My Three Staple Exercises

Image by United States Marine Corps Official Page via FlickrRecently,  a client asked me if I could only do three exercises, what would they be?  After some consideration, I said I would do pullups, pushup, and barbell squats.  I told the client that he could target all the major muscle groups with these three exercises.

Let's look at these three exercises and see if they would be a complete whole body workout.

Pullups target the major muscles of the upper back, the biceps,  and the forearms.  The core muscles are also worked as long as pullups are done in a smooth and controlled manor.

Pushups target the major muscles of the chest, the shoulders, and the triceps.  The core muscles are also strongly used when pushups are done with strict form.

Barbell Squats target the quads, hamstrings, and the glutes.  Squats are also one of the best exercises there is for developing core strength when done properly.

There you have it.  These are the three exercises I would do if I was limited to doing only three.  What three exercises would you do?

Exercise Of The Week; Vertical Knee Raise

Vertical knee raises strengthens and develops your abdominal and lower back muscles. Position yourself on the machine to where your weight is resting on your elbows and your lower back is firmly press against the back rest. This is your start position. Exhale while slowly bringing your legs towards your chest and keeping a slight bend your knees. Lift your legs to a little higher than parallel to the floor and inhale while slowly returning to your start position.

This exercise is more of an advanced movement, so make sure you've been doing your other core exercises regularly before attempting to do this. Then when you are ready, I suggest you start by performing 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

Exercise Of The Week; Seated Ball Twist

The seated ball twist is a very good exercise for core development and strength. Sit on the floor with a slight bend in your legs. Hold a therapeutic ball in front of you with your arms fully extended. Lean back slightly, pick your chest up high and pull your naval in. Now turn your shoulders to one side and touch the ball to the floor and then turn to the other side and do the same. A complete revolution counts as one repetition. Be sure you arms stay extended throughout this exercise. Breathing pattern is to exhale as you touch the ball to the floor and inhale as you bring the ball across your body.

For Beginners I recommend you do 2 sets of 20 repetitions twice per week. For those of you who are more advanced, I recommend 3 sets of 30 repetitions three times each week.

Exercise Of The Week; Rollups

Rollups shape and develop the back of your legs and your calves. This is also an excellent exercise to strengthen your core. Lay down flat on your back, extend your legs and place a therapeutic ball under your heels. This is your starting position. Pick your hips up off the floor and pull the ball toward your butt with your feet as far as possible and then slowly return to the starting position. Breathing pattern for this exercise is to exhale while rolling the ball towards you and to inhale when returning to the starting position.