Secrets to Living a Healthy Lifestyle » Video Series

Legs Up Stability Ball Bridge

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:00:40 +0000

The Legs Up Stability Ball Bridge is the 7th exercise in the Bridge Progression Series. Your glutes and core really have to fire in this exercise to help keep the hamstrings from cramping. Beginners may need to use the arms for support, I have shown a beginner arm position. If you are brand new to bridges be sure a go back to the other videos and start from the beginning.

Bridge March

admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:07:10 +0000

The Bridge March is the 6th exercise in the bridge progression series. You defiantly do not want to attempt this exercise until you can do the other 5 exercises in the progression.

Medicine Ball Bridge

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:29:08 +0000

The medicine ball bridge is the 5th exercise in the Bridge Progression Series. Once you move to an unstable surface the core and the glutes really kick in. It is important to not allow your back to arch through this movement.

Single Leg Bridge

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:00:25 +0000

The Single Leg Bridge is the 4th exercise in the Bridge Progression Series. This exercise helps you isolate the glute on one side, this is good because it helps develop single leg hip stability. In doing this often times you will find a relief from low back pain.

When beginning start slow go through small movements until you have full range of motion. Do not arch the back and do not let the hip fall on the side with the leg up. I try to keep my thighs as close to parallel as possible.

Single Leg Bridge

Try to do 1 or 2 sets of about 10 reps on both sides. As you progress you can add in the 3rd set or you can do them for time. Try to do about a minute on each side. Good Luck!

Stay Motivated,

Karen

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Bridge Holds

admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:11:47 +0000

Bridge holds are a supplemental exercise in my Bridge Progression series. They are good to use when you are trying to focus on specific muscles, for example trying to get the glute to fire more and the hamstring to fire less.

Bridge holds are also good to use as an in between exercise when you have mastered the one exercise but are not quite ready to move on to the next.

In the video I have demonstrated the two legged and single leg floor bridge. You can also do bridge holds on the stability ball and medicine ball with both two legs and one leg. Give it a try you will definitely feel your glutes burn.

Bridge Holds

Stay Motivated,

Karen

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Stability Ball Bridge

admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:56:43 +0000

The stability ball bridge is the third exercise in our bridge video series. This exercise really helps you to isolate and work on the glute muscles. If you have been following along you have completed the cook hip lift and the floor bridge so far.

Now some people may argue that the stability ball bridge should come first before the other two exercises, there really isn't a right or wrong answer - I am presenting the bridge series in the order I use with my clients.

I like to insert the stability bridge into the progression third because you have had time to build up some core stability and therefore feel a little more comfortable on the ball. You have also started to understand what it feels like when your glutes fire, so you are not just going through the motions you are actually using your glutes to bridge you up, and as I said earlier you can really isolate the feeling.

Start out with 1 or 2 sets of 12 and try to work your way up to 20 reps. I like to do my reps for time, usually 1 minute, that way I can concentrate on firing my glutes not counting reps. Give it a try and see how you like the exercise. I will have number 4 for you next week.

Stay Motivated,

Karen

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Floor Bridge

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:25:14 +0000

Last week we talked about low back pain and I had you start out with the Cook Hip Lift, the idea was to get the glutes firing again. If you did your homework you should be ready to move on to the next exercise - the floor bridge.

Cook Hip Lift

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:14:11 +0000

If you ask any adult they would probably tell you they have had back pain at some point in their life. What they probably don't know is that about 80% (give or take a few percents) of all back pain can be corrected.

Over the next few weeks I am going to talk about an exercise that is very helpful in correcting some common back issues. The exercise is so good it even helps correct some common problems you may experience with your hamstring (the big muscle in the back of your upper leg).

Sometimes muscles turn themselves off and they do not fire as well as they are supposed to. When that happens a muscle or muscles somewhere else in the body have to work overtime. And as you probably guessed, if a muscle is working overtime there is most likely going to be pain involved.

As I said earlier sometimes the glute (or butt muscle) does not fire in the correct order or does not fire enough period. When this happens many times you suffer from low back pain and typically have tight overworked hamstrings.

The Bridge is a great hip extension exercise (the movement the glute is responsible for). However, sometimes when people start with a more advanced form of the exercise they are not able to fire the glute or stabilize the hips and core. That is why I like to start my clients with the:

Cook Hip Lift

Give the exercise a try the tennis ball really helps to keep the opposite leg in hip flexion. This keeps your low back from arching. As you get stronger take the tennis ball away. Really try to focus on making the movement come predominantly from the glute muscle.

Start off with 1 – 2 sets of 15 reps.

Stay tuned, because next week I will bring you the next exercise in the Bridge Progression Series.

Stay Motivated,

Karen

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