Exercise: Agility Hops Variations: Front/back, Side-side with feet together; side-side one foot at a time Do: Wear shoes! Use something soft as an obstacle, e.g a rolled towel or t-shirt. Move feet quickly Easier: Go slow Harder: Move quickly! Extend your time   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Thrusters Do: Drive up powerfully with legs and hips Don’t: separate the movement into a slow squat and a slow overhead press. Easier: Use lighter weight. Harder: Lift heavier weight (in the video I have 15 lb dumbbells in each hand) See also: Squats, Burpees & Variations Back to all How-To Videos, in alphabetical order…

Exercise: Chair Step-Ups & Step-Up / Cross-Under Combos* Do: Drive through your heel, all the way up Don’t: Get only halfway up Easier: Standard step up Harder: Double-time, Up and Over variations *check out the Cross-Under squat video for more tutorial on the combo movement.

Exercise: Heismans Do: Keep feet fast and light; use your abs to tuck and crunch toward your knee Don’t: look for height – the movements should be lateral Easier: go slower and more deliberately Harder: faster feet!

Exercise: Weighted Long Jumps Do: Swing the weight out in front of you, imagine it dragging you forward. Take it slow as you get used to the feeling. Don’t: look for height, or swing the weight above shoulder height. Easier: eliminate the weight Harder: heavier weight, more reps. See also: Long Jump + Tuck Jump Back to all How-To […]

Exercise: High Knees Do: Get your knees high! Don’t: look down, let your chest and shoulders sag Easier: fewer reps, go more slowly Harder: step quickly   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Tuck Jumps – Advanced Variations Do: Get low to start every jump. Power up as high as possible and tuck both knees to chest. Attempt to stick the landing each time. Don’t: do these without a very good warm-up. Easier: take more rest between jumps. Harder: n/a See also: Long Jump with Weight, Tuck Jumps Back to […]

Exercise: Lunge Jumps Do: Jump high! Keep your chest and head lifted Don’t: Allow your front knee to cave in towards centre, or push forward past your toes Easier: Go slower, step between positions instead of jumping Harder: n/a   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Cross-Under Swipes Do: Bend your supporting leg; keep a flexed foot with instep facing the sky on your follow-through; adjust your pressure, surface, and footwear to make the exercise doable but challenging Don’t: forget to “reach” with your active leg Easier: Hold the wall for stability Harder: No hands!

This movement prep will help you be more successful in your upper body workouts, by improving your mobility and stability while warming you up! The video itself takes a little longer as I walk you through the do’s, don’ts and alternatives, but the whole warm-up routine should not take you more than 5 minutes.  Do: […]

Exercise: Seated Hip Tilts and Swivels Do: Go slowly, with control, using small movements Don’t: rush   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Fire Hydrants Do: Keep hips and torso as still as possible Don’t: arch your back, lift your hip, or look down   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Prisoner Get-Ups Do: take your time, and hit all the “Stops”: 1) lie down 2) sit up 3) tuck your knee under 4) rise to kneeling 5) stand up Easier: Use your hands to support Harder: Add weight   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Seated Marching on a Ball Do: Go slowly, check your form in a mirror Don’t: Allow the ball to roll or dip from side to side as you march; rush through Easier: No arms Harder: Add arm raises   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Bear Crawls Great for: warm up, coordination, core strength, shoulder strength. Do: Get on all fours, then just hover your knees above the ground. Crawl using opposite hand/foot. Keep your core braced and relatively still. Do: When going backwards, take smaller steps with your feet (so that your hands can keep up!) Don’t: Raise your butt up […]

Exercise: Planks with Single Knee Tucks on a Ball (HOB) Do: Try to keep as still as possible in your upper body and trunk Modification: do this from the ground, or with your elbows on the ball if you have wrist pain   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Cross-Under Squats Do: Keep head and chest lifted, get hips down low, reach far across with the back leg Don’t: take miniature steps, or only bend forward at the waist instead of bending from the knees

Exercise: Planks on a Ball Variations: Feet on the Ball (FOB) and Hands on the ball (HOB) Do: Keep a straight line from the crown of your head to your heels Don’t: allow hips to sag or rise, or sink into your shoulder sockets Don’t: attempt the HOB plank if you have wrist problems or […]

Exercise: Russian Twists (with a ball) Do: Keep a flat back, keep hips relatively still so that knee caps remain aligned Easier: Sit up at a more upright angle Harder: add weight   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Plank – Elbows to Hands Do: Follow all the good form advice for a standard plank; remember to alternate which arm leads   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Squats Variations: Squat Jumps, Squat Jump + Tuck Jump Do: Send hips back first, keep chest and head lifted. For jumping variations, do land with soft knees! Don’t: allow weight forward into your toes; look down Easier: If you can’t perform a squat on your own with good form, hold on to e.g. a door frame […]

Exercise: Long Jump + Tuck Jump Combination Do: Spring up into the tuck jump quickly and vertically. Don’t: jump forward on the tuck jump. Easier: Separate the two jumps with a pause. Harder: n/a See also: Long Jump with Weight, Tuck Jumps, Advanced Tuck Jumps Back to all How-To Videos, in alphabetical order…

Exercise: Cross-Under Swipes Do: Bend your supporting leg; keep a flexed foot with instep facing the sky on your follow-through; adjust your pressure, surface, and footwear to make the exercise doable but challenging Don’t: forget to “reach” with your active leg Easier: Hold the wall for stability Harder: No hands!

Exercise: Deadlift; Romanian Deadlift Do: Warm up with the bar only. Set up with weight in heels, bar touching shins, chest lifted, shoulders directly above the bar. Pull first, straighten knees second.  To lower, hinge at hips, then bend knees when bar is past them. Don’t: lean forward with weight over toes and shoulders forward of the bar; […]

Exercise: Planks with Feet on the Ball & Knee Tucks Do: Initiate the movement by lifting your hips up Easier: straight knee tucks Harder: Side to side knee tucks   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: Planks on a Ball Variations: Feet on the Ball (FOB) and Hands on the ball (HOB) Do: Keep a straight line from the crown of your head to your heels Don’t: allow hips to sag or rise, or sink into your shoulder sockets Don’t: attempt the HOB plank if you have wrist problems or […]

Exercise: Side Plank Variations: from elbow or from hand; arm lifted; leg lifted; both arm and leg lifted Do: Align your head, hips, and heels in a straight line Don’t: Look at your feet Easier: hand on hip, from the elbow Harder: Variations are listed in order from easier to harder Click here to see all […]

Exercise: Upper Body Stretch Sequence Do: Just follow along and hold each stretch for 30 seconds minimum! Here’s the list: Chest stretch on the wall (or door stretch) Door frame back stretch Forearm stretch – inside and outside Back to all How-To Videos, in alphabetical order…

Exercise: Chair Step-Ups & Step-Up / Cross-Under Combos* Do: Drive through your heel, all the way up Don’t: Get only halfway up Easier: Standard step up Harder: Double-time, Up and Over variations *check out the Cross-Under squat video for more tutorial on the combo movement.

Exercise: Side to Side Switches Do: Hold weight close to body, use core to control the movement, move quickly and sharply Don’t: swing the weight in large arcs or compensate with a wide stance. Easier: n/a Harder: go faster, use heavier weight. See also: Heismans Back to all How-To Videos, in alphabetical order…

Exercise: Agility Hops Variations: Front/back, Side-side with feet together; side-side one foot at a time Do: Wear shoes! Use something soft as an obstacle, e.g a rolled towel or t-shirt. Move feet quickly Easier: Go slow Harder: Move quickly! Extend your time   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…

Exercise: High Knees Do: Get your knees high! Don’t: look down, let your chest and shoulders sag Easier: fewer reps, go more slowly Harder: step quickly   Click here to see all the How-To Videos…