This weeks exercise comes with a disclaimer. A reminder, if you will, about why I do things the way I do. 🙂
Ever since I injured my lower back a few years ago, I’ve been really involving core training into my workouts. After trying to ignore the injury for a few months I decided it wasn’t going to go away, and if I wanted to continue working out pain free I needed to get rid of it. I tried everything, Dr.’s, chiropractors, massages, and nothing seemed to help me. I decided to take matters into my own hands. (Not something I recommend in most injury situations, but I was at the end of my rope.) I began to study more about the body’s core, and core training. I implemented core exercises more and more into my routines and surprisingly the pain started to subside. In some amazing way, strengthening my core muscles diminished the pain in my lower back, and it hasn’t returned since. I now do core training as a part of all of my clients workouts, and two that have previously experienced severe back pain have had the same great results as I have. I can’t promise this to be the case with everyone, but it is most definitely worth a shot! So…having that said. I like to take a lot of my exercises and add something to them, so they use your core; testing your balance, working your abs, making you concentrate on which muscles you’re using. It can only benefit you. I promise!
*Things to think about
-aim to keep your hips down in line with your body
-avoid opening your hip that on the side you’re working to your arm. You’ll feel it more in your abs if your hips are turned down, abs fully engaged.
-think about that triceps muscle as your are squeezing that arm all the way back straight.
-if you aren’t feeling it in the back of your arm try holding at the full extension for a second or two and then release slowly
Good luck!