In and Out Jump Squat

Hello! It’s time again for a new Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have another great plyometric lower body exercise for you to try called the In and Out Jump Squat.

The In and Out Jump Squat is going to work all the muscles of your lower body including glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles. The jump component will also work your fast-twitch muscle fibers and give you a great cardiovascular workout which means a higher heart rate and more calories burned. Another benefit of this exercise is that the positioning of your feet during the squat will emphasize different muscles of your legs. When your feet are together, the focus will be put on your outer thighs and when your feet are wide, the focus will be on your inner thighs. So this is a great exercise to target different areas of the legs.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the In and Out Jump Squat.

  • start by standing tall with your feet together
  • squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor while keeping your weight on your heels
  • maintain a straight back and keep your knees in line over your toes (don’t let your knees push forward past your toes)
  • from this squat position jump up as high as you can and when you are in the air, separate your feet and land from the jump in a wide stance
  • immediately go back down in to a squat with the wide stance
  • jump up as high as you can again and this time when you are in the air, bring your feet back together and land in the close stance and perform your squat
  • keep alternating between the close and wide stance jump squats for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the In and Out Jump Squat. This is a tough one but you will be building strength and endurance as well as burning a ton of calories!

Let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup

Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week. This week I have an upper body exercise to show you called the Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup.

This is a great exercise to work your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. I’m using a weighted medicine ball for this exercise but if you don’t have one you can use any medium sized ball like a soccer or volleyball. The uneven position targets the muscles from different angles, challenges the core, and increases the intensity for one side. If you find this exercise a little too challenging from the full pushup position, you can drop down to your knees to complete your reps.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup.

  • start in a full pushup position with your hands wider than your shoulders and in line with your chest with one hand on the ball and one on the floor
  • descend towards the floor while engaging your abs and glutes (this will keep your back nice and straight)
  • try to get as close to the floor as you can and once you feel a good stretch in your chest muscles, push back up to the starting position without locking your elbows
  • from this top position push the ball underneath and across your body to the other hand and now you will repeat the movement for that side while keeping your abs and glutes engaged
  • if this is too challenging from the full pushup position drop down to your knees to complete your reps but just make sure to keep your hips down

So there you have the Medicine Ball Side to Side Pushup. Try adding this exercise to your upper body or full body routine to add an extra challenge and to hit those muscles a little differently. 

Let me know how you do with this one in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!

 

Outdoor Group Training Starts July 15, 2014!

The warmer weather is here and HomeBody Group Training is back with more exercises and fun for everyone!  Full body functional training using your own body weight and specialized equipment workouts are what’s in store for you this year!  There are 3 ongoing outdoor group sessions each week for you to choose from in Kitchener for the spring, summer, and fall of 2014!

Group sessions take place rain or shine in Schaeffer Park located on Bloomingdale Rd. in Kitchener, Ontario.  Sessions will be cancelled in the event of a thunder storm.

HomeBody Group Training is for any fitness level as all exercises can be modified to suit your ability.  Bring your friends and come join us for some outdoor fitness!  Have fun and get in shape at the same time!

Click here for more details.  Outdoor Group Training

WagJag

Attention all WagJag Members

Please call or email to book the days and times you would like to attend your boot camp.  Boot Camp days are only available when people sign up to them.  Click here for available days and times.

In the event of a cancellation due to weather, you will be notified of this cancellation and you will be given the chance to make up this class after your 4 weeks has expired.

Thanks and if you have any questions at all please email, call or reply to this post!

Craig Laffin

Kitchener Boot Camp Special!

Special Promotion until June 12th – To coincide with HomeBody Training’s promotion with WagJag, Kitchener boot camps will be offered at a discounted rate for a limited time!

Promotion Rates for a 6 Week Package:

One Class per Week – $59.00
Two Classes per Week – $82.00
Three Classes per Week – $99.00

Click here for times and to purchase your package!