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Don’t Try This At Home… Alone

December 1, 2013 • Lifestyle

Despite our Thanksgiving dinners whittling down from “serious bingeing” to just “satisfyingly full” — I nearly upchucked my late night turkey leg because I ate so much. Therefore, when I logged on to Yahoo this morning to check the news, this little item caught my eye. Normally, I would not care but I am always looking for shortcuts. And if an article is telling me I can get “XZY” in less than “123” steps, I’m all ears.

Forewarned is forearmed. These moves are killer. After getting through the first three moves and thinking I had a fighting chance of performing “the beast” as the pistol squat is known — I was rightly put back in my place. I am far too out of shape to attempt any of these moves, let alone do 5 of them at a time including the pistol. (I managed 3 of each leg on the second move before I was out of breath!) But YMMV so take a look and see if you can incorporate it into your routine. Of course, check with your doctor/trainer/therapist first!

Quickly Tone Your Lower Body With One Move

“The idea: A pistol squat is incredible for strengthening your lower half — but also incredibly tough to do. (Did it look easy in those photos? It did to me the first time I saw one…then I tried it. Or more accurately, I collapsed on the floor.) You need strength, balance and flexibility. This morning I learned a cool way to scale it back so you can build up to a perfect pistol—simultaneously tightening everything from your waist down.

The move and progressions are brought to you by Chris Cunningham, CrossFit Level 1 coach at CrossFit NYC.”

The basic move:

Start on the floor with one knee up as pictured, extending arms in front of you. Keep your left shin vertical and your back  straight. With your weight in your left heel, drive your right knee up and out (careful with this part) until you’re standing with your right knee raised. In the beginning, use a nearby wall as a brace until you can maintain your balance. Do 5 sets of 5 reps on each leg.

With practice and consistency, I can see how this move can build an incredibly strong core.

Source: Yahoo! Health

 

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