The A-Bound exercise can be used as a dynamic warm-up or plyometric, lower-body exercise. No equipment is needed so it can be done by almost anyone, anywhere. You might find this exercise in strength and conditioning program for basketball, track and filed, soccer and football. A good base level of lower body strength and conditioning is desired before attempting the A-Bound.
If you are looking to target obliques and abdominals this exercise delivers results. You can roll up a towel or use a yoga bolster to support your low back. If you travel this is a great exercise that can be performed in your hotel room. Make sure you do not place pressure on your neck, just cradle your head with your hands. Focus on using your stomach muscles to perform the work and bring your torso up as high as possible.
The alternating split-squat jump is not for beginners. This exercise is very demanding and requires a strong base before attempting. After performing a few reps you will feel like you ran wind sprints. It’s a good exercise for building strength and explosiveness for sports such as basketball, volleyball and other jumping sports. While building strength this exercise is also good for cardiovascular endurance. You might consider this exercise if you are cross training.
The arm-reaching crunch is a basic and effective abdominal exercise. Beginner exercisers may perform this exercise as part of their warm-up or cool-down. The arm-reaching crunch builds abdominal strength that will be required for more advanced exercises. This is an effective alternative to the full sit-up because your range of motion is limited and the movement is slow and controlled. Try a few of these during commercial breaks.
The arm-reaching sit up is a more advanced version of the arm-reaching crunch. You’ll need to develop a baseline level of abdominal strength before attempting this exercise. Due to the full range of motion it’s recommended that you do not have any pre-existing lower back complications. This exercise is good for times when you can’t make it to the gym or you have no equipment. When performed slowly the arm-reaching sit up will be very challenging. You may use your hands to assist you squeeze
The Backward Jump Burpee is perfect for improving performance in football, volleyball, and martial arts. The Backward Jump Burpee strengthens the whole body, while developing explosive power in the legs. Perform the Backward Jump Burpee with the Forward and Lateral-Jump Burpee for a terrific metabolic workout.
If your push ups are too easy you can perform them with your feet on a ball. By raising your feet you add more resistance to the upper chest muscles, much like the incline bench press. The swiss ball also adds the extra challenge of maintaining your balance while performing the exercise. The instability challenges your core and activates the abdominals, low back and obliques.
The side drape performed on the ball will help you relieve tightness in your trunk muscles. If you sit for long periods of time and your body feels tight, this exercise will get you feeling better. Let your body melt into the ball and relax your upper body. You can perform this exercise as part of your cool down and post-workout recovery. Perform the side drape for both sides of your body during the workout.
The ball side drape with arms over head stretches the torso and back muscles. By extending the arm overhead you increase the effectiveness of the stretch and release tension in the shoulder blades. Hold your arms overhead for 30 seconds or as long as it feels good. Repeat often during back workouts and at the end of your workouts. Keep your feet apart to stabilize your torso.
The crunch performed with a resistance band is a great way to work the abdominals. The band increases in resistance as you perform the crunch, making it more challenging than the floor crunch. Select a resistance band that allows you to perform as many reps as recommended while maintaining proper technique. You can anchor the band to a stable object behind you and increase the resistance by moving further away from it. Keep you neck straight and eyes focused up as you crunch.
The push up is a great upper-body exercise. When performed often, it develops strength and endurance in the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Performing push-ups with a resistance band increases the difficulty of the exercise. If you’ve been leaving the push-up out of your upper-body workout because it’s too easy, add the resistance band and you’ll be surprised at the results. The exercise is fun to perform and feels good on the upper-body muscles. Best of all you can do push-ups anywhere.
The push-up performed with your feet elevated and using a resistance band for added difficulty will strengthen your chest, shoulder, and triceps. You can perform this exercise at home or at the gym. To increase the difficulty select a resistance band that is less elastic and provides more tension. Keep your core tight and back straight as you raise and lower yourself.
The barbell complex is a “hybrid” exercise combining the hang clean, back squat and shoulder press. There are many variation of this exercise, but most often it is performed with an Olympic lift, squat, push and pull. It’s very demanding on your short-term energy systems and is effective for conditioning for sports. You can use a PVC pipe, wood dowel or empty barbell to begin. Once you feel comfortable with the movements you can slowly add weight.
The barbell forward lunge strengthens the glutes and thighs. You can take a shorter step forward if you are just learning to perform lunges. Once you have performed a few sets you can increase your stride length to activate the hamstrings and glutes. Dumbbells may be used in place of a barbell if you have difficulty balancing the bar on your back. The barbell forward lunge can be included in your lower-body workout or circuit training routine.
The barbell squat is the “king” of lower body exercises because it involves most of the muscular system. The barbell squat exercise strengthens the quadriceps glutes, hamstrings, calves, and the lower back. By performing this exercise with limited range-of-motion you are capable of lifting more weight. This might be important to a powerlifter looking to perform “partials” for added strength. Set the safety pins to the low squat position.
The Barbell Oblique Rollout strengthens the abdominals, obliques and shoulders. By turning the bar as you roll out you activate the obliques. Keep your back from sagging by contracting your abs. Start with a few reps at a time until you have the strength to complete a full set of 10 reps.
The Barbell Overhead Punch with Rotation exercise develops strength and power in the core muscles. If you are looking to boost to your metabolism, include this exercise in your circuit training program. Perform as many reps as you can perform using good form. As your condition improves you may add weight to increase difficulty.
The Barbell Overhead Trunk Rotation exercise strengthens the core muscles. This exercise is also used for metabolic conditioning. Keep the reps lower and rest periods longer for power development. This exercise is a favorite of athletes in power sports such as wrestling and Martial Arts.
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