Pushup Super Sets for the Holidays, Part 3

The last part of our Super Set series features the Wide Grip pushup. Remember to breathe and maintain your form. With the New Year starting in just a few days, take some time to make yourself feel great and get a jumpstart on a healthy lifestyle for 2014.

Perfect Pushup: Wide Grip Super Set Slow

Set-Up:

• Make sure head is in alignment with shoulders
• Keep back straight
• Pull abdominals in
• Hands are outside the shoulders

Exercises:

• 3 wide grip pushups, 5 seconds down and 5 seconds up
• 3 wide grip pushups, going halfway down and back all the way up
• 3 wide grip pushups, going all the way down and halfway back up

For a demo on the above exercises and information on proper form, click here.

Pushup Super Sets for the Holidays, Part 2

Since you've conquered the regular grip super set, let’s make things a little trickier with the close grip set. As always, be mindful of your form and take it slow. Show those holiday treats who's boss!

Perfect Pushup: Close Grip Super Set Slow

Set-Up:

• Make sure head is in alignment with shoulders
• Keep back straight
• Pull abdominals in
• Hands are in line with shoulders
• Send elbows straight back while rotating, keeping them close to your sides

Exercises:

• 3 close grip pushups, 5 seconds down and 5 seconds up
• 3 close grip pushups, going halfway down and back all the way up
• 3 close grip pushups, going all the way down and halfway back up

For a demo on the above exercises and information on proper form, click here.

Pushup Super Sets for the Holidays, Part 1

It’s hard to stay on track with your health and fitness during the holiday season. You’re faced with countless parties with sugary cocktails and food that’s not exactly good for you. One tip our founder Alden Mills suggests is that for every cocktail or sweet snack you consume, perform 10 pullups or 10 pushups. It’s his secret to enjoying the holidays, and we hope it works for you.

It’s also important to keep up a fitness routine throughout this busy season. This week, we’re outlining our Pushup Super Sets to work your arms, chest and core. We’ve provided links to the videos for each Super Set below. Happy Holidays from the Perfect Fitness team!

Perfect Pushup: Regular Position Super Set Slow

Set-Up:

• Make sure head is in alignment with shoulders
• Keep back straight
• Pull abdominals in
• Hands below your shoulders

Exercises:

• 3 pushups, 5 seconds down and 5 seconds up
• 3 pushups, going halfway down and back all the way up
• 3 pushups, going all the way down and halfway back up

For a demo on the above exercises and information on proper form, click here.

Make Time for Your Workouts

A few weeks ago we asked our fans the ultimate exercise question: with busy schedules and hectic days, how do you make time for your workouts? We were inspired by the amount of thought and detail that went into the answers we received. With the holiday season in full swing, we know it can be hard to squeeze in a fitness routine, so we’re sharing some of our favorite fan tips below in hopes that they will inspire you to make time for yourself. Want to share your suggestions for making your workout work for you? Sound off in the comments!

Bruce:

I'm a personal trainer and Spinning Instructor at the local YMCA.  I also work full time at the City of Tampa.  Time management is very critical for me since I also have a family that I want to spend time with.  Perfect Fitness allows me to achieve my own fitness goals and stay in shape, which inspires my clients.  I am also a big advocate of body weight exercises.  I feel you can achieve your goals with the use of your own body weight and I give my clients that option when I am training with them.

Matti:

Pushups are a huge part of my routine: 2 sets to failure with 3 minute rest, 2 sets of bodyweight squats to near failure, 90 second rest between, then 2 sets of ab roller (yes, the Ab-Carver) upwards of 75-100 very controlled straight roll outs with 90 seconds in between. A HALF HOUR OF TRAINING! That is how I get it when short on time.

Ace:

I use a schedule to list all the things I need to accomplish, and make sure I have done enough to feel like I can take a break and get pumped. Life is too busy not to schedule it in regularly. Before listing everything I needed to do (including working out) I could never find time.

Kevin:

I sometimes work out after a twelve hour work shift and then in the mornings or afternoons on my days off. I often workout one day and rest the next day. At times, I will work out for at least three days straight and then rest the following day. My workouts consist of full body, cardio, weight-lifting, stretching, and meditation, which I do at the gym or at home. I usually mix my workouts, ranging from a workout concentrating on just upper body, abs, lower body, strength training, and cardio. I often spend times doing quick workouts using the Perfect Pushup, Ab-Carver, and the Perfect Sit-up. The Ab-Carver not only develops strong arms, abs, and back, but adds cardio to the exercise. Eating clean and getting the right amount of protein in your body assist a great deal in body development and your workouts. I take pre and post workout supplements that give me noticeable achievement in my routine.

Nathan:

I am fortunate enough to work at a University that offers a great recreation center. I have partnered up with one of my co-workers from another department, and we work out at lunch every day. Whether it is hitting the weights, yoga, rock climbing, or swimming, we find it helps us to get through our afternoon with increased vigor and stamina. I also ride my road bike to and from work every day, even on those 20 degree mornings. In the evenings, I go to martial arts twice a week. This has allowed me to drop 40 lbs since 2007 and put back on 20 lbs of muscle. I am in better shape now at 37 than I was at 27. I was even able to succesfully complete the Colorado Tough Mudder this last year.

Snow Skiing Circuit

The following dry land training workout will train the muscles involved in the most common movements in skiing:

• Isometric Narrow Squatting – keeping knees close together (quads, glutes)
• Twisting – trunk rotation with leg balance and control (obliques, quads, hips)
• Skating – core stability and upper body power (triceps, shoulders, core)

This circuit calls for very short rest periods between moves to keep your heart rate in an aerobic state for the entire workout.  Perform each exercise as recommended in the progression below.  After you have completed one set of each exercise, take a 1-minute rest.  Repeat the circuit three times.

Equipment needed: 

• Perfect Pushup
• Perfect Pullup
• Perfect Ab-Carver
• Stopwatch

*Optional: Perfect Ab-Straps

Move 1:  Superset squat-hold (“Feel the Burn!”)
How: Bring the Perfect Pullup bar to down position, feet hip-distance apart.  Holding the bar for assistance, slowly lower hips into a squat until thighs are parallel with the ground.  Hold, then return to the starting position.  The “down” motion should take 4 sec., the “hold” another 4 sec., and the “up” motion is 2 sec.  Each rep will be a total of 10 seconds.
Muscles targeted: quads, hamstrings
Reps: 6 reps at 10 sec. each (1 min total)

Move 2: Mogul squats
How: With feet and Pullup Bar in the same position as the squat hold, pivot on balls of feet to the left  until they form a 45° angle to the bar, then set feet on ground. Perform a squat from this position.  Explode out of the squat quickly, (almost like a hop) while maintaining ground contact with the balls of your feet.  As your weight comes up pivot on balls of feet so that feet are now angled to the bar 45° to the right.   Perform a squat from this new position. Repeat, alternating sides, creating a continuous movement
Muscles targeted: quads, glutes, obliques
Reps: Alternate sides for 1 min

Move 3: Knee ups + oblique twist
How: Using the Perfect Ab Straps, or hanging from a pullup bar, position knees and feet together.  Draw knees up slowly toward chest while rotating hips toward center of doorway.  Squeeze abs at the top of the move.   Repeat movement and rotate hips to other side.
Muscles targeted: core, forearms* (grip strength)
Reps: 5-7 per side
* If hanging from pullup bar

Move 4:  “Skating” pushup
How: Using the Perfect Pushup, start in a regular position and lower chest toward floor.  During the “up” move, perform a leg lift/hip extension by raising one leg up and out the side at a 45° angle.  Keep your hips level, facing the ground during the leg lift.  Return foot to ground then perform another pushup, lifting the other leg.
Muscles targeted: chest, shoulders, core, glutes, hip abductors, hamstrings
Reps: 4 per leg
Modification: To make this move easier, use knee pushups or perform the pushups against a wall in a standing position

Move 5: Carve your abs
How: Slowly roll the Ab-Carver away from you and keep your eyes focused 1 foot in front of the Ab-Carver. As you extend your upper body, keep your core tight by pulling your navel towards your spine. Return to start position, using your arms and abdominals to pull you back.
Muscles Targeted: core, arms
Reps: 8-12