How do you physically prepare for retirement? Part 8: How I begin building my clients Lower Body Strength. Part B. Stationary Split Squats

Split Squats and Lunges help you to do this.

Part 7 A: Squats

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What you will find is we will use some of the same exercises for improving posture, mobility and strength. The difference is how the exercises are performed. 

Why do I begin with posture and mobility before strength? I want my clients to maximize the gains, while minimizing the risks they will make from the complex movements I use to make them stronger. The results will be much better if they can stabilize what I want stable and move with control what I want mobile.

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WHEN WORKING ON ANY OF THESE EXERCISES, NEVER FORCE YOUR BODY INTO A POSITION. The focus should always be on how you are controlling the muscles and joints and the movements they are making. The pace of each movement should be slow. Perform from 5 to 10 reps of each. The goal is to get the muscles turned on as opposed to tiring them out. If you feel fatigue in the muscle when you are done, you have done too many.

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What exercises you perform are important. How you perform them is more important.

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Before attempting any of the following exercises, be sure to get the approval of your Physician. Especially if you have ever had ANY JOINT OR BACK PAIN or INJURY.  If you aren’t sure how to perform any of these exercises, have someone show you that knows how to teach you.

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After my clients have learned their posture, mobility and balance exercises we begin focusing more on strength.  They still use the posture, mobility and balance exercises as their warm up.

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Lower Body Strength: Part B: 

Lower body strengthening exercises should only be done once or twice per week since it is harder for legs to recover than upper bodies since the legs are used every day for weight bearing.

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Stationary Split Squats: 

I love teaching clients how to perform Split Squats because they are even more challenging than squats. They require more hip mobility, balance and strength.

A few of the things I have them focus on:

Pushing through the front heel.

Focusing on lowering and raising the hips.

Keeping a tall torso.

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Much like squats, if Stationary Split Squats are too difficult I let the clients learn how to use their arms until they don’t need their arms to help.

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Stationary Split Squats with assistance from the arms:

I have the client stand next to a counter top or sturdy chair. They place the foot farthest from the counter top or chair in front and the foot closest in back. This keeps torso rotation to a minimum. 

I have them drop their hips towards the floor using their legs to control as much of the movement as possible. They are allowed to use the hand as much as necessary until enough leg strength is built. I have them take from 3 – 10 seconds to descend. If they need to they can rest between each repetition before lower the hips again. The goal is to build up to 12 – 15 repetitions. They get up using the hands to help as little as necessary.

Once they can perform 12 – 15 reps during 2 consecutive workouts, it is time to begin relying less on the hands and more on the legs.

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Split Squats without assistance from the arms:

I have them drop their hips towards the floor using their legs to control as much of the movement as possible. I have them take from 3 – 10 seconds to descend. They pause at the bottom.  If they need to they can rest between each repetition before lower the hips again. The goal is to build up to 12 – 15 repetitions. 

Once they have mastered this we move onto holding the bottom position.

They lower their hips like they have been except this time they hold the bottom position for longer periods of time. (5 – 10 seconds each) They might have to rest between each rep, but the goal is to build their strength so they can perform from 10 – 15 reps continuously.

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Once I feel confident the client has enough strength and coordination, I might have them move from split squats to various types of lunges. 

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Step Ups without extra resistance.

Other exercises I love to teach are Split Squats with the rear foot elevated (also known as Bulgarian Squats) and Step Ups. Step Ups are a great way to increase a clients confidence around steps.  

My favorite Lower Body strengthening exercise. You get a huge improvement in hip mobility and stability while building strength and balance at the same time.

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This is the last post dealing with the basic movements I use to build my clients strength. This is the foundation which all their training is based on. As they progress different versions of the exercises can be added depending on what will benefit the client. If they need it, do it. If they don't need it, don't do it. 

How do you physically prepare for retirement? Part 7: How I begin building my clients Lower Body Strength. Part A. SQUATS

Bret Contreras know that a set of goblet squats per day keeps the doctor away. 

Bret knows squat, do you?

 Previous two post:

Part 5: How I begin working on my clients Dynamic and Stable Balance.

Part 6: How I begin building my clients Upper Body/Middle Back Strength.

____________________________________________________________

What you will find is we will use some of the same exercises for improving posture, mobility and strength. The difference is how the exercises are performed. 

Why do I begin with posture and mobility before strength? I want my clients to maximize the gains, while minimizing the risks they will make from the complex movements I use to make them stronger. The results will be much better if they can stabilize what I want stable and move with control what I want mobile.

______________________________________________________________

WHEN WORKING ON ANY OF THESE EXERCISES, NEVER FORCE YOUR BODY INTO A POSITION. The focus should always be on how you are controlling the muscles and joints and the movements they are making. The pace of each movement should be slow. Perform from 5 to 10 reps of each. The goal is to get the muscles turned on as opposed to tiring them out. If you feel fatigue in the muscle when you are done, you have done too many.

______________________________________________________________

What exercises you perform are important. How you perform them is more important.

_____________________________________________________________

Before attempting any of the following exercises, be sure to get the approval of your Physician. Especially if you have ever had ANY JOINT OR BACK PAIN or INJURY.  If you aren’t sure how to perform any of these exercises, have someone show you that knows how to teach you.

___________________________________________________________

After my clients have learned their posture, mobility and balance exercises we begin focusing more on strength.  They still use the posture, mobility and balance exercises as their warm up.

___________________________________________________________

Lower Body Strength: Part A:
 

Lower body strengthening exercises should only be done once or twice per week since it is harder for legs to recover than upper bodies since the legs are used every day for weight bearing.

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SQUATS: (aka, the King of all exercises) 

Why do I like teaching my clients how to squat? I believe learning how to squat properly give my clients more bang for their buck than any other exercise. You can develop posture, strength, mobility and balance from this great exercise. There are many ways to squat. 

Three things I have my clients focus on are:

1. Controlling their descents.
2. Starting from the bottom position.
3. Holding the bottom position with the glutes just above the chair. 

Each of these 3 focus points develops different types of strength.

One to the biggest reasons people fear squatting is it can become a very tough exercise. I love to teach clients how to adapt squatting to their current ability. Of course the goal is to increase this ability through training.

Another reason people don’t want to squat is they think squatting is bad for their knees. To quote my mentor Dan John, “Squats don’t hurt your knees, how you squat hurts your knees.”  

A few of the things I have them focus on: 

Pushing through their heels.

Keeping their knees apart.

Keeping a tall torso.

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How do I teach clients how to squat if getting out of a chair or couch is a challenge? They use their arms to help until they don’t need their arms to help.

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Squats with assistance from the arms:

I have the client stand with the backs of their legs in front of a chair with sturdy armrests. I have them sit down using their legs to control as much of the movement as possible. They are allowed to use their hands as much as necessary until enough leg strength is built. I have them take from 3 – 10 seconds to descend into the chair. If they plop into the chair before their bottom hits the seat, I will add a pillow in the chair until they gain enough strength to descend into the seat without it. If they need to they can rest between each repetition before getting out of the chair. 

The goal is to build up to 12 – 15 repetitions. They get up using the hands to help as little as necessary. 

Once they can perform 12 – 15 reps during 2 consecutive workouts, it is time to begin relying less on the hands and more on the legs.

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Squats without assistance from the arms:

I have the client stand with the backs of their legs in front of a sturdy chair. They slowly lower their hips into the chair. They pause for a couple of seconds and then stand up while focusing on keeping the shoulders up and lifting from the hips. They repeat this for 5 – 15 reps. 

Once they have mastered this we move onto holding the bottom position.

They lower their hips like they have been except this time they don’t sit down between reps. Think about the glutes hovering just above the chair. They start by holding this position for a couple of seconds. 

As they get stronger I have them work on holding this bottom position for longer periods of time. (5 – 10 seconds each) They might have to rest between each rep, but the goal is to build their strength so they can perform from 10 – 15 reps continuously.

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Other forms of squatting I might add:

Goblet Squats, Lateral Squats, Jumping Squats.  

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Once the client has mastered squatting we move onto various types of lunges, split squats and other unilateral exercises. I will post more about them next time.

How do you physically prepare for retirement? Part 6: How I begin building my clients Upper Body/Middle Back Strength.

Show me someone with a strong upper and middle back and I will show you someone who is strong. (and looks younger than their age)

In case you missed the first 5 posts:

Posture Part 1 Your Head and Neck 

Posture Part 2 Your shoulders and Thoracic Spine  

Posture Part 3 Your Lumbar/Pelvic/Hip Complex

Part 4: How I begin working on my client’s mobility.

Part 5: How I begin working on my clients Dynamic and Stable Balance.

____________________________________________________________

What you will find is we will use some of the same exercises for improving posture, mobility and strength. The difference is how the exercises are performed. 

Why do I begin with posture and mobility before strength? I want my clients to maximize the gains, while minimizing the risks they will make from the complex movements I use to make them stronger. The results will be much better if they can stabilize what I want stable and move with control what I want mobile.

______________________________________________________________

WHEN WORKING ON ANY OF THESE EXERCISES, NEVER FORCE YOUR BODY INTO A POSITION. The focus should always be on how you are controlling the muscles and joints and the movements they are making. The pace of each movement should be slow. Perform from 5 to 15 reps of each. Unlike the Posture, Mobility and Balance exercises, this time the goal is to get the muscles tired. You don't want to push yourself past the point of fatigue.

______________________________________________________________

What exercises you perform are important. How you perform them is more important.

_____________________________________________________________

Before attempting any of the following exercises, be sure to get the approval of your Physician. Especially if you have ever had ANY JOINT OR BACK PAIN or INJURY.  If you aren’t sure how to perform any of these exercises, have someone show you that knows how to teach you.

___________________________________________________________

After my clients have learned their posture, mobility and balance exercises we begin focusing more on strength.  They still use the posture, mobility and balance exercises as their warm up.

___________________________________________________________

I like to start with the upper body or else the clients legs might be too tired to stand during the upper body work. I usually focus on pulling movements since most pushing exercises will only make it harder to correct older adults upper body crosses syndrome. Even though they can work on mobility every day,  I only want my clients working on upper body strength 2 – 3 times per week.

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Upper Body/Middle Back Strength:

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Yeah , you can do it seated, but I prefer to add the balance component while standing.

Shoulder Squeezes: This is a great posture exercise at the same time.

I have the clients stand up straight with their chest out. I place a light to moderate exercise band in their hands. They have their arms straight out around shoulder height with their palms down. They bring the hands back while keeping their arms straight. They focus on how their shoulder blades are squeezed together. I place my fingertips between their shoulder blades to help them focus on where they should feel the muscles contracting. They hold this contraction for a couple of seconds and slowly bring their hands back to the starting position.

I will have them repeat this from 10 – 15 times depending on where their strength level is. Since these are smaller muscles used more for correct posture, I like to focus more on building the endurance of them. One way is to have them hold the contraction longer. (Anywhere from 5 – 10 seconds each) They will never get as strong as some other muscles. If we decide to add a second set, I will usually have the client alternate arms while focusing on pulling the hands apart. This gives them an additional challenge when it comes to balance since I still want the torso stiff and hips still. (as opposed to moving with the arms)

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Be sure to keep the lower back from helping move the arms.

Face Pulls: I only have a client use this exercise if their shoulders are ready for it.

I will wrap the middle of a lighter resistance exercise band around a door handle and stand directly behind the client.  I want to make sure they can keep their torso stiff and hips still. I place my finger tips on the spot on their upper back where I want them to focus on how the muscles are contracting. Once I am comfortable they understand how I want them to perform this exercise, and their balance is good enough, we stand facing each other. I hold an exercise band in the middle and they hold the handles.  

I have the clients stand straight with their chest out. They have their arms straight out around shoulder height with their palms down. They bring the hands back with the thumbs close to their ears. They focus on how their shoulder blades are squeezed together. They hold this contraction for a couple of seconds and slowly bring their hands back to the starting position.

I will have them repeat this from 5 – 15 times depending on where they strength level is. Since these are smaller muscles used more for correct posture, I like to focus more on building the endurance of them. They will never get real strong. If we decide to add a second set, I will usually have the client alternate arms. This gives them an additional challenge when it comes to balance since I still want the torso stiff and hips still. (as opposed to moving with the arms)

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Finishing point. Focus on the shoulder blades.

Standing Rows: I have had every one of my clients perform these. It is my favorite Upper Body Exercise because of what is does for our strength and posture.

Just like the Face Pulls, I will wrap the middle of the exercise band around a door handle and stand directly behind the client.  I want to make sure they can keep their torso stiff and hips still. I place my finger tips on the spot on their middle back (between the shoulder blades) where I want them to focus on how the muscles are contracting. Once I am comfortable they understand how I want them to perform this exercise, and their balance is good enough, we stand facing each other. I hold an exercise band in the middle and they hold the handles.  

I have the clients stand straight with their chest out. They have their arms straight out around elbow height with their palms down or facing each other. They bring their elbows back while keeping their hands at elbow height.  They focus on how their shoulder blades are squeezed together. They hold this contraction for a couple of seconds and slowly bring their hands back to the starting position.

I begin with the client performing from 5 – 10 reps. The muscles involved with this exercise are naturally stronger so over a period of months I can make this exercise a lot more difficult than the face pulls. If the client gets strong enough they eventually might do 2 – 3 sets of only 4 – 6 reps each.  Once the client is performing this with excellent technique I will usually have the client perform some sets while alternating arms. Just like Face Pulls, this gives them an additional challenge when it comes to balance since I still want the torso stiff and hips still. (as opposed to moving with the arms)

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                                                  I cringe when I see a pic like this.                                                                              He needs more shoulder blade/thoracic spine work before pressing anything overhead.

Over Head Presses: But only if the client’s shoulders and thoracic spine can handle it.

If and only if the client is able to move their shoulder blades enough to open up the front of their shoulders and they are able to extend their thoracic spine enough will I consider having them use this exercise. Otherwise there is too much risk of hurting the shoulder and/or back for the client.  

I have the clients stand straight with their chest out. They have their hands about shoulder width apart close to being on the shoulders. Their elbows are held close to shoulder height. I have them squeeze their glutes enough to stabilize their pelvis and lower back. I will guide their hands so that they are being raised above their head while keeping the hands around shoulder width apart. They hold this contraction for a second and slowly bring their hands back to the starting position. 

Once I feel that they have enough control of the movement I will add a small amount of resistance. Another variety I will use is having them perform some sets by alternating the movement of their hands. Once again this adds a balance component to the exercise.

We might start with only 5 – 10 repetitions. This is another exercise that the clients can work towards using a large amount of resistance.  I make sure they focus on using the arms and shoulders and not the back or legs. 

One of the best ways to tell when a set should end is when they begin to recruit their legs or back to help lift the arms. No more reps are needed. We don’t want the exercise to turn into a push press. Not that there is anything wrong with adding the push press later.  

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You might have noticed that I didn't add any type of chest pressing exercises. (Push Ups, Bench Presses, etc.) This is because most clients are already working to correct upper body crossed syndrome and these pushing exercises can make it worse.)  I do have some clients perform some pushing exercises, but my programs are very pulling dominate.

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Next Week I will begin posting about increasing my clients lower body strength.