Podium Strength Plans

Lean against a wall or bar with about 60-65% of your body weight. Keep your lean from your ankles not your hips. From that position pull your knee up and forward into a hip flexion, also keeping your foot in a dorsi flexed position (pull toes toward shins). Hold designated amount of time and release.

Kneel with one knee on the ground, other knee up in front of you. Raise a light Dumb bell up to a 90 degree angle out to the side. Very slowly bring the arm all the way in front of you and across you into an internal shoulder rotation then slowly release and take the arm back into an external rotation, then return to starting position and press overhead. Only go as far as your mobility will allow, while always trying to safely increase your personal mobility. The key to this exercise is to move very very slowly and thoughtfully through each phase.

A lot is going on in this movement. Get into the position in phases. Lay flat, put the small foam roll between your knees, put the band around your feet. Then, extend the arms and band overhead, fully extending your arms. At that point press the small of your back into the floor while peeling your shoulder blades up and off of the floor, this will create the “hollow rock” position in your core, hold that strong while also squeezing on the foam roll between your legs. Make sure you are breathing deeply and exhaling strong throughout the hold.

Start with a shorter bench then work up to a bench that allows your leg to be at a 90 degree angle when your foot is placed on it.

Start by standing with the bench in front of you. With control place a foot on the bench and step up, keeping the stepping knee stable and not moving in or out. When at a full stand on the one leg, the opposite knee will be bent and come through in front of you, with foot flexed. Sharply tap the opposite foot to the bench and bounce it immediately back off and into a dorsi flexed hip flexion. With control, step back down to ground.

Stand straight with straight legs and a ball placed between your heels. Raise heels off the ground, pushing into your toes, with emphasis in weighting your big toe. Slowly return heels to ground.

Start from the ground position. Lift your hands off the ground, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Return your hands to the ground right outside your armpits and powerfully push your full body up off ground, keeping a straight line from ankles to head. At the top of the push up, push the ground away, or spread your shoulder blades apart. Return to ground.

If you are unable to maintain a straight body through the push phase, modify the move by dropping the knees to the ground.

Lay on your back with your feet flat on the ground, knees bent. Pull your heels as close up to your butt as you can. (The heels close in will allow the glutes to fire, feet far out will fire hamstring). In this position, smash the small of your back into the ground and then raise your hips in the air. Think of pushing up through your heels not forward into your toes. When hips are raised, really fire the glute muscle before releasing to the ground.

Start with body weight only, then add a kettle bell or dumbbell once you have good squat form. Begin by standing with feet about shoulder width apart. Stand in your natural stance, (if your feet turn out slightly, that’s ok) then hinge your hips a bit, or in other words, stick your butt out behind you. Keep your chest up and sit down into the squat like you are sitting onto a toilet. Keep your weight back in your heels and stay light on your toes. Stop at the bottom and pause before returning to your standing position.

Start with body weight only then add a kettle bell or dumb bell once you have good squat form. Start in standing position with feet about shoulder width apart. Stand in your natural stance (if your feet turn out slightly, that’s ok). Then hinge your hips a bit, or in other words, stick your butt out behind you. Keep your chest up and sit down into the squat like you are sitting onto a toilet. Keep your weight back in your heels and light on your toes. Stop at the bottom in the center and then gently shift your weight right into the right foot, then left to the left foot, then back to center. Pause there and then stand up.

Make sure the elbows are directly under the shoulders. From there you want to create TENSION by “pulling your elbows and toes toward each other” This isometric action will create tension through your core making the movement much more challenging. Make sure you hold your butt and hips down in a neutral position. Also, hold your head in a neutral position, don’t turn it down.

Anchor a band behind you and loop it over one end of a short bar or pole. Kneel and place hands on the bar shoulder width apart with your elbows in. Powerfully press the bar away from your chest, then once arms are straight, push the bar a little further by pushing from your upper back, or spreading the shoulder blades. Return to starting position with elbows in. Do your designated reps with the band around one side, then place the band around the other side and repeat.

Place a light mini band around your wrists. Bring your arms up in front of you in a 90 degree bend. Pull the band apart slightly so you create tension in your shoulders, then slowly push the arms straight out in front of you. Pull arms back in to starting position and then slowly extend them overhead and return to starting position. At that point you may release the band tension.

Lay flat on your back with heels in the stirrup portion of the TRX. Flex your feet. With your hands on the floor at your sides, lift your hips up, raising your butt off the ground and pull your knees in to a bent position. Keeping the hips raised, extending the legs out slowly until they are straight. Pause, and then pull them in to bent position and repeat.