The Amazing Stickie and Cossack Lunge

The Amazing Stickie has amazing hips and legs, natch.  Today she is working on them by doing Cossack lunge.  She begins standing up straight with her hands clasped in front of her chest.  She takes a giant step out to one side, externally rotating both legs and bending the knee toward which she is stepping.  (Most people should probably not go past the point where the thigh on the stepping leg is parallel to the floor, at first.) The foot on the the non-bent leg should be pointing up toward the ceiling (i.e., heel on the floor, toes up!).

 

If you have knee problems, this exercise is one to approach with caution.  Don’t do it if it hurts.

Stickie does twenty or thirty for a set. 

The Amazing Stickie and Alternating Crossbody Front Raise

Stickie loves exercise variations.  Today she is trying Alternating Crossbody Front Raise.  She begins standing up tall holding some relatively light dumbbells.  She lifts one of the dumbbells toward her opposite shoulder by bending her elbow.  She lowers it back to start and then repeats on the other side.

A set of ten is good.

The Amazing Stickie and Dumbbell Pullover with Bridge

The Amazing Stickie loves a challenge, so today she is doing dumbbell pullover with bridge.  She begins in bridge position with dumbbells in her hands on the floor over her head.  From there, she will lift the dumbbells until they are directly over her shoulders.  Then she will lower them close to but not touching the floor.  She will not let the dumbbells touch the floor until the end of the set.

A set of ten should do it.

The Amazing Stickie and Side-Lying Hip Abduction

Today the Amazing Stickie is working on her amazing hips by doing side lying hip abduction.  She begins in what looks like a fairly relaxed position, lying on her side on a bench, propped up on one elbow.  Her bottom leg is bent a little and her top leg is long.  She moves her top leg a little behind her, so that when she raises and lowers it, she can lower it past the level of the bench.

Sets of ten are good.

The Amazing Stickie and Chest Supported Row

Today the Amazing Stickie is working with her incline bench in a different way doing chest supported rows.  She sits with the front of her upper body leaning on the inclined portion of the bench (n.b., this does not mean that she does not keep her abdominals active) holding dumbbells in her hands.  Then she rows the dumbbells as she would do if she were standing.

Sets of ten to twenty are good, depending on the weight.

The Amazing Stickie and Lateral Lunge to Curtsy

The Amazing Stickie knows that compound exercises compound the benefits to her body.  So today she is doing lateral lunge to curtsy.

 

She begins standing up straight.  She can hold a dumbbell or put her hands on her hips.  From there, she lunges to the left, her left leg bending and her right leg straight.  Then she pushes off with her left leg and crosses it behind her right leg, both knees bending into a curtsy position.  She returns to start and goes the other way.

A set of ten to twenty is good. 

The Amazing Stickie and Glute Push-Through with Activation

The Amazing Stickie knows that an exercise doesn’t have to involve tons of movement to be effective.  Today she is doing glute push-through with activation, which is a fairly subtle motion.

She stands with her feet about hip-distance apart and then extends one leg behind her with the ball of the foot on the floor, keeping her knee straight and her hips even.  Then she contracts her glutes to shift her hips forward without changing the position of her feet.  After a set of ten, she switches feet and does it again.

The Amazing Stickie and Bear Hold Plank Drag Through

Today the Amazing Stickie is working all kinds of things at once by doing Bear Hold Plank Drag Through.  She begins in a quadruped position with a dumbbell near her right hand.  To begin, she lifts her knees just off the ground and keeps them there throughout the exercise.  Then she reaches her left hand under her torso to grab the dumbbell and drag it over to her left side.  She repeats the exercise, dragging the weight with her right hand.

When learning this exercise, it is all right to put the knees down to rest as often as needed.

 

A set of ten is good.

The Amazing Stickie and Bulgarian Split Squat

Today the Amazing Stickie is doing Bulgarian split squats.  She begins standing up straight with one foot resting on a bench behind her.  She holds some dumbbells, but it is all right to learn this exercise with body weight and then add weights later.  Keeping her torso upright, she bends both knees until the back knee comes close to the ground and the front leg forms a right angle.  (It might take more than one try to figure out how far away from the bench to stand.  This is normal and part of learning.)

 

When she has done five or ten reps on one leg, she switches to the other side.

The Amazing Stickie and Couch Stretch With Activation

Today the Amazing Stickie is working on her amazing booty by doing couch stretch with activation.

 

She begins in front of a couch (thus the name) or bench or sturdy chair.  One foot rests on the seat with the knee (on a cushion!  No need for extra ouchiness!) on the ground.  The other leg is in a lunge position and her body is upright.  (If this stretch is too intense, choose something else!)

Once she is in position, Stickie squeezes the glute of the back leg and then releases it.  After a minute or so of this, she switches her legs and does the other side. 

The Amazing Stickie and Step Up Reverse Lunge

The Amazing Stickie loves an amazing challenge.  When she gets bored with her usual step ups, she amps things up by doing step up reverse lunges.

 

She begins with her right foot on a step or box or bench sturdy enough to support her.  She steps up on to the box lifting her left leg so that her knee is raised like she is marching.  She steps back to the floor with her left leg and then moves her right leg behind her, bending both knees in a reverse lunge.  Then she stands back up and repeats the exercise beginning with her left foot on the box.

A set of thirty is good. 

The Amazing Stickie and Plank to Pike

The Amazing Stickie loves exercises that help her prepare for other exercises!  Plank to pike was an exercise she used when she was building up to do renegade rows, but it is also a great exercise all on its own.

She begins in plank position, a lovely straight line from her heels to the back of her head, her hands directly below her shoulders.  Then she lifts her behind up in the air until her body is the shape of an inverted V.  From there, she returns to start.

 

Ten reps make a good set.

The Amazing Stickie and Tick Tock

Today the Amazing Stickie is working on balance by doing tick tock.  She knows that this particular exercise is also a great way to warm up her body before she gets into heavier work.  She begins standing up tall.  Then she leans to one side, lifting the opposite leg up.  From there, she rocks back the other way, lifting the other leg as she transfers her weight to the first leg.  Essentially, she goes back and forth like a pendulum, which is where the name of the exercise comes from.

 

For variety, sometimes she stays on one side for a while, holding her leg up or pulsing it up and down.

 

Thirty or so is a good number to do. 

The Amazing Stickie and Quadruped Lateral Raise

Today the Amazing Stickie is working on multiple things at once, as she often does.  She’s challenging her core strength by working in quadruped position while also working her arms in the quadruped lateral raise.

She begins on her hands and knees, ensuring that her knees are directly under her hips and her hands, holding light weights, are directly under her shoulders.  She raises one arm directly out to the side until it is parallel to the ground and then lowers it back to starting position.  Then she repeats on the other side.  (For less of a challenge, do all the reps on one side first and then switch.)

 

A set of ten is usually sufficient.

The Amazing Stickie and Push Pull

Today the Amazing Stickie is doing Push Pull for her abdominals and upper body.  She begins in a V sit position.  She bends one knee toward her chest and pushes the opposite arm toward her toes while pulling the other arm back.  Her torso twists toward the bending leg.

Then she reverses it and pushes and pulls the other way.

 

A set of ten is good.

The Amazing Stickie and Reverse Burpees

Variation, the Amazing Stickie knows, is good for the soul.  She is doing Reverse Burpees today to experience this.

She begins lying on her back on the floor with her arms over her head.  From there, she rocks herself forward to a squatting position and then jumps up in the air.  She reverses the process, going  back through the squat to lying down.

 

Ten is a great number of reps.

The Amazing Stickie and Hip Rotations

The Amazing Stickie knows how important it is to have good hip function.  She does hip rotations to help ensure that her hips keep working well.

To begin, she sits on the floor with her knees bent and her feet flat on the floor.  She puts her hands behind her and leans back slightly.  Then she tilts both knees to one side before returning to the start position.  She can alternate sides or do a set on one side and then the other.

The Amazing Stickie and Side Banana

The Amazing Stickie is working her abdominals today with Side Banana (which also reminds her to eat her fruits and vegetables).

She begins lying on her side.  From there, she lifts her head and her legs up toward the ceiling.  Then she lowers them back down.  A set of ten on one side and then the other is good.

The Amazing Stickie and Captain's Chair

Today the Amazing Stickie is working her amazing abdominals by doing Captain’s Chair.

She begins sitting on the edge of a box, leaning back slightly, hands behind her.  From there, she lifts her knees toward her chest and then lowers them back to the starting position.

 

Ten reps is a good set.

The Amazing Stickie and Dead Hang

The Amazing Stickie loves using a pullup bar.  Today she’s using it with an exercise band to do dead hangs.

She uses a looped exercise band, pulling one end through the loop to secure it to the pullup bar.  Then she puts her feet in the band, holding on to the bar with her arms bent and her chin over the bar.  She slowly lowers herself until her arms are fully extended and then pulls herself back up.

 

A set of ten is great.