Sometimes you repeat the same exercise routine over and over without changing up your routine. This can lead to injury or lack of results. Fitness Coaches attack one move and show you three different ways to make your workout better.
Andrea Metcalf, Author of Naked Fitness
The lat pull down is an age-tested exercise focusing on the large muscles under the arms and around the back. To start with a basic lat pull down. Adjust the weight stack and place your knees under the pad to securely keep them in place. Use a wide grip where your hands line up above your elbows as you pull the bar down just below the chin. Hold for 2 counts and slowly release the bar to starting position. Perform 15-20 repetitions.
Change it up:
Reverse Grip - Start with knees freely moving under the pad or release the knee pad completely. Use a narrow grip with palms facing the body and thumbs pointing outward. Pull the bar down just below the chin. Hold for 2 counts and slowly release the bar to starting position. Perform 15-20 repetitions.
Lean Large - To hit the full lat muscle group and take some focus off the bicep. Start with knees free under the pad and slightly lean back to a 45 degree angle. Use a wide grip where your hands line up above your elbows as you pull the bar down just below the chin. Hold for 2 counts and slowly release the bar to starting position. Perform 15-20 repetitions.
Another great exercise to improve your baseball or golf swing is the rotational pull. Start with the cable at its highest point and heaviest weight ( approximately 25-65 pounds) and keeping the arms straight, pull down and across the body to opposite hip. Slowly release back to starting position. Perform 15 repetitions on both sides.
Change it up:
Shoulder Height - Start with the cable at shoulder height and use a medium weight ( approximately 20-45 pounds) and, keeping the arms straight, pull across the body to opposite shoulder keeping arms parallel to floor. Slowly release back to starting position. Perform 15 repetitions on both sides.
Scoops - Start with the cable at lowest point and use a light weight ( approximately 10-35 pounds) and keeping the arms straight, pull up and across the body to opposite shoulder. Slowly release back to starting position. Perform 15 repetitions on both sides.
Sergio Rojas, Owner, Redefined Fitness & Phys. Therapy
Sports
www.redefinedfitness.net
Tone your legs and arms with 1 great exercise, and progress your exercise, so you won’t plateau. Begin with a soft-knee dead lift to a bicep curl. Remember to keep your abs engaged and your lower back flat as you perform this exercise.
Once you’ve mastered it, try a single-leg dead lift to bicep burl. The floating leg will go back as you reach down to help balance and stretch out the planted leg’s hamstring. For the third and most advanced level, progress to a lunge to bicep curl exercise. As you lunge forward, reach down with your dumbbells a few inches in front of your knees, without letting your knee go forward past your toes. As you push back to the starting position, use the momentum from your legs to help drive the bicep curl. Use multi-directional lunges for even better results. For each of these exercises, you should do a weight that you can do between 10 and 20 reps with good form.
Variations on the squat.
Start with simple squat thrusts by placing both hands on the ground, right in front of your feet; then kick the legs back placing your body into a plank position. Hop the feet back to near the hands, and then stand up to the starting position. To add a little more intensity, rotate to one side as you kick your feet back, alternating sides with each squat thrust. For an even more intense workout, add a push up as your legs kick back and then on the way back up squat and jump. This exercise will strengthen your arms, shoulders, chest, and core, as well as burn fat for a toned body.
Saran Dunmore, Trainer -MTV's "I Used To Be Fat"
Challenging yourself is the key to getting great results any time your workout. Here are two examples of how a single exercise can be taken from the beginner level to the advanced athlete with just a few modifications.
Planks-
For the beginner you want get down on the ground, place your elbows flat on the ground. Then you want to extend your legs back nice and straight, make sure to keep your stomach pulled in to really strengthen up your core. Your hips should be aligned with your shoulders, the majority of the weight should be emphasized on the elbows and legs. Hold this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute then repeat for 10 repetitions. For the next level up, straight your arms up so you get into a push up position-make sure you keep your back flat as you start lift one arm into the air as you rotate your body to one side. This is called a” T-position” as your body resembles the letter T on its side. You want to do 15 repetitions on each side. For the advance level you are going to turn that ordinary plank into a renegade row. Get two dumbbells, place them on the floor and then grab the handles as if you were going to do a regular push up on top of them. While keeping balance bring one dumb bell to towards your chest and then back down again. Do about 15 repetitions alternating between lifting from the left to the right side keeping your back nice and straight during your routine.
Lunge-
For the beginner you are going to start off doing a static lunge. Start by standing with your feet together then you want to take a big step forward. You then want to descend down to the floor keeping your knee in line with your toes, get to as close to the ground without touching it. Keep your stomach tucked in and your back nice and straight as you rise back up. Your feet should be static and not moving back and forth as rise and lower to your knee in the same spot. For the next level up place a barbell across your shoulders and this time you are going to lunge forward then alternate going down on both sides for 13 repetitions. The final level you are going to do a rear foot elevated lunge with dumbbells. Place your rear foot on an elevated surface and lunge downwards keeping your stomach as tight as possible and your shoulders square and straight. Do about 10 to 12 repetitions and then switch legs on the elevated surface.
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