Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Posts Tagged ‘resistance band’

Wahoo! Nia!

Posted by terrepruitt on June 29, 2011

Yeah, I get excited when I have a Nia class.  I love to teach Nia.  I love to get up in front of a class and show them anyone can move and have fun.  So with that in mind, the fact that I have a Nia Class this morning, I will be back to let you know about the Ten Minute Workout.

With yesterday’s post assisting you with ideas on how to do the ten exercises without the exercise ball, the resistance band, and the BOSU, maybe you’ll join me?  Why not try it for ten days?  It’s ten minutes.  Ten exercises, ten times, in ten minutes, for ten days.  Now the ten minutes is the time frame, so if you can do more than ten exercises go for it.  Well, what do you say?  Got ten minutes?

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June 29, 2011 at 6:00 pm

Ok, DONE!  And it was pretty funny.  I had been out today in my MBTs and I decided to practice the Nia routine Sexi in my MBTs.  So after that, I decided to do the ten minute workout in my MBTs.  Ha.  Fun-ny!

I normally just do the workout in bare feet.  So shoes — MBTs in particular — provided different sensations.

You may recall I bought the MBTs because (I’ve always wanted them but couldn’t bring myself to spend that on shoes) I thought they would help me re-learn how to walk properly.  Rolling through my entire foot.  I was thinking that I could do longer lunges in my MBTs because I could be on the ball of my foot but really rolled to the ball of the shoe.  Well, that went as planned.  I did the lunges as I originally thought when I put them in the workout.

MBTs on the BOSU . . . . different.  It definitely engages even MORE muscles.  I had thought of that too when I thought to do the workout with them on.  What I didn’t think about was how I would notice the shoes when doing the V sit up.

Anyway . . . I’m done.  Just wanted to let you know.  I think I should also confess that I almost skipped it today because I had a tentative phone appointment.  But I decided that I could do it even after that.  But it turned out that feel through so I just did it.  I mean, c’mon, it really IS only ten minutes.

Posted in Ten Minute Workout check-in | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Without a ball, a band, and a BOSU

Posted by terrepruitt on June 28, 2011

If you are going to embark on doing the Ten Minute Workout, you can do it without a ball, a band, and/or a BOSU.  You definitely don’t need those things.  I would think if you were planning on exercising at home you would have at least one set of dumbbells.  The issue might be that your dumbbells are too light. Since I do not know your fitness level or your goals, please keep in mind that I am speaking in general and that YOU are responsible for your health and well-being.  With your goals established you need to use the proper weight.  The following information is to give you ideas on how to do things differently than originally proposed in the Ten Minute Workout, but you are responsible for doing things safely.  If you have questions on what to do to help you reach your goals let me know.  Listed are the exercises of the ten that required either a stability ball, a resistance band, and/or a BOSU.

Keep in mind it all depends on what you want the results to be.

(#3) – Squats:  You can do squats standing on the ground.  The BOSU added the extra element of having to balance.  If you don’t have a BOSU and you still want to work on balance while you do squats, you could try doing them on an inflatable pool float.  Be careful!  But you will notice that standing on something with air in it makes you have to balance more than just standing on the ground.  If you think about it that is what a BOSU is.  It is just plastic filled with air.  If you don’t have something inflatable you can stand on, you can still get a little balance work in by holding something somewhat heavy in one hand.  Or even try a bottle of water and let the water slosh around.  Do five, then switch hands.  Or you could just close your eyes.  You would be amazed at how much that throws off people’s balance.

(#4) – Triceps kickbacks: For this you don’t want the weight to be too heavy.  You should be able to complete the ten, but not necessarily too fast or easy.  And don’t have the weight be too heavy that you have to swing it to get the movement done.

(#5) – Hamstring curls:  With this you can either lay on your stomach and put a weight between your feet/ankles and pull your feet back to your butt.  Down to the ground and back to your butt.  Or you can stand and “Kick” your butt, one leg at a time.  (Yeah, the same move we used to do in Jazzercise.)

(#8) – Push ups: Use the ground instead of the BOSU.  Or something higher (STABLE coffee table, stair, whatever works and can be incorporated into your “gym”) than the ground if you prefer

(#9) – Bent over lateral raises: I actually like these better with a dumbbell.  Remember that the details about your shoulders still apply.  Hold a weight in each hand, bent over slightly and with a straight back, and open and close your arms.  This weight will probably need to be less than the one you are using for your biceps curls.  But again, it depends on YOU and your goals.  That is not a definitive statement, just a general one.

(#10) – Stability ball pass:  Well, without the ball it is really just a V Sit-up.   Lay down raise your legs while rising up with shoulders and arms to meet your legs.  You body forms a V.  Arms over your head while you lower upper body and legs to the ground.   If you don’t have a stability ball you would always try using a different ball, but that is up to you.  Either way it is a V sit-up.

Does that help?  Remember the basic form of the exercise still applies; straight back, only forearms moving, etc. or whatever applied to the original exercise.  I am not aware of what equipment you have but there is always something to do without any equipment at all.  Even without dumbbells.  Body weight exercise are great.  If you have any questions let me know.  ALSO, please feel free to SHARE what you do use or what you workout with.

Posted in Hamstrings, Ten Minute Workout (Posts) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Bent Over Lateral Raise With Resistance Band

Posted by terrepruitt on June 23, 2011

For the Ten Minute Workout we are doing the bent over lateral raise on the BOSU with a resistance band.  Because we are doing a timed workout, I feel it works best to have the band already on the BOSU.  If you are doing the workout from 1 to 10 as originally written then this exercise is after the push up.  (I have actually done it from number 10 to 1 a few times.  Just depends on how I feel.)

Stand on the BOSU on the resistance band with your feet about shoulder distance apart.  Grasp each end of the resistance band in each hand with an overhand grip.  Sink down, as if you are going to sit in a chair, bend over slightly.  You end up with your butt sticking out, but keep your back straight and shoulders down.  It is a somewhat like a high crouch.  Bring the band in front of you a bit, you might have to adjust your grip on the band as in grabbing handfuls.  I like to keep the band taunt so I have resistance all the way through the exercise.  Open your arms, then bring them back in front of you.  Elbows are slightly bent throughout the move.

With the first opening of your arms squeeze your shoulder blades together (still keeping them down), then keep them together as you move your arms to the front.  Keep your shoulder blades together through all 10 repetitions.  Keeping your shoulder blades together will allow you to keep the muscles engaged.

One way to help with keeping your shoulder blades together is to practice with someone touching your back between your shoulder blades.  Or imagine you are holding a piece of paper in between your shoulder blades.   To familiarize yourself with the sensation of your shoulder blades being together it helps to practice.  That way when you are doing an exercise that gets better results with your shoulder blades together you will know when you are doing achieving that and when you are not.  This is one way to connect the mind and the body while working with resistance.  For me, I cannot just get on the BOSU and grab the band and do this correctly automatically.  I can get on the BOSU and move the band with my arms open and closing, but in order to really work it, I have to concentrate on my shoulder blades.

What do you have to add?

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Triceps Kick Backs

Posted by terrepruitt on June 11, 2011

This is a pretty common triceps exercise.  I would bet that you have seen it even if you have not done it.  It is often done with a dumbbell but for my Ten Minute Workout I opted for a resistance band on the BOSU.  Since this workout is a timed ten minutes, it is best to set it up before you begin the ten minutes.  As you can see in my picture in my Terre’s Ten Ten in Ten I have it all set up before hand.  The resistance band is on the flat side on the BOSU.  For this triceps kick back you stand on the band on the flat side of the BOSU.  Your stance is hip width apart or whatever is comfortable to allow you to balance on the BOSU.  Hold one end of the band in each hand.  Crouch down a little: you are bent over a little bit – knees bent and back straight.  Upper arms and elbows pull back behind your ribs.  Cricket style.  🙂  (Your arms would be the cricket legs.)  Then pull the band straightening your arms.  Only the elbow joint moves.  Everything else is stable and still.

You’ve done those before, huh?  They are pretty common.  We are just doing it a little different because of the BOSU and the band.  So how was that?  What questions come up when you do this exercise?

Posted in Ten Minute Workout (Posts) | Tagged: , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Terre’s Ten Ten in Ten

Posted by terrepruitt on June 2, 2011

Here is the Ten Minute Workout with some explanation.  Questions and comments welcome.

1 – Long lunges: lunge with a long step with a dumbbell in each hand down at your side then come back up to standing.  Each “step” is one.

2 – Biceps Curls: hold a dumbbell in each hand, keep upper arms still bring dumbbell to bicep and then down.

3 – Squats:  lower down as if you are going to sit in a chair then stand up while standing on the flat side of the BOSU.

4 – Triceps kickbacks: each hand holding one end of the resistance band, arms are pulled back with elbows back (past your ribs), pull the band back straightening the arm (only forearms move) while standing on the band on the flat side of the BOSU in a slightly bent over position. Keep a straight back.

5 – Hamstring curls:  lie down legs on the stability ball (the ball is about half way up the calf) and pull the ball back rolling it towards your butt and then roll it back out while in bridge position.

6 – Sit ups: knees up feet on floor lift shoulders off the floor, then lift more, somewhat more of a crunch.

7 – Triceps Extensions:  weights in hands behind your head (hands are close together or even holding both weights), elbows pointed to the sky, lift weights to the sky only moving at the elbow straightening your arms.

8 – Push ups: using the BOSU (round side on ground).

9 – Bent over lateral raises with band: each hand holding one end of the band, open arms out to side while standing on the band on the flat side of the BOSU in a slightly bent over position. Keep a straight back.

10 – Stability ball pass: lie down hold ball between your feet/ankles raise your legs holding the ball while rising up with shoulders and arms to meet your legs (as in a V sit-up) grab the ball bringing it over your head to the floor.  Lift up back up lifting legs and give the ball back to our legs. (Count “one” at each ball touch down)

As with ANY exercise or exercise program, be careful and be sure you are able to safely do the exercise you engage in.  If you need doctor’s clearance, be sure to get it.

Do ten repetitions of these ten exercises in ten minutes. Repeat if time allows.

What questions do you have?  Let me know.

Posted in Hamstrings, Ten Minute Workout (Posts) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »