Equalizer Bar Pushup Mountain Climber Twist

Hey there, it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week. This week I have an upper body and core exercise to show you called the Equalizer Bar Pushup Mountain Climber Twist.

This is a great exercise to work your chest, shoulders, triceps, upper and lower abdominals, and obliques. I’m using an Equalizer Bar for this video demonstration but if you don’t have one, you can also do this exercise without it or use a step or bench to elevate your upper body. The elevation of the upper body gives your knee a little more clearance to raise up and twist and the Equalizer Bar allows you to go a little deeper in the pushup.

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Equalizer Bar Pushup Mountain Climber Twist.

  • place the Equalizer Bar on it’s side on the floor
  • place your hands on the bar at the highest elevation and get in to a full plank position
  • keep your hands in line with your chest and keep your abs tight
  • lower your body until you feel a deep stretch in your chest while keeping your elbows flared out at about a 45 degree angle
  • push back up until your arms are almost straight but don’t lock them out at the top
  • from this top position, drive your right knee forward and then twist it underneath you towards your left side
  • return to the middle and then bring your right foot back to the starting position
  • perform another pushup and then drive your left knee forward and twist it underneath you towards your right side
  • return to the middle and bring your left foot back to the starting position
  • repeat the movements for your desired amount of reps or time

So there you have the Equalizer Bar Pushup Mountain Climber Twist. Multi-joint movements are always great for building overall strength, conditioning, and for calorie burning so try adding this exercise to your upper body or full body routine. If you have trouble doing a full pushup, you can also do a modified pushup from your knees and then just raise your body up on your toes to perform the mountain climber twist.

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!

Triangle Jump

Hey, it’s Home Exercise of the Week time again and this week I have a cardiovascular and core exercise for you to try that I call the Triangle Jump.

The Triangle Jump is primarily a core exercise but you will also be working many other muscle groups including your shoulders, triceps, and legs.  This move is also kind of like a burpee which makes it a fairly intense cardiovascular exercise.  Your heart will be pumping and you will be sweating!

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

  • start in a full plank pushup position with your hands directly under your shoulders
  • engage your abs and glutes and keep your back straight
  • jump your feet forward so that they are tucked in underneath you
  • from this tucked position jump both feet back and out to the left at about a 45 degree angle
  • jump both feet back up to the middle and tucked in underneath you
  • now jump both feet back and out to the right at the same 45 degree angle
  • return to the middle and keep jumping side to side for your desired amount of reps or time
  • keep your abs and glutes flexed throughout the movement

So there you have the Triangle Jump.  It’s intense.  It will make you sweat.  Your muscles will be burning.  It will be worth it.

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!

Chest, Tricep, and Core Workout

Hey there!  It’s time for another Home Workout of the Week and this week I have part two of a three part split routine.  This workout is going to focus on the muscles of your chest, triceps, and again your abdominals.  A strong upper body is important in your daily activities to help you lift things and move about more easily not to mention the great looking body that strong, toned muscles will create!

This Chest, Tricep, and Core Workout is quite challenging and very heavy on pushups so take your time and modify the pushups if needed by doing them from your knees.  A thorough warm-up of the shoulder girdle is definitely needed to avoid injury so please make sure you don’t neglect your warm-up.

Do this routine once per week along with the Leg, Shoulder, and Core Workout and the upcoming Back, Bicep, and Core Workout.

Chest, Tricep, and Core Workout

Warm-Up

  • 10 Pushups
  • 12 Spiderman Climbs
  • 10 Spinal Rotations for each side
  • 10 Shoulder Circles for each arm

Superset 1

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds then repeat the superset 2 more times

Superset 2

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds then repeat the superset 2 more times

Superset 3

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds then repeat the superset 2 more times

Quick Tabata Workout

Hey everyone, I have a new Home Workout of the Week for you to try!

This Quick Tabata Workout will get your heart pumping, calories burned, and muscles pumped.  As always make sure that you pay special attention to your form in order to get the best and safest results.

Tabata workouts are quick but intense.  With the warm-up, you should be able to complete this workout in about 30 minutes but if you need to take longer breaks between each Tabata then that is perfectly ok.  In time with consistent workouts you will build up your endurance and intensity.

Have fun and get sweating!

Quick Tabata Workout

Tabata Protocol – 20 seconds of as many reps as you can do followed by 10 seconds of rest; 4 rounds of each pair of exercises followed by a 1 minute rest before moving on to the next pair of exercises

Warm-Up

  • 10 Spinal Rotations for each side
  • 10 Shoulder Circles for each arm
  • 12 Body weight Squats
  • 10 Pushups
  • 12 Spiderman Climbs
  • 30 seconds of Jumping Jacks

Tabata 1

Tabata 2

Tabata 3

Tabata 4

 

Close Grip Pushup Mountain Climber

Hello HomeBody Training followers!  It’s time for another Home Exercise of the Week and this time I have an upper body and core combination exercise to show you called the Close Grip Pushup Mountain Climber.

This is a great exercise to work your chest, tricep, shoulder, and abdominal muscles!  Also, since this move incorporates many muscle groups you will be burning more calories making this an effective fat burning exercise as well as a muscle building one.

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing the Close Grip Pushup Mountain Climber properly.

  • get in to the pushup position with your hands closer together than a standard pushup
  • make sure your hands are directly under your chest
  • from this position slowly lower yourself down to about an inch from the floor while keeping your elbows tucked in to your sides.  Don’t let them flare out.
  • push back up to the start position and from here you will drive one knee up underneath you while squeezing your abdominals
  • return the leg to the start position and repeat with the other leg.  That’s one rep.
  • repeat the whole movement starting with the close grip pushup then the mountain climber
  • make sure to keep your hips down and body as straight as you can while doing the pushup and the mountain climber
  • if you have trouble doing a full close grip pushup then perform the pushup from the modified knee position then go up on your toes to do the mountain climber
  • as with all exercises make sure you engage your core throughout the movement

There you have the Close Grip Pushup Mountain Climber!  It will be tough and some of you may dislike this one but it is very effective in strengthening and toning the upper body especially the triceps and the core.