Once youve completed all 3 positions for the prescribed repetitions, youve completed 1 set. Extend your arm overhead, ensuring there is some tension on the band before you begin your repetitions (adjust further from or closer to the anchor if needed). Grab a weight (KBs, DBs, holding a plate/medicine ball, or for the most advanced and challenging, with a barbell) and lift it overhead, aiming to maintain a stacked vertical position between wrists, elbows, shoulders, and hips. If you do not have access to cables, you can perform these variations with bands. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell against your chest, holding . Lift your hips off the ground, and maintain a neutral spine by tucking the ribs and squeezing the glutes and abdominals. Scaled: Start in a push-up position where you can perform at least 5 reps, either standard (flat on the floor) or hands elevated. Can also be programmed as a hold, in which case you would maintain your top position for the prescribed amount of time. Find a smooth, safe surface like carpet or tile to perform the exercise. Step away from the anchor until there is some tension in the band when your arm is out to your side and your elbow is bent 90-degrees. From there, extend and try to reach your spine up to the ceiling as your shoulder blades separate. With a dumbbell in each hand, approach the bench in a prone (face down) position, with your torso supported by the bench so that you cannot move at the waist. Hold a wall or squat rack for balance if needed. Blackburns; Face Pulls; Prone I-T-Y-W; Rear Delt Flyes; Band Pull-Aparts; Any other upper back, shoulder health, and external rotation exercises. Without moving your upper arm, contract your triceps and hinge at the elbow, pressing down in a controlled manner until your arms are straight and elbows extended. A program is a system of training designed to achieve a goal, which in our case, is to get jacked and strong as heck. Pressing your low back into the ground, contract your abdominal muscles and crunch while bringing your hands and feet together. Stand upright with your foot pinning down a long band, holding one side of the loose end in each hand. Focus on movement throughout and in between the reps, not just stretching at the end-range of motions. Barbell row, Kroc rows, chest supported rows, seated cable row. Starting with your arms extended and your body in a straight line (with an engaged core), pull your chest towards the bar maintaining the same straight body positioning and then lower back to an extended start position. If a pause is prescribed, pause at shoulder height. Ensure that the machine is adjusted to your height so that your knee is directly in line with the axis point (fulcrum) on which the pad rotates. Increase tension by standing on more of the band, and decrease tension by allowing for more slack on the band between your feet and hands. Extend one arm out in front of you and the opposite leg out behind you while maintaining a neutral spine. Squeeze your butt and drive your feet through the floor, extending until your hips are in line with your torso. Stand upright with your foot pinning down a long band, holding one side of the loose end in each hand. Keeping your torso upright, chest tall, and elbows pointed down, squeeze the lats/armpits and lower the handle to roughly your collarbone level. Press the low back into the floor and raise your extended leg ~3-6 inches off the floor, while also lifting your head off the floor and keeping a tucked chin. Maintaining your position, row the band by pulling it to the lower chest, then return to your starting position. Keep your elbows close to the side of your head and return to start position. Set up a barbell on low blocks (or stacked plates) so the bar is below the knees. Standing facing the cable machine, grab the bar with an overhand position at shoulder width apart or wider. Slowly rotate one arm overhead, bringing the PVC pipe over and around your head and body. Do your best to maintain level shoulders and hips here there should be minimal swaying or rotational movement even as you lift one hand off the ground. Perform these with a slow and controlled tempo for the prescribed reps. Aim to maintain a straight line in your body, from feet to knees to hips to shoulders. Sit back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your arms extended, pull the band/rope across your body from shoulder to hip (high-to-low) or hip to shoulder (low-to-high). With a dumbbell in each hand, bend at the hips so that the chest is parallel to the floor. Set up as you would for a traditional bench press (unless specified otherwise, e.g. The wider you spread your legs, the more stable your base will be. Can also be performed with a DB. Alternate steps between left and right. Standing in front of a weight plate or similar, aim to elevate your toes by 1-3. For your first time performing a set to a prescribed RIR, your goal should be to establish a baseline, evaluate how things felt on that set, and adjust as needed for subsequent sets or sessions if things felt easier or harder than the description. Starting in a plank position with one hand on the floor, and one hand elevated, begin your push-ups. Set up in a stance with feet shoulder-width apart, standing on a long resistance band (light or moderate). Set up in a staggered stance, with one foots toe in line with the other heel. Perform 7 reps for the bottom half Range of Motion (elbows straight to elbows at 90-degrees), then 7 reps for the top half Range of Motion (elbows at 90-degrees to fully bent), then 7 reps full Range of Motion (elbows straight to fully bent) note that the demo shows 3+3+3. DB Curls, Hammer Curl, Cable Curls. Other Knee/Leg Raises; Hollow Body Holds; Barbell or Ab-Wheel Rollouts; Planks; Sit-up/Crunch variations; Other Abdominal Flexion movements. Thats one repetition. Hanging from a pull-up bar, keep your knees extended and contract your abs, raise your legs until your lower body makes an L-shape, parallel with the floor. This movement is a hip flexor dominant movement, and you may also feel a light stretch in your hamstring. Stop at parallel and return to the start position. For a more comprehensive overview, check out our longer YouTube instructional video linked here. Without lowering the DBs, switch which arm is holding the isometric contraction and perform the prescribed reps with the other arm. Step one foot back and across your other leg, while bending the front knee and hip. Hinge at the hip and bend at the knee to get in a pulling position where shins are perpendicular to the floor. As you drive back up to the top, squeeze your front quad while resisting the band. Return to the starting position. Aim to keep your shins vertical throughout the repetition to better target your glutes. Were going to dive into some programming ideology below to provide you with more context. Can be scaled harder by switching your point of contact from your knees to the balls of your feet. That means well tell you exactly how and when to increase your Training Max and make real progress. Focus on pulling your elbows back behind your torso and squeezing your shoulder blades together during the contraction, and allowing the band to return to a deep and reaching start position, protracting your shoulders and stretching your lats. Once you reach nose height, lower the handle/band to belly button height with control, then return to starting position (chest height). If youve been away from the barbell for more than 4 weeks, we recommend dropping 5-10% off your training maxes where needed to hit recommended rep ranges. Neutral grip lat pull-down, assisted chin-ups, negative chin-ups, weighted chin-ups. Set up with a wide stance (feet externally rotated) and hands inside of your legs, with a DB standing vertically between your feet. Place one foot flat on the floor (bending that leg at the knee and hip). Lift your hips off the ground, and maintain a neutral spine by tucking the ribs and squeezing the glutes and abdominals. Scale accordingly. Perform squats to depth while keeping an upright torso and maintaining tension on the band throughout the repetition (so that your knees do not collapse inwards). Unrack the barbell, and pull it out until it is over your shoulders. Hit record on the video, and step back roughly 10 feet (ensure that you can see your entire body). Alt 2-Up, 1-Down Leg Extension, as demonstrated in the GIF above). Bench Press the dumbbells from chest level to lockout. Like many people, I used to avoid strength training because I didn't want to "get bulky". This is a useful tool in prescribing loads based on how challenging a set feels to the lifter, and helps account for the ebbs and flows of life. Create tension in the band by taking a slightly wider than hip width stance, and bend the knees to get in an athletic stance. Set up in a standing position, with a long resistance band looped under your feet and over your shoulders. With a barbell fixed in a low position in a squat rack, hang underneath the bar with your feet on the floor and your hands spaced slightly wider than shoulder-width apart (aim for 2-4 inches wider than shoulder-width per hand). Control your pace and do your best to keep your hips and shoulders square, stacked, and balanced despite the resistance in one hand. Watch the demo link for the movements. Keep lower leg in contact with the floor. Increase tension by standing on more of the band, and decrease tension by allowing for more slack on the band between your feet and hands. If youre moving to the right, then take your right hand and your left leg, and shift them both to the right while your other hand/leg remain planted. Turn over, and finish with Seated Incline DB Lateral Raises for the prescribed reps/time. Hold a KB/DB overhead, in the same hand as your upright knee. While keeping your leg fully extended, raise your top leg towards the ceiling with control, and bring back down. Keep the upper arm stationary, and curl the dumbbell forward and up while contracting the biceps. If youre not a yogi, dont worry. Lie on floor with feet flat on the ground and a band just above the knees. These are to be performed with both legs together, unless specified otherwise (e.g. Maintain an extended arm position and raise your arms from beside your torso to shoulder height (arms parallel with the ground). Sitting on the floor in front of a bench, roll the bar so it is over your hips. Can be performed with DBs, KBs, or a Barbell. Assisted Negative Chin-Ups (using a band or assisted pull-up machine), Negative Pull-Ups. By prescribing your volume work for the day as a percentage of your Top Set rather than a (somewhat arbitrary) Training Max or All Time PR means your training can be tailored based on your specific capacity on any given day. Barbell OHP; Seated Cable OHP; (Modified) Handstand Push-Up; Overhead Pressing Machines. Grab the band with both hands and pull back towards the lower abdomen. Using a bench or box, place same side knee and hand on the surface. Repeat for the prescribed repetitions. See demo link above (shown as 3+3+3 rather than 7+7+7). Standing upright and facing the pulley, hold the rope with hands parallel (palms together, hands on either side of the plate). Set up for a squat in a high bar position (bar resting on your traps / on top of your shoulders, compared to a traditional low bar squat, where the bar is placed on the shelf of your rear-delts). Slider Mountain Climbers, Slider Pike, Slider Fallouts, Planks; Hanging Leg Raises; L-Sit. Control the weight on the way back to the bottom. Make sure you maintain an upright torso throughout the movement, and push your entire foot back into the floor. Set up an adjustable bench at a high incline (~60-80 degrees) facing away from a dual cable machine. You should feel a mild stretch in your hamstrings with each kick. Think about pushing the feet through the floor while keeping the barbell as close to your body as possible. Single arm fly and cable crossover variations. Quad-dominant barbell squat variations (high-bar squat, safety bar squat, etc. Deadbugs; Birddogs; V-situps; Hollow body holds; Bear Crawls. You can use a tripod if you have one, otherwise just prop your phone up on a chair, bench, table, or stool. safety squat bars), Banded Good Morning; Banded Sumo Good Morning; Supermans or Back extensions; Reverse hyperextensions; Stiff-Leg or Romanian Deadlifts. Once your elbow is bent at 90-degrees, externally rotate your shoulder while holding your upper arm in position (making an L-shape with your elbow). That could be a paused high bar squat, front squat, heel elevated goblet squat, close stance leg press, or another quad-dominant squat variation). Repeat for the prescribed time or repetitions, alternating legs each repetition if preferred. It motivates me indirectly., The biggest thing Ive gained from being in Stronger by the Day is the mindset that less is more. Press into the band by pushing the knees out in the squat. Focus on minimizing movement of your body, allowing your shoulders and arms to pull the band/rope and using your trunk to resist any rotation or twisting of the torso while the band tries to pull you towards the anchor. Can be performed with a single handle attachment, a rope attachment, or other attachment of your choice. Hanging Leg Raises; Bear Crawls; Side Plank; L-Sit. Your Training Max should be a number you can hit for a confident rep on any day of the week without a doubt (even when you dont feel your best). Hold for the prescribed duration, then lower back to the ground with control. Then reverse the movement to bring the pipe in front of your body again. Top sets and Backdown (or Back off) sets are a common programming & autoregulation technique in strength training. Punch the kettlebell upward and forceful press your extended arm into the floor so your torso rises up. Stop at parallel and return to the start position. This variation can add a greater hamstring and posterior stretch, as well as better reinforce hingeing mechanics as you start in a biased position that naturally encourages you to push your hips back during the repetition. Improving the amount of time you can actively deadhang from the bar, or increasing the number of seconds you can lower your body during a negative pull-up is exactly our goal development of strength in the direction of getting your first pull-up! While maintaining a constant tension on the band, squeeze your butt and drive your foot through the floor, extending until your hips are in line with your torso. Fold down as far as you comfortably can. Begin the rep by reaching your hips back while allowing your torso to tip forward, focusing on maintaining a strong and rigid trunk as you descend. Hold that position for 2-3 seconds (unless explicitly prescribed), then lower your hips back to the ground thats 1 rep. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions. Allow the bar to become motionless (a very slight pause to ensure you are not losing control of the bar or bouncing off your chest), and then begin pressing the bar back up to your start position. In an open space, maintain an upright posture (tall torso) while mimicking your sprinting mechanics (knees driving high, arms driving forward) in a march or skip just like in the A-Skip. Keep a slight bend in your elbow, and slowly begin descending the weight without breaking at the elbow (as you would in a press). Grip a pull-up bar at shoulder width apart, palms facing towards you (pronated grip). We recommend taking yourphotosfirst thinginthe morning after youve used the bathroom (but before any food or drink). For 2-Up, 1-Down Hamstring Curls, set up on a hamstring curl machine (seated or lying). Perform for the prescribed repetitions, then switch sides and repeat. Hold this position for the prescribed duration, maintaining a straight line from shoulder to hip to to knee to ankle, before lowering back to the start position with control. Press yourself to the end of the range of motion, pause for one second and return to the start position. Perform your split squat as normal, allowing the band to pull your front knee forward. Continue descending until you feel a light to moderate stretch in your hamstrings and/or glutes. Without moving your upper arm, contract your triceps and hinge at the elbow, pressing down in a controlled manner until your arms are straight and elbows extended. Aim to maintain a straight line in your body, from feet to knees to hips to shoulders. Continue in a deliberate and controlled manner for the prescribed time, doing your best to avoid any excessive tipping or rotating. Set your feet about shoulder-width apart and then about 2 ft out from the wall. Pause at the top or perform any tempo as prescribed. Feet Up or Close Grip). I love the messages of people inspiring and encouraging each other. As gyms begin to open back up, we encourage flexibility with programming adjusting exercise order, substituting based on equipment constraints, and breaking up supersets/circuits are absolutely fine if it helps you social distance. Repeat in reverse, moving one arm then the other from hand to forearm back to Low Plank. Perform these with your strongest grip width, maintaining head, shoulder, and hip contact with the bench and your feet pressed on the floor unless specified otherwise (e.g. Hold this position for the prescribed duration, maintaining a straight line from shoulder to hip to to knee to ankle, before lowering back to the start position with control. Leg Press; Front Squat; Goblet Squat; Zercher Squat; Heel Elevated Goblet Squat. Aim to maintain a neutral posture (keeping your elbow by your sides, and hips & shoulders square facing towards the anchor), with the only movement coming from flexing your bicep. If you do not have access to cables, you can perform these variations with bands. We aret simply throwing together exercises, reps, and sets before calling it a day. Resistance implement can be substituted if needed if a plate, band, or pair of DBs are unavailable, you can substitute for a loaded book bag for resistance. Lift your hips off the ground, and maintain that position for prescribed amount of time. ); Leg Press variations (especially glute focused, such as wide stance or feet further in front of you); Step Up, Lunge, or Split Squat variations. With a barbell fixed in a low position in a squat rack, hang underneath the bar with your feet on the floor and your hands spaced bench press-width apart. If you dont have access to a box, you can perform these onto a sturdy bench, ledge, or stairs. Actively engage your abdominal muscles by keeping your ribs pulled down and your pelvis tucked under your hips. Holding your DBs in an overhand position, drive your arms back at a roughly 45ish degree angle away from your torso. From there, lower your weights in front of your body with control. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and separate the band in a fly-motion. Lat Pull Over (DB or Cable); Vertical Pulling movements (Pull Ups, Chin Ups); Horizontal Pulling movements (DB Rows, Barbell Rows, Inverted Rows, Chest Supported Rows, etc. Squeeze your butt and drive your feet through the floor, extending until your hips are in line with your torso. We are focused on communicating to women that being in the gym doesnt always mean they want or need to be less. We strongly recommend starting with a conservative Training Max as defined above, even if you know your true 1-Rep Max. Side Plank; Paloff Press Wood Chops; KB Windmills; Turkish Getups; Suitcase Carries. Press the palms down to push your body up, activating the chest, shoulders and triceps and returning to the start position. Bench Dips or Tricep Kickbacks). This can also be performed at home without a DB/KB by hugging or holding by the straps a loaded backpack to your chest. Then, return to the start position by driving your hips forward and squeezing your glutes. In other circumstances, you may feel exceptionally strong and well-rested, in which case an explicit percentage may be underestimating your potential in that session. Set up by wrapping a band around an upright pillar or column, then step into each end of the band so that each end is wrapped behind your knees. On a flat bench, hold a DB in each hand and press until your arms are extended above your shoulders. You can opt to extend legs for a more difficult variation. ); Any other back or lat focused exercises. DB Stiff-Leg Deadlift, BB Stiff-Leg Deadlift, Hamstring Curls. If you could almost do an unassisted pull-up during your baseline test, you can also shoot for your first pull-up! 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