PHASE 0

Do a full range of motion. Keep the lower back in a neutral position by assuming a posterior pelvic tilt. This will ensure that your hips are neither too high or too low, allowing your proper target point (the chest) to reach the ground first. Make sure to keep your neck as neutral as possible throughout the movement! Hand placement - laying face down on the ground, simply reach your arms overhead and then slide them down until your elbows are at about 45-60º. From here, slide your hands down to about shoulder height and press your body up. Make sure your hands are rotated outwards, to about 2 o’clock. Unshrug your shoulders - keep your shoulder blades back and down throughout. Unshrug the shoulders at the top of the movement and keep them unshrug - do not clench the scapulae when you are at the bottom. Imagine bringing your bicep forward. Instead of going straight up and down, you want to push your body at an angle, similar to what you would do with a bench press. By slightly pivoting off your toes, you will be able to descend forward and then push yourself up and back. This will also allow you to keep your elbows stacked over your wrists, which is key for proper pushup mechanics. Go slow and controlled - 2 seconds on the way down and 2 seconds on the way up.

Stance will vary slightly from person to person, but your feet should be between hip- and shoulder-width distance apart, with your toes slightly turned out (between 5 and 15 degrees). Your spine should be neutral, shoulders back and down, chest open and tall. Make sure you keep your heels down and planted throughout the entire move. You can clasp hands in front of chest for balance. Initiate the movement by sending the hips back as if you’re sitting back into an invisible chair. Bend knees to lower down as far as possible with chest lifted in a controlled movement. Keep lower back neutral. Press through heels to stand back up to the starting position. Repeat. Aim to get thighs at least parallel to the floor. To do this, squat down so your thighs are even with your knees. If mobility allows, lower further. As you come back up, make sure hips are set right under your ribs—you don’t want your hips to pull too far back.

Using a pronated grip, grasp the pull bar with a wider than shoulder width grip. Take a deep breath, squeeze your glutes and brace your abs. Depress the shoulder blades and then drive the elbows straight down to the floor while activating the lats. Pull your chin towards the bar until the lats are fully contracted, then slowly lower yourself back to the start position and repeat for the assigned number of repetitions.
To decrease bicep involvement, use a false (thumbless grip). Try to keep a neutral head position (looking straight ahead or slightly up) as hyperextending the neck can lead to compensations throughout the spine. If the bar is high enough, keep the legs straight and in front of the body in a hollow body position. Avoid falling into overextension of the lumbar spine by squeezing your glutes and bracing your abs. The pullup is completed when the lats are fully flexed, don’t continue pulling and compensate with the pecs. When this occurs, the elbows will flare up behind the body, the shoulder will round forward, and you’ll begin to feel pressure in the front of your shoulders. A lifter’s segment length will determine whether or not they can actually get their chin over the bar, it’s not an absolute for everyone. Lower to almost full extension of the elbow but avoid locking out completely as this can place excessive strain on the ligamentous structures within the elbow and shoulder. If you can’t complete a single bodyweight pullup, start with slow negatives (add weight when these can be accomplished under control) or flexed arm hangs in the top position. Ditch the straps and kips, neither one is necessary or recommended.

Lie on your back with legs hinged at the knees and arms pointing towards the ceiling. Engage your core muscles, lower back needs to be flat on the floor. Lift both your pelvis and your upper body into a crunch. Extend your arms and legs for increase in difficulty.

Start in a plank position on the floor, with hands firmly on the floor, right under your shoulders. Press toes firmly into the floor too. Keep core tight and back flat and engage your glutes and hamstrings. Your whole body should be neutral and in a straight line. Lift hips up and back until your body forms an inverted V shape. Keep arms and legs as straight as possible. Start to bend elbows, and then lower your entire upper body toward the floor. Stay there for a moment, then slowly push back up until your arms are straight and you’re in the inverted V position. Make sure you maintain control throughout the movement.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms down at your sides. Putting your weight into your right foot, step back and around with your left foot — almost as if you’re curtsying — allowing your arms to come up in front of you to a comfortable position. Ensure that your chest stays proud. Stop lunging when your right thigh is parallel to the ground. Begin to straighten your right leg, pushing up through your heel, and returning your left foot to the starting position. Repeat steps 1–3 for the desired number of reps, then switch legs.

Using a supinated grip, grasp the bar with a shoulder width grip. Take a deep breath, squeeze your glutes and brace your abs. Depress the shoulder blades and then drive the elbows straight down to the floor while activating the lats. Pull your chin towards the bar until the lats are fully contracted, then slowly lower yourself back to the start position and repeat for the assigned number of repetitions.
To decrease bicep involvement, use a false (thumbless grip). Try to keep a neutral head position (looking straight ahead or slightly up) as hyperextending the neck can lead to compensations throughout the spine. If the bar is high enough, keep the legs straight and in front of the body. Avoid falling into overextension of the lumbar spine by squeezing your glutes and bracing your abs. The chin-up is completed when the lats are fully flexed, don’t continue pulling and compensate with the pecs. Imagine you’re trying to drive the elbows down as you pull. Keep your shoulders down and back, if they round forward at the top then you’ve pulled too far. A lifter’s segment length will determine whether or not they can actually get their chin over the bar, it’s not an absolute for everyone. Lower to almost full extension of the elbow but avoid locking out completely as this can place excessive strain on the ligamentous structures within the elbow and shoulder. If you can’t complete a single bodyweight chinup, start with slow negatives or flexed arm hangs at the top position.

Kneel on a mat or cushion with the ab wheel directly in front of you. Grip the handles and support yourself with arms fully extended. Keep your back and arms straight as you move the wheel forward and away from you. Extend your body as far into a plank position as you can go. Try to retain the ability to roll back into a neutral position. Hold for a moment before steadily returning to the starting position. Aim for 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps.

First, you have to assume the starting position. Start by going down on the floor on your knees and hands. Place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders with your palms flat on the floor and your fingers pointing towards your feet. If you feel discomfort in your wrists, then you can turn your hands a little bit inwards. Also, you can perform the push-up on your fists or knuckles instead. Next, extend your legs backward so that you would be in a high plank position. Your body has to form as straight of a line, from your head to your feet, as possible. Do not let your back round or arch, and do not let your hips drop down or rise up. Your hands should be a positioned a bit lower than your shoulders. Also, try to keep your head in a neutral position. Whatever you do, do not forcefully look straight ahead. That will both stress and strain your neck and your spine. Your feet should be about hip-width apart. Now, before you start the actual push-up, tighten and engage your whole middle section and especially your abs, and keep them tight for the entire exercise. Take a big breath in and slowly start to bend your elbows. Do not let your elbows move outwards (away from your body). Lower yourself until you are about an inch from the floor. Pause the movement when you are at the bottom for a second. Exhale and start pushing your body back up. Push through your palms like you would try to push the floor away from yourself. Try to keep your body still in a straight line while pushing up. While pushing up, squeeze your chest muscles. Finish the exercise by extending your arms completely out. Repeat this for however many repetitions you wish to perform. TIPS: If you don’t have enough mobility in your wrists for this push-up variation or it hurts your wrists you can try one of these solutions: Rotate your wrists a little inwards so they would be at about a 45-degree angle. Try the incline reverse grip push-up instead! Using an elevated surface you can grab will help you minify the stress you place on your wrists. Also, this variation doesn’t require as much mobility in your wrists as the original. Instead of placing your palms on the floor, do the push-up on your knuckles/ fists. Try using wrist straps. Place a pillow or a towel underneath your palms. Always make sure to do a proper warmup especially focusing on warming up and stretching your wrists! Keep your body in a straight line for the entire exercise. Keep your neck in a neutral position to avoid stressing and hurting it. Take it slow and easy when lowering yourself and really explode back up!

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Take a big step to the side with your left leg, then bend your left knee, push hips back and lower until your left knee is bent 90 degrees. This should take around two seconds. Push back to start. You can alternate, or complete all reps (10-12 should do it) on your left before moving on to your right. Your torso may lean forwards as step to the side – that’s fine, as long as you maintain a flat lower back. Exhale to reverse the movement and stand tall. That’s one rep. If you want to add weight, hold a dumbbell in each hand and use them to frame your bent leg. What an overachiever.

Grab a chinup bar with an alternating grip -- one palm facing you (underhand grip), the other facing forward (overhand grip). Keeping your abs tight, pull yourself up until your chest is even with the bar. Pause, then lower yourself. Do all your repetitions with your hands in this position, then, on your next set, do the reverse.

Lie face up with the soles of your feet together, knees bent out to sides. Reach your arms overhead. This is starting position. Using your core, roll your body up until you are sitting upright. Reach forward to touch your toes. That's 1 rep. Slowly lower back down to starting position and continue immediately into the next rep.

Start in a plank position, your hands slightly wider than shoulder-distance apart, but directly under your shoulders. Your body should form a straight line from heels to head. Tighten your core and begin bending your elbows, so they angle backward at 45-degrees from your body as you lower your chest toward the floor. Inhale as you move through the lowering phase of the exercise. Pick up your right foot and draw your right knee up and out, so your right knee reaches your elbow just as your chest hovers about an inch or two from the mat. Reverse the movement, extending your elbows to press up to the plank position as you simultaneously extend your knee and return your right foot to the floor. Exhale as you press yourself back to the starting position. Repeat to the opposite side, this time bringing your left knee to your left elbow.

Stand in a split stance with your front heel 2–4 feet in front of your back foot. Raise your back heel to place weight evenly along your toes. The weight on your front foot should be evenly distributed along the entire foot. Grip the floor with your front foot to create a stable foot position. Square your hips. Your posture should be tall with your torso upright and feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly. Your shoulders should be over your hips or slightly ahead of your hips with a neutral head and neck position. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin. Place your hands on your hips or hold dumbbells by your sides. Engage your core. Begin the downward movement by bending the hip, knee, and ankle of your front leg and allowing your back knee to bend toward the floor. Lower until your front leg is parallel to the floor. Your back knee should be underneath your rear hip, 1–2 inches above the ground. Pause at the bottom for 1–2 seconds. To begin the upward movement, push your front foot into the ground to initiate standing. As you stand, keep your chest high, and squeeze your front glute. Allow your front knee to straighten and your hip to travel forward. As you finish the movement, squeeze your quadriceps while maintaining a neutral spine and a slightly bent knee. At the end of each repetition, your shoulders should finish directly over your hips. Imagine that your pelvis is a bucket filled with water and you’re attempting not to spill any water out of the front, back, or sides of the bucket.

Using a pronated grip, grasp the pull bar with a wider than shoulder width grip. Take a deep breath, squeeze your glutes and brace your abs. Depress the shoulder blades and then drive the elbows straight down to the floor while activating the lats. Pull your chin towards the bar until the lats are fully contracted, then slowly lower yourself back to the start position and repeat for the assigned number of repetitions.
To decrease bicep involvement, use a false (thumbless grip). Try to keep a neutral head position (looking straight ahead or slightly up) as hyperextending the neck can lead to compensations throughout the spine. If the bar is high enough, keep the legs straight and in front of the body in a hollow body position. Avoid falling into overextension of the lumbar spine by squeezing your glutes and bracing your abs. The pullup is completed when the lats are fully flexed, don’t continue pulling and compensate with the pecs. When this occurs, the elbows will flare up behind the body, the shoulder will round forward, and you’ll begin to feel pressure in the front of your shoulders. A lifter’s segment length will determine whether or not they can actually get their chin over the bar, it’s not an absolute for everyone. Lower to almost full extension of the elbow but avoid locking out completely as this can place excessive strain on the ligamentous structures within the elbow and shoulder. If you can’t complete a single bodyweight pullup, start with slow negatives (add weight when these can be accomplished under control) or flexed arm hangs in the top position. Ditch the straps and kips, neither one is necessary or recommended.

Lie face up in a starfish position with your legs extended and right arm extended overhead on the floor. Extend your left arm out to the left side of your body. Contract your abs to press your lower back into the ground. This is the starting position. Engage your thighs and glutes and simultaneously lift your left leg, right arm, and upper back off the ground, reaching across your body to touch your right hand to meet your left ankle. Use your left arm to help maintain balance as you rise. Keep your core engaged as you lower to return to the starting position. Continue this movement for 20 seconds.