PARTNER IT BAND STRETCH

The Fourth move in our partner stretching series is the Partner IT band. We have done one other for the hamstring but we are also big fans of the IT Band stretch for the additional lumbar twist associated with the exercise. The twist enables for not only great lumbar rotation it adds additional lengthening of the Glutes, Tensor Fascia Latea, Erectors, and of course the hamstring. As with all the moves, be careful to not force the person you are stretching too far. Allow their body to settle into the move before you begin to push them farther.

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PARTNER FROG

The second move in our partner stretching series is one of either a love or hate relationship. For many athletes it is a great stretch to help them elongate their adductors but for others it is pure torture. Give it a shot and see what you think. Like with the other partner stretches the key is to ease into it. As you hold the stretch the muscle fibers will relax against the tension allowing you to get further into the range of motion.

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PARTNER HAMSTRING STRETCH

This is the first in a series of exercises we will show you to increase the flexibility of various muscles of the upper and lower body. This is the Partner Hamstring Stretch that is designed to elongate the muscles that comprise the hamstrings. Done correctly this can also be an excellent stretch of the lower back and with proper positioning of the leg on the ground you can even get some elongation of the hip flexors.

Watch the video to see how to perform this correctly and utilize it in your current workout regimen as a great tool to increase flexibility.

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A CHRISTMAS AB WORKOUT TO MAKE SANTA PROUD

Here is a quick abdominal workout you can do after you open up those presents and have your hot chocolate or egg nog or whatever else you may drink to spice up the morning. Watch the video to see the examples or you can just follow along with the list below. The Train2move team wishes you a wonderful Holiday Season. Next Week we will take you through the first in a series of partner stretching exercises to increase the range of motion in your muscles.

If you like this Ab routine make sure to check out our complete Abdominal Program in the Store. Treat yourself to a stronger core this Christmas.

If you are brave enough go for the higher number of repetitions. If you want an even greater challenge simply repeat the workout for 2-4 sets. Enjoy.
Wishbone Crunches – 20-50x (Lay on back, knees and hips at 90 degrees, knees together feet apart hands behind head, elbows back and chin off chest. Keep knees together and feet apart, contract abdominal muscles and lift shoulder off the floor then relax.)
Frog Crunches – 20-50x (Lie on back, place soles of feet together, relax and spread knees apart letting them fall towards the floor. In this position place hands behind head keeping elbows back; squeeze and hold glutes while contracting abdominal muscles and lifting shoulders off the floor and back down; repeat up and down.)
Active Shoulder Bridge – 20x (Lie on back with knees bent and feet on the floor. Keep knees and feet at hip width. Squeeze glutes, raising hips and lower back off the floor and then lower down; repeat.)
Hip Crossover Crunches – 25-50x each side (In hip crossover position, place hands behind head with elbows back, and chin off chest. Contract abdominal muscles lifting shoulders off the floor 1-3 inches and back down; repeat up and down.
Cats & Dogs – 10x (On hands and knees with hands under shoulders and knees under hips, arch back up and pull chin to chest, then lower back toward floor and raise head up; repeat back and forth.)
Toe Touches – 10-40x (Lay on back, straighten both legs up toward sky, keep thighs tight, and pull toes back. Squeeze abs, lift shoulders off the ground and try and touch toes then lower shoulders and repeat.)
Tricep Active Bridge – 20x (Sit on butt knees bent and feet on the floor, hands under shoulders, fingers facing toward your feet, squeeze glutes and press hips and back off floor and repeat up and down.)

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HOW TO USE A BENCH TO TEACH STRENGTH TO KIDS

The final video for this short series on strength training for kids is how to incorporate a simple bench into the strength development of kids. We feel the best strength training we ever get in our lives is the strength we gain on the playground. I want to meet someone who is 40 years old who continued to play on the playground for 2-3 hours a day like when we were kids. Trust me they would be a physically fit to say the least.

Take the time out of your day to allow your kids to play on the playground. If you do not have time to go out to the park try doing little things like in this video to encourage them to use their bodies in a way that will help to make them strong.

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LUNGES FOR KIDS

We now move to a lower body move for the kids. Lunges are in our opinion the best choice for lower body strength. For kids especially it has some many beneficial components such as balance, flexibility, power, and of course strength. Try different variations of the lunge such as side lunges or walking lunges. Next week will will show you how to incorporate some basic equipment to help improve the overall strength of your young athlete.

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HANDSTANDS FOR KIDS

The second exercise for building strength in younger kids is my Son's and I personal favorite, the Handstand. All three of my children have or will be doing gymnastics. I love the training it provides for younger kids as they are able to do some great obstacle courses on a bigger scale than what we can do at home. I also like the way kids are challenged to create more power in their bodies allowing them to perform more difficult moves.

The handstand when done by pressing off of both feet evenly allows you to generate equal power through both hips, and shoulders. Personally I prefer this over the standing option where momentum plays a large roll in the kids ability to get up into a vertical position. Try these out with your kids, they will learn to love them quickly as their bodies develop the power to get all the way up.

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PUSHUPS FOR KIDS

For the 5th series on our Exercise of the Week Program we are going to give all of you parents and P.E. Teachers a few tips on strength training young kids. It is important to remember what real strength represents. At any age strength is a representation of body control. This is where your power comes from is the coordination of any movement in the body to generate maximum force.

In young kids body control is in its natural stage of their Natural Strength Progression according to the 4 Laws of Training. Making sure to not interrupt this natural process of strength building is important. We will do several examples over the next few moths and then give you a complete program at the end.

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FULL SQUATS

Full Squats or Free Squats are one of the more common exercises we use at the end of warm-ups and cool-downs to introduce proper loading into the hips, knees, and ankles. With the progression of the warm-up exercises leading into this one all designed to properly align the skeletal system, this moves help to reinforce this anatomically correct position.

Next week we will be putting together the complete video warm-up with each of the exercises along with the number of repetitions or time to do each one.

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Standing Hip Flexor Stretch

You can never do enough lengthening of the hip flexors with the amount of siting we are forced to do as a part of our jobs. This is the main reason why we decided to add an additional stretch for the hip flexors as a part of the running warm-up. This is a great stretch that can even be done throughout the day to help break the tightness that we suffer from as we sit.

Try adding this in a few times an hour to help keep your hips in better alignment for your running workouts.

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