Archive for: Pushups

Fit for Duty: Operation Pushing for Power

In this episode, we’ll be focusing on upper body and core strength. All you’ll need is a figure 8 resistance band, dumbbells and a normal resistance band. Plus, nutritionist Capt Brianne Newman has tips on good eating habits and we how to properly rehabilitate an injury.

You can find all of my episodes on the the Fit for Duty channel on the Pentagon Channel which can also be downloaded on iTunes.

Marines Compete for “Iron Man” Title

Power Up Your Push-​​Ups with 15 Variations!

I’ve written about improving your push-​​up power for beginners, and about my 100 push-​​up boot camp, but what if you want to break the mold and try some new tricks for the pecs? In honor of my intense Slimnastics workout book coming out this June, I wanted to share with you my favorite variations on the amazing arm toner move we all love (and love to hate).

NikkiFitness 100 Push-​​up Boot Camp

I have helped a lot of people with push-​​ups. Some needed to pass a physical fitness test, some wanted to be able to do push-​​ups off their knees, and some just wanted to have smoking arms.

My plan to get anyone to do 100 push-​​ups in a single training session is this:

Get in shape:

If you can’t do 10 push-​​ups on your toes in a plank position, then start doing this routine on your knees, with hands wider than shoulders, so that as you lower, your elbows line up over your wrists like a field goal post formation. Then work up to doing 2 on your toes, and 8 on your knees, then 5 and 5 until finally you are strong enough to do 10 push-​​ups at a time on your toes.

THEN.…

Fox and Friends Segment to Fight Football Season Fat

Recently I blogged here about my favorite time of year– football season while the weather is still warm. And as a former Syracuse University cheerleader and football office assistant, I got to see a lot of college practices and pre-​​game warm ups. So in my NYC fitness classes and my Booty Camp DVD (Amazon and Nikkifitness​.com) I created football drills to go with popular football songs to keep you from getting fat this football season!

You can check out my earlier blog for the football music playlists. And here is part of the segment I did on Fox and Friends to show some drills you can do before the game, and suggestions of moves during the game!

Multitask Your Workout With Combo Moves

Are you ready for a really effective, time-​​efficient workout?

Multitasking is something we do in everyday life, and it can be applied to our fitness routine by combining muscles in the upper– and lower-​​body at the same time, while the core kicked in to help us balance. These three moves work biceps, shoulders, chest, upper back and triceps along with quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves, while tightening your core!

With cardio intervals, these moves give you part of a complete workout. For more like these, visit www​.nikkifitness​.com for my DVDs.

Ten Plank Variations for Perfect Toning

Planks are one of the cheapest, easiest and quickest ways to tone your body anywhere you go. They work your abs all over, and if you get creative you can also add glutes, and thighs, triceps, shoulders, upper back and pecs to the list! Here are some of my favorite plank variations (From my Fit Travel Workout) for your next sweat session.

Swing and Slide Into Shape

Got kids? Got free time? Usually if the answer to the first question is “Yes”, then the second is “No.” However, I have a way to squeeze in a workout while you get the kids outside on the playground this summer.

Check out this recent segment I did with my toddler, and reporter Courtney Friel,a friend and personal training client (and new mom) on Fox and Friends. Whether you are back from a tour of duty, getting ready for basic training, or holding down the home-​​front, these moves and my Baby Bootie Camp DVD give you ways to work out with the baby anywhere, or get out on the playground with your older kids for quality time that burns calories!

Military Spouse Fitness Drill from Fox and Friends

You might be spending Memorial Weekend in awe of those who serve and remembering those who served in the past. During your three days off, if you have a moment to think about you health as well, try this quick drill I did for Military Spouse Appreciation Day on Fox and Friends. This one drill works almost every muscle group and is a great cardio and toning workout wrapped into one.

The Toughest Pushup You’ll Ever Love

The best bodyweight exercise for your chest is the pushup. No kidding, right?

Want to get “advanced”?

Elevate your feet on a bench and you’ll make the exercise harder and shift more of the focus to the “trouble spot” of your upper chest.

Still no surprises, right?

Ok, now do this…

Go Back to School with “Practice” Workouts

I was a cheerleader in college at Syracuse University, and never had to force myself to go to the gym, because we always had “practice” where I just had to show up for several hours with my best friends and do stunts (plyometric muscle builders), push-​​ups for when the team scored during games, and all the choreographed fight songs and routines (cardio).

After school I needed another fun and social forced workout like PRACTICE, so I became a group fitness instructor and later a trainer. Now I live in NYC, teach at gyms here and have a line of 7 fitness DVDs.

My latest theme of group workouts brings me back to college and sports. I do basketball, football, baseball and track drills! I even have a fitness playlist with fight-​​songs and game-​​day favorites to get you in the mood (get it at http://​www​.nikkifitness​.com/)

Get Fit for the Superbowl!

Teammates, with the Superbowl around the corner, it’s time to grab your Perfect Pushups and start knocking them out as February 6th gets closer.

Get your teammates prepped and position food and drink strategically as you knock out pushups during the SuperBowl. It’s fun, easy (unless your team goes on a scoring rampage!) and rewarding!!! Anyone got another contest in mind? Post it at the Perfect Fitness Facebook page.

Pull-​​ups: Want to do More – But Man They are Hard!

The Pull-​​up is the great equalizer when it comes to hard exercises to master. Questions from how to do more, how to do any, how to ace pull-​​up fitness tests come in all the time. Over the years, we have created and used many workouts (like the ones below) to improve pull-​​ups, but one of the first elements you should consider before doing pull-​​ups is: How much do you weigh?

I had an email the other day from a 30 year old man who is 270 lbs and can do 9–10 pull-​​ups. Naturally, I am impressed because when I put on a 60-​​70lb vest or back pack and try to do pull-​​ups (I weigh 200lbs), I cannot perform but 1–2 pull-​​ups and I can do 25+ NO KIP pull-​​ups on my best day. But, he is not happy with that performance and asks,

“Stew, I can do 9–10 pull-​​ups, but the second set drops to 4–5, and the third set drops to 2–3. Do you have any recommendations to build up my overall numbers as well as my workout sets?”

Fit Travel Workout

All week I have been teaching my fitness classes without using equipment, so that my class members can take these moves along with them for Thanksgiving and other holiday travel. It’s easy as pie to work off those desert calories without needing to get to a gym or pack a suitcase full of dumbbells. All you need is my Fit Travel Workout DVD shot in China, Mexico, Italy, Chicago, NYC and Tampa that proves you can work out wherever life takes you. If you don’t have the DVD, you can also print out my three Military​.com fit travel columns for free.

Here is a 10 minute portion of the 30 minute workout that slims you with cardio and sculpts you with muscle toning.

Is Your Vacation Making You Fat?

You worked hard doing Booty Camp and getting in bikini shape. You’ve finally gotten the Hard Core Abs I have been writing about. But the you go on vacation to the all-​​inclusive resort, or home to see family with lots of mom’s cooking and little time at the gym. Your only sweat is from laying out in the sun instead of a run. Your vacation is making you fat.

Here is where my fit travel workout moves and advice can help.

Perfect Your Posture With One Do-​​Anywhere Move

Everyone knows about push-​​ups, their convenience and effectiveness.… but what about the opposing muscle group?

Working your upper back, trapezius and rhomboids, usually requires machines, correct body alignment, free weights or tubing and a personal trainer forcing you to do them. Everyone from military men, to desk job devotees, to new moms tend to get the back slump that comes from either overdoing the push-​​ups without working the upper back, over-​​stretching the upper back in a computer or car slump position, or holding a baby all day.

The wheel push-​​up (from my Fit Travel Workout DVD) is my favorite upper back move because it requires no equipment and I always feel the muscles getting sore and stronger afterward. If you’ve done the regular wheel in yoga class, this will feel familiar. If you have never done a wheel, I will walk you through it.

World Cup Workout

It’s World Cup time – when the best 32 teams from around the world come to compete – HOOYAH! What could be better?? I know! Working out while watching the best of the best duke it out for the top honors in the world. You guessed it, just like we’ve done for the Super Bowl or March Madness – get ready for the World Cup Workout! 

Okay, here’s the deal – it’s three exercises: Pushups – Squats – and 8-​​count body builders. You have your choice of regular/​wide/​close pushups and for squats you must touch your hands to floor (between your feet) – as for 8 count body builders, check out this link to understand how to do them correctly.

Surfing: Dry Land Training

Photo: Surfer Riley Coon, Photograph by Ginger Coon

The following dry land training workout will train the muscles involved in the most common maneuvers in surfing:

Paddling – while lying in prone position (upper, middle, and lower back)

Carving – trunk rotation with leg balance and control (obliques, quads, hips)

Standing up – explosive pushup to standing position (chest, core, legs)

This circuit calls for very short rest periods between moves to keep your heart rate in an aerobic state for the entire workout. Perform each exercise as recommended in the progression below. After you have completed one set of every exercise, take a one minute rest. Repeat the circuit three times.

MMA Metabolic Resistance Workout

Mixed Martial Artist Fighters, Modern Day Gladiators

They enter the ring to the sound of rap, rock, old-​​school hip-​​hop, reggae, and even country-​​and-​​western, but the one thing every MMA fighter has in common is a powerful athletic physique built from metabolic resistance training. These modern-​​day warriors know better than to do bodybuilding, because those workouts just take too long and leave you puffed up, slow, and inflexible. That’s not how modern man should be — or look.

5 Healthy Holiday Tips

Here is a helpful video from Fox and Friends last week — 5 tips to avoid the heavy holidays and how to do a perfect pushup.

Enjoy!

Healthy Holidays: How to Stay Fit During the Party Season