Balance is very important.

It is so important that I create a 4 hour course that I teach fitness professionals.

Well today, I have a quick home balance workout that one can do.

If you are young and fit, this maybe way to easy but it will help your parents out. Especially if they have any fears for falling or have had a friend fall and injury themselves.

Today the article is from Dr. Dan Ritchie. 

Enjoy!

Rick Kaselj, MS

====================

Hey I am Dr Dan Ritchie from Functional Aging Institute and we are going to give you a quick simple home balance workout.

It doesn’t take any equipment whatsoever other than yourself. You can do this at home from your own living room, bedroom, you can take it to the gym, out to the park, where ever you want.

Simple Home Balance Workout

CLICK HERE to watch the video on YouTube

#1 – Lower Body Side-to-Side Squats

We are going to start with lower body side to side squats and we are going to pretend like we are stepping over something.

Lower Body Side-to-Side Squats

Take a step sideways like stepping over a curb. Then step over in the back in that direction getting into a squat. You are going to shift all your weight to the right, all your weight to the left. It’s really important that you get good at stepping over things sideways.

#2 – Front and Back Step Over Squats

Front and Back Step Over Squats

Now we are going to do this forward and backward. Step over something forward bring both legs together and then take it into a squat. Then backwards bring both legs together and squat down. Always think about getting that trail leg over the object.

That’s typically where people trip or get caught. When you step forward, take a giant step forward. Make sure that trail leg gets up and over.

#3 – Floor Touch Lunges

Now get in the lunge position getting in a nice lunge. Reach down and try to touch the floor.  Come all the way up over the head. Shifting our center of gravity from above our head to all the way down to the floor. Do about five of these. Bring that other foot forward trying to get down to the floor.

Floor Touch Lunges

If this is the first time you have ever done it you might now get down the ground. That is okay. Get down as far as you can and reach up as high as you can. If you have some shoulder issues and you can’t really get an arm over your head then just reach up the healthy arm as high as you can.

#4 – Marching with Different Variations

The last one that we are going to do is a marching movement. We will be marching in several different ways.

First traditional marching fairly simple marching in place. If you want to make it more challenging put your hands on top of your head or all the way up straight over the head. Either way that’s going to raise the center of gravity making it a little bit harder for balance control.

Marching  

Next is wide marching almost like straddling a horse nice and wide. You really want to think about getting those legs nice and wide like you are trying to straddle something. Go back to regular marching. Now to march on tip toes trying not to let those heels touchdown.

The last one which is the most difficult is marching your heels.  You will notice you will move around a little bit with this which is normal because you have to move from forward to back as your center of gravity shifts. This helps you train what happens when you start to fall back on heels and lose balance backwards.

You might want to go little bit cautious with marching on your heels.

If you are looking for a program to help improve your balance and stay young, then check out the Never Grow Old Fitness Program:

Dr. Dan Ritchie

.

Shoulder pressing has got a bad wrap of late but it is something, if done right, can be great for shoulder health and chest development.

Today I got a training tip from Nick Nilsson on a new and safe way of training for the shoulder press.

Enjoy and give it a go.

Rick Kaselj, MS

====================

This is Nick Nilsson, Mad Scientist Muscle. What I got for you today is a great way to do a barbell shoulder press. The method for this is to do single cluster training doing single reps, 20 seconds rest for 6 reps.

It’s good to use a heavier weight then you are only good for a straight through set using this floor mat on the rack. It allows you to reset your form at the bottom of every single rep which I am going to show you with the key to this exercise.

How to do the Perfect Power Shoulder Press?

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

This is the movement. I will give you a quick demo here.

Barbell Power Shoulder Press

 Barbell Power Shoulder Press

I have got a preacher bench turned backwards sitting inside the rack, the rails are set to the position just above the shoulders.

Proper Form Step #1

Proper Form Step #1

Grip the bar a bit closer in than you normally would for a bench press, for shoulder press. Bar is at shoulder height.

Proper Form Step #2

Proper Form Step #2

To start pull up on the bar, that pull up is going to activate your laths. This is going to stabilize your shoulders and give you a much stronger base to press from.

Proper Form Step #3

Proper Form Step #3

Do that press from there.

Proper Form Step #4

Proper Form Step #4

Make sure you do these reps under control, make sure your core is tight, make sure your feet are pressed and pushing back so that you really lock in your entire body into this movement.

This movement takes away the elastic tension of the movement so it’s really good to build a lot of power of the bottom and the shoulder press. You are basically starting at the top and coming down and rebounding, that’s elastic tension.

When you are doing the press, as you are coming up and the bar clears your head, move your head forward, bring the bar back in line with your ears. That’s going to give maximum contractions to the delts. It really locks you in. I like using the preacher bench better than the straight back bench because you need some upper back support.

Alright so that’s the movement

If you are looking for a program to help you build crazy muscle mass, then check out Muscle Explosion program:

Nick Nilsson

.

For a long while, I was not a big fan of the deadlift but now I am into it and see the big benefit on having this exercise as key component to your lifting program.

Today, I have a great tweak on the deadlift from Nick Nisson.

Enjoy and give it a go.

Rick Kaselj, MS

=================

This is Nick Nilsson from Mad Scientist Muscle. What I have for you today is a tweak to get more out of your deadift. It sounds complicated but it’s actually very simple.

I have a couple of moderate thick bands. It’s not huge thick, or anything. I am using grip assistant because I don’t want my grip to give out before you get full lat training set. Attach your bands down the bar end of the rack and then step back. Get your hands off the bar and you are good to go.

This is what it looks like.

Trap Bar Dead Lift with Bands on Wrists

Trap Bar Dead Lift

All these bands are going on the wrists, they are not going on the bar. That’s the movement.

There are a couple of things to note here:

1. I need to go wider next time because I didn’t even hit the 10 reps and I will probably go lighter on the weight, little bit smaller on the bend, that would have been a better idea.
2. This actually is a more quad dominant version of the deadlift because you are resisting the band tension that’s pulling you forward, forcing you to sit back a little bit more. In that respect, its not as much back work but more quad work.

I recommend the grip assistant. Your grip will probably give out because of the pressure on the wrist from the band so using a little grip assistant is a very good thing. I found this one really hit the upper back and your lat area. In addition to the lat work, you are also going to get a lot of teres major, rhomboid, etc. instead of in the back as well. If you got the bands, you can use a trap bar or a regular deadlift bar or a straight bar and this is definitely worth giving a try. I think you will like it.

If you are looking for a program to help you build crazy muscle mass, then check outMuscle Explosion program:

Nick Nilsson

.

Today, I got another workout from Kate V.

It is a 1000 Calorie Bodyweight Workout.

Give it a go and enjoy the burn.

Rick Kaselj

==============

1000 Calorie Bodyweight Workout

If you like the above workout, then check out the 1000 Calorie Accelerators, here:

Kate Vidulich

P.S. – If you do not have a Kettlebell, no worries. You can go through the movement or use dumbell or a medicine ball. If you still don’t have any of that, you can do a full body extension.

.

.

Today, I got a workout for you, it is from Kate V.

Enjoy the ITJ Workout.

Enjoy!

Rick Kaselj

==============

I am Kate Vidulich, metabolic training expert here at FatLossAccelarators.com. Today, I am totally pumped because I have got a special workout for my buddy Rick and all of his followers over at ExercisesForInjuries.com.

Today’s workout is going to be a quick one. It’s a 10 minute workout that will give you a small taste of what’s in store for you in the 1000 Calorie Accelerator System. This is a metabolic density circuit. You will be doing as many reps as you can for each exercise in 20 seconds and then taking a 10 second break. You will need a timing device for these exercises.

ITJ Workout

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

We will be going through three different exercises.

#1 – Inverted Row

If you happen to have a pair of parallel bars in your apartment, a TRX, a suspension trainer or if you have a bar, get underneath the bar. Legs out, bend your knees, and keep your head back pulling yourself all the way up, keeping those shoulder blades together. Up and then down. Keeping your body as a plank. Do this for 20 seconds then a 10 second rest for 4 rounds.

Inverted Row

#2 – Total Body Extension

This is where you bend your knees, arms go back, exhale and explode up over the head. Keep your palms facing inward.

Total Body Extension

If you only want to do a quarter squat and don’t want to go all the way down, that’s a big mistake. 

You want to go down and up over the head. Do 8 rounds of this, 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest.

#3 – Jump Rope

Then you are going to go into the final exercise which is the Jump Rope. You will need a  jump rope.  Do 20 seconds work and then 10 seconds rest. Do 8 rounds for this exercise.

Jump Rope

These are the 3 exercises. They are going to take 10 minutes total. This is just a small taste of the intermediate level 1000 Calorie Accelerators Workout.

In the first exercise, if you don’t have access to a bar or a parallel bar, you can use dumbbells instead. Just do a dumbbell row for 20 seconds work then 10 seconds rest. You are going to enjoy this workout.

If you click the link down below, you can get access to the brand new 1000 Calorie Accelerators System. It has a beginner level and an intermediate level and the elite 1000 calorie level.

Kate Vidulich

NOTE: The 53% discount on Best Gluteus Maximus Exercise Program ends tomorrow.

Okay, I am heading to day two of the EFI Summit.

Day one was great. Dean Somerset presented some amazing stuff on Voodoo Fitness Tricks and Hip Hinging.

I did a presentation on self-massage.

Since I am out, I got Maria Mountain with a great video on some bodyweight glute activation exercises.

Enjoy the video and thank you, Maria.

Rick Kaselj, MS

========================================

This video goes with research article that I came across on glute activation and the impact on power production in athletes.

I want to go over the exercises. They were mentioning that in the article just to show you what they are.

#1 Double Leg Glute Bridge

Feet flat on the floor. I am bracing with my abdominals. I am lifting my hips until I make a straight line here. Everything comes up together so I am just hinging at my hips. I am not rolling up and down with my spine and I think about squeezing my rear end when I do that.

#2 Quadruped Hip Extension

The Quadruped Hip Extremity Hip Lift, there can be a couple of versions for this one. But typically we do a bent knee version because that takes out some of the hamstrings so I put a little more of emphasis on the glutes by putting the hamstrings in a shortened position. And the big thing here is to not extend through your spine at all. All of that movement just comes from the hip trying to use the glutes as you do that.

#3 Quadruped Abduction

Here I call it the “fire hydrant” for some obvious reasons. But then again I keep my heel as close as I can to my rear end and then bring that knee out to the side without tilting at my hips at all so I am getting the gluteus medius there.

#4 Side Clam

Then we will lie on our side and we will do a Clam Shell. In the article I mentioned that the hips are flexed to about 60 degrees, so this would be 90 degrees of hip flexion and that would be about 60 degrees. My knees are bent to about 90 degrees. My feet stay touching and my hip doesn’t roll backwards as I lift the top knee.

#5 Side Lying Abduction

Some people have to point their toes down a little bit when they do this. They might like to turn their toe up and use a little more of the front of their hips. Toe down and again not letting the hips open up.

#6 Prone Hip Extension

You can put a towel underneath the hips to this one in particular for someone who is a little bit tight in the hip flexors, a little hip extension.

If people have trouble with that, sometimes we do it with just a toe on the floor extending the hip making sure that they feel their glutes tighten as they go.

#7 Stability Ball Bi-Lateral Squat

The ball is just in my lower back and I squat back. And again as I squat back, I think about squeezing my rear end sitting my hips down and back slightly.

Those are the exercises that were put together in a dynamic warm-up circuit, one set of ten repetitions of each exercise. Research study shows that this improves the power production in athletes as measured in a counter movement vertical jump. Those might be some great exercises to add to your dynamic warm-up before practice or games.

This is Maria from HockeyTrainingPro.com . My mission is to help 10,000 Goalies win more games with fewer injuries even if you don’t have the natural ability or genetic gifts of your competitors.

Maria Mountain

If you are looking for an exercise program that progressively targets gluteus maximus, then check out Best Gluteus Maximus Exercises Program, here:

.

I am about to head to the gym for the EFI Summit.

Dean Somerset will be presenting most of the day but I will do one session on self massage and one thing that I will be talking about is butt pain.

If you are going to the EFI Summit, I will go into this in more detail but if you can’t, I have a video for you.

In this video I wanted to go through 3 exercises to help with butt pain. All three of them involve the foam roller.

Enjoy and give them a go…..

3 Exercises for Butt Pain

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

#1 – Foam Rolling Gluteus Maximus

You are going to sit on the foam roller. Your legs are straight and then you move from the top of your pelvis and then come all the way up until you end up hitting your sit bones or ischial tuberosity and then you come back down and then up again.

Foam Rolling Gluteus Maximus

You are working through that meaty part of the glutes, that glute maximus. You are going up and down over the foam roller for about 5 to 10 repetitions in a smooth controlled manner.

#2 – Foam Rolling Gluteus Medius

You are going to move the foam roller so it’s about 45 degrees to your body. You are going to do the exact same thing ad you did in the exercise before. You are going to start off at the sit bone or ischial tuberosity just below it. And then you are going to roll up to just above that pelvis area.

Foam Rolling Gluteus Medius

You should feel like you are massaging something different from the first one. With the second one, for most people it ends up being a little bit more sensitive.

#3 – Foam Rolling the Piriformis

The foam roller stays at 45 degree to your body. Now we are crossing the leg over and we are rocking or moving around where that ischial tuberosity is, where that sit bone is.

Foam Rolling the Piriformis

We are looking to find a sensitive area that we end up working on. And same thing, you are rocking back and forth for 5 to 10 repetitions. It should feel like you are massaging or having a deep massage. It shouldn’t feel like it has screaming pain or like you are irritating the muscle.

There you go. If you are having butt pain, give those exercises a go. We start it with Glute Maximus, loosening it up with the foam rolling. Then we move to Glute Meduis, loosening it up. And then we target the Piriformis muscle that oftentimes is the one that causes butt pain.

If you are looking for a program to help you targeted your gluteus medius, then check out Gluteus Medius Exercise program, here:

Rick Kaselj, MS

.

Things are in motion for Friday’s EFI Summit.

Dean is on his way to Vancouver and I am off to pick up the handouts for the Summit.

Looking at Dean’s notes, I know one thing he will cover is glutes.

The reason why is because glutes have a huge effect on mobility.

Since a lot of people can not make it to the seminar, I wanted to do a little video on 6 Exercises that will Fire Up Your Glutes.

Enjoy (and give them a go)!

6 Exercises to Fire Up Your Glutes

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

Exercise #1 – 4-Point Knee Hover

Orsy has resistive tubing wrapped around her knees just above her knee joint. She is in a 4-point position with hands underneath the shoulders, knees underneath the hips, her  abdominal area tight, she is maintaining the curve in her lower back and her knees are separated about hip width apart.

4-Point Knee Hover

With the first glutes exercise, she is going to do a knee hover. She is just lifting her knee straight off the ground just a little bit, holding for a second and then alternating back and forth.

Exercise #2 – Knee to the side

Orsy is bringing the knee straight out to the side and back down.

Knee to the Side

It’s not a huge movement. It is about 30 to 45 degrees that you are bringing that leg out to the side.

Exercise #3 – Rotating the Knee to the Side

With this one you are bringing that knee out to the side and then rotating the leg and that hip joint.

Rotating the Knee to the Side

We are looking at doing between 5 to 10 repetitions on each side. You can do 5 to 10 on one side and then 5 to 10 on the other or you can alternate.

Exercise #4 – Bringing the Knee back

Orsy is bringing that knee back and then back to the start. Bring that knee back to about 30 to 45 degrees.

Bring that Knee back

Exercise #5 – Moving in the forward direction

Bringing the knee forward and bringing it back.

Moving in the Forward Direction

Exercise #6 – Heel to the ceiling

Orsy is really going to try to push that heel towards the ceiling so we are targeting the glutes a lot more.

Heel to the ceiling

There you go. Those are the 6 exercises that will fire up your glutes. With us moving in all those different directions, we are targeting all the hip muscles but then specifically targeting the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus.

Give those exercises a go and let me know how they are.

If you are looking for an exercise program that progessively targets gluteus maximus, then check out Best Gluteus Maximus Exercises Program, here:

Rick Kaselj, MS

.