Tag Archives: squats

4 Sculpting Moves You Can Do With a Chair

No workout equipment? No problem! All you need is a chair

Sitting too much is bad for your health, numerous studies suggest. But as AcaciaTV trainer Deazie Gibson demonstrates, a sturdy chair can also be a terrific asset for getting into shape — even when you’ve got no other equipment.

Using only a chair, do 1-3 sets of each of these four simple sculpt moves 3-5 times a week. Put them all together for a total body workout or perform one exercise every time you take a break from sitting.

glute bridge deazie

Glute Bridge: Works core and glutes

Lie on your back in front of your chair. Place your heels on the seat of the chair so that your knees are bent comfortably. Slowly raise your butt and back off the floor, keeping your shoulder blades press firmly downward. Hold a moment at the top of the movement and lower down one vertebra at a time. Do 8-15 reps per set.

chair planks deazie

Chair Plank: Works core, shoulders, arms, glutes

Kneel down in front of your chair and place your elbows on the seat. Lift your knees up off the floor and extend your leg so your body is in plank position diagonal to the floor. Pull your abs inward and don’t allow your back to sag. Hold 10-30 slow counts.

chair squats deazie

Chair Squat: Works glutes and thighs

Stand tall about a foot in front of your chair facing away from it, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees to sit back and down. As soon as you feel your butt lightly touch the seat of the chair, stand back up to the start. As you lower, your knees should track over your toes. When you stand back up keep your knees “soft.” Do 8-15 reps per set.

chair dips

Chair Dip: Works chest, shoulders, triceps, core

Sit on the edge of the chair with a hand firmly gripping each side of the seat. Either bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor or straighten your legs and lift your toes up off the floor. With your arms straight, slide your butt off the chair. Bend your elbows to lower your torso towards the floor. When your upper arms are parallel to the floor, press back up the start. Do 8-15 reps per set.

And be sure to check out AcaciaTV’s 100-plus hours of streaming, on demand workouts. Like this routine, most require little if any equipment.

Also Read:

4 Super Effective Moves for an Explosive Leg Workout

30-Minute Outdoor Fitness Circuit

Build Your Core Without Killing Your Neck

Posted on June 15, 2023 by AcaciaTV

4 Super Effective Leg Workouts from Gerren Liles

leg-workouts-lunges

By Gerren Liles, AcaciaTV trainer

I’ve got the moves to chisel and sculpt your legs to perfection. Now that the weather’s warm, get ready to show off your gorgeous gams in a short skirt by doing 1-3 sets of each of these 4 exercises, 2-3 times a week.

ALL OUT LUNGES

Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides. Step your right foot back about a stride’s length then bend both knees until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Immediately stand back up and swing your right leg forward a stride’s length, bending both knees as soon as your foot touches down.

Next, jump up in the air and switch leg positions, bending both knees again as soon as your feet touch back down. Use your arms throughout to both power and balance your movements.

Repeat 8-15 times. (more…)

Posted on April 20, 2023 by AcaciaTV

The No-Squat Lower Body Workout in Just 5 Moves

lower-body-workout-no-squats

I love squats because they are functional and efficient. Squats strengthen the muscles that keep us mobile and independent. Every time we sit in a chair or use the bathroom we are squatting. When we can no longer do those things on our own we are in trouble.

So imagine the challenge for those who cannot do squats as a form of exercise. I encounter people all the time who can’t perform a squat, because of injury or chronic conditions, include squats as part of their exercise program. It can be a frustrating situation for both client and personal trainer. While this does present a unique challenge it doesn’t mean they have to resign themselves to a lower body workout of machine driven exercises like the leg extension.

Machines can have their place in a strength training program; however, some of them do put the body in an unnatural position. They don’t mimic real world movements. We live in a 3D world and are meant to move in multiple planes. Strength training is most effective for most people with movements that mimic real life motions. Also many clients have limited equipment at home. By necessity, programs must be designed that utilize simple tools like resistance bands and their own body weight.

If squats are painful or have been forbidden by your doctor, there are still many exercise options for your lower body. Try this workout combination for an effective leg workout sans squats. Do 2-3 sets of each exercise, 10 – 12 repetitions per set. (more…)

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Pamela

One Minute Workouts to Break Your All-Or-Nothing Mentality

We need 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity physical activity, according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. It’s a great goal but it can feel unattainable for many people. If you’re new to exercise, jumping from zero to 30 minutes EVERY DAY can feel as daunting as being asked to run a marathon. This is especially true if you have no idea where to start or what to do for those 30 minutes.

Even for experienced exercisers there are days with back-to-back meetings or when the alarm doesn’t go off – again. Exercise can get pushed off the plate to balance out the daily demands on our time. With the holidays upon us, time for workouts becomes even more precious and scarce then usual. Rookie or pro, we can all fall into the “all or nothing” trap.

By the time I drive to the gym, I’ll just have to turn around and come right back. If I can’t get my whole workout in why even bother?

I can’t walk on the treadmill for FIVE minutes, how am I supposed to do 30? Where am I even going to find 30 minutes in my day?

New Book Preview: What You Can, When You Can

If the “all or nothing” mentality is holding you back from getting your daily workout, I’ve got good news for you. The latest research says our minimum dose of exercise may be lower than we once thought. A recent study in the journal Lancet looked at exercise patterns and life expectancy of over 400,000 men and women. They found that as little as 15 minutes a day provided health benefits and reduced all cause mortality. (more…)

Posted on November 25, 2023 by Pamela

17 Most LOL Food and Fitness Puns, Featuring Michelle Obama

Sure, they’re super cheesy and a little overplayed at times, but you know you can’t help but crack a smile and a you-got-me laugh when the perfect pun comes along. With as heavy a scene as we all try to paint when it comes to our food and fitness, it feels good to look at all of it from the lighter side. And this week, we have first lady Michelle Obama to thank for the cunning reminder that puns, are in fact, fun!

Enjoy our favorite actual laugh out loud puns!

1. FLOTUS throws it down.

She’s nacho average first lady! #turnipforwhat

2. Oh my Quad, Becky!

…It’s like one of those rap guys girlfriends.

FitBottomedGirls

3. What the Kale?!

So many kale puns, so little time.

(more…)

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Katie McGrath

7 Fool Proof, No Excuse Ways to Move More Every Single Day

Thousands of years ago, humans were always on the go: gathering berries, hunting prey, running from predators. Our metabolisms are still essentially the same as these humans and yet we are lucky if we can get in more than just the walk from our car to our desk and back again. With the rise of desk jobs comes the rise of ultra-sedentary lifestyles, even increased diabetes risk for women who sit too long.

This is not your fault! Plus…You are busy! You work hard! You get home at the end of the day exhausted, and your only remaining energy gets allocated to helping your kids, then maybe watching a quick TV show before your own well-deserved bedtime. And while this movement is no longer built into our survival like our early ancestors, we still need activity for our body to thrive.

Here are 7 Fool-Proof Ways to Move More in Your Day.

Not only does your body deserves this, it needs it. (more…)

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Katie McGrath

5 Exercises You Love to Hate, but Should Do Anyway

There are three benefits to hiring a personal trainer. The first is accountability. Having someone waiting on you helps insure you get to the gym. The second is structure. We have enough to think about, letting someone else put together the workout is a huge time saver. The third is having someone who pushes you out of your comfort zone and makes you do the exercises you hate.

Even the most devoted exerciser has at least one exercise they love to hate. We hate it when we’re doing it, but we love the way we feel or look afterwards. I did an informal poll of my clients and came up with the five exercises they love to hate (and why we should all do them anyway).

Burpees (aka squat thrusts): I don’t think one client likes burpees. I like them because they are efficient. If you want to get to your heart rate up and work multiple muscle groups (core, arm, shoulders and quads) then the burpee is the quickest way to do it. A burpee can also be modified for almost every fitness level.

Squats: I get groans every time I mention squats. That means there are a lot of groans because we do some form of a squat at every workout. Squats are a part of daily life (think about every time you get up out of the chair). If you want to stay independent and function for your whole life squats need to be part of your workout routine. (more…)

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Pamela

KC Bear Fighters’ Impromptu Stage 5 Workout and 8 More Things That Kept us Healthy at Winfield

Color us surprised when the KC Bear Fighters started their set on Stage 5 at Winfield’s Walnut Valley Festival on Saturday afternoon and asked the crowd to get up off their bums. It wasn’t to dance, although there was plenty of that going on, but instead to do squats. By the end of their 30-minute (incredibly entertaining) set, the lead singer, Quinn, estimated we’d completed 70 squats. If you aren’t used to that kind of workout, you were most definitely feeling the burn on Sunday morning while tearing down your tent.

The show was part of the 42nd Walnut Valley Festival, the largest bluegrass and flat-picking championship in the world. It’s a music festival set the third weekend in September in south central Kansas and people flock with acoustic instruments, tents, and visions of peace and recharging dancing in their heads. Like any festival, over-consumption of any kind is bound to ensue. But we went in ready to come home mentally recharged without the weight of the weekend carrying around our waists.

The KC Bear Fighters’ squats workout helped. But so did a few other things that we either happened on or deliberately planned.

This is how we survived Winfield in a healthy way while having as much fun as everybody else. (more…)

Posted on September 23, 2023 by Natalie K

The 5 Minute Bathroom Break Workout

The bathroom is not at the top of the list when you think of places to exercise. In fact, it’s probably not on the  list at all. But maybe it’s time for that to change.

We all visit the bathroom, and a fast workout while  you’re in “the loo” can be the perfect way to break up your day. We’ve come up with a list of five simple moves you can do in the bathroom to fit in a quick workout and boost your energy. Pick one or all and get moving during your next bathroom break, even if for just 5 minutes. This, of course, will work best if you’re in a private bathroom, that is, unless you want to lead a class of bathroom exercisers with your coworkers! (more…)

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Elizabeth

Saturday Morning Drill: Lower Body Blitz

It’s the weekend – time to relax, unwind and blow off some steam from a long work week, right? What better way to de-stress than with exercise? Today we have a simple, 7-move workout that requires no equipment and tones and tightens your entire lower body. Get ready for classics like deep squats and side kicks, as well as a few new moves like the “runner’s start” and standing split kicks.

So get your workout gear on and do this workout, no matter if you’re at home, outside or spending time at a friend’s house. If you have 10-15 minutes, you have time to whip your lower body into shape. Let’s get started! And afterwards, don’t forget to check out these 5 tips to survive the weekend.

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Dana

Why Five Minutes of Exercise Makes a Big Difference in Your Fitness

According to MayoClinic.com, the number one reason people don’t exercise on a regular basis is lack of time. I hear the same thing from clients.

But lack of time also tops my list of excuses for not exercising that are crap.

Our world is a busy one. I run my own business, so I get it. Yet, have you ever asked yourself how much time you waste on Facebook, reality TV or complaining you don’t have time to exercise? In the time you spent complaining you could have done something!

To start many of my clients off, I give them exercise homework that takes 5 minutes or less. A Cornell University study found that just 5 minutes of exercise per day can result in fitness gains and improve our self image. It can go a long way toward forming the habit of being active and chances are once you get going you’ll want to do more than those 5 minutes. (more…)

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Pamela

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