Sunday May 4th is push-up day! Push-ups can be very beneficial: They are a compound exercise (work multiple muscle groups at once). Not only your biceps are worked out, but also your abs and lower back muscles, as well as your quadriceps. The triceps, anterior deltoids, and chest are all exercised as well. That means that push-ups are actually a full body workout, with many secondary muscles receiving a boost. They also provide a nice stretch for under used muscles. Push ups are not only for strength but provide cardiovascular work out as well if done consecutively. Push ups also increase the production of HGH which will help build and tone muscle. They can help prevent shoulder injuries such as rotator cuff issues by strengthening the shoulders and can help aid in better posture by strengthening the core.

Here are some variations that I found on line:

http://www.builtlean.com/2011/03/02/push-up-variations-exercise/

http://www.askmen.com/top_10/fitness/top-10-push-up-pro-variations_1.html

http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/article-detail/The-Best-Push-Up-Variations-8-Different-Kinds-of-Push-Ups/a0/

Tomorrow May 5th is Mountain climbers. Mountain climber is one of the plyometric exercises which strengthen multiple muscle groups in addition to the cardiovascular system. To this exercise, you must activate the core abdominal muscles in addition to those in both the lower and upper body.

Benefits of Mountain Climbers Exercise

Because of its ability to work multiple muscle groups, the mountain climber exercise is associated with multiple benefits. Here are some of the most important ones.

1. Cardiovascular Benefits

Doing mountain climbers will make your body work to provide the tissues which are working with fuel and oxygen and because of this they will increase both your breathing and heart rates. The stress involved in this exercise helps develop the cardiovascular system by strengthening the heart and lungs in addition to burning calories. This is a great option to incorporate in a circuit workout, especially between strength training exercises which are less intense as they will help you keep your heart rate in the right zone.

2. Power Training

Mountain climbers help you develop power in the lower body because of their explosive nature and this is why athletes frequently use them as a warm-up to help improve speed as well as prepare the neuromuscular system for the intense workout that follows. When you do mountain climbers over time, you will experience an increase in the explosiveness of your lower body. If you want to use the exercise to help your quickness, try to remain on the balls and switch leg positions as fast as you can.

3. Core Strength

When doing mountain climbers your torso won’t sag towards the floor because of the work done by your obliques, abdominals and the muscles around your hips as they isometrically contract, holding your torso stable. If you want a bigger challenge for your core, try placing your hands on top of a medicine ball that is by your chest’s center.

information taken from http://www.newhealthguide.org/Mountain-Climbers-Exercise.html


Here is a video on how to do mountain climbers if you are not familiar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyeZM-_VnRc


I haven't done these in a long time so I am going to wing it. I am going to do them in 1 minute increments with 1 minute rest for as long as I can an will report back time.

How many do you think you can do?

May 6th: Crunches! When discussing six-pack abs and a toned belly, crunches often spring to mind before any other exercise. While it takes more than crunches to get a defined stomach -- you'll need a balanced diet and regular cardiovascular exercise as well -- this classic exercise continues to serve its traditional tummy-flattening purpose. As crunches help strengthen your core, they produce functional benefits in addition to aesthetic perks.

Crunches chiefly serve to tone, define and strengthen the abdominal -- or “core” -- muscles. As such, this exercise squarely targets the rectus abdominis -- the two parallel muscles that run down the abdomen -- and the transverse abdominis, an inner layer of stomach muscles that help stabilize the spine. Crunches also engage the obliques, the muscles that run down the sides of the torso, as synergists.

As a core-training exercise, crunches help improve your balance by strengthening your abdominal muscles. Strong core muscles improve your posture, which helps you function efficiently in everyday life and in sporting events. A healthy posture also helps prevent lower back pain and muscle injury. A 2009 study conducted by Barry University found that runners who underwent six weeks of core-training exercises significantly lowered their 5-kilometer run times.

In addition to toning, performing crunches burns a few calories. For a 160-pound person, 10 minutes of moderate crunches burns 54 calories, while 10 minutes of vigorous crunches burns 98 calories. This number jumps to 65 and 116 calories, respectively, for a 190-pound person. While a half hour of crunches could potentially burn a whopping 300 calories, fitness experts recommend small amounts of crunches – about three sets of 12 -- performed at a slow, controlled pace rather than many quickly performed crunches.

http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/benefits-doing-crunches-7472.html

There are tons of variations, set a goal for yourself and get it done! My goal for tomorrow is 200 crunches. 4 sets of 50. 1 set standard, 1 set reverse, 1 set left oblique, 1 set right oblique

Wednesday is Calf Raises!

Calf raises are a popular strength training exercise. You can do them as a bodyweight exercise, using only the weight of your own body to train your calves or as a weighted exercise with dumbbells. A barbell, or ankle weights provide additional resistance for muscle strengthening purposes

One of the benefits of calf raises is improved muscular strength. The muscles in your calf are your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Your gastrocnemius, the larger of the two muscles, runs from the bottom of your thigh bone down to your Achilles tendon. Your soleus, located underneath your gastrocnemius, starts at the top of your tibia in your lower leg and also attaches to your Achilles tendon. Calf raises will not only strengthen these two muscles, they will also give definition to your lower leg, improving its appearance.

Calf raises are often used as a rehabilitative exercise for Achilles tendon injuries. Whether you have a Achilles tear or Achilles tendonitis, by strengthening your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles you can reduce the amount of stress on your Achilles tendon and help it heal. An important companion to calf raises when rehabilitating an Achilles injury is calf stretching. After performing your calf raises at the wall, simply extend one leg straight behind you with your heel pressed into the ground. Keep both toes facing the wall as you lean forward stretching out the muscles you just worked with calf raises.

Athletes who participate in basketball, track, cheerleading and gymnastics are always looking for ways to jump higher. Calf raises are one answer to this quest. By building stronger gastrocnemius and soleus muscles with calf raises you can increase your vertical jump. According to the Sports Fitness Advisor website, a training program that includes calf raises can help you increase your vertical by as much as 12 inches. Be careful not to over train your calf muscles with calf raises. Take one day off between each training session so your calves can recover and rebuild, growing stronger.

Information from www.livestrong.com