December 9, 2007 by jleeger.

What do you need to successfully work out at home?  And how do you do it for cheap?

Well, the easiest way is to use your body weight.  However, some folks have to start slower than that.  Here are some good implements to consider adding to your home gym:

The first thing I recommend is a stability ball.  If you get one, get this one: http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_4716_A_CategoryID_E_397

Those things can burst!  And you want to lessen the chances of that as much as possible!

Next, a jump rope…the cheap plastic kind are best.

Then, bands - they make great, versatile training tools.  There are so many types to choose from, I won’t go into it in depth.  Try to get a couple of sets, that way you have different resistance levels.

There are many ways to do pullups, but I think if you can use rings or pullup straps, you have a much more diverse training tool.  Here’s a link to rings: http://www.ringtraining.com/ and here’s one for straps: http://www.amazon.com/Lifeline-USA-1-JG-Jungle-Gym/dp/B00069CN2S

You can make these on your own too: http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/shenandoah/Grunt/Bodyweight.html

And…a BALANCE BOARD.  Any type will do, but I’ve been SERIOUSLY impressed by the Indo Board…

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December 9, 2007 by jleeger.

Posterior Chain

Today’s WOD is going to be a “Posterior Chain” exercise day. Most folks focus on the muscles on the front of their body because they’re the ones they use the most, and more importantly, they’re the ones they can SEE.

The “Posterior Chain” is comprised of all the muscles along the back of your body. Typically these muscles are associated with “pulling” motions.

If your shoulders are rounded forward, or you hunch over, or your lower back bugs you, you should probably be doing a posterior chain workout at least once a week, and prioritizing the posterior chain work in your other workouts.

Here we go!

Warmup - Back Bridge (30 seconds) + V-ups (30 reps) - 2-3x

Bodyweight Rows - 3-5 sets of 2 shy of your max reps

Chinups (palms facing you) - 3-5 sets of 2 shy of your max reps

1-leg Romanian Deadlift - 3 sets of 2 shy of your max reps

Pull throughs - here you take a band, or cable handle (if you have access to a gym), or even a towel or rope (for isometric pulls), set at floor-level. You have your feet set back a bit from where your upper body will be, and you pull the band through your legs. It’s a bit like a weighted hyperextension, which will suit as a replacement exercise as well. - 3 sets of 2 shy of your max reps. If you’re doing isometrics, hold for as long as you can sustain a full contraction

Band Expansion/Reverse Flye - you need a band for isotonic movement, or towel for isometrics… - hold the implement in front of you, arms straight, and open your arms out to the sides till it touches your chest. Same reps/sets as above.

External Rotations - this is a good rotator cuff exercise, and most people need to do it at least once a week, if not two or three times. You need a band/cable or dumbbells. Basically, you’re bending your arm 90 degrees at the elbow, and rotating the upper arm (humerus) externally (away from your body) against the resistance. If you have a band, it’s best, because you can do this exercise with your humerus perpendicular to the ground (your arm at your side), and then parallel to the ground (out from your side) rotating your radius/ulna up and back from parallel…here’s a good photo of the perpendicular one -

for parallel, just raise your arm out to the side.

3 sets of 12 will do. 2 sets of 12 each if you’re doing both movements.

Stretch your posterior chain!

That includes your rotator cuff! Here’s how to do that: http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/archives/ask_joe_08-12-05.htm

Have fun!

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