Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Conditioning + Core
THIS WEEK’S PROTOCOL
TABATA
Work as hard as you can during your short bursts of work, rest for half the time you worked, then go again! Traditionally, Tabata is 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest in between rounds of the same exercise for 8 rounds (4 minutes straight). You’ll never want to do that exercise again once you get through all 8 rounds! This week we will vary the times of the intervals but rest assured you’ll always have double the time to work that you do to rest (it’s hard, but so worth it).
For today…
40 sec work, 20 sec rest x 4 rounds
Each exercise is for 40 sec (intense) work and 20 sec rest - 4 rounds total (4 min TOTAL). Complete one move at a time for all 4 rounds before moving onto the next move.
**Rest 1 minute between circuits**
Breakdown:
Plank Pike Ups
Lateral Bound + Low Squat Jack
“Bear” Alt Knee Taps
DB Swings
Russian Twists
Pushup + Frog Hop
Plank Pike Ups
Tips:
Starting in a low plank on your forearms, ensure that your elbows are stacked under your shoulders and your back is flat. Feet can be as wide as necessary.
Using your lower abdominals and your deep ab muscles (your TVA) you will lift your hips up in a “pike” or an upside down V, and slowly come back to the starting position.
Regression: Plank hold
Challenge: If you have sliders, or a towel with a wood or tile floor, you can perform sliding pikes in a high plank (linked a video)
2. Lateral Bound + Low Squat Jack
Tips:
Push off your outside foot and jump as far laterally as possible.
Stay low the entire time - hips never fully extend.
Keep knees behind toes.
Regression: take jump out and just step side to side, can keep squat jack or you could just squat wide and squat narrow.
Challenge: Add a band.
3. “Bear” Alt Knee Taps
Tips:
Keep a flat back at all times.
Try to tap your hand to your opposite knee without your hips rocking. Pretend you have a wine glass on your hips and you don’t want it to spill.
This will cause you to engage your entire core, shoulders, and quads.
Regression: Bird Dogs (linked)
4. DB Swings
Tips:
Choose a heavy DB.
THIS IS NOT A SQUAT. This is a HIP HINGE.
Weight is in your heels, push your hips back and let your chest drop down towards the ground, with just a slight bend at the knees.
Your hips should never be lower than where they started, just back further.
All of the power you generate to swing the DB up should be coming from your glutes. Your arms virtually do nothing at all.
Regression: Good mornings (linked).
Challenge: Heavier weight.
5. Russian Twists
Tips:
Hold DB by its ends, keeping it close to your chest.
Make sure you lean back slightly to really engage your core.
Keep elbows flared out to the sides, making sure to get as big as a twist as possible.
Try to keep hips stable and legs from rocking side to side, even if that means keeping your feet on the ground.
Regression: Feet down. And/or no weight.
Challenge: Legs straight and/or heavier weight.
6. Pushup + Frog Hop
Tips:
Just like a burpee with a pushup, except you won’t stand after you land in a squat.
Keep elbows back at 45 degrees.
Make sure chest lowers all the way down, and your butt stays down in line with your head.
Land in a wide squat with knees behind toes, weight in the heels.
Regression: Walk into a squat after your pushup and/or drop to the knees for the pushup.