Good morning everyone! I love this quote by Jerry Rice. My morning workout session was Back & Biceps. Pullups were on that list. I'm not going to lie, I struggle with pullups. Here's a little fact for you all, even Arnold Schwarzenegger struggled with pullups. I struggle with them, but I force myself to do them and I give everything I've got when I do them. There may be something you guys struggle with also, but keep at it. Today you may struggle with it, but one day you won't! Keep up the hard work everyone, I promise it will pay off! Have a great day! :)

-Mike

5 Post-Run Yoga Exercises

 

Running can be an intense sport that involves gravity and the laws of physics.  Runners experience ground reaction forces, which is the force exerted by the ground as the body places contact.  The applied force to each step will receive a reaction force that passes up through the foot to each lower extremity joint, and without proper care, runners can experience skeletal or muscular pain or injury.

Incorporating yoga poses post-run is a great way to maintain flexibility and recirculate lactate build up.  Most yoga poses are not isolated stretches, therefore the body's connective tissue and what is known as fascial lines are opened in various poses.  There are various fascial lines in the body, which connect foot to head and the right and left sides of the body.  Yoga can improve the flexibility along these fascial lines to keep the musculature balanced and flexible.

I've been running a few times a week in addition to my weight training and I've been using these yoga poses in addition to traditional post-run flexibility exercises and I feel they're great.  Give them a try the next time you finish a run.  Hold each pose for 30-60 seconds each and complete each pose twice.

Standing Pigeon

This pose opens the hip's external rotators, which is ideal to maintain hip mobility.

How to perform:  Place the right ankle just above the left knee.  Slowly sit the hips back, just like lowering yourself into a chair.  Use a wall or tree (or in my case a goal post) to better maintain balance or place the hands on the shin.  To practice balance, reach the arms forward in front of the chest.  Switch and repeat on the opposite leg.

Standing Downward Dog

This pose opens the chest musculature while lengthening the posterior side of the lower extremities.

How to perform:  Find something stable to hold onto or on which to place your hands.  Position the feet hip distance apart and several inches in front of the hips.  Shift the pelvis back to where the chest and arms come parallel to the ground.  For a deeper calf stretch, lift the toes off the ground.

Pyramid Pose

This pose lengthens the back side of the legs from the glutes toward the calves.

How to perform:  Place the right foot about 2 to 3 feet in front of the body with the toes facing forward.  Slowly, lower the torso to the point of flexibility and rest the hands on the shin, foot or ground.  Allow the upper body to relax.  Repeat on the opposite leg.

Low Lunge

This pose lengthens the top of the quadriceps in addition to the hip flexor muscles, which is ideal as running incorporates repetitive hip-flexion movements.

How to perform:  Place the left knee on the ground (place a towel or mat underneath the knee if surface is hard) and step the right foot forward.  Hinge from the pelvis to where the torso moves slightly forward and you feel a stretch on the thigh.  Reach the arms overhead and hold.  Repeat on the opposite leg.

Warrior 1 with chest open

This pose is ideal to open the hip, oblique and chest musculature.

How to perform:  Find a wall or object on which to place your arm.  Stand with the right side of the body facing the wall or object.  Step the right leg back (foot may turn out to a 45-degree angle) and bend the elbow 90 degrees with the fingers facing upward.  Place the forearm on the wall/object and lunge into the left leg toward a 90-degree angle.  Tuck the pelvis forward and keep the left hand by your side.  The stretch should be felt from the pelvis through the abdominals and into the chest region.  Repeat on the opposite leg.

Family Fun Activity

Hi everyone! I hope you're all having a great day! You may be thinking why I have a picture of sidewalk chalk on this post? Well, just thought I would share a couple little fun things you can do with your kids while being active at the same time. My daughter loves to use her chalk and we have done this before and it's a lot of fun!

Here's what you need:
Sidewalk Chalk
A large driveway or parking lot
A smile and laughter

Here are the two games you can play:

The Obstacle Course
On the parking lot or your driveway, draw out an imaginative course with the sidewak chalk using obstacles such as jumping across a castle drawbridge, dodging an erupting volcano, following animal tracks, jumping from star to star, leaping over a swamp filled with alligators...whatever you and your kids would like to draw. Make it fun! :)

Target Practice
For this game you'll need your chalk and several bean bags or other small props (any small object that can be thrown safely and won't roll away). Draw different sized or shaped targets at various distances, and have your kids work on throwing the bean bags (or whatever object you use) into the targets. You can even assign points to all the targets for a fun way to keep score...and work on math at the same time. ;)

So if you're looking for a fun way to get outside with the family this weekend, bring some sidewalk chalk with and play these fun games. The kids will love it! I plan on playing these with my daughter this weekend. Have a great day everyone!  :) 

-Mike

#family #familyfun #mikerush

The Playground Workout

Hi everyone!  Looking for a way to squeeze in a workout and keeps the kids happy at the same time?  Well I've got the solution for you!  It's the playground workout.  I have a daughter and she loves going to the park.  When I'm there with her I'm always climbing around with her and after sitting down to take a break I figured, there's plenty of options here to get a good workout in.  So I'm going to share a few circuits with you that you can try the next time you're at the park with your kids.  There are three circuits comprised of three exercises for each circuit.  Try any one of them, or if you're really in the mood for a good workout and the kids don't want to go home yet, run through all three of them and repeat the circuits 1 or 2 more times.  Enjoy!

CIRCUIT #1

1. Rows - Grab the bar and suspend yourself underneath it. Have your feet resting on a flat surface (See picture). Using the muscles in your back, pull your chest up towards the bar you're grabbing.  Return to the starting position.  Perform 10 rows and move on to the next exercise.

 

2. Push Ups - Place your hands shoulder width apart and feet on the ground or elevated on a solid surface (See picture).  Lower your chest until it touches the surface you are pressing on, and then push up to return to the starting position. The picture shows three different levels of difficulty.  Perform 10 push ups and move on to the next exercise.

 

 3. Squat Jumps - Start by standing in front of a bench facing it.  The higher the bench, the more difficult this exercise will be.  Squat slightly and then explode upwards to jump onto the bench. Jump backwards off of the bench to return to the starting position.  Perform 10 squat jumps and move on to the next exercise.

 

CIRCUIT #2

 

1. Lunges - Start with your right foot out in front of you on the ground.  Bend your right leg until your left knee touches the ground.  Be aware to keep your right knee directly over your right foot and don't allow your knee to go in front of your toes.  Return to starting position.  Perform 10 lunges on each leg and move on to the next exercise.

2. Pull Ups - Find the monkey bars for this exercise.  Grab the bar and use the muscles in your back and arms to pull your chin up to the bar and return to the starting position.  If a full pull up is too difficult, you can make it easier by supporting your legs on a ladder or platform (See picture). Perform 10 pull ups and move on to the next exercise.

3. Dips - Find two solid bars slightly wider than shoulder width.  Grab the bars and suspend yourself using your arms.  Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body until your elbows reach about 90 degrees and return to starting position.  If a full dip is too difficult, you can place your legs on the ground (See picture).  Perform 10 dips and move on to the next exercise.

 

CIRCUIT #3

 



1. Lateral Lunges - Find a surface of an appropriate height (the higher the surface the more difficult this exercise will be).  Start by standing to the side of whatever surface you choose.  Step laterally with one foot onto the surface and pull yourself up on top of it. Return to the starting position or step down to the other side (See picture).  Perform 10 lateral lunges on each leg and move on to the next exercise.

2. Biceps Curls - Find a bar of an appropriate height.  Grab the bar with an underhand grip and use your biceps to pull your body up towards the bar (See picture).  Return to the starting position.  Perform 10 biceps curls and move on to the next exercise.

3. Russian Twists - Find a platform and sit on the edge.  Recline your trunk backwards and lift your feet up in front of you.  Hold your legs in this position as you rotate your shoulders from right to left, this is one repetition.  Perform 10 Russian twists.