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Personal Training 20230803

Focused on:

  • romanian deadlifts
  • exercises for squats
  • balance muscles
  • upper abs raises (both raises and twists)

Future:

  • will this help me get off my right big toe when walking/running?
    • i am feeling optimisitic
    • might still need someone to help me specifically with this
    • GOAL: get off right big toe during walking/running, prevent damage/arthritis
  • explosiveness
  • any additional mobility stuff?
  • more core - obliques, upper abs, what else?
  • more compound exercises
  • reviewing existing routines

Questions

  • In RDLs, how low should I eventually go? Always just beneath the knees or further? If so is there a limit?
  • How long is the pause at the bottom of a RDL? 1 second? 2 seconds? matters?

Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs) (barbell)

  • Legs hip width apart
  • hands are at natural resting place of hands when standing
    • typically outside of hips a bit
  • back is always rigid (breathe in at the top to support the trunk)
  • the exhale comes halfway up, with the power
  • throughout the movement, especially at the bottom, you should be able to tap your toes up and down, the weight should be distributed in the meat of foot, never the toes

Muscle Engagement

  • keep the lats engaged, pull the bar against your legs at all times
  • keep the traps engaged, like if you were trying to hold a pencil between them
  • keep the core engaged at all times to protect the back which is rigid
  • engage the glutes, which will create a tension pushing out down into the knees/feet
    • don't move the knees/feet, just feel the tension from glutes pushing out

Starting Position

  • bend all the way down to bring the weight up, this is a first deadlift but also the starting position.
  • grip the bar using the meat of your hand and thumb, DO NOT dangle from your fingers (damage)
    • high weights you might use a clip in glove/grip so you can lift from your wrist

Romanian Deadlift Movement

  • starting at the top, bend as hinge from the hip, sticking your butt out
  • the back should be completely rigid, abs remain engaged
  • keep the barbell against your legs
  • slowly lower the barbell down to just below your knees
  • you are holding your breath, engaging your abs and trunk, engaging your lats and traps, engaging your arms, engaging your glutes to keep force in back of feet, pushing the barbell into your legs
  • brief pause at the bottom, 1-2 seconds (which is it?)
  • maintaining your muscle engagement, raise it back up, especially engaging the glutes and whole posterior change with rigid back, all the muscles above still engaged, come to the top.

Squat Form

  • toes out slightly, legs pretty wide, find your squat position... too narrow ruins the squat, i am starting to understand mine, pretty wide.
  • form is good, want to get a deeper dip at the bottom of the squat
  • do normal calf extension stretches every day to get some more flexibility
  • stay well hydrated to prevent muscle tightness

Goblet Squats

  • use kettle bells upside down
  • goblet squats to practice going deeper.
  • you can goblet squat a lot, but start gradual. i did 17 KG before, but can probably raise that a lot. trainer mentions very heavy goblet squats.

Barbell "Landmine" rotation thingie squats

  • keep it nice and slow to properly engage each muscle group
  • do 4 x 12 of these to work on squat depth, squat form, and support muscles
  • barbell with 1 end in the landmine allowing it to rotate up, put a 45 lb plate on it
  • put your hands on the top of the bar standing in a good squat position, lower down all the way into a very deep squat.
  • you will find your proper distance when squatting, adjust accordingly
  • complete the squat with good form, but keep going, all the way up to your tippie toes with your head going under your shoulders and arms fully extended
  • repeat

Squat on a Slant Board

  • This engages the quads, good for support
  • do a bunch of these to build up your squat in the quads

Reverse Lunges

  • Can be done onto the ankle support pad bar, or a 12" soft balance pad / plyometrix box
  • start with kettle bell by handle in right hand and right foot forwards and up
  • drop right foot back and hook right ankle on the box/pad
  • lower the body into the reverse lunge, briefly tapping the knee on the ground
  • reverse back up into stance with right foot hovering in front of its resting position
  • use the first to find your proper distance for the left foot
  • make sure the left knee does not go forwards, it should stay behind the left toe
  • repeat 12 times, then switch to left foot

Upper ap lying leg raises and twists

  • repeat for 4 sets of 12 reps
  • Lay on the bench and grip the behind-head hand grips for this exercise
  • raise legs to about 70-90 degrees, this is the resting position
  • raise the butt off the mat by kicking legs up, this should engage the upper abs
  • lower the butt, keeping the legs up in the resting position

Upper ab and oblique twists

  • when kicking up, twist the body to the left
  • next twist the body to the right
  • repeat for 10 cycles (alternate each side, totaling 10 on each side)
  • i felt very weak at this, need to do it a lot
  • modification: hook the knee onto the side you want to twist and pull the body up