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one leg press at a time
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 151
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Here are some things you can do with or without weights. Keep in mind as you progress, you will either want to add weights or challenge yourself by going heavier.
Here are some basic things you can do for the upper body. You can stand on both feet (make sure not to lock your knees- keep them soft at all times) hip distance and hold your abs in, or you can stand on one leg with your other foot having just the toe touch the ground or, just above the gound to work your core muscles.
Biceps- basic biceps curl with the palm of the hand facing upwards to the celing, arms should be pinned to the waist. - option- angle arms at a 30 degree angle for a few reps to concentrate on the smaller muscles in the bicep. hammer curl (bicep curl with palms facing inwards towards eachother.
While doing these make sure you are not swinging the weight, but concentrating on the muscle making the movement. Also, do not bring the weight all the way to the shoulder or drop the weight on the downaward motion, take it as high as the nipple line, and lower as far as you can without losing the contracion in the muscle.
Triceps- kickbacks- this can be done standing, sitting , or if you have a 14-17 inch step/bench,stool you can do this leaning over the stool (chest and abs will touch the stool.) Standing- lean over slightly- 45degree angle, hold abs in and either one arm at the time or both together, bring your elbows behind your back, shoulders should be down and not scrunched up at the neck. Once position has been taken, kick the lower arm back til the muscle contracts- only the elbow to wrist portion of your arm should be moving- lower the arm but only to where your hips are, so you do not lose the muscle contraction. For extra back support, place one leg on a step8-17 incehs tall and stand on one leg as mentioned previously.
If you do this over a step, gravity will fight you, so it will be harder fo hold he basic position (in this case, in the air) behind/ above you.
French press- take one or both dumbells over head and hold arms straight behind head, lower the weight behind your head and push back up without locking your elbows. This move can also be done with both arms,or single arm, which is much harder in my opinion , to do. If you choose to do single arm ones, take the opposite hand and place on the elbow of the hand with the weight sto help arm stay steady and in good form.
Skull Crushers- lay back on the floor or on a stablity ball, each hand should hold one weight. hold arms in front of you at shoulder level, straight, but not locked, then slowly lower the weight until just over the floor, or you feel the contraction then lift back up. This move also fights gravity, so you may want to try this withought weights and then try it with weights.
Shoulders- shoulders have 3 heads- frontal, side (aka, deltoids), and rear and each needs to be worked. For Frontal delts, hold weights with palms facing inward, arms should be alongside your torso, then lift the weights straight up to shoulder level, then turn your pams downto face the floor and lower to starting position. This move may also be done with palms facing the floor while lifting to shoulders. Option 2 will also get the side delt, and shoulder rotation. lift to the front, whith arms extended in front of the shoulders, keep arms lifted,and move arms to the side, going no higher than shoulder level, then move arms back to the front and lower down. Option 3- lift arms to shoulder level, hinge at the elbow 90 degrees, and begins sqeezing your upperback, then take arms back out infront straight and lower down. Option 4- bring arms up, turn palms to face eachother, then with arms extended, bring back, upper back muscles should sqeeze, then return arms in front of you, and lower.
Side delts- bend arms at 90 degree angle with elbows at the side, slowly lift up letting the elbow lead the move. Wrists shoud not break, but be held in a neutral position. Lift no higher than the shoulder then lower again using control. Option- same move except keep arms straight and not bent at the elbow- this version is a bit harder, since the weight is not close into your body.
Rear delts- lean over a stability ball, or 14-17 inch stool, hold arms out and lift as though you are reaching each arm to the wall closest to them. Shoulders should not be scrunched up, but in a natural posiion. To do this standing, place one foot in front and the other leg should be behind you and bent- aka staggard stance- lean over at a slight angle, and lift. Your upper back should again be sqeezed at the top of the move, then lower to starting.
Overhead/military press. This works the side delts mainly. Bring arms to shoulder level. bend at elbows 90 degrees then lift and lower to the ear. repeat. option- at the top of the move, turn palms to face eachother.
Upright row- place wights a bit closer than hip width, then with elbow leading, lift. On the lift your elbows wshould go out to shoulder height or a bit higher. The upper arm is the moving part, lower arms should simply follow. Do not shrug the shoulders at the top as this will work your trapezius muscle and too much of this will cause a more masculine look in the neck for females.
Back- Rhombid pinch- with a dumbell in each hand, bend arms to 90 degrees, and pinch back.
Lat row- once you have mastered this and feel you can go heavier on this you will want to inrease poundage b/c this is really a large muscle that is bing worked on this move. stand behind a 14-17 inch step, or a chair will work, take a wide stance- almost like a wide squat, place one hand on stool, bend at knees, and keep back flat- think of a table top- hold weight in on hand and use your back muscele to lfit the weight. Think of the bra strap area- that is the area the move should be initiated in. When the weight is lowered, lower it so that you feel a light stretch in the side of your back which has been worked/is working. This ensures the muscle that gets contracted gets a good stretch. If this position os not comfortable, place one fott on the stool, bed at the hips, lean over with chest resting on the leg that is on the stool. again your back should be flat, and lfit and lower the weight in the same manner as noted above. Please note this version will be done at
an angle.
Seated row- sit on a 14- 17inch stool, lean forward from the hips and begin to lift. On the contraction, back muscles should squeeze, then lower to starting. Palms will face eachother for the entire movement. Option- let palms face forward, and proceed. The ROM (range of motion) should be a bit smaller than
doing this with palms facing eachother. Option2- start out with palms facing eachother, then halfway up, rotate palms to face forward, squeeze, loer halfway and return palms to face eachother.
Chest- pec flyes- lay on floor or on a stability ball, hold arms straight in front of your shoulders with palms facing eachother. Lpwer your arms to just above the floor. When your arms are held put over the floor, it should look like you are hugging a big ball, so arms will not be striaght, but rounded and contracted.
Bench press- again lay on the floor, take same position as in pec flye, except palms should face the wall. bend elbows to 90degrees, and lift up and in fron until a 1-2 inch space is between your dumbbells heads, then lower again. Arms hould not touch the floor while doing this.
Both of these moves require the contraction not be released to the floor at the bottom of the move, so if this is difficult, you may want to place a rolled or folded blanket (about 1 1/2- 2 ft long) under your shoulders.
Back and Tricep- lay on floor, take one dumbbell, and holdit over your chest, arms slightly bent, but straight, then lower over your head on the floor, stopping when you feel the contraction or before the weight hits the floor. Lower back should be pressed to the floor for the full movement.
Here are some ideas for lower body use.
Standing-
Lunges-you will ant the weight in the hand of the working leg, so if you are lunging with your left leg, hold the dumbbell in your left hand, or place on your left shoulder (just taouch tha head closes to your ches, so it does not fall.) If the lunge wit oo hard, or complicates balance issues, hold a dowel, broom, or mop in the nonworking leg hand- again, if your left leg is working, the broom should be in your right hand and the weight in your left. Press thru the heel of the lunging leg- lift your toes off of the floor to ensure you are using your heel.
Option- do this with or with out the dowel or place one db on each shoulder and do not use the dowel.
Dips- do the same way as a lunge, but working leg should move behind you to 90 degrees.
Squats- either place a db on each shoulder, or hold in hands keeping palms facing towards eachother, place legs slightly wider than hip width apart, then squat down, aiming to get your legs paralell to the floor. Knees should never extend over the toes, and you should press up thru the heels.
Plie- take a wide stance and point toes outwards towards opposite walls. The knees will also tuern out slightly, but remember, if this does not feell right to you, please do a regualr squat with a wider stance than previously noted. Once in plie position, bend at the knees- legs should be at a 90 degree angle, and lower down to the floor. Do this while holding the dumbbels on the shoulders or at the "tie-ends where the hip/leg meet. You should feel this in yoiur inner thighs. Watch your back, it should not be poking out in the back, but should be in an neutral straight line fom then nec to tailbone to the floor.
to intensify this, lift one heel up and continue to lower downwards and press up thur the heel with the planted foot. Swap sides.
option2 to intensify the inner thighs, Once you have lowered down, stay as is, then in a very slight movement, use your thigh muscles to pull forward, then bck to starting. Your feet and knees should not move, this should only move the inner thighs slightly.
Option3, to intensify this for more outer thigh, assume plie, lower body, and again in a very slight movement, using the outer thigh, pull the legs back. This will give a slight stretch to your inner thighs, and will really concentrate on the outer thighs.
Option4- do wither option 2or 3 and lift one heel off the floor but be careful with allo these to press up and lower thru the heel.
Leg abductor- outer thigh- stand on one leg, hold dowel/chair on the other side. lift leg up point the toe downwards at a slight angle, so when lifting, the heel will come up first. Proceed to hold the db on the outer thigh, then lift and lower leading woth the heel.
Leg Press- using the 14 inch step (or if you do not have one, any size stpe will work, or use stairs if you have them) place 1 foot in the center of the box. The DB should be on the shoulder of this same leg, or in the hand -which ever is more comfortable for you- and press up thru the heel, lower back down slowly. To intensify this, do a frontal kick or glute squeeze, or outher thigh abduction at the top of the step.
Quads- holding dowel in opposite hand, take one leg, lift as high as is comfortable, but no higher than hip level, place dn on quad, and kick outwards
Floor work- Bridge hio lifts. Lie on the floor, with a db on each hip, raise ips off the floor, squeeze glutes at the top of the move, lower but do not touch down on the florr- maintain the contraction, then lift back up. You can intensify this by lifting one leg in the air and presing up and lowering on one leg, or if this is too difficult, place one leg on the 8-17 inch step . The leg on the step will be worked harder than the leg on the floor.
This can also be done with both legs placed on the step, and also with both feet on the step and a yoga brick or pillow under your sacrum, so when you lower, you are still contracted.
Also to intensify, roll your glutes inward either together or roll one side and then the other. One more thing to do is, once lifted up, squeeze your knees together without moving feet- you will work inner thigs this way.
Outer thigh- Leg abduction- lie on one side, place the db on the outer hip, point toe downwards and lift from the heel. Intensify this by having the working leg cross to the fron and to the back of the stationary leg.
push/pull- lie on one side, db on outer hip, but bend at knee and bring the knee in to the hip at an angle. Push outard with the heel, then point oes and pull the leg inward to the hip.
Inner thigh- leg adduction- lie on side, bend top leg and place foot behind the bottom leg. The leg closest to the floor is your working leg, place db on inner thigh an lift leg, lower but do not let leg touch the floor, keep the muscle contracted, and lift.
Leg Sweeps- assume postion as noted in previous excersise, place db on tinner thigh, lift leg slightly- just to contraction then with control sweep your leg to the front. Go as far out as comfortable, but not so far that you feel a good stretch in the muscle.
Pull ins- assume position as noted in first excersise, place db on inner thigh, lift leg until contracted, then pull leg in by bending at the knee, then extend. Do not move your hips or let your waist fall into the floor. Stay lifted throughout.
Abs- upper abs only- hold db on the upper abs below chest, and lift up with abs and lower back close to the floor, but not all the way without fully losing contraction in the abs.
Quads- sitting in a chair or on the stool, place db on quad, flex foot and lift off floor. Once lifted, shoot leg outward- this will involve abs- so keep them tight and protect your back- then return to starting. To intensify pulse quad upwards, then relaese to start, or pulse then shoot out and repeat.
Table work- can be done with or without the helping hand of the 14 inch stool. Either way, remember to hold your abs in tight and do not sink your back down.you want to remain injury free.
Get on hands and knees, if using stool, it should come under our abs and chest,
place db behind your knee, and bend so that db will not fall out. Keep knee bent and lift leg- foot should be flexed, and point toes when lowering leg. This one takes some coordination, so you might want to try this without weigt at first.
One improtant thing I forgot to add to this, regardless of doing upper or lower body work, make sure to keep your chest lifted, abs tucked in and spine in an neutral position.
Always be consious of your posture, hold your shoulders back and at a natural position, not scrunched uo to your ears and neck. Do not swing or sway the weights, let the muscle do the work.
Also, if you have access to the library & have a tv/vcr or dvd player, you might want to check and see if there are any fitness videos or dvds you can try at home. Firm, Fitprime, Kickbutt, most yoga anfd pilates tapes do not require equipment, which is great when on a budget crunch.
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Walking in place?? I could definately try that (although not sure how it will work... I'm not too coordinated *lol* )
total advocate of Krista's site - there's a "fun with household objects" section somewhere!
