November 2008 - Posts - Exercise of the Week

11/25: Purpose: This exercise is great for balance, core engagement, glute activation, bicep strength, and shoulder strength.


Stand with feet close together holding a small weight plate (2.5-10lbs) close to your body about chest level. Depress and retract your shoulder blades while keeping your elbows pointed towards your back. Maintain a neutral spine with your belly button drawn in towards your spine.		Take a large lunge-step forward with your right foot. Make sure that the heel remains in contact with the floor. Your left knee should be bent and slightly off the floor, not touching. Shin angle is key in this position. The right knee should remain behind the toes of your right foot, creating a 90 degree angle at the knee. The left foot should be in a dorsiflexed position with the toe pointing down into the ground and you want to focus on squeezing your left glute. Also, don't forget to keep your belly button drawn in and shoulder blades depressed and retracted. From this position, press the weight plate directly over your head, extending both arms completely straight. Imagine your pushing the weight plate towards the ceiling. Do not shrug your shoulders. Also, be sure to not over-extend your lower back, maintain a neutral spine and strong core.		Most of your body weight should be in your front heal which will ensure glute activation on the right side. Press through your right heel to engage your glute and return your body back into a standing position while lowering the weight back to chest height with your shoulders retracted. Repeat the same movement stepping forward with the left leg.

Exercise Sponsored By: Jessica Hopkins

To see exercises from previous weeks, click here. Learn more about the Performance Center here.

Posted Nov 25 2008, 07:27 PM by PRO Sports Club Blogs

11/17: Purpose: This exercise is great for balance, core engagement, glute activation, bicep strength, and shoulder strength.


Balancing on one leg, weight shifted to instep, leg straight, glute fired and quad engaged, shoulders back and belly button drawn in to maintain core engagement. Off leg should be raised to 90 degrees of hip flexion and 90 degrees of knee flexion and toe dorsiflexed. Hold dumbbells palms facing forward.		While maintaining start position, execute a controlled bicep curl rotate palms to face in and continue to execute an overhead press. Return to start position in a controlled manner.		Lower hands to shoulder height, rotate palms to face backward and lower hands to side. End in same position as you began and execute prescribed number of reps.

Exercise Sponsored By: Shain Weaver

To see exercises from previous weeks, click here. Learn more about the Performance Center here.

Posted Nov 17 2008, 01:08 PM by PRO Sports Club Blogs

11/10: Purpose: This exercise is great for strengthening the rotational stability of the core.


Begin by lying prone on a physioball with hands and feet touching the floor.		Simultaneously raise right arm up while raising the left.		Hold the core tight to maintain neutral spine throughout the movement. Be careful not to hyper-extend the lower back, but recruit the glutes to raise the leg.

Exercise Sponsored By: Jason Coyle

To see exercises from previous weeks, click here. Learn more about the Performance Center here.

Posted Nov 10 2008, 01:05 PM by PRO Sports Club Blogs

11/3: Purpose: This exercise is great for strengthening the upper back, core and glutes.


Begin with elbows on a bench, legs fully extended and heels contacting the floor. Your body should be creating a straight line, head to heel. Shoulder blades should be retracted together and depressed downward to create a "broad chest".		The core should be engaged to keep pelvis and lumbar spine in neutral alignment and glutes should be active through extension, which drive your heels downward into floor.		While keeping one leg firmly contacting the floor, draw one knee towards your chest until your knee reaches 90 degrees (both feet should remain dorsi-flexed). Control back to your starting position and alternate legs.