Zoe Fitness | Personal Coach

So what do we do in the gym, as a mere mortal?

I put together a progression, that is safe and effective.

And should be done by almost everyone.

 

Plank Progression

Plank on hands

Plank on Forearms

Do not progress until stable 2-3 x 60 seconds

Up and Down between Forearm and Hand Plank, as well as adding a push up

Plank on fingertips, as well as adding this into the above progression. It’s imperative to do this slowly to not damage fingers and tendons.

Progress to Plank with feet on unstable surface

Plank with 1 Leg Hip Extension, both sides

Plank on Ball

Side Plank

Side Plank to Regular Plank to Other Side Plank

Plank with Upper Body Rotation, rotation with arm coming under body.

Mountain Climbs

Down Dog: Yoga Pose

Progress into walking into and out of down dog:  Down Dog into Plank and back

Standing on 1 leg Progress up to 2 minutes, both legs

Progress to wobble board

Step Ups:  Unilateral (one side and then the other)

Both Legs Weighted.  Do one leg and then the other.

An important progression to engage core is one weight, do both sides of step up.  Switch weight to other hand, and step up one leg and then the other.

Progress this:  12 inch/18 inch/24 inch…

Box Jumps same progression of size.  Timing is everything on Box Jumps.  Do not do these if you have a hard ride schedule within 24 hours.

Lateral Box Jumps 12” box

From side of box, jump to the center of the box, and then, over

Slowly progress to jumping over box, as this is dangerous

Shoulder Cable or Band Pull Down:  All Angles

Eventually to horizontal done lying on bench

Work all aspects of shoulder

Bridge Exercises

Bridge Progress up to 3 sets of 10, I like to do a couple of sets of 20, control these, and sometimes do them 1 vertebrae at a time to really slow them down and engage the muscles.

1 Legged Bridge, both sides, hips level and trunk and spine strong

Feet on physioball:  Reverse Plank, bend knees bringing ball in towards torso (hamstring curl)

Progress hamstring curl with physioball to 1 legged.

Sit on physioball, lift feet and Balance

Slowly, ever so slowly progress to kneeling, this takes a long time, unless you’re very balanced.  Don’t rush it, you don’t want to lose your teeth.

A good progression is adding light weight upper body exercises, or  a broom stick being held like handlebars.

Wrist Extension with 3 to 5 pounds

Wrist supination and pronation

Finger Extension

Finger Abduction

Reverse Crunches:  1 set of 10

Progress to about 20 degrees of rotation; make sure you pause in the center for a reverse crunch before going to the opposite side! This will prevent spinal compression in rotation as well as clipping a disc that may be bulging, that you may not know about.  Better safe than sorry.

Squat like a baby.  Start this with feet wide and toes pointed slightly out 10 to 15 degrees.  Once you can do 3 x 10 weighted, with dumbbells feel free to add a little power jump at the top of the squat.  Remember that squatting is actually about hip extension, so squeeze those buttocks underneath you at the top so your spine is in alignment.

I do not feel compressing the spine in a weighted squat, or lunge, even with a Smith machine is a safe exercise.  We have learned that it’s not safe to compress the vertebrae.  It’s old Skool.  And for mere mortals is just plain dangerous.