Matt Hank

This video shows dynamic flexibility exercises that can be incorporated into any workout or training routine.  These exercises are great because it takes the muscle through the full range of motion in all three planes of motion.  It’s not adequate to simply reach for your toes and pull on your leg to stretch your quad before you do any physical activity.  In fact, those type of stretches I just mentioned may be counter-productive before you do physical activity.  From athletes to weekend warriors, everyone needs to incorporate these movements into their routine.

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I was talking to a client of mine and she was telling how it is difficult to workout on her own because she does not know what exercises to do. I told her not to over think things and let us start by creating a general workout template to help design your workouts. This is what I suggested for a full body workout.

· Choose a Pulling Movement

o Rows - bent over, standing with cables

o Pull Up variations

· Choose a Pressing Movement

o Shoulder Press - dumbbell/kettlebells

o Chest Press - push ups, standing with cables

· Choose a Squatting or Lunging Movement

o Squats - bar, dumbbells, single leg squat variations

o Lunges - multi-directional, walking lunges

· Choose a Rotational Movement

o Chops – cables, plates

o Medicine ball Exercises – chops, twists, rotational slams

· Incorporate Interval Training (part I and part II)

o Treadmill

o Bike

o Eliptical

o Jump Rope

This gives you a basic template to start with when designing a workout routine to do on your own. I would suggest picking one or two exercises from each category and circuiting three exercises together. After that choose three more exercises and circuit those together. Those two circuits along with an adequate warm up and intervals thrown in will make a great workout.

Train Hard-Train Smart
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If you are looking for some crazy high intensity/make you vomit type of workouts Crossfit may help satisfy your needs. This website has a workout of the day that is insane most days of the week. These type of high intensity circuits are great for fat loss and building muscle mass. I usually incorporate variations of these circuits with most of my cliental to bring about positive changes in their body composition. There are a few aspects about Crossfit that I do not agree with 100%, but if you are looking for a way to structure your workout so you feel sick after you complete it then you should check out this site.

Here’s an example of a Crossfit workout (it is today’s “workout of the day”):

Three rounds for time of:
24″ Box jump, 50 reps
185 pound Deadlift, 21 reps
30 Pull-ups

A common principle in most of my posts is that the body moves in more than one direction - not just forward and backward, but also to the side and rotates.  The lunge and the shoulder press are easy ways to incorporate multi-plane movements.  Check out this video and implement these exercises into your workout routine.

Train Hard-Train Smart
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This is a great variation to the traditional pull up.  I use this with many of my athletes and clients who do not have the upper body strength to perform a series of regular or kipping pull up.  You can use cardio steps or a bench and place it right under the pull up bar.  The other pull up variation I illustrated was a band assisted pull up, check it out.

Train Hard-Train Smart,
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These transverse plane (rotational movement) exercises need to be incorporated in every athletes training program.

Rotational training is not just important for baseball, softball, tennis and golf athletes.  Those specific sports require an athlete to be efficient in the transverse plane and this is obvious to most people.  What about other sports such as volleyball, soccer and football.  Look at all three of these pictures and notice the amount of rotation taking place at the hip, core, and shoulder girdle.

Train and develop these movment patterns.

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This is a great strength and mobility exercise.  My intention with this exercise is to address the hip and shoulder in all three planes of motion.  The hip and shoulder/Thoracic Spine require a fair amount of mobility in sport and daily activities.  Also, these two areas of the body need to work together to produce powerful movements such as throwing a ball or spiking a volleyball.  Finally, this illustrates the importance of core strength because the powerful core musculature is connecting the shoulder and hip together.

The first sequence of repetitions attacks the sagital plane (forward and backward motion).  I am getting complete extension and flexion from the shoulder and the hips.  The second sequence of repetitions is addressing the frontal plane (side to side motion).  This plane of motion is addressed less frequently in many strength programs compared to the sagital plane.  Within this movement there is abd- and adduction occuring through the hip and shoulder joints.  The final sequence of repetitions targets the transverse plane of motion.  This plane is also rarely considered when designing a strength training program.  In this video my shoulder and hip go through full range of internal and external rotation.  The key element to this sequence of exercises is that the hip and shoulder are working together to produce this movement in all three planes of motion.

Train Hard-Train Smart

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Tight hip flexors can attribute to glute inhibition – meaning when the hips are tight the antagonist muscle group (the opposing muscle group in this case the glutes) are not at the optimal length to be able to contract properly. Tight hip flexors also can cause lower back dysfunction because if the hips are not able to move in their intended full range of motion the lower back can tend to take the extra workload causing strain on this overworked area. Shown below are a series of hip flexor stretches that can help lengthen the muscle and thus restore proper function to the hips.

I am having Jackie do tire flips for a few reasons:

1. Full body workout – She starts in deadlift position with her feet apart and back flat. Then she squats upward while engaging the muscles of the lower body, core and upper body to lift the tire off the ground. At the top, she has to push the tire over, using her core to stabilize and upper body to perform the task.
2. Metabolic conditioning – Flipping a tire for over 2 consecutive minutes will definitely get the heart rate up. Short duration/high intensity exercises are great for burning calories. Conditioning (or you can call it “cardio”) does not always have to be on the treadmill or elliptical machine.
3. It is fun to train outside the gym with different pieces of equipment and still get a great workout.

Train Hard-Train Smart,

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