I am sure most of you have heard of the at home workout system, P90X. Now, I would agree that 99% of the programs/products sold on TV are complete junk. However, P90X seems to be one of the very few that produce true results. I have had several friends and clients transform their bodies greatly with the program. I have had several people ask me what I think about the program. Well, you know what I told them? I really don't know. I have always stuck to the philosophy that I will never have a client of mine do something unless I have tried it myself first. How could I recommend a program, if I have not done it myself?
A quick story. I had a client last summer who came to me for weight loss. We worked all summer long and saw minimal results. I consulted with some other professional in the field and they recommended giving him a colon cleanse. Well, I have never done a colon cleanse. So yes, you guessed it, I did the colon cleanse first. The cleanse consisted of only drinking cranberry juice for five days! Yeah, that's it! So as my girlfriend was shoving delicious food in my face, for five days I survived off cranberry juice. Well, I got a few things out of it. First, I will NEVER drink cranberry juice again. Second, I lose 18lbs! Finally, I felt re-energized and had an understanding of what it did to the body. So, I went ahead and had my client give it a try. He finished the 5 day regiment having dropped 20lbs and feeling great.
The whole point to that story? I will never recommend or prescribe something that I haven't done myself. So, as a birthday present my girlfriend got me the P90X package. I will be starting it on Monday, May 23rd. I will be keeping track of EVERYTHING! So, look forward to updates, before and after pictures, and much more!
Best,
Doug Spurling
Spurling Strength & Speed
dspurling@une.edu
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Art of the squat..Part 3
Tonight I want to talk about single leg movements. Now I know, single leg movements are not technically squats, but I like to group them together sometimes because you can do these in place of squatting and get the same, if not better results.
Like I mentioned before, not everyone is suited to squat, whether that be traditional, front, or whatever, some bodies just should not be squatting. The good things about single leg movements is that they put less stress on the whole body, the surrounding joint, and don't require a lot of weight to see results.
Some of the single leg movements I love and use often include:
Bulgarian split squat (rear foot elevated lunge)
Reverse Lunge
Lateral Lunge
Single Leg Deadlift
Single leg hamstring tuck
The Bulgarian split squat is my favorite. It allows you to isolate one foot at a time. It requires a lot of core strength and balance. It works your entire lower extremity while improving flexibility in your hip flexors.
The reverse lunge is similar, but doesn't require as much balance as both feet are plated on the ground.
The lateral lunge focuses more on the glutes, and can be a bit more awkward for someone who has not done them before. You have to think of sitting back on your but, not going to the side.
Single leg deadlift is another great exercise focusing a lot on the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back).
Finally, the single leg hamstring ball tuck. I am sure you all know the traditional hamstring ball tuck where your laying down on your back, lifting your hips up, and bringing the ball into your butt. This is the same thing, just know you elevate one foot, so you isolate one leg at a time. Again, similar to all single leg activities, this requires a lot more balance and core strength.
Unfortunately, not a lot of people do the single leg hamstring ball tuck so I don't have any pictures of it. I am however beginning the process of taking pictures of each and every exercise I can think of, so I am not forced to use cheesy, no shirted, google images.
I challenge you to give these single leg movements a try. They are a lot more challenging then they look. You have to remember your goals, and how your body works and reacts to certain exercises. There are some people who can squat great, and see great results from it, others not so much. You also have to look at program goals. If your goal is to develop power for a sport. You may see benefit from doing a single leg movement for some functionality and strength, but your not going to develop power.
If you have any questions on program design, and what exercises are appropriate for your goals feel free to shoot me an e-mail. Also, I am always looking for feedback on my blog, and any advice or criticism you may have, so please let me know.
Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.
Best,
Doug Spurling, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Spurling Strength & Speed
dspurling@une.edu
Like I mentioned before, not everyone is suited to squat, whether that be traditional, front, or whatever, some bodies just should not be squatting. The good things about single leg movements is that they put less stress on the whole body, the surrounding joint, and don't require a lot of weight to see results.
Some of the single leg movements I love and use often include:
Bulgarian split squat (rear foot elevated lunge)
Reverse Lunge
Lateral Lunge
Single Leg Deadlift
Single leg hamstring tuck
The Bulgarian split squat is my favorite. It allows you to isolate one foot at a time. It requires a lot of core strength and balance. It works your entire lower extremity while improving flexibility in your hip flexors.
The reverse lunge is similar, but doesn't require as much balance as both feet are plated on the ground.
The lateral lunge focuses more on the glutes, and can be a bit more awkward for someone who has not done them before. You have to think of sitting back on your but, not going to the side.
Single leg deadlift is another great exercise focusing a lot on the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back).
Finally, the single leg hamstring ball tuck. I am sure you all know the traditional hamstring ball tuck where your laying down on your back, lifting your hips up, and bringing the ball into your butt. This is the same thing, just know you elevate one foot, so you isolate one leg at a time. Again, similar to all single leg activities, this requires a lot more balance and core strength.
Unfortunately, not a lot of people do the single leg hamstring ball tuck so I don't have any pictures of it. I am however beginning the process of taking pictures of each and every exercise I can think of, so I am not forced to use cheesy, no shirted, google images.
I challenge you to give these single leg movements a try. They are a lot more challenging then they look. You have to remember your goals, and how your body works and reacts to certain exercises. There are some people who can squat great, and see great results from it, others not so much. You also have to look at program goals. If your goal is to develop power for a sport. You may see benefit from doing a single leg movement for some functionality and strength, but your not going to develop power.
If you have any questions on program design, and what exercises are appropriate for your goals feel free to shoot me an e-mail. Also, I am always looking for feedback on my blog, and any advice or criticism you may have, so please let me know.
Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.
Best,
Doug Spurling, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Spurling Strength & Speed
dspurling@une.edu
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