Rapid Fat Loss Transformation Contest. The contest begins Monday June 14, 2010 and includes 3 personal training sessions, access to unlimted boot camps and meal plans. The deadline is June 21st and we are limiting the contest to only 15 people. Go to http://www.stpetebootcamp.com/?page_id=181 and get started today!
Taking control of your health and fitness as they specifically relate to fat loss is a real no brainer. Ok, there is formula and scientific approach to effectively reaching your fat loss goals but generally, consistent movement coupled with proper nutrition is all you need to “scare” the fat right off of you. Not having time, a gym membership or proper equipment is an excuse of the past and I’m here to prove it to you right now. If you are a living specimen, have a physical body and a lot of determination, you can have the body you desire and deserve!
While Halloween is only a few days away, I am going to show you a total-body, muscle toning routine that will literally “spook” the fat right off your stomach and other undesirable areas. The only equipment you need is – you guessed it – a pumpkin. So, hit your local supermarket (I’ve found them to be a low as $2.50 here as opposed to a pumpkin patch) grab a pumpkin and… Make it happen! You can even do these at the checkout line. ; ) If you don’t want to use a pumpkin, simply use a medicine ball, dumbbell or simply a phone book – I told you that you don’t equipment.
The Killer PUMPkin Interval Workout #2
Complete each circuit for 30 seconds with 10 seconds rest between stations for 5 total sets. Rest 45-90s after completing the entire circuit.
P.S. Don't forget to RSVP - there are still a few spots available for the Free Halloween PUMPkin Boot Camp at North Shore Park Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 5:30 pm. Although this event is free, donations are accepted which will benefit the Susan G Komen Foundation. Healthy Halloween treats will also be provided. Click here to RSVP now!
The Push-up: It is definately the most popular exercise of all time. But, just because it is so popular surely does not mean it is well liked! In fact, I bet it is safe to say that the majority of people really HATE push-ups. More specifically, the push-up tends to be the undying nemesis for people who carry extra body weight and for most females who feel they do not have the upper-body strength to to do anything but “wuss-ups,” *(cough)* I mean, modified push-ups on the knees.
Push-up tends to be the undying nemesis for people who carry extra body weight
The goal of this article is to address everything you need to know about performing the push-up with proper form in addition to learning how to do more push-ups to get you in the best shape of your life -ASAP. Remember, people only hate what they are not good at doing. In other words, I am confident that though you may currently hate push-ups, by following this program you will finally unveil your true push-up potential. And though you may never be madly in love with push-up, you’ll at least be able to stomach them!
Benefits of Push-ups
Right next to pull-ups, a push-up is the greatest upper body exercise of all time. In fact, I am convincd that push-ups are the best total body exercises around. The movement targets multiple muscles and you can do them absolutely anywhere.
Push-ups work primarily your chest, triceps, and front shoulders. However they also place a great demand on your core strength and stability. After all, your spinal stabilizers (transverse abdominis and spinal erectors) need to have the endurance to maintain that critical straight-line position throughout the duration of the push-up for optimal safety and performance. In addition, push-ups engage your scapular muscles (shoulder blades) in a way that most pushing exercises do not, thus providing some much needed mid and upper back work that most trainees are missing out on.
Furthermore, maintaining the proper push-up position requires that you tense and engage every muscle on the front side of your body from your feet to your front shoulders. Heck, if you squeeze your glutes (which you should as this helps protect your lower back), you even get your buns involved!
Finally, push-ups are the ultimate anywhere, anytime exercise that requires nothing but your body weight and space the size of your frame to perform.
How to Perform a Perfect Push-up
Although nearly everyone who has ever walked the face of this earth has attempted a push-up at some time in their life, the vast majority of people have never performed a full range of motion floor push-up with perfect form and technique. If you fit this category, DON’T SWEAT IT. It’s not your fault if no one has ever taught you how to perform a proper push-up. I mean, haven’t we all heard this at some point from an authority figure, whether it be an old school athletic coach or gym teacher:
“Alrighty 100 push-ups now! No, not like that, get lower! What are you, weak? No ‘girly’ push-ups, It’s just a push-up you wuss! If you don’t do them right, we’re going to do them all day! I’ve got the time!”
But, what’s done is now history. Below is a complete list of technique and coaching points regarding how to perform a perfect push-up:
- Simultaneously tuck your elbows to your sides and pull your shoulders blades down and back:
It’s critical to keep your elbows close to your ribcage while performing push-ups. Letting your elbows “sprawl” away from your torso puts your rotator cuff at a much greater risk for injury. Also, since most of us are so upper trap dominant, we tend to shrug our shoulders during push-ups. This scapular elevation can lead to clicking and grinding of the shoulder (known as shoulder impingement syndrome). To avoid this pitfall, visualize trying to hug your elbows to your ribcage while cracking a nut between your shoulder blades during all push-ups.
- Simultaneously suck in your gut and brace your abs:
As mentioned earlier, the push-up is a great core exercise that requires good muscular endurance for your deep spinal stabilizers. By pulling your belly button toward your spine and bracing your abs as if you we about to be kicked in the gut, you will surely activate those key core muscles while performing push-ups.
- Simultaneously tense your thighs and squeeze your glutes:
The more straight your legs are during the push-up, the more stable you will be. This is easily accomplished by tensing your thighs throughout the exercise. Make sure you also tense your butt cheeks- this helps relax overactive hip flexors, thus alleviating unnecessary strain on the lower back.
- Power breathing:
In general, focus on inhaling during the lowering portion of the push-up and then forcefully exhaling during the lifting portion of the push-up. By filling your stomach with air during the descending part of the push-up, it becomes easier to stabilize your spine. This means that your core remains locked in. Thus, allowing for a smooth and seamless transition from the down position to the up position.
- Spread your fingers:
Many people complain of wrist pain while they do push-ups. This usually comes as a result of a combination of the lack of mobility at the wrist joints as well as the lack of flexibility of the forearm flexors and extensors. Plus, many people simply have weak wrists from a lack of weight-bearing exercises in their daily lives. Think about it– we do not do as much as we used to with our hands and are rarely in a position where our wrists our supporting our entire body weight (besides when doing push-ups). One way to take pressure off of your wrists during push-ups is to focus on spreading your fingers as far apart as possible. This expands the surface area and thus elleviates some of the excess strain on the wrists. doing knuckle push-ups or push-ups with your hands on a dumbbell (or push-up handles) tends to significantly alleviate, if not eliminate, any unwanted wrist issues. This neutral grip allows you to get all of the benefits of push-ups so your wrists do not continue to be the biggest limiting factor for your push-up goals. In addition, the neutral grip also makes it easier to keep your elbows tucked to your sides and shoulders down and back for optimal shoulder safety.
- Be flat as a diving board:
Throughout the entire movement, the key is to maintain a straight line from the heels through the shoulders. You must not let your hips sag as this will put undue strain on your lower back in the form of hyperextension. At the same time, avoid raising or “piking” your hips because this not only takes away much needed core work, but also results in a rounding of the upper back that potentially results in unwanted shoulder issues (impingement, rotator cuff strains, etc.).
So there you have it. Let’s get rolling with a killer push-up routine!
*****The Official Push-up Boot Camp Program
Step#1- Find your current Push-up Total
Assuming a regular floor push-up position, perform as many reps as possible (AMRAP) with perfect form and technique in 45 seconds. Be sure to place a tennis ball or yoga brick on the floor. Your chest must make contact with this object to count as a full rep. Record your rep total and then take 45 seconds of rest (no longer). Repeat by performing one more set of AMRAP in 45 seconds and then record your second set total. Add both your set one and set two totals and then divide by two. This is your current push-up total.
Step#2- Follow the custom push-up boot camp program based on your current push-up total:
The following program will systematically take you from level I to level IV six weeks at a time (not including a week of rest between levels). It is important to note that you must be following the appropriate fat loss training (total body strength circuits and cardio interval training) and nutrition plan to lose unwanted body fat that is weighing you down and literally halting your push-up totals in its tracks. In addition, be sure to change up the selected push-up variation at each and every strength workout to best prevent training plateaus. Here’s an example of how to switch things up for one week of training:
Day1- Close-Grip Push-up Variation (to emphasize the triceps and front shoulders to improve push-up lockout)
Day2- Loaded/Band-Resisted Push-up Variation (to improve strength and thus make it easier to perform body weight push-ups)
Day3- Stability Ball Push-up Variation- Hands Ball (to build trunk and scapular strength stability to prevent injury and maximize force output)
Remember, the better you get at every push-up variation the better you will get at regular push-ups. Once you achieve a current push-up total of 30 reps or more, you will notice the focus now will be on getting stronger by mastering the 1-arm push-up. Improving maximum strength automatically improves your muscular endurance, though it doesn’t work the same the other way around.
Please note that you should only follow this program if you have healthy shoulders. In addition, since you will be performing extra pushing movements, it is critical to add in some scapular retraction and depression work to prevent unwanted strength imbalances. Please note the addition of a certain amount of reps of Body Weight Prisoner or Y Squats following each set of push-ups for your “Extra Push-up Work” to achieve this end. The Body Weight Prisoner or Y Squat was selected because it simultaneously works your upper back and opens up your chest while working your lower body to boost metabolism. Plus, it’s an exercise you can do anywhere. Lastly, the “Extra Push-up Work” is best performed throughout the day to be fresh and allow for full recovery.
Level
Current Push-up Total
Push-up Protocol
Level I: Current Push-up Total – 0-1
– Main Strength Workout: Perform max reps or a max hold for time for a different push-up variation at each of 3 strength workouts per week with ideally a day of rest between workouts
- Extra Push-up Work: Perform 5 sets per day of negative push-ups with the following weekly progressions Monday through Friday (weekends off):
Week1- 5 sets of 2 reps of 5-second negatives
Week2- 5 sets of 3 reps of 6-second negatives
Week3- 5 sets of 4 reps of 7-second negatives
Week4- 5 sets of 5 reps of 8-second negatives
Week5- 5 sets of 5 reps of 9-second negatives
Week6- 5 sets of 5 reps of 10-second negatives
- Follow each set of push-ups with 10 reps of Body Weight Prisoner or Y Squats
Level:II Current Push-up Total: 2-5
– Main Strength Workout: Perform max reps or a max hold for time for a different push-up variation at each of 3 strength workouts per week with ideally a day of rest between workouts
- Extra Push-up Work: Perform 5 sets per day of regular floor push-ups with the following weekly progressions Monday through Friday (weekends off):
Week1- 5 sets of 1 rep
Week2- 5 sets of 2 reps
Week3- 5 sets of 3 reps
Week4- 5 sets of 4 reps
Week5- 5 sets of 5 reps
Week6- 5 sets of 6 reps
- Follow each set of push-ups with 20 reps of Body Weight Prisoner or Y Squats
Level III: Current Push-up Total – 6-12
– Main Strength Workout: Perform max reps or a max hold for time for a different push-up variation at each of 3 strength workouts per week with ideally a day of rest between workouts
- Extra Push-up Work: Perform 5 sets per day of regular floor push-ups with the following weekly progressions Monday through Friday (weekends off):
Week1- 5 sets of 5 reps
Week2- 5 sets of 6 reps
Week3- 5 sets of 7 reps
Week4- 5 sets of 8 reps
Week5- 5 sets of 9 reps
Week6- 5 sets of 10 reps
- Follow each set of push-ups with 30 reps of Body Weight Prisoner or Y Squats
Level IV: Current Push-up Total – 13-20
– Main Strength Workout: Perform max reps or a max hold for time for a different push-up variation at each of 3 strength workouts per week with ideally a day of rest between workouts
- Extra Push-up Work: Perform 5 sets per day of regular floor push-ups with the following weekly progressions Monday through Friday (weekends off):
Week1- 5 sets of 10 reps
Week2- 5 sets of 12 reps
Week3- 5 sets of 14 reps
Week4- 5 sets of 16 reps
Week5- 5 sets of 18 reps
Week6- 5 sets of 20 reps
- Follow each set of push-ups with 40 reps of Body Weight Prisoner or Y Squats
Level V: Current Push-up Total – 21-30
– Main Strength Workout: Perform max reps or a max hold for time for a different push-up variation at each of 3 strength workouts per week with ideally a day of rest between workouts
- Extra Push-up Work: Perform 5 sets per day of regular floor push-ups with the following weekly progressions Monday through Friday (weekends off):
Week1- 5 sets of 20 reps
Week2- 5 sets of 22 reps
Week3- 5 sets of 24 reps
Week4- 5 sets of 26 reps
Week5- 5 sets of 28 reps
Week6- 5 sets of 30 reps
- Follow each set of push-ups with 50 reps of Body Weight Prisoner or Y Squats
Level VI: Current Push-up Total – 31+
– Main Strength Workout: Perform max reps or a max hold for time for a different push-up variation at each of 3 strength workouts per week with ideally a day of rest between workouts
- Extra Push-up Work: Perform 5 sets per day of a 1-arm push-ups variation with the following weekly progressions Monday through Friday (weekends off). Progress from stage 1 to stage 3 in choosing the appropriate 1-arm push-up variation:
Week1- 5 sets of 1 rep
Week2- 5 sets of 2 reps
Week3- 5 sets of 3 reps
Week4- 5 sets of 4 reps
Week5- 5 sets of 5 reps
Week6- 5 sets of 6 reps
Stage1- Modified 1-Arm Push-ups on Knees/Inclined
Stage2- Regular 1-Arm Push-ups 5-secondNegatives
Stage3- Regular 1-Arm Push-ups
- Follow each set of push-ups with 60 reps of Body Weight Prisoner or Y Squats
Step#3- Re-Test Your Current Push-up Total
At the end of each 6-week training block, take 5 full days of rest before re-testing your new push-up total exactly as previously outlined in step one. Record your new push-up total and then take the rest of the week off for recovery before moving on to the next level of push-up boot camp.
Well, you now know everything you need to know to safely and effectively perform more push-ups than 99+% of the world. Remember, the leaner you are the better you will be at push-ups and the more push-ups you can do, the better you will look- time to master the push-up! Make it happen.
Committed to your fitness and success,
Damon Reio
PS- How many push-ups can you currently do? Please post to a comment to this blog post to let us know. Are you ready to accept the push-up boot camp challenge?
