A lot of you maybe at home right now looking around the internet for the next cool, funky, flashy, insane 1000 calorie-burning punishment session? Its great that you want to work hard and I would say those type of workouts used sporadically over the lockdown period would be a good idea for some of you... others, maybe not.
There is another way to get long lasting training results with half the pain and suffering.
What i'm going to share with today are 6 of my favourite daily exercises/practises that can you can do at-home to improve your overall relative strength, balance, mobility and control. The 'Daily 6' below can be practised "everyday by anyone" and I will explain how you can progress them effectively week by week.
1. Side planks
The side plank is a massively under-rated core stability exercise that works the obliques, shoulders and deep muscles of the lower back. There are a ton of side plank progressions but start with the basic elbow technique (above). Start with a minimum 30s/side, adding 5-10s each week. Work your way up to 90s each side with complete control before looking for a progression/advanced variation.
2. Lizard crawls
When crawls are included into bootcamps, you get to see all sorts of shapes and variations! A true lizard crawl will simultaneously train the whole body in a slow, deliberate pattern. each repetition needs control, co-ordination, balance and strength to look perfect. Start with the correct ability level you can perform with perfect technique. When you hit 60s work with complete control on each rep, then add difficulty and advance the technique/level. This is a fun drill to practise with your kids... and be warned! They may just be better than you from Day 1 :)
3. Handstand against wall
Gymnastic movements have resurfaced recently in the fitness industry (and so they should). They have become popular again amongst trainers, coaches and clients as a way to get the amazing strength benefits that these 'somewhat simple' exercises can produce. The simplest one of all would be the handstand against the wall which is a fantastic upper body strengthening exercise that requires those trainees who are not used to being inverted to be brave! For those who are struggling to get over the feeling of inversion, try the drill below to build up shoulder stability and more importantly the feeling of being inverted. Aim for 30,45 then 60 second hold before considering any progressions.
It helps to have a watchful coach when doing any inversion :)
Try out these 3 drills over the weekend and see how you go. There is no need to over-do them (1 or 2 high quality sets is fine), warm up properly and use them at the start or end of your training sessions. Personally,I like to practise them after a stretching or Yoga session (every other day) as I feel I get the best benefits like that - you may respond differently.
Be sure to read Part 2 on Monday where I will share 3 more of the at-home drills you can practise every day for best results.
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