Power of 5
- Regular Push ups with or without knees 5 reps
- Power Push Ups 5 reps
- Pulses 5 reps
- Plank 30 seconds
- Triangular Push Ups
- Up Downs 30 seconds
- Jumping Squats 30 seconds
- Push Ups on one foot (each side 5 reps)
- Bicycle (abs) 30-60 seconds
Description:
- Regular Push Ups:keep hands 1-2 inches wider than shoulders. Make sure your chest is aligned up with your hands. Don’t: lean back so your hands are in front of your shoulders when your going down. Push ups on feet: keep feet together and navel pulled in throughout the exercise. Head is neutral with your spine. Don’t let lower back slump. Push ups on knees: make sure there’s one long line from knees to hips to shoulders. Everything moves down as a unit.
- Power Push Ups: plyometric push ups with no clapping. Go down and push off ground with all your force so your arms straighten out and your palms leave the ground as far as you can go up. Land with slight bend in elbow and go back down to your lowest position without hitting your chest on the ground.
- Pulses: get onto hands and feet into regular push up position. Go down 2-3 inches and return to top. Repeat these smaller pulses. Most of the emphasis should be your triceps.
- Plank: regular push up position or place your forearms on the ground. Keep feet and legs tight together. Squeeze your butt throughout entire plank and keep your navel pulled up tight. You can alternate lifting one leg down and one leg up. Keep your foot flexed and squeeze your butt so your foot that’s raising only goes up 1-2 inches above your hip level.
- Triangular push ups: place your hands at an angle so that they create a triangular shape. Fingers turned slightly in with fingers and thumbs at a 90 degree angle. When lowering your body, your face or chest should hit the center of the triangle. If your wrist hurts while going down then separate your hands slightly wider until no pain. Go down slow, fight gravity. If you can’t go all the way down then pulse.
- Up Downs (birpies) : jogging in place, every 5 seconds, squat down and throw hands onto the ground, arms straight and throw back feet at the same time at slightly shoulder width apart (sprawl). Don’t let your lower back sag into the ground to prevent back injury. Throw your feet back under you and stand to repeat jogging. When throwing your feet back, keep your head slightly up to prevent rounding your back. Do NOT do a push up at any time during this exercise.
- Jumping Squats: Feet shoulder with apart. Squat slight above 90 degrees. Hands bent into curl position with a fist. As you return to the top to jump off your toes and throw your fist down at a fast pace to accelerate your jump into the air. In the air your legs should be locked, pointed toe and extended arms with a fist. Returning to the ground have a slight bend into knee while landing on your HEELS. Squat back to slightly above 90 degrees and bend arms.
- Push ups with one foot: Same as high plank on hands but your doing a push up with only one foot on the ground.
- Bicycle: ab exercise. click here for full detail.
How to perform:
beginner: 1 set of 5 reps of each exercise
advanced: 3-5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise
Very Fit: 6-8 sets of 5 reps of each exercise
