All Around Strength and Conditioning

This post will only be limited by my imagination, so stay tuned for further updates.

Rotational using the ball- this is a rather large category of exercises so they'll just be lumped together as rotational stuff using a stability ball. The first three shots are basically holding a push up position with the feet on the ball, and then allowing the ball to rotate side to side, and keeping the feet married to the ball as they follow the contours. This one is rather awesome for the obliques, and core stability in general. The next ones are variations using internal and external rotation of the hips, and a challenge with combining a push up and a lateral flexion.

The Canoe- Had a friend who went to Circus School teach me this one. He calls it the Canoe, essentially using your arms and legs in the hollow position, and then rocking backward and forwards trying to maintain a tight core, with minimal movement on the arms and legs. Think of this like a teeter totter.

The Scorpion- A Paul Chek/Steve Cotter inspired move that works as a great mobility movement for the lower back, and can help with increased flexibility and strength using a rotational element. Basically lay down on your belly, and spread your arms out in line with your shoulders to form a cross. Then cross one leg over the opposite side of the body aiming to touch the opposite arm, as would be in contra-lateral.

Alternating Supermans- a watered down version of the superman movement.  Lying on your belly you contra-laterally raise one arm and one leg as high as you can with a mild pause, and knees and elbows nearly locked.  Lower slowly and alternate sides, works well as an exercise during your rest breaks to keep your heart up, but works to strengthen your lower back as well.

Jack Lalanne Pushups- just the way I remember these being called, I'm sure they go by many names.  This is somewhat of a difficult plank, the longer you are, the harder this gets.  Laying on your belly, you squeeze your hands and feet together creating a bridge over the ground.  Contract your abdominals very hard to protect your spine from taking the brunt of damage.

The Frady Cat- this old favorite is a combination of the cobra stretch, and a nasty crunch.  Get into the position of the cobra stretch as you normally would except that yu want to place your toes onto the ground because you are going to drive your force through your toes in order to get to the high position.  Make sure to keep your back rounded and not straight, keep your arms locked and rise up until you look like a cat who has just been scared or is ready to fight with another cat.

Headstand with Leg Raise- this one is very self explanatory, get into a headstand and allow your legs (with a bend in the knee) to drift down towards the floor, and then contract your abdominals very hard in order to bring your legs back into a straight position.

Lateral Bend with Twist- this one is an awesome movement for the obliques. It hits them with a lateral movement, and then finishes with a rotational movement. The trick here is to keep your back tight, flex your glutes to ensure everything stays properly balanced. Bend to either side as far down as you can go, while maintaining an even plane (make sure your bending sideways, and not forward and sideways, or backward and sideways). The twist is down once you hit the bottom of your lateral bend. Twist upwards, and look to the ceiling. Hold for a second or two, to really build the mind-muscle connection.

This can also be done with a bo, broom stick, bar....etc (use your imagination)

Y-Band Variation- this one is much more similar to a Saxon Side Bend, and it hurts just as much, you want to keep the tension in the band, and as you bend you will feel your obliques, intercostals, and serratus tense up. If you do a lot of these in one session, you may find it difficult to breathe easily the next day, due to the soreness.

Landmines- or standing russian twists (landmine is what the base of the bar is called). These hit the obliques in a rotational sort of way that makes it just plain hurt a day or two later. There's a couple of variations to this one. First of all pick up the bar, and clasp both hands around it (interlocking your fingers). Then stand upright, the bar should be placed against a wall or fixed object and should be leaning on you. Then twist the bar to each side of your body (the hand where the weight is coming towards will be the bent arm, and the opposite side will be the straight arm). Keep your glutes tight to avoid any lower back injuries. If you want to go explosive then you can pivot your feet as you twist. Either way if you've never tried it, you might be sore, and this technique provides excellent carryover strength for the rotational element of fighting.

The Pike Leg Raise- this one is adapted from the Power Wheel, however with enough creativity, a medicine ball, or a small stability ball you can do the same. The initial position is the push up position with body straight, then you bring your feet to your chest, as you raise your legs, you also shift your upper body so that you finish in a pike position. This one can be super tough, the power wheel has a tendency to wobble side to side so it adds an element of lateral stability as well.

Back Bridges- one of my favorite exercises, and a work in progress. There's a few ways to do this one. You can do it flat footed, or on your tippy toes. Basically bring your feet near your butt, bring your hands near your shoulders, and the press up. You can hold for time, you can do reverse push ups, or you can add weight. Some variations are the one handed bridge (which I'm still having difficulty doing, and the one legged bridge.

Stability Ball Reverse Hypers- this is an excellent exercise, just find a bench and a ball, and lay on the ball with it on the bench. Grab the sides of the bench, then allow your legs to lower, near the ground. Then bring them back up by contracting your glutes, hams, and lower back. If you lean forward on the ball, you can bring your legs up higher. This is a great way to balance out your core stability, and a nice break from regular hyperextensions.

Bench Reverse Hypers- or playground slide reverse hypers to be accurate. This is the opposite sort of movement from a regular hyper extension of the lower back. Lay down on a bench, grip the bench, then bring your legs up. Keep them straight (or as close as you can to straight) and you should feel some tension in your lower back. This is a great alternative when normal hyper extensions get boring. Even better is to get on a stability ball on a bench, and do it (expect a picture for that one at some point).

Band Good Mornings- just like a normal good morning, except that you get the band under both feet, and then pull it up over the back of your neck (a towel or some sort of padding can be a great tool here). Bend over with a slight bend in your knees, and then stand up straight.