Archive for the ‘squats’ Category

Hyper Training Lab: Speed, Strength and Linear Movement

November 8th, 2011
Join Hyperwear Training Ambassador, Jim Bell, as our guest coach in this week’s Hyper Training Lab! Today’s focus targets the athlete, or those who approach aggressive training as their sport of choice. Here, Jim takes movements that use linear speed strength and power to create a challenging circuit for the athlete.
Focus Movements:
1. Shotgun squats: speed squat with explosive chest press
2. Explosive chest toss with jump
3. Broad jump
4. Band resisted sprints
Add these exercises to your next workout, and don’t forget to tailor weight and repetitions to fit your training needs. Remember, it’s your move!
CLICK HERE to view this week’s Hyper Training Lab video.

Hyper Training Lab: High Intensity Leg Circuit

November 1st, 2011

Welcome back to the Hyper Training Lab with Diane Vives MS, CSCS! This week, Diane brings you a great leg circuit to challenge the energy systems by focusing on conditioning. This circuit uses four exercises with little to no rest in between each exercise in order to take advantage of generating more volume in a short amount of time.  For progression, you can start with half the number of reps and master each exercise first with 30-90 seconds rest in between. Then, your goal is to work up to the given number of repetitions and immediately transition to each exercise without resting.

Leg Circuit Exercises:

  1. 24 hip swings with SteelBell or SandBell
  2. 24 alternating lunges with SteelBell/SandBell exchange
  3. 24 power steps with SandBell, option to substitute split jumps
  4. 12 squat jumps

Now go out and give this circuit a try, and remember to work up to eliminating the rest in between each exercise if necessary.

It’s your move! Click HERE to watch this week’s Hyper Training Lab video.

Hyper Training Lab: Challenge Core Strength With One-Sided Load

October 25th, 2011

Welcome back to the Hyper Training Lab! In this week’s lab, Diane Vives brings you a great circuit that focuses on challenging core strength with a one-sided load. Rotary stability is the ability to resist unwanted movement and maintain excellent posture and control.  The benefits of training your body to execute good posture come into play when you perform movements that require core strength and stability.

The following exercises are a great way to improve strength training movements and overall performance, and also have the added benefit of loading one side of the body, which places an additional emphasis on targeting rotary stability muscles.

Core Challenging Circuit Exercises:

  1. Squat with one arm carry- Using a SteelBell
  2. Lunge with lateral exchange – Using a SandBell
  3. Upper-body one arm curl to press- Using a SandBell
  4. One leg dead lift with one arm reach – Using a SandBell

All of these exercises are a great addition to building your exercise menu for stability challenging movements. Also, be sure to tailor the weight and number of repetitions to fit your individual workout requirements. Go out, give this circuit a try and let us know what you think!

Hyper Training Lab: Metabolic Circuit for Lower-Body w. Diane Vives

October 11th, 2011

In this week’s Hyper Training Lab, Diane uncovers a great metabolic circuit that focuses on lateral movements of the lower body.  This not only increases the energy demands by doing a four-exercise circuit that targets one movement area, but also includes lateral movements that many of us neglect.  Lateral lower body exercises allow us to train movements needed for changes of direction and frontal plane (left to right) stability, which can enhance running efficiency and injury prevention.

Lateral Lower Body Blast:

  1. Lateral Speed Squat: Start in wide position, making sure to sit back in proper position, and lunge from left to right without picking up the feet.
  2. Lateral Lunge with Reach: With this lunge you introduce a step, be sure to load the SandBell on the outside and pay attention to the grip-strength muscles being activated.
  3. Lateral Box Shuffle: It’s important with this exercise to really push off the outside leg. The SandBell load helps emphasize the change in direction when transitioning over the box step.
  4. Skaters with SandBell Reach: Make sure to push off each foot and to take the SandBell toward each shoe to load on your basis of support.

Build from 12 repetitions per exercise for 2-3 sets, once a week for beginners, and more advanced exercisers can begin at 24 repetitions per exercise for 3-4 sets, once a week.

This circuit is a great challenge to keep in your arsenal of training tools. Incorporate these exercises, and ones similar to it, to make sure you’re strengthening those lateral movement muscles. Go out, give this a try and let us know what you think!

To view this week’s Hyper Training Lab video with Diane Vives, click here!

Workout Wednesday: Warehouse Edition 6.22.11 Circuit training with SandBell and TRX Suspension Trainer

June 22nd, 2011

It’s summer, it’s hot and honestly, beating the heat just isn’t an option. So, embrace it! This week, the Hyper Wear staff took to the warehouse to bring you one intensely-fun circuit workout using SandBells and the TRX Suspension Trainer!

Set-up: Depending on how many SandBells you own, you can complete each circuit using the same SandBell, or create each circuit station with multiple SandBells. You’ll also need to find a place to securely attach your TRX Suspension Trainer for the t-pull station.

Warm-up: Five to ten minutes of jogging, jumping-jacks, jumping rope, etc.

Duration: 45 seconds at each station, with a 15 second transition in between stations.

Station 1. Level change with dead lift – For this two handed Romanian dead lift, begin with feet hip-width distance apart, keep your back flat and knees slightly bent. Raise and lower the SandBell to the floor, hinging at the hips and making sure the back is flat and that you’re completing the drill within your range of motion

Station 2. T Pull – Using the TRX Suspension Trainer, set your back and shoulders so you’re in a solid plank position leaning backward with feet slightly raised off the ground. With hands outstretched, forming a “T” shape with your body, bring hands together and apart, slightly lowering and raising your body. This drill focuses on posterior shoulder muscles, so be sure to keep your arms straight and extended and that each motion is smooth and controlled.

Station 3. Prong plank with alternating leg lifts – Begin in the plank position, elbows each resting on a SandBell (this is for comfort, if you don’t have two SandBells then complete the exercise with elbows on the floor). Make sure to keep everything from your shoulders to trunk still and straight, and then alternate raising each leg six to eight inches off the ground. When alternating, raise the leg straight up and not out to the side and focus on maintaining core stability.

Station 4. Scissor locomotion – Start with legs split, in a slight lunge position and feet hip-width distance apart. Slightly jump while “scissoring” your legs front to back and maintaining the lunge position, keep feet hip-width distance apart at all times and land on the balls of your feet.

Station 5. Figure eight – Start with feet spread and knees slightly bent in a squat position. Grab and hand off the SandBell to each hand while making a figure eight motion, going under and over each leg. Focus on grip strength and hand-eye coordination to improve agility, stability and overall coordination.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRDk7fFvI-Y[/youtube]

Repeat the circuit four or five times, and be sure to end with a five minute cool down. For those of you wanting to take this circuit to the next level, complete this circuit series while wearing your Hyper Vest PRO!

PLAY! Series – Movement Pattern: Bending with SandBell sandbags & Hyper Vest PRO weight vest

June 6th, 2011

Good Monday Morning!

The most popular bending exercise on the planet is probably the Deadlift and its multiple variations. In this week’s video I show you a spin on the traditional exercise by playing a vertical version of “Move the Mountain,” a traditionally horizontal activity.

No matter the age of the student/athlete, Hyper Wear can provide you with the right size of SandBell or SteelBell to make this activity fun, safe, and effective!

Enjoy!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAv3vPM5L8k[/youtube]

Never Stand Still!

Bill Meyer, SCE, USAW
Head Hyper Wear Coach

Workout Wednesday ~ 5.25.11 ~ SandBell sandbags & Hyper Vest PRO weight vest

May 25th, 2011

Need a quick workout mid-week that incorporates Hyper Wear’s versatile products?  Try the following mini-workout wearing your Hyper Vest PRO and use whatever size SandBells you prefer.

5 min. warm up (jumping jacks or walking in place work well)

Throw on your Hyper Vest PRO and let’s get started!

1 min. each of the following (count reps)

1.  Push Up & Row – Get into push up position with a SandBell on the floor between hands.  Perform a push up, allowing your chest to touch the SandBell before pushing back up.  At the top of the push up, grip the SandBell with one hand and twist your body as you lift the SandBell into the sky (your body will make a T position at the end of the movement).  Lower the SandBell back to start and repeat, using the other arm for the row.

2.  Split Stance w/ Back Foot on Box Squats – It’s a mouthful!  Using a plyobox or other stable raised surface, get into a split stance with the toes of your back foot up on the box.  Holding a SandBell at the chest, on the back, or out in front of you with straight arms, squat and return to standing.  Switch legs for next round.

3.  Standing Twists, Straight Arms – Hold your SandBell with both hands at chest level.  Extend arms straight out in front of you.  Holding your core tight, keep your arms straight and hands at chest level, twist right to left.

4.  SandBell Reach – Split stance, holding a SandBell in the hand opposite to the front leg.  Bend forward, stretching the SandBell as far out in front of you as you can go without extending the front knee past the front foot.  In one smooth motion, bring the SandBell back to your chest and then reach back behind you with it, as far as you can.  Straight line with the body; hips pushing forward; front toes raise off the ground.  Switch to other side for next round.

5.  Slow Motion Slams – A new favorite!  Same motion as slams, but in slow motion!  Begin with SandBell overhead and then lower it slowly to the floor, arms stay relatively straight, as you squat all the way down to lightly touch it to the floor.   Slowly return to standing with SandBell overhead.  This one is not about speed, but about how slow you can go, so the lower number of reps in a minute, the better!

Repeat whole series and try to beat your number of reps from the first round

5 min. cool down

Workout Wednesday – 3.30.11

March 30th, 2011

Need a quick workout mid-week that incorporates Hyper Wear’s versatile products?  Try the following mini-workout wearing your Hyper Vest PRO and use whatever size SandBells you prefer.

5 min. warm up (jumping jacks or walking in place work well)

1 min. each of the following (count reps)

> Bicep Curls

> Squats, Square Stance

> Seated Russian Twists

> Quick Step Ups on SandBell (SandBell on floor, step right foot then left foot on and off SandBell.  Half way through, switch lead foot)

> Full Body Slam (Hold SandBell overhead and then slam it to the floor, really hard, getting your whole body into it.  Squat to pick it up and repeat motion.)

Repeat whole series and try to beat your number of reps from the first round

5 min. cool down

Beginner Pistol Squat with SandBell and Hyper Vest PRO

November 15th, 2010

Good Monday Morning!

This week I’m going to show you a simple teaching progression to build up to an improved Pistol Squat. The Pistol Squat is one of the most demanding, but rewarding, single leg exercise one can perform. Its purpose is to improve force production, mobility, and muscular coordination in each individual leg.

Today’s exercise is the Rolling Pistol Squat, where with the assistance of Hyper Wear’s products, and a little bit of momentum, anyone can improve on the execution of the traditional Pistol Squat.

The Hyper Vest PRO works great with the RPS, due to its stretching ability and its lack of bulk. The SandBell offers a small but great counter balance to the eccentric part of the exercise. Take a look and give it a shot!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4KkNpXCGjY[/youtube]

Never Stand Still!

Bill Meyer, SCE, USAW
Head Hyper Wear Coach

Impact Performance Training – Single Leg Squat with 50-lb SandBell

October 19th, 2010

We’re proud to be part of the Featured Exercise over at Impact Performance Training.  These guys demonstrate a Single Leg Squat using the SandBell and make a very difficult move look easy!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqGrngE2J18&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Read their description on their Blog then spend some time on their website – they’ve got lots of great resources from healthy recipes to workout moves to helpful articles.  If you’re in the Newberg, OR, area stop by and say hello – tell them Hyper Wear sent you!