November 29, 2006

• First off, today I was part of a wings exchange jump, so I have earned my Italian Jump-wings.  It was just like any other jump.  The only requirement was that we had an Italian Assistant Jumpmaster on the plane.  I did not land in a corn field this time, so I am thankful for that.  However, my landing was hard, because I apparently come down like a sack of bricks.  Fortunately, the drop zone here is somewhat soft.

  A week ago, you all probably pigged out until you passed out, thanks to Thanksgiving.  You probably also didn't sit up. unless it was to ingest more food.  While talking with a friend of mine via Myspace, he asked if I could help him develop a workout program.  He also stated that he did not have access to gym equipment, like he used to.  This was interesting to me, because it has been a while since I was unable to get to some sort of weight equipment for free.  Combine this with the fact that I've considered becoming a personal trainer, and I have a small hole to fill.  BEcause of this, I've going to try to produce entries for "Workout Wednesdays" which is basically a way to show exercises that can be done without the use of a large gym.  for the most part, the exercises won't be designed to build muscle, due to the lack of heavy weights, but will allow for general fitness, endurance, and toning.

  The first exercise is the pushup.  It is a relatively simple exercise, with a number of small nuances to it.  The first is hand spacing.  There are "regular" pushups, close grip pushups, and wide grip pushups.  Wide grip targets the outer chest, while close grip works the inner chest and triceps more.  For today, I will be looking at the "regular" pushup.  The first thing to do is find that perfect position where your hands feel comfortable.  I found it by starting off lying on the floor and placing my hands close to my chest, which also put the tips of my thumbs near my nipples (stop giggling).
   
  From there I pushed up into the starting position and adjusted my hands outward until they felt comfortable.

  

  To complete a repetition, while keeping your body generally straight (don't sag in the middle), bend your arms at the elbow until your upper arms are parallel to the ground:
  
  The push back up to the start position.  The position of your elbows determines which muscles are stressed more.  If they at 90 degrees out from the body (in line with the should blades), you stress your chest more, similar to a wide-grip position.  If they are against your body, you work the triceps more.  Personally, I let them be at 45 degrees out.

  To figure out how many you can do, I recommend starting out with a low number like 10-15.  If you are fine with that, do a second set of 5-10.  The next time you workout, do 5 more than what you did last time.  When you hit your plateau, that number will become your first set, and your second and third sets can be 10 or so.  When you are able to do 50 in a row, I recommend elevating your feet one foot off the ground, and performing the whole process over again.  When you are able to do 50 there, increase the elevation, but do not go higher than 45 degrees off the ground, as you start to work the shoulders instead (unless that's what you want).

  The second exercise that I will show is the Russian Lunge.  It targets the quadriceps (front of the thigh).  Starting from a standing position, bend at the waist, and pick one foot of of the ground slightly:
  
  From this position, bend your base leg until your chest is on your thigh.  DO NOT rock at the waist.  Your upper body should remain generally parallel to the ground.
  
  From here push back up to the start position.  I recommend 9 reps with one leg, and then switch.

  Black 6, out.

  • 4:40 pm
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