Category: Upper Body Exercise

How to Perform Mountain Climbers

How To Perform Mountain Climbers by Jennifer LedfordMy hope is that you’ve never had to recover from an injury. However, if you have had to recover from an injury you may know that it can hinder your weight loss and strength training efforts. It can even take time away from your professional and/or personal life.

It’s no secret that in order to build strength and tone the body it’s important to challenge your muscles. It’s also important to challenge your body with proper progression and to create a routine that is appropriate for you personally. Proper and safe progression is one of the best ways to prevent injuries while exercising.

Over the years I’ve helped clients build strength and tone their bodies in a way that is safe for them. Sometimes that means I need to teach a modified version of an exercise. Especially the higher intensity or high impact exercises.

In today’s video I demonstrate how to perform a popular exercise called “Mountain Climbers” without all of the impact. The modification in this video makes the exercise more accessible without removing the benefit. It’s still a challenging and advanced move that will give you great results.

I realize that you may not be ready to jump into “Mountain Climbers” just yet so I’ve included a second video. It was done for my live audience on Facebook and demonstrates how to perform a proper plank. If you are a beginner and planks are new for you, I recommend you watch the second video first. Once you can hold the plank for thirty seconds you should be ready to advance to Mountain Climbers.

I recommend watching both videos even if you are a seasoned exerciser.  It never hurts to get a refresher on good form.

Enjoy the video and make it a great week!

With Love,
Jennifer

Trainer tips for protecting your wrists

Trainer Tips - Take pressure off your wrists

Body weight exercises (like push ups or plank) are a great way to strengthen and tone your body without needing a gym or a whole lot of equipment. However, discomfort in the wrists while performing these exercises can cause you to want to avoid them. While I do not recommend you continue any exercise that causes sharp pain, sometimes a minor adjustment or prop is all it takes to turn an uncomfortable exercise into one you can manage.

Three different ways to take pressure off your wrists

In today’s video I share three different ways to take pressure off your wrists while performing body weight exercises. I recommend you watch the video even if you haven’t experienced discomfort in the wrists while performing your body weight exercises. The tips I share are useful for all exercisers. The more comfortable it is for you to strength train, the more likely you are to stick to it. 🙂

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and fit week!

With Love,
Jennifer

There is mention in this video of equipment you could use if you would like that you can find at Power Systems and Amazon. Links are provided for your convenience. Disclaimer: As an affiliate partner of these companies, I earn  small commission if you order through my links. Twenty percent of all commissions are donated to charity.  It’s a pleasure to serve you! 

Quick and Easy Rotator Cuff Exercises

Rotator Cuff Exercises

Quick and Easy Rotator Cuff Exercises

Hopefully you’ve never had a shoulder injury of any kind. A shoulder injury can be very painful and restrict your ability to function.

The rotator cuff is one of the more common injuries that we see in the fitness industry. Often times, it’s caused by a lack of strength in the rotator cuff or by reaching behind you and lifting or dragging a heavy object. There are no exercises that can guarantee an injury-free life. However, if you spend some time strengthening your rotator cuff it can certainly help prevent the possibility of an injury in the shoulder.

In today’s video I share my favorite set of exercises I use to strength the rotator cuff. The exercises are practical and you need very little equipment. You can do them at home, at the office, in a gym, or anywhere else you can think of that’s appropriate.

These exercises can be performed daily. However, even if you only do them 2-3 times per week your shoulder will still benefit.

After watching the video, please let me know if you have any questions. You can leave a comment below or on my Facebook page by clicking on the link here and I’ll make sure to get back to you!

Have a blessed week!

With love,
Jennifer

P.S. Please feel free to share this with a friend if you think they could benefit. Together we can help the people we love and care about stay fit and healthy too!