Notice how Dr. Stephen maintains a great “plank” platform position – most people think a push up is an upper body exercise; it’s also a core exercise.
WORKOUT » Warm Ups »
- Ball Push Ups
- Stick Warm Up Work
- Broad Jumps – at the beach
- Bear Crawls
- Broad Jumps
- Jack Knives
- Slide Unders
- Frog Jumps
- Kettle Bell Swings
- Shoulder Press progression
- Situps with Abmat
- Box Jumps
- Alternating Lunges
- Box Jumps with Step Down
- Box Steps
- Deadlift with PVC
- Jump Rope: The Magnificent
- Lunges
- One Arm Overhead Squat with Dumbbell
- One Arm Squat with Dumbbell
- One Arm Squat with Medball
- Lunges with Dumbbells
- Modified Ring Pushup
- Mountain Climbers
- Modified Pushup
- Jumping Lunges
- Jump Squat
- Jumping Dips
- Floor Wipers
- Hollow Rocks
- Wall Ball
- Push Up
- Situps
- Squat to Box
- High Knees
- Low Lateral Sliders
- Inch Worms
- Good Mornings
- Turkish Get-Up
Stick Warm Up Work
This warm up work, which can also be done with PVC pipe, is SOOOOOOO overlooked – it’s essential for keeping the shoulders from getting injured AND it can be a stand-alone shoulder injury rehab exercise that works miracles.
Do these faithfully before every workout and you will be rewarded with increased shoulder flexibility in addition to decreased injury.
Broad Jumps – at the beach
The first few, you’re thinking ‘Okay, I can do this’. After 25, they’ll have your attention
Bear Crawls
- Put your hands and feet on the ground, with your knees raised
- Start crawling forward on your hands and feet, moving your right leg with your left arm, and your left leg with your right arm
- Keep your hips as low as possible
- Crawl for a set distance, then rest
- Repeat
- Can be alternated with any other exercise for a complete full-body workout
Broad Jumps
- Start with your legs shoulder width apart
- Bend at the knees and swing your arms back
- Jump forward & swing your arms forward, landing gently with your knees still bent with your weight in your heels
- Return to standing position
Jack Knives
I know, Dr. Stephen makes everything look easy, but this variation of the “Crunch” is a core builder. Alternate with sets of push ups, squats and pull ups for a total body workout (sets of ten each for 4-5 rounds, no stopping).
- Lay flat (or balance on a box for a challenge)
- Tuck your knees and chest upwards to meet
- Return to the flat position.
- Repeat
Slide Unders
To turn this into a more demanding exercise, this can be done holding a weighted object – dumbbell, kettle bell, weight plate, or … your baby (start teaching it the importance of working out).
Alright, no comments about my bird legs. – Dr. Paul
- Tie up a rope or string at hip level, or slightly lower for a challenge.
- Start standing parallel to the rope.
- Bend at the waist and sweep your foot forward
- Move under the rope while keeping your chest as proud as possible
- Stand up to full extension on the other side
- Repeat
- Also, lower the rope, and then step OVER the rope each time
Frog Jumps
Leap into great agility and fitness with this fantastic full-body single exercise – it’s harder than it looks (have we said that before?). Notice that Dr. Stephen is doing this with a weighted vest.
- Drop down into the bottom of your squat
- Jump forward without coming fully out of your squat, like a frog
- Repeat
- Optional: wear a weighted vest or hold a 5, 10 or 15 lb slam ball or wall ball
Kettle Bell Swings
This is a super simple but great movement to do on a regular basis – like Overhead Squats, Kettlebell Swings help “undo” the bad effects of all the sitting we do (like me creating this post – dang!)
- Notice in the video how Dr. Stephen is using the hip thrust motion to “swing” the kettle bell – although the arms are active and involved, it’s not their motion that brings the weight to vertical; the arms simply continue the momentum of the motion of what the hips generate.
- That (above) being said, use your arm strength to maintain a controlled stop at the top.
- One thing to be careful of: Don’t hyper-extend your lower back at the top – engage your core (your abs and upper torso) to stop the motion of your pelvis at vertical – meaning DON’T arch your back.
Shoulder Press progression
A simple, yet solid full range-of-motion exercise for the shoulder in particular but that also engages the entire upper body (if done standing – don’t do sitting). Should be in your regular weekly or biweekly rotation.
As Dr. Paul demonstrates, this exercise is scaleble – can be done with an empty PVC pipe to barbell with weight, whatever is right for you!
- Hold a barbell, PVC pipe, or digging bar at the level of your collar bones with your hands just outside your shoulders
- Bring upper body backwards as you push bar up and overhead (do not push bar away from body, move body backward to allow bar to go vertical)
- Completely lock out arms at top
- Release down to original starting position
- Repeat
- As you move up in using heavier weight, a slight “dip drive” – bending your knees to initiate the movement is okay.
If you add a squat after each shoulder press, it’s called a Thruster. Here Dr. Stephen demonstrates full body, full range with strength.
