Face through a doorway with your arm flush against the doorframe. Remember to keep good body posture and to keep your stomach tight so you do not over extend your back. Push against your arm. The stretch should be felt across the chest muscles. Hold the stretch for 20 to 60 seconds on each side and perform on a daily … Read More
Latissimus Dorsi and Back Extensors Stretch
While kneeling on a mat, stretch your arms forward in front of your head with your palms down. The key to this stretch is to keep your gluteal muscles in contact with your heels and your arms stretched out as far as possible. You should feel this stretch through the middle and outer part of your back and down into … Read More
Hip Flexor Stretches
Keep your right foot flat and extend your left leg straight backward. Lower your trunk as far as possible with most of the weight on your front leg. Keep your front knee above your foot and not past your toes. The stretch should be felt in your groin region and in the front of your left thigh. Hold for 15 … Read More
Hamstring Stretches
Stand facing a table or a similar object approximately the height of your waist. Keep your left foot flat on the floor and place your right foot on the object. Make sure both legs are straight but not in a locked position. Lean forward towards your right foot while keeping your back flat and shoulders back. The stretch should be … Read More
Groin Stretches
Put the soles of your feet together with your heels a comfortable distance from your groin. Now, with your hands around your feet, slowly pull your feet towards your trunk and push your knees towards the floor with light pressure from your elbows. Be sure to keep your back straight and make your movement forward by bending from the hips … Read More
Gluteus Maximus Stretches
While lying on your back with your right knee bent, place your left ankle on your right knee. Using both hands grab your right hamstring and pull towards your body. This stretch should be felt across the left gluteal muscle. Do this stretch for both legs. Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his … Read More
Achilles Tendon Stretches
To begin this stretch face a wall or other similar support. Put your left leg back keeping your heel flush with the floor. Make sure to keep your left leg straight. Place your hands on the wall, your right foot under your shoulders, and distribute your weight evenly over both legs. You should feel the stretch on the achilles tendon … Read More
Thumb-raises Shoulder Workout
(Primary muscles: lower traps) Lie prone on a floor mat with your arms extended in front of your head at 10:00 and 2:00. Bend your arms at approximately 10 degree angles and point your thumbs upward toward the ceiling and raise your hands approximately 2-3 inches off the ground. You should feel the muscles of your mid back working and … Read More
Seated Side Lateral Raise
(Primary muscles: medial deltoids) Sit upright with your elbows bent at 10 degrees and hold two fairly light dumbbells to that they are resting at your sides. Raise the DB’s outward to the sides and upward until they are slightly above shoulder level. Hold this peak contracted position before slowly lowering your arms back to the starting position. Note: You … Read More
Seated Dumbbell Press Workout
(Primary muscles: anterior-medial deltoids and triceps) Grasp one dumbbell in each hand and sit down on a bench that provides back support. Bring your hands beside your shoulders with your palms facing forward. Sit erect and press the weights directly upward and then in toward each other near the top of the movement, so they touch directly over your head … Read More
Rear Delt Machine
(Primary muscles: posterior deltoids) Sit in the pec deck machine facing the padded back support. Extend your arms to the side, grasping the handles. Bring your arms to the rear keeping the elbows and wrists in line with the shoulders. Once your arms are just past your shoulders, hold this peak contracted position before slowly returning back to the starting … Read More
Prone Incline Rear Dumbbell Raise
(Primary muscles: posterior deltoids) Grasp two dumbbells and lie facedown on a 30-45 degree incline bench. The dumbbells should be hanging straight down from your shoulders with your palms facing each other. Use your rear deltoid strength to raise the dumbbells out to the sides until they are slightly above the level of your shoulder joint. Hold this peak contracted … Read More
Lying Straight-Arm Barbell Rear Deltoid Raise
(Primary muscles: posterior deltoids) Lie face down on a high flat bench with your head over the end of the bench. Hold a light barbell at arms length, not allowing it to touch the floor. With your hands approximately 6-12 inches apart, your arms straight, and your elbows locked, raise the bar in a semicircular motion until your arms are … Read More
Front Dumbbell Raise
(Primary muscles: anterior deltoids) Standing straight, grasp two fairly light dumbbells with your arms straight so that they are resting against your upper thighs. Keeping your torso as motionless as possible, raise one of the dumbbells forward and upward until it reaches shoulder height. As you begin to lower the dumbbell, raise the dumbbell in the other hand and repeat. … Read More
External Rotation with Rubber Band
(Primary muscles: rotator cuff) Standing with good posture, hold your rubber band so your hands are a little narrower than shoulder width apart and your elbows are beside your waist at approximately a 90-degree angle. Keeping your elbows stationary, slowly rotate your hands outward as far as you can. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. This should be … Read More