Exercise Guide

A guide to accompany the training programs

Most exercises are self-explanatory, very simple to do, and can be done virtually anywhere.

Calf Raises

Find a little ledge or stair and where you have some sort of railing to support. Start with the balls of your feet on the edge of the step, your feet hanging off. Keep you legs shoulder width apart. Raise your body by pushing off the stair, hold for one second, then slowly lower your body to start position. You can mix things up by pointing your toes inward or outward.  Also, you can hold weights for added difficulty.

Wall Sits

Simply put your back against the wall, as if you were sitting. Make sure you can see your toes (your knees should not be blocking the vision of your toes). Slide your back up and down the wall at your leisure. Just make sure that if you aren’t sliding up and down, you should be holding the sitting position at an angle where you can see your toes. For added difficulty, you can hold a weight in your hands on your thighs.

Lunges

Stand upright with your back straight. While keeping your right foot in firmly in place, take a large step with your left leg. As you step, lower your left leg by dropping your hips until your left thigh is parrelel to the group. Return to start position and repeat with your right leg. Note, instead of returning to starting position, you can just go straight into lunging with the right leg – repeat this and you will be doing a ‘walking lunge’. You can hold weights for extra difficulty (just make sure to maintain good posture)

Pushups

We all know the classic pushup. For added difficulty, perform ‘diamond’ pushups by placing our hands together, with your hands and thumbs forming a diamond. That will place extra demand on the triceps. For an additional challenge, try clapping pushups. Simply push off the ground and clap your hands, and repeat. Be careful!

Planks

Planks are pretty simple. Go to pushup position; but instead of using your hands, use your forearms for support. Keep your back as straight as possible. Tighten your glutes and abs. Hold the position for as long as possible.

Hip Abductors

Lie on the floor on your side, body straight, and use your arm on the floor as support for your head. Lift your outside leg as high as it can go, then slowly lower. Continue until you can’t do any more – then switch sides and repeat.

Comments? Concerns? If you find that the guide is lacking in anyway, please let us know (and use google in the meantime). Thanks!