For the next four weeks let's put away the sleeveless shirts and give your beloved upper body a break. Real leg training – the kind that produces results – isn't fun. It can leave you lightheaded and nauseated, not to mention limping for days. Some guys become so afraid of the heavy bar that they can't sleep the night before
Muscles Targeted: A properly performed deadlift will activate almost every muscle in your body from your toes on up to the muscles that contract your ears if the weight is heavy enough. The prime movers in the deadlift are the posterior chain. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the posterior chain, that includes your erector spinae, gluteus maximus
Muscles Targeted: The kettlebell farmer’s walk involves several different muscle groups, making it an excellent strength building exercise to include in your CrossFit workout. Since it involves gripping two kettlebells throughout walking portion of the movement, the muscles in the forearms (flexor muscles) and wrists are given a significant workout. Continuing with the arm muscles, the shoulders (deltoids) and upper back
Exercise Advice: Lie face down on the edge of a Roman chair so that your legs dangle to the ground. Hold the other end of the Roman chair with your hands. Brace your core and lift your legs in the air with knees together. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. Pause, then return
Exercise Advice: Stand next to a flat bench with dumbbells in each hand hanging at your sides. Step up onto the bench with one foot and then bring up the other foot so that you end up standing on the bench with both feet. To return to the floor, carefully step backward off of the bench with the same foot
Exercise Advice: Grab the rope attachment in between your legs and face away from the cable machine. Walk forward to remove the slack. Bend your knees and stick out your glutes, keeping a straight line from your shoulders to hips. Tighten your abs Drive your hips up and forward, straightening your legs. Pause and squeeze your glutes tightly, then return
Overview: The barbell front squat is a powerful multi-joint compound exercise that helps to increase size and strength in the lower body. The primary focus is on the muscles located on the front of the thighs when performing this movement and it’s a fantastic exercise to include in your CrossFit WODs (workout of the day). Muscles Targeted: When you perform a
Muscles Targeted: Although this exercise is mainly for developing the hamstrings (muscle on the back of the leg), it’s also an excellent movement for the lower back. A big contributing muscle group when barbell Romanian deadlifts are performed is the quadratus lumborum or more often called the muscles of the mid to lower back. This is because the key movement
Exercise Advice: Lie with your upper back supported on a bench and your feet planted on the floor in front of you. Hold a barbell across your hips. Lower your hips down so your glutes almost come in contact with the floor. Pressing through your heels and squeezing your glutes. Return the barbell to the start position.
Exercise Advice: Position yourself in the Leg Press Machine (also know as the ‘Leg Sled’) with your feet about 12 – 15 inches apart. Slowly bring your knees in toward your chest, lowering the weight platform. Once lowered, return the platform to the start position by fully extending your legs (however, do not lock your knees out and allow there
