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EOTW - 1 Leg Romanian Deadlifts

27/9/2018

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Romanian Deadlifts are a staple in many workouts and with good reason - can be done with a decent amount of weight and they work so many muscles!

Whether the emphasis is on losing body fat, building muscle, wanting a better butt or an accessory lift to help with the deadlift, there are many reasons to use this exercise.

However, in some situations the weight you can use can be a limiting factor - peak time and the weights you want are all in use or the gym you're in doesn't have heavy enough weights. It could even be that you found you're compensating more on one side as it is stronger. Maybe you just want to switch things up and challenge yourself with something different

In any cases like that, trying the 1 leg Romanian Deadlift is a great way to challenge yourself.

For a start, it is common to feel off-balance and wobbly.

Some of this is to do with the ankle and calf muscles having to work in some new ways to help keep you stable. Then it is just a skill to learn the movement pattern.

Once you can master the bodyweight version, it's easy to add weight to this exercise.

Key Points

  • Stand tall with feet hip to shoulder width apart. Brace abdominals tightly throughout exercise.
  • Put a small bend in knees and maintain this during exercise.
  • Begin movement by simultaneously lifting one left behind whilst pushing hips back and bending at waist. Maintain balance on front leg.
  • Raising leg and torso should remain roughly in line with each other whilst bending at waist.
  • Continue lowering and pushing hips back until you cannot maintain a straight back or hamstrings will not allow you to lower any further.
  • To return, squeeze glutes and hamstrings whilst pushing foot into floor to stand up tall again and return to start position.
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EOTW - Valslide Eccentric Leg Curls

20/9/2018

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The Valslide is a versatile piece of kit which I have been using with clients for several years.

It can be used for upper body exercises, some killer core exercises and a number of great leg exercises which are hard to duplicate with other types of equipment (unless you want to shell out for a decent slideboard)

The other advantage is with the aid of some covers, the Valslide can be used on a variety of surfaces - providing they are not abrasive.

In this particular exercise, I'm demonstrating an Eccentric only leg curl.

Eccentric refers to the lowering part of an exercise i.e if you were doing a bicep curl and you're lowering the weight down to the start position, that would be the eccentric portion.

I really like this exercise as it is a very safe, effective way to target the hamstring muscle (the muscles on the back of your upper legs).

With it being eccentric only, there is a lot less chance of straining a hamstring muscles compared to if you had to reverse the motion.

Whilst it does look pretty simple, it can take time to build up to the full straight leg version.

Start with the feet going halfway out before lowering the hips to the floor and from there, gradually progress the feet out further and further.

Key Points

  • Lay on back with knees bent and feet on Valslides. Heels should be about halfway on them. Feet hip width apart with toes facing away.
  • Brace abdominal muscles and keep braced throughout exercise.
  • Squeeze glutes and lift hips up off floor. Continue raising until there is a straight line from knees - hips - shoulders.
  • Avoid over-arching lower back during exercise
  • With control, slide the valslide away from the body whilst extending legs
  • Once extended as far as possible, rest hips on floor, pull the valslides back to the start position and repeat
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EOTW - Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat / Goblet Squat Compound Set

13/9/2018

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This is one of my favourite compound sets for the legs, especially targeting the thigh and glute muscles.

This will not only get a serious burn going in your legs, it will ramp your heart rate up.

I like to do the following:

a) Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats - 10 reps each side
b) Goblet Squat - 10 reps
 
You're not limited to that too, for example you could do 6 - 8 rep sets or go as high as 12 - 15 reps.

The other good thing is that you only need 1 pair of dumbbells - Select what you can handle for the 10 reps on split squats and then put one weight on the floor and complete the goblet squats with the other weight.

Key Points

RFESS
  • Stand tall with abdominals braced and either use bodyweight or hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms by side. Place back foot on a bench or raised surface.
  • Foot can either be on toes or placed flat on edge of bench.
  • Keep abdominals braced tightly and torso in an upright or slightly forward flexed position. This is the start position.
  • Bend the front knee whilst lowering hips down towards the floor. Continue lowering until front knee is approximately 90 degrees. Do not let back knee touch the floor.
  • Press front foot into floor and squeeze glutes to raise hips straight up to return to start position.
  • Repeat all reps on one leg before repeating on opposite side.

Goblet Squat

  • Stand tall with abdominals braced and feet shoulder width apart.
  • Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell tightly against middle of chest with shoulders pulled back and down.
  • Take a deep breath in and being by moving hips backwards and down as knees bend slightly.
  • As hips push back, ensure upper body, back, shoulders and chest remain straight and as upright as possible.
  • Keep weight evenly on feet, do not let heels come up off floor
  • Continue pushing hips back and down until a straight back can no longer be maintained. Ideally elbows should touch knees.
  • Reverse movement by breathing out, pushing through heels and squeezing glute muscles to stand up tall into the start position.
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EOTW - Elevator Squats

6/9/2018

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These seem simple yet are more brutal than you think for as each rep is extended out by the constant up and down motion (hence elevator)

It's best to test these out with bodyweight only and then build up using some light weights - I usually do goblet squats with my clients.

There is also a temptation to perform these at ludicrous speed (Light Speed > Ridiculous Speed > Ludicrous Speed) which would remove a lot of the benefits of the extended reps.

So slow it down and perform at normal speeds.

You will just have to suck up the ...slight... burning feel in your quads.

Key Points

  • Stand tall with abdominals braced and feet shoulder width apart.
  • Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell tightly against middle of chest with shoulders pulled back and down.
  • Take a deep breath in and being by moving hips backwards and down as knees bend slightly.
  • As hips push back, ensure upper body, back, shoulders and chest remain straight and as upright as possible.
  • Keep weight evenly on feet, do not let heels come up off floor
  • Continue pushing hips back and down until a straight back can no longer be maintained. Ideally elbows should touch knees.
  • Reverse movement by pushing through heels and squeezing glute muscles to approximately halfway up.
  • Then lower all the way to the previous bottom position.
  • Then reverse movement again and raise up to about 3/4 of the way.
  • Then lower all the way to the previous bottom position.
  • Then reverse movement again. This time standing all the way up tall.
  • This is 1 repetition.
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    This is my, mostly, Personal Trainer musings and information which I hope you'll find helpful!

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