Superman Back Row Pushup

Hey there, it’s time again for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This time I have a great core and upper body exercise for you to try called the Superman Back Row Pushup.

The Superman Back Row Pushup works quite a few different muscle groups so there are a lot of benefits to this one. You will be working your upper and lower back, your glutes and hamstrings, your chest, shoulders, and triceps, and also your abdominals. If you suffer from lower back pain from sitting at a desk all day then this is the move to do to strengthen up those muscles. Often times, a little strengthening of the muscles of the lower back goes a long way to giving some back pain relief and prevent back pain in the future.

So let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Superman Back Row Pushup.

  • start by laying face down on your mat with your arms fully extended over your head
  • while keeping your head and neck in line with your spine, squeeze your glutes and lift your head, arms, and legs straight up as high as you can 
  • when you can’t lift any higher, pull your elbows back and squeeze your back muscles
  • after getting a good flex in your upper back muscles, drop your hands down to the floor in line with your chest while lowering your feet back down to the floor at the same time
  • now push your body up on to your hands and toes and stop just before your arms fully lock out
  • lower your body back down to the floor and extend your arms over your head again while lifting up your legs and squeezing your glutes
  • repeat for your desired amount of reps or time
  • if you find it too challenging to do the full pushup, you can do the modified pushup from your knees as seen in the video demonstration

So there you have the Superman Back Row Pushup. This is one of my favourite exercises and it is a great one to add in to your upper body or full body routine.

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Pike Pushup

Hello and happy Wednesday! It’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week and this week I have a challenging variation of the pushup for you to try called the Pike Pushup.

The Pike Pushup primarily works your shoulders and triceps but it also works your upper pecs, upper back, and serratus muscles. I won’t sugarcoat it, the Pike Pushup is tough! It requires a fair amount of shoulder strength so start with regular pushups and other shoulder strengthening exercises and work your way up to this move.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Pike Pushup.

  • start in a full plank position with your feet shoulder width apart and hands a little wider than your shoulders
  • while keeping your legs straight, walk your hands back towards your feet as far as you can without rounding your back and stopping just before your knees start to bend
  • keep your abs tight and bend your arms at the elbow to slowly lower your head towards the floor
  • stop just before your head touches the floor and then push back up to the starting position 
  • keep a slight bend in the arms and don’t lock them out at the top of the movement to keep tension on the muscles throughout the exercise
  • make sure to keep your head and neck in line with your spine throughout the movement as well
  • repeat for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Pike Pushup. This one will take some practice but it is a great exercise to build strength and muscle in your shoulders especially if you are working out at home and don’t have any weights. And if eventually doing handstand pushups is a goal of yours then this is the exercise to start with!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Tricep Plank Press

Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have another very challenging upper body and core exercise for you to try called the Tricep Plank Press. This one is going to fire up your triceps a lot and will also work your core, chest, and shoulders. It will take some practice so take your time doing it and start out with the modified from-the-knees version if you need to.  

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Tricep Plank Press.

  • start by getting in to a plank position with your elbows directly under your shoulders and palms on the floor
  • make sure your body is in a straight line from head to toes and engage your core to keep your hips from dropping
  • if needed, drop your knees down to the floor to do the modified version
  • from this plank position, push your body up through the palms of your hands until your arms are fully extended
  • squeeze the triceps at the top of the movement and then slowly lower your elbows back down to the floor
  • keep your abs and glutes tight throughout the exercise
  • repeat for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Tricep Plank Press. It’s a challenging exercise but one that will build a lot of strength and muscle in your triceps and core without having to use any equipment. Start with the modified version and then work your way up to the full pushup. Get those triceps fired up!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Pushup Butt Drop

Hello, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have a very challenging upper body and core exercise for you to try called the Pushup Butt Drop. This exercise is definitely going to take some practice and I’ve included a modified version in the video that you can start with if you’re having trouble doing the full version.

The Pushup Butt Drop will work your chest, shoulders, triceps, and your entire core muscles.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Pushup Butt Drop.

  • start by getting in to a full pushup position with your hands wider than your shoulders and in line with your chest
  • keep your abs tight and lower your body until you are almost touching the floor
  • push yourself back up and at the top of the movement, rotate your left foot and bring your heel down
  • at the same time, lift your left hand off the floor and bring your right leg underneath you
  • reach for your right foot with your left hand while you drop your butt towards the floor but stop just before you touch the floor
  • rotate back to the starting position and then repeat the pushup
  • now rotate your right foot down, lift your right hand off the floor, and bring your left leg underneath you
  • reach for your left foot with your right hand while dropping your butt towards the floor
  • return to the starting position and repeat each side for your desired amount of reps or time
  • you can modify this exercise to make it a bit easier by performing your pushup from your knees. After the pushup, lift your knees off the floor and do the butt drop as described before

So there you have the Pushup Butt Drop. This one is going to take some practice so take your time getting the move down. Once you get it though, it is very effective and fun to do and it will add some variety to your workout. It also looks really cool and you will definitely impress your friends! 

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Knee Through

Hey there! It’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have a challenging core exercise for you to try called the Knee Through.

The Knee Through will work your obliques, lower abs, transverse abdominis (the deep ab muscles that stabilize your core), shoulders, and triceps. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Knee Through.

  • start on your hands and toes with your knees tucked underneath you (your knees should not be touching the floor)
  • while leaving your right hand and left foot on the floor, lift your right foot and sweep your right knee underneath you towards the left as you rotate your body in the same direction
  • your left hand should lift up as you sweep your right knee underneath you
  • return to all fours with your knees still off the floor and repeat for the other side but lifting your left foot and right hand this time and sweeping your left knee underneath you
  • alternate back and forth for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Knee Through. It’s a bit tricky to get the form down but once you do it is a very effective core exercise and it could also double as a breakdancing move that you can impress your friends with on the dance floor. 😉

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

See you next week with another new exercise!