Exercise of the Week: 3 Great Push-up Variations
Looking for a little variety in your training? Give these push-up variations a shot. Push-ups are one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do. Mixing up how the movement is performed can have a profound impact on the intensity of the exercise.
These variations may look simple, but they get challenging very quickly.
http://www.hybridfitnessvideos.com/showPlaylist.php?1230768490
Post any thoughts / questions to the comments section.
Good luck & keep training hard!
Jason
By the way, we have dozens more push-up variations available as well as hundreds of other exercises in the video database at www.hybridfitness.tv Access to the database and the ability to export custom video playlists are available to all Hybrid Fitness members.
A Must-Try Lunge Variation! (w/video)
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Lunges have been a training staple forever. Front lunges, back lunges, lateral lunges, reaching lunges, transverse lunges and many, many more….all of which have their purpose and, when done correctly, can be incredibly beneficial to overall leg strength and endurance.
Here’s a variation you may not have tried, but is very challenging. It’s essentially a combination of a forward reaching lunge and walking lunge. The key is to take a large step and lean the body forward as you bend the forward leg. Touch the fingertips to the floor, then press off the lead leg and transfer immediately to the same lunge with the opposite leg. As you lunge, keep the back leg mostly straight, with a slight bend at the knee. All of this results in a greater range of motion as compared to a regular walking lunge. You’ll understand when you try a couple sets.
A couple points to consider are:
- Keep looking forward as you lunge, limiting the “hunching” or rounding of the upper back
- Keep the motion constant - try not to pause between steps
- Make sure the power from each step comes only from the lead leg
For added intensity, hold a medicine ball or dumbbells in your hands and “reach” with them as you normally would with just the hands. A weight vest is also great for upping the intensity.
Start with about 30 steps and see how it feels. If you’re confined to a limited space, walk the perimeter or do laps, making sure not to pause when you switch directions. After the the first round of 30, pause for about 20 seconds and begin a second round. If you’re just too damn strong, add some extra resistance and try again. Trust me, there’s a big difference between these lunges and your average walking lunge.
If you don’t notice a difference, watch the video again and make sure you’re doing the same motion. Instead of using that mirror to pose in front of, use it to check your form. 
Good luck and train hard!
Jason K.
www.hybridfitness.tv
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnNyuoar0og&hl=en]
Long term progress
Most of us know that we can not train as hard as possible on every single workout for weeks and months at a time without burning out, getting sick or injured, or in a worse case scenario, all of the above. If you are being proactive about your training then you plan cycles of varying intensity which may cover several weeks or months at a time. Those who just sort of free-style their training may naturally cycle training intensity as they intuitively recognize that there is a limit to how often they can push to the max without over doing it.
Regardless of the approach you use to intensity cycling (logically planned or just winging it) keep in mind that some flexibility must always be present to account for or take advantage of unexpected energy highs and lows. In other words it is good to have a plan but don’t get so rigid that you force a hard day when you could really use a rest, or stick with a planned easy day even though you can tell your energy is at an all time high.
PAU for NOW
TAKU
*The paragraphs above are excerpts taken from a longer article. To read the full article visit: www.hybridfitness.tvÂ
