Tag: MaxNRG

Categories
Exercise of the Week

Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat – Exercise of the Week

Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat (RFESS) – Exercise of the Week

The rear foot elevated split spot often also be referred to as the Bulgarian Split Squat.

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your back foot up on a bench and have your front foot slightly further forward than you would with have if you were take a normal step forward
  • Contract your glutes, brace your abs and keep your spine is straight
  • Lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground
  • Keep your upper body upright and your lower back flat
  • Push up to the upright position staying in the split-squat stance
  • Do not let let your knee touch the ground
  • Repeat for one leg and then switch.

For more squat variations and other great exercises, visit the ‘MaxNRG Exercise of the Week‘ page or check out or Exercise Video Library

Categories
Exercise of the Week

Prisoner Squat – Exercise of the Week

Prisoner Squat – Exercise of the Week

  • Place your hands behind your head
  • Keep your elbows back and shoulder blades pulled together to work the upper back during the exercise
  • Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
  • With your abs braced and glutes squeezed, start the movement at the hip joint and push your hips backward and “sit back into a chair”
  • Make your hips go back as far as possible and keep your knees in a straight line
  • Don’t let your lower back round and try to squat as deep as possible
  • Push with your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps to return to the start position

(Click each image for a larger view)

For more squat variations and other great exercises, visit the ‘MaxNRG Exercise of the Week‘ page or check out or Exercise Video Library

Categories
Exercise of the Week

Close Grip Push Up – Exercise of the Week

Close Grip Push Up – Exercise of the Week

  • Keep your abs braced and body in a straight line from your knees to shoulders
  • Place your hands on the floor with your hands shoulder-width apart (closer than you would for a standard push up)
  • Keep your elbows tucked into your sides as you do the pushup
  • Slowly lower yourself down until you are about 5cm off the ground
  • Push through your chest, shoulders and triceps to return to the start position
  • Keep your body in a straight line (from your knees to head) at all times

For more push up variations and other great exercises, visit the ‘MaxNRG Exercise of the Week‘ page or check out or Exercise Video Library

Categories
Fitness Advice

Training for Strength

Strength training is a fairly broad term that covers all forms of exercise aimed at developing strength, as well as the size of the skeletal muscles. It can help in boosting overall health and will provide important functional benefits, as long as it is performed properly. If you are dealing with nerve damage or pain, Neuropathy Relief Guide wrote this excellent article.

There are many benefits of strength training:

  • Assists with the control of obesity and weight gain
  • Increases strength
  • Increase in muscle tissue
  • Increased metabolic rate
  • Can improve posture
  • Increases joint strength and stability
  • Enhances functional strength
  • Decreases degenerative diseases – arthritis
  • Boosts self esteem
  • Enhances sports performance
  • Decreases the risk of injury
  • Decreases blood pressure and diabetes
  • Increases energy expenditure (which benefits fat loss)

Compound versus Isolated exercises for strength

Compound exercises use more the one joint in a movement through exercise and is more functional and efficient when working out compared to isolation exercises. By using compound exercise you will improve your overall strength and will feel the benefits through a larger range of muscles in your body.

Some examples of compound exercises are: push ups, dead lifts, squats, chin ups, bench press, push press.  In all the examples listed above, multiple muscle groups are being used eg. With the push up you are using your chest, shoulders, triceps as well as your core muscles as stabilisers.

Isolated exercises just use one joint in a movement. This only concentrates on one muscle which is only beneficial if you wish to build up that specific muscle/joint. An example of an isolated exercise is a bicep curl. With the bicep curl, the biceps brachii is the only muscle being used with only a small involvement from the other muscles in your body as stabilisers.

For overall body strength and size, try using compound exercises in your workout routine.

What equipment can I use?

There are so many different types of equipment that can help you build for strength and size.

Free weights, Pin loaded machines, Hydraulic machines, resistance bands, kettlebells, medicine ball, Cable machine, Isokinetic equipment are just some of the types of equipment available.

You also don’t need any equipment at all, as there are plenty of body weight exercises to assist you in reaching your strength goals.

Free Weights

Examples: Dumbbells, Barbells and Kettlebells

Benefits:

  • Good for stability and strength
  • More functional movement than machine weights
  • High muscle activation
  • Promotes stabiliser muscles to work harder
  • A wide range of exercise variety
  • Are inexpensive to purchase
  • Don’t take up to much room

Pin Loaded Machine

Examples: Lat Pull down, Cable Machine, Seated chest press, Seated row

Benefits:

  • Good for beginners
  • Easy to change weight load
  • Great for circuit training
  • Good for rehabilitation
  • Can isolate specific muscles and range of motions

Hydraulic Machine

Are machines that use compression to control movement speed and maximise effort through a full range of motion. These machines are often used in circuit training.

Things to consider when building strength

  • Make sure to set up equipment to suit your body shape and size
  • Keep a slow and steady lifting speed
  • Breathe out on exertion (the hard bit)
  • Maintain good posture
  • Don’t start off to heavy, slowly build up
  • Get a personal trainer to offer assistance and advice

Strength training is a safe physical exercise provided that it is performed properly.  Weight training is one of the safest forms of this physical activity, but the slightest mistake in executing the routines can result in an injury. In order to avoid injuries and other discomforts, individuals should always check that they are performing the exercise correctly before using heavy weights.

MaxNRG Personal Training offers one-on one fitness training which is perfect for beginners looking to start physical exercise.  We provide constant supervision ensuring correct technique and assistance, therefore reducing the chance of injury and ensuring you work to your maximum potential and ability.

If you would like to receive a FREE, no obligations training session from one of our highly qualified registered Exercise Professional of Fitness Australia, fill out our simple online contact form or call us on 0403-741-278

Categories
Exercise of the Week

T Squat – Exercise of the Week

T Squat – Exercise of the Week

  • Hold your arms out to your sides in a ‘T’ formation at all times
  • Keep your upper back and shoulders tensed throughout the exercise
  • Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
  • With your abs braced and glutes squeezed, start the movement at the hip joint and push your hips backward and “sit back into a chair”
  • Make your hips go back as far as possible and keep your knees in a straight line
  • Don’t let your lower back round and try to squat as deep as possible
  • Push with your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps to return to the start position

(Click each image for a larger view)

For more squat variations and other great exercises, visit the ‘MaxNRG Exercise of the Week‘ page or check out or Exercise Video Library

Categories
Exercise of the Week

Incline Push Up (HARD) – Exercise of the Week

Incline Push Up (HARD) – Exercise of the Week

  • Set up at either a bar, bench or wall that is approximately knee height
  • Take a shoulder width overhand grip
  • Get into an inclined pushup position with your feet lined up straight behind you.
  • Lower your body until your elbows are bent 90 degrees.
  • Then press back u to starting position

If you find that standard push ups are too advanced and you don’t have the strength to perform 10 repetitions, try these incline push ups or even Kneeling Push Ups

For more push up variations and other great exercises, visit the ‘MaxNRG Exercise of the Week‘ page or check out or Exercise Video Library

Categories
Exercise of the Week

Incline Push Up (EASY) – Exercise of the Week

Incline Push Up (EASY) – Exercise of the Week

  • Set up at either a bar, bench or wall that is approximately waist height
  • Take a shoulder width overhand grip
  • Get into an inclined pushup position with your feet lined up straight behind you.
  • Lower your body until your elbows are bent 90 degrees.
  • Then press back u to starting position

If you find that standard push ups are too advanced and you don’t have the strength to perform 10 repetitions, try these incline push ups or even Kneeling Push Ups

For more push up variations and other great exercises, visit the ‘MaxNRG Exercise of the Week‘ page or check out or Exercise Video Library

Categories
Exercise of the Week

Step Up Alternating Legs – Exercise of the Week

Step Up Alternating Legs – Exercise of the Week

  • Stand facing a step. Place your right foot on the step and your left on the floor.
  • With your abs braced and glutes squeezed, start the movement by pushing through the front foot (right) on the step, driving powerfully upward to the standing position
  • Once both feet and your entire bodyweight is placed at top of the step lower the right foot back down to the bottom of the step, followed by your left foot
  • Pause briefly at the bottom with both feet firmly on the ground and repeat
  • After 10-20 repetitions, swap legs placing your left foot on the step and your right on the floor to repeat the process with your other leg

Single Leg Step Up - StartSingle Leg Step Up - Finish

(Click each image for a larger view)

For more squat variations and other great exercises, visit the ‘MaxNRG Exercise of the Week‘ page or check out or Exercise Video Library

Categories
Exercise of the Week

Push Up – Exercise of the Week

Push Up – Exercise of the Week

  • Keep your abs braced and body in a straight line from your knees to shoulders
  • Place your hands on the floor with your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart
  • Slowly lower yourself down until you are about 5cm off the ground
  • Push through your chest, shoulders and triceps to return to the start position
  • Keep your body in a straight line (from your knees to head) at all times

If you find that standard push ups are too advanced and you don’t have the strength to perform 10 repetitions, try Kneeling Push Ups

For more push up variations and other great exercises, visit the ‘MaxNRG Exercise of the Week‘ page or check out or Exercise Video Library

Categories
Exercise of the Week

Y Squat – Exercise of the Week

Y Squat – Exercise of the Week

  • Hold your arms out to your sides in a ‘Y’ formation at all times
  • Keep your upper back and shoulders tensed throughout the exercise
  • Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
  • With your abs braced and glutes squeezed, start the movement at the hip joint and push your hips backward and “sit back into a chair”
  • Make your hips go back as far as possible and keep your knees in a straight line
  • Don’t let your lower back round and try to squat as deep as possible
  • Push with your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps to return to the start position

(Click each image for a larger view)

For more squat variations and other great exercises, visit the ‘MaxNRG Exercise of the Week‘ page or check out or Exercise Video Library