Half Kneeling Position to Improve Core Stability!

Half kneeling is an effective position that I have been using with clients to improve on core stability and control.

Often I meet clients that present themselves with a posture in which their ribs are flared, back is excessively arched, and the pelvis tipped in a downward position (anterior tilt). This leaves the diaphragm and pelvic floor in a position where they are no longer in alignment with each other as they normally would. As a result, the client is no longer able to gain full stability of their core/trunk.

The goal is to get their ribs down and pelvis up in a neutral position. One effective way of doing that is by getting in a half kneeling position, which teaches a client to align the rib cage and pelvis more easily than it would if they were standing.

To accomplish this I will cue and position the clients front and back legs to a 90 degree angle. Then to get the ribs down I would get them to breathe in through their nose then exhale forcefully through their mouth. I normally would do 1 or 2 breaths like this just until the lower ribs get into a better position. After that I get the client to roll their pelvis underneath them just to a neutral position as well as engage their glutes. This is now the best position to stabilize your core and learn how to effectively engage your abs.

Clients will then perform exercises from this position to challenge stability and strength for example overhead pressing with the kettlebell/dumbbells which is what I'm demonstrating in the video. In addition to cable rows, cable chops, medicine ball throws and various others. While ensuring the client is keeping a strong firm position at their trunk and hips.

To make this position more challenging I instruct clients to bring their front leg closer to the mid line of their body, which will narrow the base of support. A client can also progress to a tall kneeling/both knees down position.

Core stability is a must, no matter what your goal is!

Two Functional Exercises For The Lower Body!

In this video you'll see one of my clients working on some lower body strength and power. Rear foot elevated split squat also known as a Bulgarian split squat, which is a excellent functional single leg strength exercise. It also, has some ...great benefits which include injury prevention as the stabilizer muscles are being developed.

Ice skaters also known as skater jumps/hops is a nice power and agility drill performed in a frontal plane/side to side motion. This is a movement pattern we don't regularly move in. Being able to jump and land on one foot requires a good level of balance and coordination, and is something we had already been working on prior to getting to this level. Training your muscles to stabilize in free open space and with movement can help you body create more balance and control. For example, if you were to ever fall, you would have the ability to catch your self.

Experimenting with our latest kitchen tool -Spiral Vegetable Slicer!

We recently purchased a spiral vegetable slicer after researching recipes showing healthy alternatives for pasta. A popular one is to replace it with zucchini. The good thing about zucchini noodles is that you won't get that bloated feeling... that you get from eating pasta, which I don't particularly like, its very low in carbohydrates, and it's gluten free! I was definitely keen to try this out as I had already purchased some fresh zucchini from the farmers market, so I was all set to put the new tool to the test!


3 medium size Zucchini
Half of each Red and green bell peppers
1 medium red onion
TJ's all natural chicken sweet Italian style chicken sausage
1 cup sliced bella mushrooms
Organic mushroom Marinara sauce(whole foods)
TJ's Everyday seasoning and black pepper
TJ's Olive oil
Avocado(optional)


I was very impressed with how the machine just sliced through the zucchini. After slicing it all, I placed the zucchini on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzled some olive oil and sprinkled some TJ's everyday seasoning on top, then baked it for around 20min or just until they were a bit tender.
To add to it I sautéed the chicken sausage with bell peppers, mushrooms, red onion and some everyday seasoning and black pepper. I then added the marinara sauce last. Finally, added half an avocado for some healthy fats.
Now you have a healthy balanced meal!

 

 

Core/ab Finisher!

I added a nice workout finisher at the end of my strength training session yesterday which included two very effective core/ab exercises along with some jump rope in a circuit.

The first was KB suitcase carries using a heavy weight. Suitcase carries is one of many loaded carrying variations that I love as they are excellent functional exercises that transfer well to real world application.
When doing these keep a nice tall posture with shoulders square and walk. Your core is gonna work harder to stabilize as you try to resist lateral flexion/ side bending.
Then I did the Cross Body Mountain Climber which is one of my favorite variations of the traditional mountain climber. While in a plank position keeping your spine neutral, hands underneath your shoulders. Bring each knee into hip flexion/towards the opposite shoulder while keeping a flat back.

Circuit in order:
1 arm heavy KB/DB suitcase carry 30sec each left and right.

15sec rest

Cross body mountain climbers (slow) 30sec

15 sec rest

Jump rope 30sec

15sec rest

Complete circuit 4 times through. This is a nice bit of conditioning to plug in at the end of your strength training session and will build a strong core and melt away some body fat to give you some lean looking abs.

Cherries and their Health Benefits!

Finally the cherries are in at our local farmers market!
At this time of the year when in season cherries are a great fruit for snacking, as they have some great health benefits.

They are loaded with antioxidants which help to fight free radicals in the body and may help prevent cancer and heart disease as well as slow your aging process down.

If your goal is fat loss or just trying to stay lean, because cherries are high in fiber eating a serving can keep you fuller for longer.

Some research I have read is that cherries can reduce post workout/after workout muscle soreness,when taken directly after. Whether it be drinking actual cherry juice or eating a serving of raw cherries.

Also cherries have been linked to helping to aid sleep as they contain melatonin, which is a hormone in the body that helps to regulate sleep.

I know I will be taking advantage of this super fruit at this time of the year and if you are not already doing so, you should to!

Combination Exercises!

I’m a big fan of combination/total body exercises as you can target several muscle groups in one big movement. Combining your upper, lower body and core can burn a lot of calories as well as boost your metabolism. In the video one of my clients is performing a reverse lunge to 1 arm landmine press, which is a challenging combination. I first learned this variation from strength coach Eric Cressey as I thought this was a cool combination.I love the landmine especially for the way it challenges your core/trunk through different planes of motion.

A couple benefits you can get from combination exercises are:

Improved balance and coordination

Burn fat and build total body muscle

I like to always include a combination exercise of some sort in my own workout plan as well as my clients workout routine especially if there
goal is fat loss.

Warm Ups!

 

Before I start my workouts I always like to have a good thorough warm up which will help to increase blood flow to the muscles, recruit more muscle fibers and raise the body’s core temperature. The warm up will consist of some mobility and activation work which addresses some of the problematic areas of the body such as the ankle, hips, thoracic spine and shoulders. Dynamic movement drills like for example carioca, high knee skips as well as foam rolling/soft tissue work to loosen muscle fascia and get rid of any knots in the muscle. I normally foam roll each muscle group for around 15-30 sec. So a step by step process in order will look like this:

• Foam roll to loosen the muscle fascia and to get rid of any knots in the muscle.
• Mobility and activation work to help increase range of motion
• Dynamic movement drills

This type of warm up procedure is what I typically do with my clients. In all the warm up can take around 10min, but it’s a warm up guaranteed to get you fired up and ready for your workout a lot more effectively than you just jumping on the elliptical/treadmill for 5mins and then doing a few arm swings.