Leg's and Core exercises you can perform at home.

Hi all,

Mark here form Alltone  group personal training studio and BNG Boot Camp Greensborough.

Winter has finally set in and staying motivating can be a challenge for some over the coming months.  Getting up early and heading out for a run or to the gym becomes a real struggle. So I thought I would put together a few exercises which target the lower body and core muscles. They can be performed easily in the comfort of your own home and will only take 10-15 minute's to complete.  If you have never performed the exercises below, have a serious medical condition, injuries or any other health issue then I highly recommend seeking advice from a medical professional before commencing any exercise program.  Enjoy! 

SQUAT 

 3 SETS 

10 REPETITIONS 

30 SECONDS REST BETWEEN SETS

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and your toes slightly turned out. Have your arm directly out in front of you parallel to the floor. Keep your abdominal muscles tight, begin by pushing your hips back and bending at the knees. (Similar to sitting back onto a chair.) Keep the weight in your heels. While squatting, keep your knees tracking in line with your feet. Ideally you want to lower yourself so your hip joint is slightly lower than your knees. Push up through the heels extending your knees and hips until you are back to a standing position.  

 Tip: Keep your chest high while performing the squat. Knees should not pass the toes.   

Reduce the rest between sets to 30 sec to increase the intensity.  

BIRD DOG 

3 SETS 

16 REPETITONS  

1 MIN REST BETWEEN SETS 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Start with on your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips, while keeping your head, neck, and back straight.  Raise your right arm and reach it forward until it’s in line with your torso. As you bring your arm forward, kick your left leg backwards until it’s straight and in line with your torso, hold for 1 second. Slowly bring your arm and leg back to the ground and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.  

PLANK 

3 SETS 

MAX HOLD  

30 - 45 SEC REST BETWEEN SETS 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Resting on your forearms, lift your body into a straight line. Feet should be hip width apart and arm bent at 90 degrees with elbows directly beneath your shoulders. Activate your core muscles by pulling your belly button in towards your spine and squeeze your glutes.  Hold this position for as long as you can. This is one set. 

Tip: Avoid sagging or elevating your hips throughout the exercise. If you have not performed this exercise before, you can start by resting both knees on the floor.  

MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS 

3 SETS 

MAX REPETITIONS   

30 SEC REST BETWEEN SETS 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Commence in a plank position on your hands. Ensure your hands are directly beneath your shoulders and feet are hip width apart. Step your left knee in towards your left elbow. Do not let your left foot touch the ground, then step the left foot back out into a plank position. Repeat on the right hand side. Do as many as possible.  

Tip: Avoid lifting your hips in the air, keep your abdominal muscles tight.  

So there you go, I hope that was helpful. Perform this 3 times per week with 2 additional days of 30min cardiovascular exercise like swimming, jogging or cycling . If you require further help or would like information on a more advanced exercise program feel free to contact me. At Alltone Fitness we offer personal training, small group personal training, boot camp and yoga in the Greenborough, Bundoora, Watsonia and Mill Park area. For more info get in touch at info@alltonefitness.com.au or head to our website www.alltonefitness.com.au

Stay Warm  

Mark 

My top 5 exercises you must be performing.

Hi all. Mark here again for this week's blog installation. 

I hope everyone is looking forward to the Easter break.  Alltone Fitness Studio will be closed over the easter break and will re open on Tues 29th March.  BNG Boot Camp and group fitness will not be running over Easter and will recommence indoors at Watsonia Primary School, 240 Nell Street, Watsonia on Tues 5th April. Happy Easter!

This week I will be sharing with you my top 5 exercises and explaining the benefits and why you should be performing them in your exercise programs. Most of you that know me well, won't be surprised to find out that all 5 exercises are full body movements. 
What are full body exercises I hear you ask? Well let me explain. Compound exercises (full body movements) also known as multi jointed exercises, burn more fat, use multiple muscle groups and build the most strength and muscle. Examples of compound exercises are push ups, squats, chin ups, medicine ball slams and burpees just to name a few. Some compound exercises can be difficult to learn while some may be more effective than others. In this blog I will explain why my top 5 full body exercises will give you maximum results in the shortest amount of time. 

5 Burpees ( Insert evil laugh here )

Used by fitness boot camp instructors and personal trainers world wide, burpees are one of those full body exercises most people love to hate. This high intensity exercise will give you a entire full body workout in just minutes. A high level of focus and intensity is required to be able to push through a set of 15-20 repetitions. Here's how to perform a burpee. 

From a standing position, squat down, put your hands on the ground, kick your legs out behind you, do a push-up (optional), then kick the legs back up into a squat position, stand and jump as you swing your arms overhead. If you’re an advanced exerciser or want to add even more “oomph” to this exercise, you can wear a weighted vest as you do your burpees. Good luck! 

4 Medicine Ball Slams 

Not only is this exercise fantastic at building upper body, core and leg strength, it is also fantastic for stress relief. Best of all though, it is quite easy to perform. 

To do a medicine ball slam, you simply get a medicine ball (those big heavy balls you can often find in the corner of the gym), raise it overhead, then swing your arms down as you release the ball and slam it into the ground as hard as possible. Keep your spine in a neutral position thorough the entire move, abs are tight and slight bend in your knees as you slam the ball into the ground.

3. Push Ups 

Push-ups are one of the oldest and most basic of exercises for a simple reason. They work! The exercise positions all the muscles in our upper body and builds optimal strength in the forearms, shoulders and chest. Performed correctly, you will also target your core and glute muscles. 

To do a pushup get into a high plank position. Screw your hands firmly into the ground directly under shoulders. Keep you abs and glutes tight throughout the movement. Lower your body by bending your elbows back on a 45 degree angle and keep your forearms vertical. Keep your back flat and eyes focused about three feet in front of you to keep a neutral neck—until your chest grazes the floor. Push back up

2. Barbell Squats 

It is one of the most primitive movements known to man and without doubt one of the best exercises for lower body muscular and strength development. Barbell squats will increase your core strength. This is because through the entire movement your core muscles need to work hard to keep your body upright and support your lower back. 

Begin with the barbell supported on top of the traps. The chest should be up and the head facing forward. Adopt a hip to shoulder width stance with the feet turned out as needed. Keep your abs and glutes tight.  Descend by flexing at the knees and hips while pushing your hamstrings back. Keep the knees tracking in line with your feet and avoid them tracking too far forward over the toes. The goal is to keep the torso as upright as possible. Continue all the way down, keeping the weight on the front of the heel. At the moment the upper legs contact the lower legs reverse the motion, driving the weight upward.

1. Deadlift to Overhead Press

The premise of the deadlift-to-overhead press is fairly straightforward: you pick a heavy object off the ground and lift it overhead. The object can be a dumbbell, barbell, kettlebell, medicine ball or sandbag. However, the following people who display poor mobility/stability, are inexperienced or have lingering injuries should seek advice on properly performing this exercise before attempting it.

When youpick the object off the ground, which is called a deadlift, you’ll need to have good form: looking forward with your knees bent, butt out, and back straight. You then stand by extending your hip forward, as you stand or after you are in a standing position, hoist the weight overhead – using your hip and leg muscles to assist your upper body with driving the weight up.

Personal Training at Alltone Fitness

Personal Training at Alltone Fitness

Hi Guys, Mark here for this week’s fitness blog. Last week we touched on the importance of squatting and why we should all be performing this functional move in our daily routine. This week I will discuss our personal training service we offer at Alltone Fitness Studio.

Does personal training seem a little daunting to you?  Are you intimidated by going to a big gym? Do you dislike pushy gym sales people or pushy personal trainers trying to book you in for a session everyday?  Well, this is where we come in!

Alltone Fitness is a private fitness studio and all our sessions are held in a private setting with just you and your personal trainer. Our number one goal is getting you results! We have no joining fees or membership fees.  Just exceptional pay as you go personal training and small group fitness in Bundoora and Greensborough.

On your first session we conduct a fitness assessment and it’s absolutely free.  This is a great opportunity for us to get to know you a little better. We discuss your fitness goals, any current or past injuries, medical conditions and prior exercise history. Because we always put your health first, we then measure your blood pressure and discuss in detail any prior or current medical conditions you may have. This will help us determine the type of fitness program to design for you.We then take girth measurements along with a body fat analysis. This a great way to track your progress while keeping

you driven and motivated. A flexibility and cardiovascular assessment will then follow to determine a base level of flexibility and aerobic fitness. The cardiovascular assessment is conducted on an exercise bike and is of a low to medium intensity which lasts for 5 min.

What makes us stand out from the rest is that each fitness program and personal training session is specifically designed for the individual. We love to incorporate resistance  and core training in our sessions which rapidly assist with weight loss and improving functional strength. So what are you waiting for? GET FIT NOW!

To book your free no obligation personal training session head to www.alltonefitness.com.au/booking

Personal training Greensborough - Personal Training Bundoora -  Personal Training Mill Park - Outdoor group fitness Bundoora -  Boot Camp Bundoora

Have a groovy week and stay fit!

Mark