Leg Work: Single Leg Deadlifts

Compound exercises that work a variety of muscles are great, especially for runners as we need a strong core and strong legs. The single leg deadlift works your core as it forces you to balance, but it also works your legs and your glutes with the weight that you are lifting. Check out the video below for how to do this exercise.

Try this with light weights first and progress. As you do this exercise, lift your leg slowly. A lot of people make the mistake of speeding through, which may not put as much emphasis on the muscle they want to attack. So go slow. It hurts a little more, but you can do it :)

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Check Me Out on Ada's Workout Video!

I love when Africans work out. It shows that we are beginning to think about our health, and trying to live longer. One personal trainer I admire, Ada Agbim, makes workout videos on Youtube to mostly Nigerian and Ghanaian music. When she invited me to be part of one of her videos, I was so excited!

Here is the video to Fuse ODG's Antenna. This is one of my favorite Azonto songs too :) This cardio workout really burns out your legs, and though it looks easy, it is such a great workout. Check out the full video on her Youtube page.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Work your Core with Up and Down Planks

I have a love-hate relationship with "up and down planks". Well, I mostly hate them. But I do them because they are so effective in building core strength. They also work your arms as well because it is almost like doing a pushup.

If you want to add an extra level of intensity, attempt to get through these as fast as you can. You can break them up into sets of 10 and do 3 sets before going on to another exercise.

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April Booty Challenge Day 1

Let's start with the squat. You can do it with only your body weight or increase the resistance by holding dumbbells. Note the anatomy of the squat: Sit back into your butt like you're sitting in a chair, not forward. So your knees should remain as static as possible. Squeeze your bum when you go down and when you come up, and look forward! Try to do 100 today (break it up as you wish).

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Weighted Sit-ups

Want to try another abs workout? This one helps increase the tension of a regular sit-up by adding in a dumbbell. How do you do it? Lie back with your butt and feet on the floor, and holding a dumbbell over your head. I used an 8lb dumbbell. Open your feet wide. Slowly use your core to lift your upper body all the way up until the dumbbell is on the floor between your feet. Then slowly lower back down using your core strength to help you. Repeat for 3 sets of 20 reps.

Here is a video demo:

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Dumbbell February: Dumbbell Burpees!

You hate burpees... I know. So logically, why don't we make it even harder? Add dumbbells :) If you don't know what a burpee is, here is a step-by-step:

• Bend your knees with your palms on the floor.
• Jump back into a plank
• Do a pushup
• Jump forward into the original position
• Jump up with one dumbbell in each hand lifted towards the ceiling

Try to do 3 sets of 10. Here is a video to help out.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Eights & Weights Video: Spartan Jacks Cardio Workout

Another video! I know we all struggle with cardio workouts because they usually consist of repetitive motion. So I thought I'd get one of those that may be a little fun, at least if you like to jump around. 

The Spartan Jack is a great workout for the overall body, and is pretty similar to the Jumping Jack, but rather than clap your hands above your head, you lower and raise your fists like you are lifting weights. For more impact, you can lift light weights as you raise and lower your arms.

Step 1: Stand straight with elbows in a 'W' beside your shoulders and your fingers in a fist. Keep your shoulders down.

Step 2: Simultaneously lift your fists straight up above your head while you jump and land with your legs open wide shoulder-width or wider apart.

Step 3: Simultaneously lower your fists and jump and land with your feet closed.

To provide further guidance, see the video below.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Inner Thigh Lifts

There seem to be a lot of misconceptions when it comes to working your muscles. The body is made up of so many muscles, somewhere upwards of 640, and so it does take significant effort to work each one. Of course they are not all equally important.

When it comes to the leg and thigh muscles, there are also so many. However, where we choose to focus could affect our balance and how our bodies protect themselves from injury. 

There are several large muscles in our outer thighs, but because they tend to be bigger than the muscles in our butts and inner thighs, they compensate for a lot of the exercises we do. For example, although lunges should be working your inner thigh muscles and your butt, if those muscles are not strong enough to hold the position, or if the position is not done right, the outer thigh muscles compensate and cause a lot of tension in those muscles.

Before I blab on and on, the point I am trying to get across is that for the thigh muscles, we may need to do exercises that target individual parts of the thighs because these muscles are very important for balance.

Here is a video from LiveStrong that shows one exercise you can do to work the muscles in your inner thigh: Inner Thigh Lifts. These are difficult, but get easier as you do them more often.

As you do the exercise above, remember that your core is also the center of every exercise that you do, and it is the source of your balance. If you do not have a strong core, it is important that you work to build your core with every exercise. Keep your abs tight as you contract and relax your muscles and you'd be using your core strength as well.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: healthyliving.azcentral.com

The Side Kick (or Roundhouse Kick) - Eights & Weights Video

Let's continue our exercise videos with more lower body stuff. This week, we have the roundhouse kick (aka the side kick). I like kicks because they involve both power and repetitive motion, allowing your body to burn calories and build muscles at the same time. And we all know I love my lower body exercises.

Instructions:

• Bend into a high squat with both feet parallel to each other and hip wide.
• Rotate your left foot to lift off the floor and come forward while you maintain a bend in your knee.
• Extend your lower left leg with some power like you are kicking something on your right side (not your front).
• If there was someone standing in front of you, you would be kicking their left arm with your left shin.

Confusing? Watch the video! Made just for you :)

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Proper Pushup Form - Eights & Weights Video

Another day, another video :) I promised I would make a few more videos showing the proper form for popular exercises because the last few ones I did got a lot of positive feedback.

Today, it's the dreaded pushup. Most people that start a fitness regimen don't start being able to do multiple pushups, and definitely don't start being able to do it absolutely right. But the pushup is one of the best exercises out there because it works so many muscle groups (they call these types of exercises "Compound exercises") - the arms, shoulders, upper back, and core. Not only does it work many muscle groups, it also helps you to gauge how far you've come from when you started working out.

So here are some key tips:

• Lower yourself as close to the ground as possible without compromising your form. Even if you don't get too far down, you are still working out.

• Use your abs to hold your body up for a core workout.

• Do not sag your butt down or raise your butt up. Try to keep your body straight.

There you have it! And a video to help you out! I would love your feedback on the videos so I can give you more tips that help you. I know the quality of the one below is not that great, but we'll continue to work on that. While you are checking the video out, check out our other exercise videos on our Eights and Weights Youtube channel.

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Side Plank with a Twist

Looking for a great exercise to work your abs, arms, butt, and thighs? Try the side plank with a twist. It's basically a rotating motion that works out most of your body, especially your thighs.

Also, subscribe to our Youtube channel to watch videos as we add them and provide comments.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Perfect Your Sit-Up: The Video

You guessed it! This week, Eights & Weights is making a video debut. In our first video, we're going back a few weeks to the sit-up topic. Hopefully, you'll get better tips as it is demonstrated in the video. We'd really appreciate your comments, feedback, questions, and concerns.

Subscribe to our Youtube channel to see videos in the future. Simply click on "NEW! VIDEOS!" on the menu above.

Cheers Eights & Weights!