Bastards

Name:  Bastards

Also known as:  (If you know these by any other name, please leave a comment below).

Main muscles used:  Legs, chest, shoulders, arms, heart.

Other muscles used:  Everything else.

Top tips:

• Start by standing tall.
• Squat down and put your hands on the floor, a bit more than shoulder width apart.
• Jump your feet back into the pressup position in one smooth movement, just like the first half of a squat thrust.
• Keep your belly tight all the time, don’t let it sag towards the floor.
• Do a full, quality pressup, with chest touching the floor.
• Jump your feet back to where they were, just like the second half of a squat thrust.
• Jump high up in the air and tuck your knees tight to your chest, just like a tuck jump.
• Land softly on the balls of your feet, then repeat.

Common mistakes:

• All the same mistakes as the constituent parts (squat thrust, pressup and tuck jump).
• Cutting each part down into smaller and smaller moves as you get more and more tired.

Comments:

The Bastard is a progression on the already difficult burpee.  It is essentially the same move, but with a pressup and tuck jump added.  Because the whole body is being used, it works your heart and lungs a great deal.  The pressup makes it a very good upper body strength exercise.  The explosive tuck jump makes it a very good lower body strength exercise.  The combination of everything makes this a very, very hard, full body exercise.

And it is horrible…hence its name.

If you find this useful, please share it with your friends using the buttons below.

A few weeks ago I wrote a bit on Recovery Strategies (click here).  That article was geared more towards those who train harder and more regularly than your average punter.

But it is the new year now, and millions of people have made the resolution to get fit and join up with gyms/exercise classes.  So this article is aimed more at that crowd…exercise virgins, if you like!

Walking like John Wayne

So what I am going to cover is the aches and stiffness that you feel in your muscles a day or 2 after your training.  It is really annoying, because you probably didn’t feel any aches or pains during the training itself, or even for the rest of the day.  But you wake up next morning and you feel bits of you that you never knew existed, you feel tight/stiff as hell and you end up walking like John Wayne.

Welcome to the world of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS, for short.

What causes DOMS?

Science does not know the precise causes of DOMS.  A hundred years ago, it was thought that the build up of lactic acid in the muscles were responsable.  But it is now known that it does not, but this urban myth is still going strong.

While we don’t know the precise cause of DOMS, we do know that you are almost certainly going to feel it:

• After a new exercise.
• After a new variation in an exercise.
• After an increase in the intensity of exercise.
• After eccentric exercise (controlling the descent of something, eg landing after a jump, running downhill, lowering weights etc).

Because exercise virgins face new exercises, new variations of exercise and an increase in their activity levels, they are especially susceptible to feeling DOMS.  But it is not just exercise virgins who suffer from it.  People who train regularly will probably get hit by it, when they change their training programme, increase the intensity or if they take a break and start training again.

For example, I spent most of this Christmas sitting on my arse watching episodes of Columbo.  I only took about a week and a half off, but then I took a couple of basic circuit sessions, and my butt was still sore 2 days later!

The good news though, is that our bodies adapt and get used to things very quickly.  Over the years I have trained hundreds of people.  And while lots have ached after the first session, only a very small fraction of these people have ached after the second go.  And so far (touch wood) no one has ached after the third session.

How to cure DOMS?

As yet, there is no “cure”.  Many people think that stretching after exercise prevents DOMS.  This has been shown many times not to be the case.  In fact, I was chatting to a lovely lady in the gym the other week who was stretching “so she didn’t ache tomorrow”.

She was such a nice lady that I didn’t have the heart to tell her that she was doing all the right things, but for all the wrong reasons (and her workout was good and effective…just not for the reasons she thought).

Probably the best strategy is to prevent DOMS.  And here is a tried and trusted way of doing that:

• Change/increase things gradually.  Give your body a couple of sessions to get used to new things.
• Maintain your training frequency, so you are not always “re-starting”.
• Every couple of weeks, deliberately include some things that have made you ache in the past.  This will help keep your body “inoculated” against DOMS.

But if I don’t ache after training, doesn’t that mean I’m not improving/training properly?

Lots of people like the aching feeling after training, because it makes them think they have “done” something.  And I have been guilty of this myself.  But now I see DOMS as a thing to avoid whenever possible.  For me, it shows that I have pushed my trainee too much and too soon, and I need to improve my training programming.  I think this because:

• If the trainee does not like it, they might not trust me next time.  Worst of all, they may not want to even execise again!
• The trainee does like it, but comes to the next training session stiff, sore and unable to train properly, leading to a wasted session.

And finally, DOMS is not a measure of how well you have trained.  So don’t think you are the greatest because you ache, and don’t beat yourself up because you don’t ache.

The only way to measure how well you are training, is:

• You are not getting injured.
• You are getting faster/stronger/fitter/leaner etc.

If you have learned anything from this article, please help me spread the word by sharing it using the buttons below.

And if you live in/around Skipton, North Yorkshire, and need a coach, contact me by clicking here.

Box Jump

Name:  Box Jumps

Also known as:  (if you know these by any other name, leave a comment below).

Main muscles used:  Legs, bum.

Other muscles used:  Heart.

Top tips:

• Start the move in just the same way as the Squat Jump or the Tuck Jump (depending on the height of the box).
• Make sure your landing spot is secure and solid.
• Take off with both feet at the same time.
• Get your knees up high while in the air, just like in the Tuck Jump.
• Land with both feet at the same time.
• Prepare for the jump by bending at the hips aswell as the knees.  The higher the box, the deeper your preparation should be.
• Jump with speed and explosiveness.
• Nail the landing and secure your balance before stepping off.
• Without being overambitious or stupid, jump with confidence and conviction…believe you can do it.

Box Jump

Common mistakes:

• Taking off from only 1 leg.
• Landing on only 1 leg.
• Only using your ankles to propel you off the floor, and not bending at the hips.
• Landing on the target, losing balance, then falling off.
• Being nervous.

Comments:

This is a more advanced exercise with real sporting/athletic applications.  Obviously don’t try it unless your Bodyweight Squat is solid.  Also, you can work your way up to this move by practicing the Squat Jump.

The important thing here is to use and coordinate your hips, knees and ankles during take off (this is known as “triple extension”).  Developing this exercise requires strength, flexibility, speed, power, coordination and balance.  All these elements can then be used in your chosen sporting activity.

A very important aspect of this move is confidence.  You must believe in your ability to jump, or either you won’t even attempt it, or it will turn in to a sort of skipping step.  If this is happening to you, then simply reduce the height of the box, and build your confidence.  Start on something like the edge of a pavement, or even lower.  You will find that once your confidence is there, you will improve very rapidly.

If you like this article, then why not subscribe to this blog via email, RSS, twitter or facebook.

The Lunge

Name: The Lunge

Also known as:

Main muscles used:  Legs, bum

Other muscles used:

Top tips:

• Start and end the move standing upright.
• Work both legs equally.
• Make the step as long and low as your flexibility will allow.
• Keep both feet pointing directly forwards at all times.
• Bend the front knee in the same direction as your front foot is pointing (directly forwards).
• Have the back knee nearly touching the floor when you go down into the lunge.
• Keep your body straight and tall, throughout the move.
• Once down in the stance, your front leg has to really push hard and drive your bodyweight back to the start position.  It won’t work if you try to do it slowly.

The Lunge

Common mistakes:

• Working your “favorite” leg more than the other.
• Cutting the step short and not bending both knees fully.
• Twisting your ankles, so your feet point in/out.
• Hunching your back forwards and collapsing your spine during the move.
• Waggling your front and/or back knee about, and not keeping them pointing to the front.

Comments:

The Lunge is a more dynamic version of the Split Squat.  The high speed and explosive nature required for the move, makes it more suitable for people wanting to improve their agility on their feet.

If you have dodgy knees, or you cannot control your knees yet, practice some more with the Split Squat before graduating onto the Lunge.

Split Squat

Name:  Split squat.

Also known as:

Main muscles used:  Legs, bum.

Other muscles used:

Top tips:

• Both feet should be pointing directly forwards.
• Both knees should bend directly forwards, in line with the feet.
• The back knee should nearly touch the floor.
• You should be in a long stance, so the back thigh is angled backwards and the front knee does not go infront of the front toes.
• Work both legs equally.
• Keep the upper body strong, tight and straight.

Split Squat

Common mistakes:

• Having a stance that is too short, with the feet too close together.
• Not bending the knees enough, so the back knee is miles from the floor.
• Pointing the feet in any direction other than forwards.
• Letting the front knee waggle from side to side.
• Hunching the shoulders/chest forwards and curving the spine.

Comments:

Because your legs are working much more independently of each other, it is easier to see any imbalances between the two.  If you do find imbalances, you can use the Split Squat to help reduce/eliminate them.

It is also a good way to train your knees to point in the direction you want them to.  Many people naturally let their knees cave in as soon as they do any work.  The ability to control what your knees are doing can help prevent possible future injuries in them.

If you like this article, please feel free to share it.

The Lunge

Name: The Lunge

Also known as:

Main muscles used:  Legs, bum

Other muscles used:

Top tips:

• Start and end the move standing upright.
• Work both legs equally.
• Make the step as long and low as your flexibility will allow.
• Keep both feet pointing directly forwards at all times.
• Bend the front knee in the same direction as your front foot is pointing (directly forwards).
• Have the back knee nearly touching the floor when you go down into the lunge.
• Keep your body straight and tall, throughout the move.
• Once down in the stance, your front leg has to really push hard and drive your bodyweight back to the start position.  It won’t work if you try to do it slowly.

The Lunge

Common mistakes:

• Working your “favorite” leg more than the other.
• Cutting the step short and not bending both knees fully.
• Twisting your ankles, so your feet point in/out.
• Hunching your back forwards and collapsing your spine during the move.
• Waggling your front and/or back knee about, and not keeping them pointing to the front.

Comments:

The Lunge is a more dynamic version of the Split Squat.  The high speed and explosive nature required for the move, makes it more suitable for people wanting to improve their agility on their feet.

If you have dodgy knees, or you cannot control your knees yet, practice some more with the Split Squat before graduating onto the Lunge.

Side Crunch

Name:  Side Crunch

Also known as:  Oblique Crunch

Main muscles used:  Sides.

Other muscles used:  Stomach.

Top tips:

• Crunch your upper body up in exactly the same way as a normal Abdominal Crunch.
• Try to keep both knees together, and twist your hips and legs to one side, resting your knees on the floor.
• When doing the crunch, your upper body should remain square, with both shoulders moving equal amounts at the same time.
• Having your hands to the side of your body (as shown in the animation) is the “easy” version.  Moving your arms/hands further up the body makes the move harder.
• Keep your eyes and chin pointing up towards the ceiling.
• Keep your lower back pressed firmly in the floor.
• Do equal amounts of work with your hips twisted to the right and left sides. 

Side Crunch

Common mistakes:

• Not twisting the hips far enough around, so the knees are still pointing up in the air.
• Not doing equal amounts of work on both side of the body.
• Twisting the upper body and shoulders when crunching up.
• Pressing the chin down onto the chest.

Comments:

By twisting your hips, more work is being done by the oblique muscles that are found at the side of your stomach.  These tend to be a bit harder to do than normal Abdominal Crunches, because the muslces involved are used a lot less on a day-to-day basis.

As with the normal Abdominal Crunch, this is only a small move.  Your upper body (chest and shoulders) will only tilt upwards a few degrees.  Don’t try to make is a Full Situp, and end up sitting vertically.

Name:

Windscreen Wipers

Name:  Windscreen Wipers.

Also known as:  (if you know these by any other name, please leave a comment below).

Main muscles used:  Stomach, sides

Other muscles used:  Hip flexors, arms

Top tips:

• Make sure your shoulder blades are touching the floor at all times.
• Press your hands into the floor hard to help stabilise your shoulders.
• Keep your knees locked straight.
• Try to keep a 90 degree angle at your hips (this makes it harder).
• Try to move your legs as far to the side as possible.  Ensure it is a big move.

Common mistakes:

• Taking one shoulder or the other off the floor as you twist.
• Bending at the knees.
• Only moving your legs through a small range of motion.
• Losing the 90 degree angle at the hips, especially when the legs are at one side or the other.

Comments:

This is another fairly advanced move.  you need to work your stomach hard to keep your hips at a 90 degree angle.  You also need to work your sides hard to control the sweeping motion from side to side.  Because your arms have to also work hard to control your shoulders, coordinating all these different moves is a challenge in itself.

The Wheelbarrow

Name:  The Wheelbarrow.

Also known as:  (if you know this by any other name, leave a comment below).

Main muscles used:  Stomach, shoulders.

Other muscles used:  Hip flexors, arms, most the muscles on the front side of the body.

Top tips:

• While you are in the normal pressup position, either have a partner lift and hold your feet (like in the wheelbarrow race from school), or hook your toes over your trusty ab-wheel.
• Keep your legs straight at all times.
• Keep your belly very tight by thinking of doing an abdominal crunch.
• Keep your shoulders down (i.e. the opposite of a shrug) all the time.
• Start walking slowly forwards with your arms, trailing you feet behind you.  Progress by increasing speed when safety and confidence allows.

Common mistakes:

• Twisting, squirming and turning of your torso as you move.
• Losing tightness in the belly and allowing your gut to hang and sag down to the floor.
• Tripping over your hands and planting your face in the floor.

Comments:

This is a dynamic progression to the Front Plank.  So don’t try it until your Front Plank is solid.  This kind of exercise is well suited to people who punch or push a lot in their sports, as it is good for general shoulder girdle stability and core strength.

It is also particularly good when done as a game between friends/rivals.  The added fun and competition elements usually produce a far greater effort from those doing it.

But please be aware of how solid the floor is compared to your squishy face.

Cannonball Situp

Name: Cannonball Situp

Also known as:  (If you know these by another name, please leave a comment below).

Main muscles used:  Stomach, hip flexors.

Other muscles used:  Shoulders.

Top tips:

• Start by laying flat on the floor with your legs fully extended, and your arms stretched straight above your head.
• The top half of your body does a Situp.
• At the same time, your legs bend so your knees are pointing up, and your heels are as close to your arse as possible.
• When you are crunched up in this cannonball shape, your arms reach down and you touch your heels with your hands.
• Try to not let your heels touch the floor between situps.
• Keep your lower back pressed firmly against the floor when laying down.

Cannonball Situp

Common mistakes:

• Same mistakes as a Full Situp.
• Doing the top and bottom halves of the move out of synch with each other.
• Not locking your legs straight when laying down.
• Resting your heels/feet on the floor between reps.
• Letting your back arch up off the floor when laying down.
• Not finishing in a tight cannonball shape.

Comments:

This is a progression to the Full Situp.  It needs coordination between the upper and lower halves of your body.  Also, by increasing the size/range of the move, and not letting your feet rest on the floor, it makes it harder.

It is often a nice idea to sit/lay on a padded mat, as the pressure on your bum can get uncomfortable after a while.