Pose of the Week- Warrior I

The last week in April we did several Warrior I poses.

Alignment Tips:

Feet/Legs: The goal is to have both feet facing forward.  Keeping that in mind, let’s talk about the front leg  That is the leg that has the bent knee.  You should be able to look over the knee and see your big toe.  Notice how the knee is in line with the ankle.  It is not bending/extending past the ankle.  Your hips should be squarely aligned to the front.  (facing in the same directions as your front toes) Moving on to discuss the back leg.  The back heel should form an imaginary straight line from the front heel.  In possible, have the back heel on the mat.  If your heel doesn’t want to lay flat on the mat.  Try shortening your stance.

Arms: Your arms are overhead.  Think about protecting your ears with your arms.  Palms are facing toward each other.  Your gaze should be straight ahead.

Feel strong in this pose.  After all it is called Warrior I.  As your back foot remains grounded into the floor,  feel your spine lengthen when your hands are lifting up to the sky.

Pose Benefits:

This is a standing pose so not only does the pose benefit you as a stretching pose, but it aslo is a strengthening pose.   Good for the hips, thighs, calves and ankles, shoulders, arms and back, plus your abs, chest and neck.

Sequence Suggestions:

Mountain

Warrior I

Pyramid

Warrior I

Warrior II

Reverse Warrior II

Side Angle

Triangle

Warrior II

Warrior I

Mountain

Repeat with the opposite leg forward.  Holding each pose for a minimum of 3 breaths.

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Pool Workout

Pool Workout

 

Warm-up 20 minutes

 

Walking as fast as you can in water up to waist or slightly above.

If you feel comfortable, go in to your shoulders and try running.  It might take awhile to get the groove of it. Remember to keep your feet flat on the pool surface.  No tip-toeing!

 

 

Resistance Exercises do 3 sets of 15 for each exercise

 

Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Glutes

Jumping Lunge:
Face the wall and hold onto the side of the pool. Jump up and down with a long and deep lunge. Alternate legs each jump.

 

Squat :

Stand with your feet hip-width apart in shallow water with your arms bent at your sides, hands out flat with fingers together and palms up. Slowly bend your knees into a squat position, sticking your derriere out behind you (don’t worry about looking silly – you’re under water!). Do not allow your knees to extend beyond your toes, but try to simulate a sitting-in-a-chair position. Cupping your hands, keeping your back neutral (not arched) and abs tucked in, exhale and stand up straight. Turn your hands to return to the starting position. Be very careful to maintain perfect form throughout this exercise.

Cross Scissor Jumping Jack
Jump up and down while crossing your feet on each landing.

Hips and Glutes

 

Basically a single legged kick-back:

Facing the edge of the pool, hold on with both hands and slowly bring one leg out to your side, keeping your back straight. Exhale while you bring it up as high as you comfortably can without turning at the ankle (this probably won’t be as high as you could if you did turn your ankle). Bring it back down and repeat, doing a full set for each leg. 

Side lateral leg lift:
Face the wall with your hands on the side of the pool. Alternate raising legs up and to the side.

 

Glutes

 

KICK! You can breeze around on a kickboard or hold onto the side of the pool, but the scissoring motion is great for the buttocks and hamstrings, and it indirectly tones the abdominals. What could be more fun than this? 

 

Water Jogging: Using a flotation device, run in place with your feet never touching the ground

Back, Shoulders and Arms

Press Down / lateral raise (bent over): In the bent over position, push down until the Bells meet beneath your chest. Then spread your arms until the reach their original position. You should feel like your flapping your wings.

Pull-ups: Grasp the side of the pool and lower your body as far as your arms will allow. Keeping your knees bent, exhale and pull yourself up as high as you can (the range of motion for this will vary greatly from one person to another).

 

Chest

 

 

Press down / lateral raise (behind back):
Begin with arms stretched out to your sides and then press the Bells down behind your back. Return to starting position

Standing Flye: Standing in water up to your neck, reach your hands out to each side, with your elbows unbent and your palms forward. Slowly bring them together, clapping your hands, and then turn your hands to return to the starting position

 

 

 

Triceps

 

Reverse Curl: Stand straight, with your open hands palms-down on the surface of the water. Keeping your elbows locked at your sides (pretend they’re glued to your ribcage), exhale and push down until your hands are beside your hips. Turn your hands and bring them back to the starting position.

Lateral Raises: Stand in shoulder-deep water with arms hanging straight down against your sides. Slowly extend both arms straight out to the sides all the way up to the water-level. Pause briefly and repeat.

 

 

Biceps

Curl: Bring your open hands to the side of each hip, palms forward, with your fingers close together. Exhale as you slowly bend at the elbow to bring your hands toward your shoulders. 

 

Abs

 

Modified Captains Chair: Stand with your back to the side of the pool, holding onto the rim with your elbows. Keeping your knees unbent, slowly bring both legs up to a sitting position and hold it for ten seconds. Do not hold your breath, though. Breath slowly throughout this exercise. Then bend at the knee to bring them down, repeating this as many times as you’d like to. Be careful to keep your back straight throughout this exercise.

 

Water Roman Chair: In deep water, float either on a tube or two kickboards (resting under your arms). Place your feet together and bend your knees up to at least waist-level, pause briefly and return.

 

 

STRETCHING

 Leg circles (inside to outside and reverse)
Face the wall with your hands on the side of the pool. Move your leg in a circular motion up, back, and down. Alternate legs and reverse directions.

 

Hip Stretch:  Hold the side of the pool with one hand, stand on one foot, bend the other knee and grasp your ankle with your free hand to stretch your quadriceps and hip flexors.

 

Chest Stretch:   Hold the side of the pool with one hand and turn your body by pointing your toes away from the wall to stretch your biceps and pectorals.

 

Adapted from Water Exercises: The Coolest Workout! by Maia Appleby  which can be found at http://www.inch-aweigh.com/waterexercise.html

Adatped from Aquatic Exercises – Pool and Water Exercises found at http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/aquatic_exercises.html

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Butt, Legs and Thighs Workout—–AGAIN

I went to the gym this morning thinking——I know it is time to do my Power Workout over again—but wait—I want to try a breakout workout using the Sexy Hourglass Figure workout listed in April 2008 Fitness RX on pg. 55.  I should have looked at the workout better.  It was not an all over body workout, it was a butt, legs and thighs workout, which I had already completed yesterday.  Oh well, next time I will use a break out workout from one of my Body Sculpting Bible Books.  Here is what I did today:

Cardio

35 minutes in the elliptical, burned 430 calories.

Sexy Hourglass Figure workout–Butt, Legs and Thighs

Dumbbell Step-ups 3 x 10 x 12 lb

Dumbbell Front Squats 3 x 10 x 12lb

EZ Bar Back Squat  3 x 10 x 14lb

Dumbbell Lunges with platform 3 x 10 on each leg x 12 lb

EZ bar Stiff-Leg Deadlift 3 x 10 x 50lb

Butt Blaster (Cable Kick back) 3 x 10 each leg x 70 lb

Leg Extensions  3 x 10 x 45lb

Lying Leg curls w/ Dumbbell 2 x 10 x 15 lb (This was very hard for me to get in position by myself.  Try it.  Try placing a dumbbell between your feet while you are lying on your tummy on a bench.  Very hard to do with my size 9 feet.)

There is more to the workout, but I didn’t do it.  I stretched and left the gym.

Total calories burned 1039 in 1 hr 42 minutes.

 

 

 

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Butt, Legs and Thighs Low Intensity/High Rep Workout with a little abs

Cardio

40 minutes on the treadmill

Butt, Legs and Thighs Low Intensity/High Rep Workout

Dumbbell Bosu Squat   3 x 25 x 10lb

Leg Extention Machine   3 x 15 x 25lb

Incline Crunch     3 x 35

Wall-One Leg Squat with Swiss Ball  3 x 14 reps each leg

Ball Lunge   3 x 25 each leg x 10 lb  (I really like these—good for the butt!)

Incline Ball Extensions 3 x 25

Side Lying Leg Raise   3 x 40 each leg x 10lb

Side Lying Outer Raises  3 x 40 x 10lb  (This burned my butt too)

One Leg Butt/Swiss Ball Press   3 x 20 each leg

Bosu Lateral crunches 2 x 25  (I had spent enough time at the gym)

Total calories burned 1193 in 2 hours and 15 minutes.  That is too long to be at the gym in my book.  I think 90 minutes is best.

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Power Workout Butt, Legs & Thighs (and a little Abs)

I added more iron into my diet yesterday and included an iron pill.  I am feeling better today, but not great.  Made it to the gym to workout at 6am.

Cardio Warm-up–walked on the treadmill for 12 minutes varing the speed (3.5-4.7) and incline (0 -10)

Butt, Legs and Thighs Power Workout

Dumbbell Bosu Squat 3 sets of 15 with 20 lb dumbbells

Leg Extension Machine 3 sets of 15 reps using 50 lbs

Incline Crunch 2 sets of 35 rep.  (This is were it made me see black yesterday, so I was scared to do it today.)

Wall One-Leg Squat with ball 3 sets of 14 on each leg.  I wasn’t able to get very low.  Hopefully as the weeks go by I will get better and lower.

Ball Lunge 3 sets of 12 reps using 20 lb dumbbells.  This ready starts to burn your buns toward the end of the set.

Incline Bench Ball extensions 3 sets of 25 reps (I felt my abs almost right away.  The week break is showing in my muscle recovery.)

Side Lying Leg Raise with Weight 3 sets of 20 on each leg with 25 lb weight

One Leg Butt/Ball press 3 sets of 10 (This seemed to work my core and calves.)

Side Lying outer Raise 3 sets of 20 reps using 25 lb weight.

I should have done Bosu Ball lateral crunches too, but I was scared to do something with too much head movement today.  Will do it next time around.

Stretched and cooled down on the treadmill.

It took me 1 hour and 30 minutes and I burned 610 calories.

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Butt, Legs and Thighs Workout

Got to the gym before 6am this morning.  My motivation has improved thanks to Fergie 🙂  Here is what I did:

Shin Splints are still a problem so I rode the stationary bike.  Went 35 minutes, had it set at interval, which means that it switched back and forth every minute from resistance of 6 to resistance of 10.  This did not burn as many calories as when I put it on Cross-country.  It burned 350 calories.

Butt, Legs and Thighs

Leg Abductor Machine pushing in   4 sets of 16 reps with 110 lbs

Leg Abductor machine pushing out 4 sets of 16 reps with 80 lbs

Weighted step-up using 24″ stool 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg with 10 lb weights, I tried to use 12lbs put it was too much for my left hip to handle.  I don’t like weighted step-ups, my left hip just isn’t good to workout like that.  It is very weak.

Weighted Hip Raise 4 sets of 20 reps with 25lb

Rear Lunge to Front Kick 3 sets of 10 reps each leg

Squat w/abduction and weights 3 sets, 2 sets with 12 reps and 10 lbs, last set my legs were so shaky that I could only do 8 reps.

I read through Oxygen’s new Collectors Issue out on the stands now that is all about your butt.  Loved the magazine.  I believe in a tight ass.  And this magazine is all about that!

Total calories burned 725.  Time 1 hr 19 minutes.

 

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