Tag Archives: flexibility

Inch Worm

Posted on by
Reply

Hello! It’s Wednesday which means it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This week I have a great full body exercise for you to try called the Inch Worm. This may sound like an easy exercise but don’t let the cute name fool you…it’s quite challenging!

The Inch Worm is going to work your core, arms, chest, shoulders, and upper back and it will also increase your strength and flexibility. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Inch Worm.

  • start in a full plank position with your hands underneath your shoulders and your body perfectly straight
  • keep your head in line with your spine throughout the movement and keep your abs and glutes engaged (this will help keep your hips up and in line with your body)
  • now slowly walk your feet towards your hands in small steps while keeping your legs perfectly straight and not bending at the knees
  • when you can no longer walk your feet any further without bending your legs, start walking your hands forward in small steps until you are back in the starting plank position
  • repeat the movement for your desired amount of reps or time and if you run out of room to inch forward then you can reverse the movement and go backwards
  • to reverse the movement start in the plank position and start by walking your hands back until you can go no further without bending your legs
  • then walk your feet back in small steps until you are back in the starting plank position

So there you have the Inch Worm. It sounds cute and easy but it will definitely get you sweating while giving you a great strength, core, and flexibility workout!

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

See you next week with another new exercise!

Equalizer Bar Bulgarian Split Squat Jump

Posted on by
Reply

Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week!  This week I have an advanced exercise that is quite challenging called the Equalizer Bar Bulgarian Split Squat Jump.  

The Equalizer Bar Bulgarian Split Squat Jump is an awesome lower body exercise that will tone and build muscle in your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings.  It will build significant single leg strength and stability and offers a variety of coordination, mobility, and flexibility benefits.  You will also be working your fast-twitch muscle fibres in the jumping portion of this exercise which will build power and strength as well adding a cardiovascular component to the movement.

If you don’t have an equalizer bar then you can use a bench if you have one or a sturdy chair.

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

  • get in to a lunge position with the top of your back foot elevated and resting on top of the bar, bench, or chair
  • make sure your lunge isn’t too wide so you aren’t arching your back or leaning forward too much
  • lower your body straight down until your front leg is at a 90 degree angle while keeping your upper body as upright as possible
  • keep your weight on your front heel as you lower your body
  • make sure your front knee is in line with your front foot and don’t let it shoot forward past your toes
  • from this bottom position of the lunge, push up through your front heel and jump up in the air as high as you can while maintaining your balance with your other foot on the bar (it is very hard to maintain your balance so as a beginner modification you can do this exercise close to a wall or counter at home…this will give you something to grab a hold of to steady yourself)
  • try to land back down from the jump in to the same foot position to maintain proper form (you may need to adjust your foot position before jumping again)
  • repeat the movement for your desired amount of reps or time and then switch legs and repeat

So there you have the Equalizer Bar Bulgarian Split Squat Jump.  You’re going to feel your legs burning, your heart will be pumping, and the sweat will be pouring!  Start slowly with this one and with something to hold on to if needed.  You can also regress this exercise by taking the jump out of it and just doing a lunge.  As you get used to the exercise and more comfortable with it then you can add the jump to get a more intense cardiovascular component and to work those fast-twitch muscle fibres. 

Let me know how you do with this one or if you have any questions.  Or if you just want to curse me for giving you another crazy exercise to do, that’s ok too! 😉

Have fun and I’ll see you next week with another new exercise!