Oxygen Australia Issue 93 SeptemberOctober 2017

(やまだぃちぅ) #1

104 Sep/Oct 2017 oxygenmag.com.au


Push-Up
Muscles targeted: Chest, shoulders,
triceps, core

COACH’S COMMENTARY:
“Push-ups are not only a great muscle and
strength builder for the upper body ‘push’ mus-
cles, but they also develop core stability,” says
Jim Smith, CPPS, owner of Diesel Strength &
Conditioning (dieselsc.com).

How-to: Place your hands shoulder-width
apart on the floor, then extend your legs behind
you so your head, hips and heels are aligned,
body rigid, head neutral. Keeping your elbows
pointed backward (not out to the sides), bend
your arms to lower your body toward the floor,
maintaining a tight core. When your elbows
break 90 degrees, press back up to the start.

Make It Harder: Elevate your feet on a bench,
chair or step, hands on the floor (decline).
Make It Easier: Put your hands up on a bench,
feet on the floor (incline).

4


Forward Lunge
Muscles targeted: Quads, glutes,
hamstrings, inner/outer thigh

COACH’S COMMENTARY:
“Working unilaterally with lunges is
a great way to train similar mus-
cles as squats without loading the
spine,” says Julia Ladewski, CSCS,
a sports-performance coach in
Highland, Indiana (julialadewski
.com). “You also get some added
core and adductor/stability work
by using one leg at a time.”

How-to: Stand tall in an open
area with your feet together. Take
a large step forward with one leg
and bend both knees, dropping
the back one toward the floor
while keeping your front knee over
your toes. When your front thigh
comes parallel with the floor (or
slightly beyond), push off the front
heel and pull with the glute and
hamstring of the back leg to return
to standing. Continue, alternating
legs.

Make It Harder: See the “Combine
& Conquer” sidebar for an
advanced variation.
Make It Easier: Do stationary
lunges, in which your feet remain
fixed in the staggered stance
throughout.

Training

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