30 Day Tiger Abs Challenge

30 days to stronger, firmer and leaner abs? Challenge yourself by joining Tiger Athletic head trainer Aubrey in our 30-Day Tiger Abs Challenge to build a stronger core and leaner abs.

Localized weight gain solely in your midsection may be the result of specific lifestyle choices. The two S’s, stress and sugar play a significant role in the size of your midsection. Fat around the middle is, in fact, unhealthier than being overweight, can increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and even cancer, especially breast cancer.

Our modern lifestyle of sitting all day in traffic and at work often leaves us feeling (and looking) fat, tired and with backpain. Achieving a leaner more functional torso goes a long way to easing the back pain and feeling amazing again. Along with the workout calendar at the end of this article and as a Tiger Athletic first, every few days we’ll post a no equipment, 10-minute core and abs workout video you can follow along pretty much anywhere.

Join our 30 day Tiger Abs Challenge starting Saturday, February 01, 2020, by following the workout calendar at the bottom of this article and engaging with your personal trainer Aubrey and our close-knit fitness community on the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group on Facebook. and we’ll get you a leaner, stronger, tighter midsection and to that elusive 2-minute plank benchmark. Even if just getting to a 20 second plank seems an insurmountable obstacle at present, we’ll get you there with a lot of planking practice and targeted core exercises to improve core strength for men and women alike.

We’re starting on Saturday, January 01, 2020, however, you can start the challenge at any time you feel you need professional help to improve your core strength and the aesthetic look of your abs. At the end of this article, we’ve created the 30-day Tiger abs calendar with a training program for you to follow every day of the challenge.

You’ll do four different ab exercises on most days, the plank (of course), the boat pose, Jack Knives (Aubrey’s personal favourite) and cross crunches for a set time or number of reps. For example, on the first day, you’ll do a 20-second plank, 20-second Boat pose, 20 Jack Knives and 20 Cross Crunches. For the Jack Knives and Cross Crunches, the set number applies on the left side as it does on the right, i.e. 20 reps mean 20 left hand to right leg and vice versa.

On some days our head trainer Aubrey will demonstrate a 10 minute ab workout video to add to your training routine and on every seventh day, you’ll have an active rest day to focus on a low intensity workout like setting a new personal best on your 10 000 Step A Day Challenge, yoga or swimming.

How To Join The Challenge

  1. Join our Tiger Athletic Challenge Group on Facebook to get daily encouragement and motivation, as well as answers to any questions about the challenge you may have.
  2. Share the challenge calendar below with your friends on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter. You can also print it out and keep it somewhere you’ll see it every day or save it to your phone so it’s always handy.
  3. Follow along with the challenge each day and share your progress in the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group . We’re rooting for you!

30 Day Solid Abs Challenge Calendar

1

20 Sec Plank
20 Sec Boat
20 Jack Knives
20 Cross Crunches
(10 Each Way)

2

25 Sec Plank
25 Sec Boat
24 Jack Knives
24 Cross Crunches
(12 Each Way)
3


Tiger Athletic
Dynamic Abs
10-minute Video
4

30 Sec Plank
30 Sec Boat
28 Jack Knives
28 Cross Crunches
(14 Each Way)
5

35 Sec Plank
35 Sec Boat
32 Jack Knives
32 Cross Crunches
(16 Each Way)
6

40 Sec Plank
40 Sec Boat
36 Jack Knives
36 Cross Crunches
(18 Each Way)
7





Rest Day
8

45 Sec Plank
45 Sec Boat
40 Jack Knives
40 Cross Crunches
(20 Each Way)
9

50 Sec Plank
50 Sec Boat
44 Jack Knives
44 Cross Crunches
(22 Each Way)
10



Tiger Athletic
Dynamic Abs
10-minute Video
11

50 Sec Plank
50 Sec Boat
48 Jack Knives
48 Cross Crunches
(24 Each Way)
12

55 Sec Plank
55 Sec Boat
48 Jack Knives
48 Cross Crunches
(28 Each Way)
13



Tiger Athletic
10 Minute
Tabata Video
14





Rest Day
15

60 Sec Plank
60 Sec Boat
52 Jack Knives
52 Cross Crunches
(26 Each Way)
16

65 Sec Plank
65 Sec Boat
56 Jack Knives
56 Cross Crunches
(28 Each Way)
17



Tiger Athletic
Dynamic Abs
10-minute Video
18

70 Sec Plank
70 Sec Boat
60 Jack Knives
60 Cross Crunches
(30 Each Way)
19

80 Sec Plank
80 Sec Boat
64 Jack Knives
64 Cross Crunches
(32 Each Way)
20



Tiger Athletic
10 Minute
Tabata Video
21





Rest Day
22

90 Sec Plank
90 Sec Boat
68 Jack Knives
68 Cross Crunches
(34 Each Way)
23

100 Sec Plank
100 Sec Boat
72 Jack Knives
72 Cross Crunches
(36 Each Way)
24



Tiger Athletic
Dynamic Abs
10-minute Video
25

105 Sec Plank
105 Sec Boat
76 Jack Knives
76 Cross Crunches
(38 Each Way)
26

110 Sec Plank
110 Sec Boat
80 Jack Knives
80 Cross Crunches
(40 Each Way)
27



Tiger Athletic
Dynamic Abs
10-minute Video
28





Rest Day
29

115 Sec Plank
115 Sec Boat
84 Jack Knives
84 Cross Crunches
(42 Each Way)
30

120 Sec Plank
120 Sec Boat
88 Jack Knives
88 Cross Crunches
(44 Each Way)
https://tigerathletic.blog/

Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment only gym with a personal trainer for each session. Revolutionize your present workout regime or find a new way to sweat with us. Book a trial session, let’s chat about your health.

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Street Workout. Urban Bootcamp.

We all have an image in our hearts and minds of what our best body looks like… If only I could afford the best trainer, gym or nutrition advice. Well, guess what? You can stop dreaming, because you can. Tiger Athletic now offers an authentic workout experience for those who want to learn how to achieve that vision with Street Workout, simply the best boot camp group workout there is. Work with Tiger himself and achieve results from a world class fighter and coach who understands the science and art of fitness. 

Join our close-knit fitness community and get the best fitness instruction, nutritional counselling and motivational training packed with fun, energizing outdoor workouts in Sandton’s most secure and stunning office park. No worrying about personal safety or the safety of your car and belongings while you sweat.

Our mission is to inspire and motivate you to get to your best fitness, by training for 1-hour Monday to Friday in the morning or evening or both! Evening sessions run Monday to Friday from 17:20 to 18:20hrs and are full body workouts that constantly evolve so you keep developing and don’t get bored. Morning workouts are run on Tuesday and Thursday from 6 am to 7 am with Tuesdays focusing on core and upper body and Thursday focusing on core and lower body. 

Each bootcamp starts at the beginning of each month and runs for the duration of that month – you will feel like a champion through our best-in-class group fitness experience at only R400 per month for as many morning or evening sessions as you can attend in any given month.

We have no joining or cancellation fees and you can train on a month to month basis with pay as you go. Sessions are always motivational, safe, different and fun! Whether you are a beginner, an enthusiastic weekend warrior or a competitive professional, we will make you look and feel like the best version of yourself.

All you need to bring is a mat, small weights (2 or 3kg), a water bottle and wear comfortable, layered clothing. If you don’t have these, you can always order these and bottled water from Tiger Athletic when you register to work out.

Register by the 28th of each month and you and your partner or your bestie can come along for the first month’s camp!

Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment only gym with personal trainers for every session. Revolutionize your present workout regime or find a new way to sweat with us. We have you and your pocket covered to tone and shape your body to new levels of excellence.

Let’s Workout.

TigerFIT

Working out with a personal trainer in a modern, private, appointment only gym is the gold standard method of reaching your weight loss and wellness goals, we all  know this, however the reality for most people is that as great as having a Personal Trainer is, it’s simply too expensive for some in our present economic climate…..or is it?

We all have an image in our hearts and minds of what the best version of ourselves looks like. Tiger Athletic offers an authentic workout experience for those who want to learn how to achieve that vision with our strength and conditioning program, while getting in the best shape of your life in a high-intensity small group fitness setting.

Join our close-knit fitness community with morning, mid-day and early evening classes to suit every diary. Build the strength, confidence and passion needed to realise your dream body with great people and industry leading personal training.

Developed as a result of a rigorous education in Coaching Science, over two decades of boxing, martial arts and high-performance strength and conditioning training as an athlete, Tiger Fit provides the most effective group fitness and conditioning workout in the market with each class capped at 8 people to retain the personal training attention that is at the centre of our workout philosophy.

Each session is run like a championship boxing match, consisting of a 3-minute dynamic warm-up followed by 12 x 3 minute ’rounds’ comprising of 12 strength and conditioning exercises, for a total body workout. Each round is 3 minutes of all out action with 1 minute of active rest and hydration between rounds for the best in class workout experience.

Burn upwards of 1,000 calories per class whether you are a working professional, a home executive or looking for a new challenge to get you to your dream body, for 50 minutes a day you can train like a professional athlete in a modern, private, appointment only gym with a world class trainer and not break the bank at R 400 per month!

Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment only gym with a personal trainer for every session. Revolutionise your present workout regime or find a new way to sweat with us. We have you and your pocket covered to tone and shape your body to new levels of excellence.

Together Changes Everything. Let’s Workout.

Benefits Of Back Training

You can’t readily see your back in the mirror however, NEVER skip back in your workouts. A sculpted back always looks however back exercises have a deeper impact, too, as a strong back keeps your posture pristine and facilitates a healthy spine.

Most folk love to work the ‘show’ muscles’. These “mirror” muscles are the ones you flex in your reflection to prove you’re looking good, usually, your chest, biceps, fronts of the shoulders, quads and abs. No part of your physique is more important than the other. You to develop your back muscles, particularly the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids and traps to provide symmetry between the front and back of your body. Whatever your end goal or vision for your physique, back training is critical.

Exercises that are often used to build the superficial muscles of the back are:

  1. Lat Pulldowns
  2. Rows
  3. Pull-ups
  4. Pull-overs
  5. Rear Flys

Neglecting the muscles that you can’t see front on in the mirror, particularly your back muscles, has negative structural consequences for your body. A weak back doesn’t have the musculature to prevent rounded shoulders, causing upper back, neck and shoulder pain, also reflecting in poor posture that says weak, timid or lazy.

Lower back pain is however a result of weak muscles of the middle and lower back. You develop support for the spine and pelvis another pain/injury prone area by strengthening the deeper muscles of the back, particularly the erector spinae, multifidus and quadratus lumborum, making running your park run, pressing a weight for developing the rest of your body, moving furniture, carrying groceries or twisting to pick up a toddler or pet, easy injury and pain free tasks

These functional back exercises address these stabilizing muscles:

  1. Back extension
  2. Plank holds
  3. Bird dogs
  4. Cobra lifts

Muscular balance is developed by working the muscles of the back in conjunction with the muscles of the front of your body, apart from making you a fully functional human being you are less likely to develop muscle/strength imbalances that increase the likelihood of injury while performing primal functions, i.e. hinging, squatting, lunging, bending and twisting.

For example, while working hard at crunching exercises to develop the aesthetics, function and strength of your abdominal muscles, you set yourself up for lower back pain if you fail to do a commensurate amount of work on your back muscles. The muscles of your abs become tight and strong because of too many crunches, and pull on your low back, causing pain and possible injury to the discs.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. Our personal trainers are health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients. We design safe, effective, fun exercise solutions for the individual who is accustomed to personalised attention and a modern approach.

Your initial interview’ or first session, is to assess client – trainer compatibility, discuss goals and a client – trainer agreement. This includes the preparticipation health appraisal, essentially a questioneer to identify known diseases and “red flag” positive risk factors associated with heart disease, assess lifestyle factors that may require special considerations, and identify individuals who may require medical referral before starting an exercise program.

Tiger Athletic’s health first approach helps you reach your goals safely and effectively through health and fitness assessment, personalised coaching, modern resistance and cardio equipment, calisthenics and boxing to provide a pragmatic, extraordinary 50-minute workout that is simple, efficient and effective.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout.

 

Pre-emptive Assessment & Training

Pre – emptive training (alternately preventive medicine, preventative healthcare/medicine, or prophylaxis) consists of measures taken for disease prevention, as opposed to disease treatment. Just as health comprises a variety of physical and mental states, so do disease and disability, which are affected by environmental factors, genetic predisposition, disease agents, and lifestyle choices. Health, disease, and disability are dynamic processes which begin before individuals realize they are affected.
Annually, millions of people die of preventable deaths. About half of all deaths are due to preventable behaviours and exposures. Leading causes included cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, unintentional injuries, diabetes, and certain infectious diseases. Millions die each year due to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle.
According to estimates made by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 55 million people died worldwide in 2011, two thirds of this group from non-communicable diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and chronic cardiovascular and lung diseases. This is an increase from the year 2000, during which 60% of deaths were attributed to these diseases.
Pre – emptive fitness assessment and training are especially important given the worldwide rise in prevalence of chronic diseases and deaths from these diseases, thus screening and risk assessment is the spine that supports all Tiger Athletic personal training programs.
There are many methods for prevention of disease. It is recommended that adults and children aim to visit their doctor for regular check-ups, even if they feel healthy, to perform disease screening, identify risk factors for disease, discuss tips for a healthy and balanced lifestyle, stay up to date with immunizations and boosters, and maintain a good relationship with a healthcare provider.
Some common disease screenings include checking for hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar, a risk factor for diabetes mellitus), hypercholesterolemia (high blood cholesterol), screening for colon cancer, depression, HIV and other common types of sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhoea, mammography (to screen for breast cancer), colorectal cancer screening, a Pap test (to check for cervical cancer), and screening for osteoporosis. Genetic testing can also be performed to screen for mutations that cause genetic disorders or predisposition to certain diseases such as breast or ovarian cancer.

The Tiger Athletic scope of practice involves the responsibility of interviewing potential clients to gather pertinent information regarding their personal health, lifestyle and exercise readiness. This is a vital mechanism instrumental in appraising health status and developing comprehensive programs of exercise to safely and effectively meet the participants individual objectives.
We are a health and fitness company whose modern approach is based on an individualised approach to assessments, motivation, education and coaching of clients for maximum health and aesthetic benefit. We use the client consultation and health appraisal process to design safe and effective exercise programs and provide you with the guidance to help you achieve your personal goals. Recognizing our area of expertise as strength and conditioning professionals we refer you to other health care professionals when appropriate.
The primary principle underlying the client consultation and health appraisal process is to screen participants for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopaedic diseases to optimise safety during exercise testing and participation. Assessing a client’s health status and stratifying risk is our basis for exercise program design and referral to healthcare professionals.
Obesity and being overweight is a major risk factor for a wide variety of conditions including cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes. To prevent obesity, it is recommended that individuals adhere to a consistent exercise regimen as well as a nutritious and balanced diet.
A healthy individual should aim for acquiring 10% of their energy from proteins, 15-20% from fat, and over 50% from complex carbohydrates, while avoiding alcohol as well as foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. Sedentary adults should aim for at least half an hour of moderate-level daily physical activity and eventually increase to include at least 20 minutes of intense exercise, three times a week.
Preventive assessments and fitness training offer the safest most effective avenue to mitigate or side step potentially catastrophic medical events. The medical system in South Africa is geared largely toward curing acute symptoms of disease after the fact that they ‘arrive’ in the emergency room rather than screening for symptoms and initiating preventative measures. An ongoing epidemic within South African culture is the prevalence of obesity. Eating healthier and routinely exercising plays a huge role in reducing an individual’s risk for type 2 diabetes.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a modern, appointment only, strength & conditioning gym in Sandton, offering custom, personal trainer led fitness solutions. Our workouts are based on your health screening and goals. This initial process is instrumental in screening participants for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopaedic diseases to optimise safety and benefit during exercise testing and participation.
Three and a half million South Africans (about 6% of the population) suffer from diabetes and there are many more who are undiagnosed. It is estimated that another five million South Africans have pre-diabetes, a condition where insulin resistance causes blood glucose levels to be higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be type 2 diabetes.
The highest prevalence of diabetes is among the Indian population in South Africa (11-13%) as this group has a strong genetic predisposition for diabetes. This is followed by 8-10% in the coloured community, 5-8% among blacks and 4% among whites. 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is among the leading cause of kidney failure, limb amputation, and new-onset blindness in adults.
Tiger Athletic Personal Training offers benefits and results that dieting, and supplements alone just can’t give you. The exercise component of our programs boosts your metabolism and turns your body into a fat blasting furnace, while the benefits of our ‘smart nutrition’ go beyond weight management.
Good nutrition can help reduce the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis. Our programs build muscle in the places you want and improves body shape to give you a firm, toned body, which when coupled with smart nutrition safely speeds up the weight loss and strength gain.

Our programs consist of strength & conditioning, healthy eating and portion control – eating the right food in the right quantities at the right times with a weekly weight loss target of half to one and a half kilograms. We keep track of your progress with monthly body fat percentage and girth measurements to show progress and motivate performance.
Tiger Athletic workout plans are based on your consultation and health appraisal, with a lot of variety and progressively harder sessions. Why? Not just to make you stronger and more fit, but to make sure you keep burning fat and toning muscle. When you do a workout repeatedly, it eventually gets easier, which means your body doesn’t have to work as hard and therefore burns fewer calories.

Our motto is “We train the hardest”, therefore each week the workouts evolve to a higher intensity, keeping your body interested and guessing by never doing the same workout twice.
Together changes everything. Let’s workout.

Tiger Athletic. An Introduction.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning offers Personal Training Programs endowed with benefits and results that dieting and supplementation alone just can’t deliver, boosting metabolism, toning and sculpting your muscles, turning your body into a fat blasting furnace through hard work and dedication hand in hand with ‘smart nutrition’. We do not sell weight loss, we offer a pragmatic health first approach that screens, identifies and mitigates for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopaedic diseases to optimise safety during exercise testing and participation.

We define our scope of practice in the personal training profession by characterizing our personal trainers as health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients regarding their health and fitness needs. We design safe and effective exercise programs and provide the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals. In addition, they respond appropriately in emergency situations. Recognizing their area of expertise, our personal trainers refer clients to other health care professionals when appropriate.

“We train the hardest”, we adhere to the highest standard of preparticipation health appraisal screening. The value of our initial client interview is the first step in the client consultation, to obtain and share essential information with the program delivery process. The ‘initial interview’, is a scheduled appointment intended as a mutual sharing of information intended outcomes of assessing client – trainer compatibility, discussing goals and discussing a client – trainer agreement.

The purpose of the preparticipation health appraisal process is to identify known diseases and positive risk factors associated with coronary artery disease, assess lifestyle factors that may require special considerations, and identify individuals who may require medical referral before starting an exercise program.

The client consultation and health appraisal process is our competitive advantage and is directly in line with the scope of practice of the certified personal trainer,  to assess, motivate, educate and refer when necessary. For us to develop custom programs of exercise that will safely and effectively meet your individual objectives, the personal trainer needs to gather pertinent information and documentation that will be used to assess health status, evaluate potential for risk, and refer for medical clearance when necessary.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is as appointment only, strength & conditioning gym offering custom, personal trainer led fitness solutions in a modern, private facility in the heart of Sandton. Your preparticipation health screening and goals are the foundation and corner stone of the efficient, effective 50-minute workouts your personal trainer custom designs for you.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!’

 

 

 

 

Calisthenics. An Introduction.

Tiger Athletic is led by a primary mission to teach and develop physical literacy. Calisthenics, is a smart, scientific approach to weight loss, strength gain and living a more active, fulfilling life. Through this series of resources, you can get in touch with your unique physique in the privacy of your home or when travelling you can exercise in the privacy of your accommodation without the aid of equipment, a trainer or expensive supplements and begin to understand that you too can get healthy using just your body, the physical environment and a little imagination.

The word calisthenics comes from the ancient Greek words kálos (κάλλος), which means “beauty”, and sthénos (σθένος), meaning “strength”. It is the art of using one’s body weight and qualities of inertia to develop one’s physique. A longstanding urban legend has claimed that the exercise was named after one of its earliest promotors, the Greek historian Callisthenes.

Calisthenics are exercises consisting of a variety of gross motor movements; often rhythmical and generally without equipment or apparatus (body-weight training), intended to increase physical strength, physical fitness, and flexibility, through movements such as pulling or pushing oneself up, bending, jumping, or swinging, using only one’s body weight for resistance; usually conducted in concert with stretches. When performed dynamically and with variation, calisthenics provide muscular and aerobic conditioning, in addition to improving psychomotor skills such as balance, agility and coordination.

Sports teams and military units often perform leader-directed group calisthenics as a form of synchronized physical training (often including a customized “call and response” routine) to increase group cohesion and discipline. Calisthenics are also popular as a component of physical education in junior and senior schools the world over.

Body weight exercises are strength training exercises that do not require any apparatus; the individual’s own weight provides the resistance for the movement. Movements such as the push-up, the pull-up, and the sit-up are some of the most common body weight exercises.

Advantages

Body weight exercises are the ideal for individuals interested in fitness but do not have access to or interest in using equipment. While some exercises may require some type of equipment, most of body weight exercises require none. For those exercises that do require equipment, common items found in the household are usually sufficient (such as a bath towel for towel curls), or substitutes can usually be improvised (for example, using a horizontal tree branch to perform pull ups). Body weight exercises benefit all age groups.

Most body weight exercises can be progressed or regressed, this progression/regression strategy allows people of all levels of fitness to participate. Some basic methods to increase or decrease the difficulty of a body weight exercise, without adding extra weight, are: changing the amount of leverage in an exercise (such as elevating the feet for a standard push-up, or performing the push-up with knees on the ground), performing the exercise on an unstable platform (such as performing push-ups on a basketball), modifying the range of motion in an exercise (such as squatting to a 45 degree angle rather than a 90 degree angle), incorporating unilateral movements as opposed to bilateral movements (such as performing a one-armed push-up), and adding isometric pauses during the exercise (such as holding for a few seconds at the bottom of a push-up). Gymnasts make extensive use of isometrics by doing much of their training with straight arms (such as iron crosses, levers, and planches). When compared to weight lifting, body weight exercises often require much more flexibility and balance.

Body weight exercises have a far lower risk of injury compared to using free weights and machines due to the absence of an external load that places strain on the muscles and joints. The lower risk of injury is only provided that the athlete/trainee is progressing through the correct progressions and not immediately skipping to strenuous movements that can place undue and possibly harmful stress on ligaments, tendons, and other tissues. Although falling on the head, chest, buttocks, and falling backwards can occur, these are far less harmful injuries than dropping a weight on a body part or having a joint extended beyond its natural range of motion due to a weight being used incorrectly.

Body weight exercises also give the advantage of having minimal bulking and cutting requirements that are normally utilised in free weight and machines training. This is due to bulking bringing extra fat that decreases the performance of body weight exercises, thus body weight exercises not only remove the need for a bulking or cutting phase, but it can help a person retain a low body fat percentage all year round.

Body weight exercises also work several muscle groups at once, due to the lack of isolation and the need of a large majority of muscles to perform a movement properly. For example, in a push up, the body must form a rigid straight line, and the elbow joint must move from a straight angle to the smallest angle possible, and thus the core muscles, chest muscles, triceps, and legs are all involved in ensuring proper, strict form.

Disadvantages

Body weight exercises use the individual’s own weight to provide the resistance for the movement, hence the weight being lifted is never greater than the weight of one’s own body. This can make it difficult to achieve a level of intensity that is near the individual’s one rep maximum, which is desirable for strength training.

Body weight exercises can be increased in intensity by including additional weights (such as wearing a weighted vest or holding a barbell, Kettle Bell, sand bell or plate during a sit up), but this deviates from the general premise that body weight exercises rely solely on the weight of the individual to provide resistance. However, difficulty can be added by changing the leverage, which places more emphasis on specific limbs and muscles, e.g. a one-legged squat works a leg far stronger than a two-legged squat, which not only requires strength but progressing to a one-legged squat builds strength along the way. The same can be seen with one arm pushups, pull ups, and many other exercises. Difficulty can also be added by increasing volume, adding explosiveness to the movements, or slowing down the movement to increase time under tension.

Classes of Exercises

Body weight exercises are generally grouped into four rough classes:

  • Push, which requires the individual to use pushing movements to direct the body against gravity;
  • Pull, which requires the practitioner to use pulling to direct the body;
  • Core, which involves contracting movements of the abdominal and back muscles; and
  • Legs/Glutes, which involve movements of the legs and glutes to direct the individual’s body against gravity.

Tiger Athletic personal trainers are health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train you. Our rigorous pre-participation health appraisal screening process ensures that we design and deliver comprehensive exercise programs that safely and effectively meet your goals.

Start your own Tiger Athletic fitness program by booking your initial interview. This is a scheduled appointment intended as a mutual sharing of information with the expected outcomes of assessing client – trainer compatability, discussing goals and developing a a client – trainer agreement.

We stand by the quality of our work. We have no joining or cancellation fees. We let the quality of our assessments, fitness programs, coaching and results be the only reason you keep coming back for more.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!

Start

Start is a combination of custom, personal training and smart nutrition. 12 weeks of hard work and dedication to devlop the physical literacy and capacities to move your body from unhealthy to healthy and have you feeling stronger, healthier and leaner through gaining control over your weight, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease, your risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, strengthening your bones and muscles.

The exercise component of Start comprises resistance training and boxing to boost your metabolism causing your body to burn fat while building muscle. Coupled with smart nutrition advice to reduce the risk of lifestyle illnesses, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis, you can use Start to safely and effectively lose body fat, get stronger and be leaner, firmer and more functional.

Strength & conditioning and smart nutrition – eating the right food in the right quantities at the right times results in single digit weight week on week weight loss for 12 weeks. We keep track of your p\rogress with body fat percentage and girth measurements.

Tiger Athletic personal training sessions are sport science based, using insight from your health assessment and your goals in the program design. You never do the same workout twice and get to train privately in a modern, appointment only strength and conditioning gym with our personal trainer in the heart of Sandton.

Your personal trainer is a health and fitness professional using an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and run your training sessions. Our pre-participation health appraisal screening process ensures that we design and deliver comprehensive exercise programs that safely and effectively meet your fitness and health objectives.

Book your Session #01, let’s discuss your goals and Start!

Lift

Men who are after getting bigger and stronger are no longer the rulers of the free weight section in the gym. Science has shone the light on how women also benefit from lifting weights as resistance training establishes itself as the training type with the greatest long term effect on metabolic rate…number one for burning fat and toning your body!

Weight lifting increases the strength of connective tissue, muscles and tendons. This leads to improved motor performance. Research in motor control of aging humans has been centered around determining how motor performance is influenced by age, and around efforts to unravel the mechanisms that contribute to declines in motor performance. Changes are often characterized by slower and more variable movements, specifically slower initiation of movement, slower movement durations, declines in coordination of movement, reduced force production, coactivation of antagonist muscles during movement, and increased variability of movements (i.e., movements become inconsistent or varied from one use to the next). Specific examples of tasks that are linked to dimensions of motor control include goal-directed movements such as pointing, reaching and grasping, and aiming.

Lifting weights improves your ability to perform activities of daily living by boosting physical work capacity, enabling you to work harder and longer, promoting fat-free body mass while decreasing sarcopenia, that is when the lean muscle mass decreases with age. If we don’t add strength training to our routine, not only will we lose muscle mass with age but also lose strength and gain fat. Having more muscle than fat tones your body and give you the lean, firm physique you have always wanted.

Lifting weights is a low impact activity, so you are at lower risk for injuries. It is less stressful on your knees and joints than running hence is one of the best ways to control loss of bone mass. Just as your muscles adapt to the stress of weightlifting by becoming bigger and stronger, your bones also adapt. When your bones perceive or receive stress on them, their response is to deposit more bone making them stronger.

As your body increases its muscle mass, it will work harder to maintain that muscle over fat ratio, this means that you will burn more calories throughout the day, therefore the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.

Our weightlifting programs strengthen the muscles of your core, resulting in better posture and balance through strengthening muscles that support your spine, and other little muscles apart from the main muscle groups. This lessens physical discomfort or back pain and reverses some of the damage caused by sitting all day. Also those muscles help keep you upright and take care of everyday tasks such as balancing on one foot when walking, picking up the kids or stopping yourself from falling.

Commiting to a weightlifting program everyday or every other day goes a long way towards improving your discipline, acquiring perseverance that will help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Lifting also helps regulate blood sugar lowering the risk of developing lifestyle illnesses born out of our increasingly sedentary lifestyles such as hyperlipidaemia and diabetes. As you  lose body fat, lifting weights greatly reduces your chances for becoming obese. The constant loaded movement when you lift weights stimulates rapid blood flow, as heart rate goes up you maintain a healthier heart lowering risks for developing cardiovascular diseases as you get older.

Research shows that not only can weight lifting improve your body composition and give you a toned appearance, but it can also improve your overall health and make you a happier person. Giving you confidence in yourself that will put you in a better mood generally or help you fight depression.

Our strength and conditioning programs are based on your current health and goals, improving fitness, aesthetic appearance, stress levels, cognition and mental toughness. Programs that are pre-emptive because they are based on screening for risk factors associated with cardiovascular, orthopedic, metabolic and pulmonary disorders before they happen rather than waiting for a ‘wake-up call’ to force you improve your health and lifestyle.

We offer simple, efficient and effective 50 minute workouts in a private, appointment only setting, so we can safely and effectively tackle lifestyle risks associated with obesity and sedentary lifestyle, reducing rates of illness and injury, improving personal well being, productivity and quality of life.

Let’s chat about your health!

Kick-Lift-Box.

If you’re stuck in a workout rut or looking for a motivating fitness routine, you might consider adding a high-energy Kick-Lift-Box workout to the schedule. A Kick-Lift-Box workout is made up of karate kicks and boxing routines and punches for heart-pumping cardio with weight lifting for strength and endurance set to high energy music with a personal trainer in a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in Sandton. You get a total body workout, self-defence skills and whip yourself into shape safely and quickly.

Whether you’re a fitness newbie or long-time gym aficionado Kick-Lift-Box twice per week will get you to your fitness goals in no time. You can kick, punch and lift your way to a stress-free zone within minutes of your high-energy Kick-Lift-Box routine with movements that stimulate every muscle group in a simple, effective 50 min workout.

You release endorphins which will give your mood a boost and help you feel more confident. Endorphins will also make you feel happier and more positive for several hours after the workout.

If you’re suffering from posture problems and have poor coordination, you can strengthen your ‘core’ and improve your reflexes and coordination skills with the swift punches, kicks and resistance routines in a Kick-Lift-Box session.

Muscle and Fitness Magazine reports that fitness kickboxing can burn over 800 calories per hour, and you’ll be toning up your entire body as you rev up your metabolism. It’s a high-power cardio routine that’s great for weight loss and getting you in shape, fast. (Source: CKO Kickboxing.com), couple this with the anti-ageing and fat burning benefits of resistance training and you have one of the most complete , varied and fun workouts available today.

If you’ve been pounding on the treadmill for several weeks and need a break from your usual cardio routine, Kick-Lift-Box is the perfect cross-training workout. Just two sessions a week can help you break out of a fitness rut, fast.

Kick-Lift-Box is a high-energy strength, cardio, endurance and flexibility workout that will give your body and mind a boost and increase your energy levels. You’ll be breathing hard and sweating out toxins; this process will give your energy levels a much-needed boost.

If you’re hunched over a computer all day, Kick-Lift-Box workouts will challenge many muscle groups that don’t get enough attention throughout the day, and you’ll start to build up your core as core muscles are targeted with Kick-Lift-Box routines that use your waist and abs for balance and stability to execute each carefully coordinated and loaded movement.

Kick-Lift-Box workouts offer several benefits for your body and mind, and are a great choice for getting out of a fitness rut whether you’re a fitness fanatic or just getting started with a workout routine.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning motivates, assesses, trains and educates clients in a private, appointment only, personal trainer led facility providing an extraordinary simple, efficient and effective 50-minute workout in the heart of Sandton!

 

Your Body. Your Rules.

Tiger Athletic offers custom fitness solutions based on your health assessment and goals in our private, modern, appointment only strength and conditioning gym in Sandton. We offer a structured, action-oriented exercise and nutrition programs to improve fitness and aesthetic appearance, reduce health risks and promote healthy behavior through extraordinary 45 minute workouts that are simple, efficient and effective.

In South Africa at least 62% of the population is overweight, raising the risk of morbidity from hypertension; hyperlipidemia; type 2 diabetes; coronary heart disease (CHD); stroke; gallbladder disease; osteoarthritis; sleep apnea and respiratory problems; and endometrial, breast, prostate and colon cancers. Obesity and being overweight is the second leading cause of preventable deaths globally. Let’s get you healthy.

All sessions in our state-of-the-art strength and conditioning gym are personal trainer led. We have a private shower and change room,  premium coffee, tea and cold refreshments are available as well as audio and visual entertainment in a de-stress area. You can pop in, workout and return to your everyday grind refreshed and refocused in under an hour.

Your personal trainer Aubrey, is a Coaching Science graduate and holds a 6th degree black belt in Karate with 25 years experience as a high performance athlete and coach. He designs safe and effective exercise programs and provides the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals through one on one’ or small group training.

Physical exercise is the most effective way of actively preventing and fighting diseases which are associated with a sedentary lifestyle, bad eating habits, stress and an ageing population. Across the globe annually, millions of people die each year because of physical inactivity.

Start your journey to a healthier self, by booking an initial consultation below.

Boxing

Blasting calories doesn’t mean you must spend countless hours in the gym. Boxing is a super-fast, super easy workout, perfect for days you are feeling too overwhelmed to workout. A typical boxing workout involves a variety of elements that help you burn calories as you work toward losing weight. The aerobic nature of many of boxing’s exercises leads to a high calorie burn without a significant shock to your joints.

Boxing is really taking off around the globe. The idea of bulky arms, monster muscles and nose bleeds is wrong. Boxing is a brilliant way of sculpting and toning and that hulk-like muscle mass you’re worried about is just a figment of your imagination.

We are a modern, private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in Sandton offering smart, tailored 50 minute workouts based on your health assessment and fitness goals using modern tools and sport science to achieve your goals safely and effectively.

Whether you’re pounding a punch bag or skipping your heart out, boxing training is something everyone should try at least once. On top of toning your muscles, boxing has a load more benefits that make it a brilliant all-round exercise choice for all fitness goals.

While we all exercise to look physically fit, the real benefit of exercise is to keep us healthier for longer. The main way of doing this is to keep that heart strong for as long as possible, boxing is a great workout for doing just that. A good boxing workout makes you breathe heavily and increases the rate at which your heart pumps blood around your body. Increased heart beat strengthens your heart’s muscles and lowers your chances of developing cardiovascular complications such as heart attacks and strokes.

Exercising effectively takes more than just jumping on a treadmill and hoping for the best. If you want to get the most out of your body then you need to work it the right way through a variety of different forms of exercise and keeping your heart rate at the right level. If it’s overall fitness you’re after, you need to get your head around both aerobic and anaerobic exercise present in boxing. Boxing is estimated to be 70-80% anaerobic and 20-30% aerobic. A boxing workout helps maintain the heart rate at 75%-85% regular heartbeat which is the recommended range if you are exercising. What does that mean? Well it all comes down to oxygen. Aerobic exercise is low energy exercise that can be done for extended periods of time – think yoga, swimming and running, because aerobic exercise is relatively gentle, your body is able maintain a reasonable amount of oxygen which is then carried to your muscles to use as fuel; giving them the energy they need to sustain the effort of whatever exercise it is you’re doing. This type of exercise is good for burning fat and improving cardiovascular health. Anaerobic exercise is any short, intense exercise like HIIT and uses up oxygen fast. This means lactic acid is produced and your body will not be able to sustain its energy levels for long. This type of exercise increases your endurance, muscle mass, metabolism and your ability to withstand fatigue. Being able to build up your body’s tolerance to anaerobic exercise means that you will increase the maximum amount of oxygen you use during exercise (your VO2) and have a higher threshold before lactic acid is produced – therefore making you fitter!

Boxing is such a high intensity workout that it burns through a LOT of calories. An hour of boxing burns around 350-500 calories depending on your weight and the intensity of the workout. An advanced female boxer on a high intensity boxing workout can burn more 500 calories an hour.

Boxing training sessions involve every muscle in the body, especially the core, shoulders, abs and obliques. A good boxing workout tones your legs, arms, chest, shoulders, back and helps you build a strong core – pretty much everything.

You get a massive endorphin release in the body from hitting a heavy bag or doing pad work with a partner, those chemicals give you a massive feeling of well-being. Boxing training will give you a huge sense of self confidence.

Tiger Athletic Boxing. A Fitness Revolution!

Trial Workout

 

 

A trial workout is a pragmatic first step when you decide to move beyond “thinking” of taking better care of yourself and seeking the help of a qualified professional to help you achieve your goals. Tiger Athletic offers innovative health and fitness programs that begin with a tailored health appraisal to help you set realistic, time-based goals then working with a personal trainer through a custom fitness and lifestyle program in our modern, private, appointment only strength and conditioning gym.

Your health and fitness assessment allow our strength & conditioning coach to have information about your body and aspirations to design personalised, safe and effective workout programs for you and to provide you with the necessary guidance to achieve your fitness goals.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is equipped with state-of-the-art plate loaded resistance equipment, assault air bike and boxing equipment. Each session comprises a challenging strength-based circuit, an extraordinary 50-minute workout that is simple, efficient and effective.

Our personalised approach serves as an oasis in the heat the Sandton bustle, a place to recharge and reconnect with yourself. A private space you can retreat to for a hard workout, a coffee and a shower.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout.

Best Workouts! Best Benefit! Best Price!

Tiger Athletic Sandton personal training helps provide you with the strength, stability, power, mobility, endurance and flexibility that you need to thrive as you move through your life and sports.

Tiger Athletic Sandton is an upscale fitness facility that offers revolutionary, goal-specific strength & conditioning programs to train executives and discerning individuals.

We use state-of-the-art strength & conditioning equipment, methods and revolutionary circuits, providing an extraordinary workout that is simple, efficient and effective in 45 minutes. All this in the heart of Sandton!

There is a private shower/ change room facility, premium coffee, refreshments and bespoke media entertainment so you can pop in and workout and return to your everyday grind refreshed and refocused in under an hour!

Life is unpredictable and unstable. So why would you develop your training using stable and predictable routines and equipment? No matter your fitness goal or ability, treat variety and practical application as critical components of your training. You don’t live in a vacuum, so why would you train in one?

Tiger Athletic Sandton’s body specific programs challenge the entire body in every plane of motion with versatile, state-of-the art equipment to perform exercises that improve movement on the field or in life.

The program uses information about you garnered from a thorough physical and mental assessment, Powercore strength equipment and Assault Air Bikes as your primary training tools  along with modern training aids like resistance harnesses, training hurdles, speed cones and weighted balls while you hop, skip, jump, squat, lunge, twist and laugh your way to your ideal body!

Training packages start from as little as R 250 per session!

 

Calisthenic Bible

It is a widely held misconception that one needs to be a member of one of our expensive commercial gyms or have expensive gym equipment and supplements in order to lose weight, get stronger and live a more active, fulfilling life. Calisthenic Bible is our gift to you of physical literacy.

Getting women to unerstand their unique physiques and help them understand that they can get healthy using just their bodies, the physical environment and a little imagination is our passion at Tiger Athletic.

The word calisthenics comes from the ancient Greek words kálos (κάλλος), which means “beauty”, and sthénos (σθένος), meaning “strength”. It is the art of using one’s body weight and qualities of inertia as a means to develop one’s physique. A longstanding urban legend has claimed that the exercise was named after one of its earliest promotors, the Greek historian Callisthenes.

Calisthenics are exercises consisting of a variety of gross motor movements; often rhythmical and generally without equipment or apparatus (body-weight training), intended to increase physical strength, physical fitness, and flexibility, through movements such as pulling or pushing oneself up, bending, jumping, or swinging, using only one’s body weight for resistance; usually conducted in concert with stretches.

When performed dynamically and with variation, calisthenics provide the benefits of muscular and aerobic conditioning, in addition to improving psychomotor skills such as balance, agility and coordination.

Sports teams and military units often perform leader-directed group calisthenics as a form of synchronized physical training (often including a customized “call and response” routine) to increase group cohesion and discipline. Calisthenics are also popular as a component of physical education in junior and senior schools the world over.

Introduction

Body weight exercises are strength training exercises that do not require any apparatus; the individual’s own weight provides the resistance for the movement. Movements such as the push-up, the pull-up, and the sit-up are some of the most common body weight exercises.

Advantages

  1. Body weight exercises are the ideal for individuals interested in fitness but do not have access to or interest in using equipment. While some exercises may require some type of equipment, the majority of body weight exercises require none. For those exercises that do require equipment, common items found in the household are usually sufficient (such as a bath towel for towel curls), or substitutes can usually be improvised (for example, using a horizontal tree branch to perform pull ups). Body weight exercises benefit all age groups.
  2. Most body weight exercises can be progressed or regressed, this progression/regression strategy allows people of all levels of fitness to participate. Some basic methods to increase or decrease the difficulty of a body weight exercise, without adding extra weight, are: changing the amount of leverage in an exercise (such as elevating the feet for a standard push-up, or performing the push-up with knees on the ground), performing the exercise on an unstable platform (such as performing push-ups on a basketball), modifying the range of motion in an exercise (such as squatting to a 45 degree angle rather than a 90 degree angle), incorporating unilateral movements as opposed to bilateral movements (such as performing a one-armed push-up), and adding isometric pauses during the exercise (such as holding for a few seconds at the bottom of a push-up).Gymnasts make extensive use of isometrics by doing much of their training with straight arms (such as iron crosses, levers, and planches). When compared to weight lifting, body weight exercises often require much more flexibility and balance.
  3. Body weight exercises have a far lower risk of injury compared to using free weights and machines due to the absence of an external load that places strain on the muscles and joints. The lower risk of injury is only provided that the athlete/trainee is progressing through the correct progressions and not immediately skipping to strenuous movements that can place undue and possibly harmful stress on ligaments, tendons, and other tissues. Although falling on the head, chest, buttocks, and falling backwards can occur, these are far less harmful injuries than dropping a weight on a body part, or having a joint extended beyond its natural range of motion due to a weight being used incorrectly.
  4. Body weight exercises also give the advantage of having minimal bulking and cutting requirements that are normally utilised in free weight and machines training. This is due to bulking bringing extra fat that decreases the performance of body weight exercises, thus body weight exercises not only remove the need for a bulking or cutting phase, but it can help a person retain a low body fat percentage all year round.
  5. Body weight exercises also work several muscle groups at once, due to the lack of isolation and the need of a large majority of muscles to perform a movement properly. For example, in a push up, the body must form a rigid straight line, and the elbow joint must move from a straight angle to the smallest angle possible, and thus the core muscles, chest muscles, triceps, and legs are all involved in ensuring proper, strict form. 

Disadvantages

  1. Body weight exercises use the individual’s own weight to provide the resistance for the movement, hence the weight being lifted is never greater than the weight of one’s own body. This can make it difficult to achieve a level of intensity that is near the individual’s one rep maximum, which is desirable for strength training.
  2. Body weight exercises can be increased in intensity by including additional weights (such as wearing a weighted vest or holding a barbell, Kettle Bell, sand bell or plate during a sit up), but this deviates from the general premise that body weight exercises rely solely on the weight of the individual to provide resistance. However, difficulty can be added by changing the leverage, which places more emphasis on specific limbs and muscles, e.g. a one legged squat works a leg far stronger than a two legged squat, which not only requires strength but progressing to a one legged squat builds strength along the way. The same can be seen with one arm pushups, pull ups, and many other exercises. Difficulty can also be added by increasing volume, adding explosiveness to the movements, or slowing down the movement to increase time under tension.

Classes of Exercises

Body weight exercises are generally grouped into four rough classes:

  1. Push, which requires the individual to use pushing movements to direct the body against gravity;
  2. Pull, which requires the practitioner to use pulling to direct the body;
  3. Core, which involves contracting movements of the abdominal and back muscles; and
  4. Legs/Glutes, which involve movements of the legs and glutes to direct the individual’s body against gravity.

Push Exercises

Push body weight exercises use a resistive or static pushing motion to work various muscle groups. Most push exercises focus on the pectoral, shoulder, and triceps muscles, but other muscle groups such as the abdominal and back muscles are leveraged to maintain good form during the push exercise.

Bridge

Begin in a sit-up position with the hands positioned by the ears, palms down, fingers facing the legs. Push up with the arms and the back muscles until the body resembles a lowercase ‘n’. The spine must be convex and the limbs straight. Difficulty can be increased by entering the bridge from a standing position and bending backwards in a controlled manner into the bridge.

Common variants

Inverse Push Ups

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Trapezius

Deltoids

Glutes

Lower back

4-Count Bodybuilder

From a standing position, drop to a squat with hands on floor (count 1), thrusts the legs back to a push up position (count 2), returns the legs to the squat position (count 3) and then returns to standing position (count 4).

a. The Burpee variation replaces count 4 with a plyometric squat jump before returning to the standing starting position.

b. The military 8-Count Bodybuilder adds a full push up after count 2 (count 3 and 4), and opens and closes the legs while in push-up position (count 5 and 6).

Common Variants

Burpee

8-Count Bodybuilders

Muscle Groups

Legs

Abdominals

Shoulders

Dips

Begin with the hands placed on two solid surfaces at or around waist height. The knees are then bent to raise the feet from the ground, and the body is lowered as far as possible using the arms, then raised again.

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Pectorals

Seated Dip

Begin with their feet on the floor, legs out straight, and hands placed on a supporting level surface between knee and waist height. Start with straight arms with the shoulders above the hands, the body is lowered until the arms are bent at a 90-degree angle. The body is then raised to the starting position. Difficulty may be decreased by moving the feet closer to the body. Difficulty may be increased by raising the feet onto a stable surface.

a. The Hanging Dip or Parallel Dip variation requires an apparatus such as a dip bar or two parallel bars (or substitutes such as tree branches or two tables) and the legs are fully raised off the ground, with the individual’s body weight supported by the arms alone.

Common Variants

Hanging Dip

Parallel Dip

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Chest

L-sit

Sit with the body in an L-position, the upper body perpendicular to the ground and the legs out straight and parallel to the ground. The hands are placed beside the glutes. The hands and arms then push the entire body, including the legs, upwards off the ground with the legs remaining parallel to the ground. This exercise taxes the muscles through isometric tension.

a. The V-Sit variation increases the difficulty by holding the legs higher, angled away from the ground, so the individual’s body forms a ‘V’ shape.

Common Variants

V-Sit

Muscle Groups

Obliques

Rectus Abdominis

Triceps

Quadriceps (these are needed to maintain straightness in the legs)

Pectorals

Lunge

Stand on flat surface, step forward with one leg and bend down until the front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle. The back knee bends to almost touch the ground. The front knee should not extend past the front toes in order to maintain good form. Return to the starting position by pushing back with the front leg and stepping back so both feet are together.

a. Back Lunge variation is performed from the same position, however, step back with the leg until the front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle and the back knee is almost touching the ground.

b. Iron Mikes variation, start out in the bottom position of the lunge, perform a plyometric jump and switch leg positions so the landing position is opposite to the starting position.

c. Walking Lunges variation does not return the front leg to the starting position, step forward with the back leg to place the feet together.

Common Variants

Back Lunges

Iron Mikes

Walking Lunges

Muscle Groups

Thigh

Buttocks

Hamstrings

Side Lunges

Start with the feet positioned slightly apart and take a wide step to the side with the left foot, toes pointing slightly outward. As the left foot contacts the ground, shift your weight to the left so the majority of your body weight is supported by the left leg. Lower the hips and slide the hips back until the left thigh is parallel with the ground. The back and the head are kept straight throughout the movement. Hold the position for a moment, then raise the body by pushing up with the left leg and move the feet together again. The exercise is then repeated on the right side.

Difficulty may be increased by performing the Wide Side Lunge variant; start with the feet in a wide stance instead of together, keep the feet in the wide stance throughout the exercise and omit the intermediate step of moving the feet together between repetitions.

Common Variants

Wide Side Lunges

Muscle Groups

Quadriceps

Glutes

Hip flexors

Hamstrings

Bear Walk

Place the hands and the feet on the ground, with the head facing the ground, proceed to crawl around by striding with the arms and legs.

Muscle Groups

Shoulders

Chest

Triceps

Trapezius

Core

Rocking Chairs

Begin in a fully extended plank or push-up position. The body is then pushed slowly forward about six to ten inches, while the arms are kept straight. The body is then returned to the starting position.

Increase difficulty by bending the arms and lowering the body until it is close to the floor. The body is then slowly pushed forward and returned to the starting position. The difficulty may be further increased by extending the arms between sets to perform a push-up.

Common Variants

Rocking Chair Press

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Triceps

Deltoids

Core

Shove Offs

Begin by standing in front of an elevated surface with a ledge that will bear the weight your weight. The body is tilted forward with the hands and arms extended and the back and legs held straight. The body is allowed to continue to fall forward and the individual catches their weight on the elevated surface with their hands in a palm-down position and arms bent. The arms are then forcefully extended to push the body back to the upright position. The waist is not bent at any time during the exercise.

Increase difficulty by selecting a lower surface which decreases the leverage of the arms and moves the centre of gravity forwards towards the hands.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Shoulders

Triceps

Mountain Climbers

Begin in a push-up position, with the body in a straight line and elbows locked. The left knee is brought to the chest and the left foot placed on the ground, with the right leg remaining outstretched. Then perform a small hop and switches the position of the feet so that the right knee is brought to the chest, the right foot placed on the ground and the left leg is extended behind the body. The exercise is then repeated, most commonly at a fast pace for a defined length of time.

Muscle Groups

Shoulders

Abdominals

Core

Pec Crawl

Begin in a push-up position on a smooth surface. The body is propelled forward using only the arms which are never bent beyond 90 degrees. The feet are dragged behind you, the body held in a straight line. This exercise is best performed on a smooth floor while wearing socks or with a folder towel placed under the feet. If performed on a carpeted surface, sneakers should be worn and the toes pointed backwards while the exercise is performed.

Muscle Groups

Deltoids

Core

Pectorals

Triceps

Dive Bomber

The feet are placed on the ground just a few inches apart, with the legs held straight. Bend over at the waist and place your hands on the ground a few feet in front of the toes, forming an inverted ‘V’ with the body, the hips forming the vertex of the ‘V’. Swing your chest and shoulders down in an arc, between the hands, so the chest nearly touches the ground. The head and shoulders are curved up in an arc as high as possible, until the back is fully arched, the head is facing forward, and the pelvis is only a few inches off the ground. The motion is then reversed, the chest and shoulders moving through the hands, close to the ground, with the arms pushing the body back to the starting point. The arms should end up straight and in line with the back.

a. The Half Dive Bomber variant simply stops the movement at the point the chest is between the hands and then reverses the movement to return to the starting position.

b. The Hindu dand variant returns directly to the starting position without bending the arms or arcing the chest and shoulders back through the hands.

c. Decrease difficulty by moving the feet further apart, or by elevating the hands on a stable surface. The difficulty can be increased by placing only a single leg on the ground at a time.

Common Variants

Half Dive Bomber

Dand

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Triceps

Deltoids

Core

Pec Flies

Starts by lying face down on a smooth, hard floor. The legs are placed out straight with the toes on the floor, and the arms out to the sides. Two small towels are placed under the palms. With the arms and body kept straight, the palms are slid together in a controlled manner until the hands are under the shoulders. The hands are then slowly slid apart until the chest is barely touching the floor.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Core

Shoulders

Side Triceps Extension

Start by lying down on your right side, body in a straight line. The right hand is placed on the left shoulder, and the left hand is placed palm down on the ground, under the right shoulder, fingers pointing towards the head. The left arm pushes the upper body off the ground until the arm is straight, bending at the waist to keep the lower body on the ground. The body is then lowered to the starting position. The exercise is repeated on the left side to work the right triceps.

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Obliques

Crab Walk

Start by sitting on the ground with the knees bent. Both feet and both palms are placed on the floor. The body is lifted off the floor and you walk like a crab, both forward and backward.

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Core

Hip Raiser

Sit on the ground in an L-position with the back perpendicular to the ground and legs out straight. The palms are placed on the ground beside the hips. The soles of the feet are placed on the ground and the pelvis is lifted off the floor until the knees are bent at a 90-degree angle and the body is straight from the head to the knees, with the face pointed straight up. The position is held for a moment and then the body is returned to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Shoulders

Glutes

Hamstrings

Air Plunges

Begin by lying down on the ground flat on the back, with the arms placed palm-down on the ground. The legs are lifted until they are straight in the air, perpendicular to the ground. The arms are used to push the hips off the ground as high as possible, keeping the legs perpendicular to the ground. The hips are then lowered slowly to the starting position. Lie flat on the back, arms to the side, palms on the ground.

Increase difficulty by holding the hips in the top position for a few seconds before they are lowered to the ground.

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Lower abdominals

Surface Triceps Extensions

Begin by grasping a stable, waist-level surface such as a couch, railing, table or a horizontal bar. The surface is grasped with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. The feet are placed back slightly further than a standard push up position. The body is kept straight, while the arms are bent and the body lowered until the head is below the hands. The body is then raised by pushing up with the arms until the arms are locked out straight. The elbows should be kept pointed straight down throughout the movement.

Decrease difficulty by grasping a higher surface to move the centre of gravity closer to the body.

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Core

Arm Rotations

Begin by standing and placing the arms straight out and perpendicular with the body. The hands and arms are moved in circles, first forward, then backward, for a selected number of rotations.

The targeted muscle groups of this exercise can be modified by re positioning the arm and body: making circles with the arms pointed out straight in front of the individual moves the focus to the front deltoids, while bending over and moving the arms up and down instead of in circles emphasizes the rear deltoids.

Muscle Groups

Shoulders

The Roof Is on Fire

Begin in a push up position and performs a single push up. Then the individual will kneel and raise their hands in the air four times as if they are performing an unweighted overhead press. The individual then performs two push ups, then kneels and performs eight unweighted overhead presses. The individual will continue to ladder up in this manner, with the count of unweighted overhead presses equaling four times the number of push ups. When muscle failure is reached, the individual then ladders down with a decreasing number of push ups and a corresponding number of unweighted overhead presses.

Muscle Groups

Shoulders

Triceps

Pectorals

Push Ups

The body weight Push Up is a common marker of an individual’s general fitness level. The body weight push-up has many distinct variations, many of which are listed below.

Classic Push Up

Start by lying on the ground in the prone position. The feet are placed together and the palms are placed on the ground under the shoulders. The arms then push the body off the ground with the body is kept in a straight line. Once the arms are straight, the body is then lowered until the chest touches the ground.

Decrease difficulty by elevating the hands onto a stable horizontal surface to move the centre of gravity away from the arms. The arms may even be placed on a solid wall or other sturdy vertical surface to make the exercise as easy as possible.

Increase difficulty by elevating the feet on to a stable horizontal surface to move the centre of gravity towards the arms. As well, the exercise may be performed with the hands on an unstable surface such as a medicine ball. The exercise can be further modified by performing the push up on one leg with the other leg held in the air to put more focus on the lower lumbar region. To move the focus to the pectoral muscles, the hands may be moved further apart.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Triceps

Deltoids

Core

Handstand Push Up

Start with the hands about three feet from a wall or other solid vertical surface. The legs are placed on the wall one at a time, then the hands are ‘walked’ toward the wall, sliding the feet and legs up the wall until the hands are approximately a foot from the wall. The body is lowered in a controlled fashion by bending the arms, until the head nearly touches the ground between the hands.

Muscle Groups

Shoulders

Triceps

Core

Chinese Push Ups

Start with feet on the ground, heels together. The palms are then placed on the ground five hand lengths away from the toes, forming a diamond with the thumbs and the fingers. The body is bent at the hips to form a 90-degree angle between the torso and legs. The arms are bent at the elbow until the top of the head almost touches the ground between the hands. The arms are then straightened to return to the starting position. The back and legs should be kept as straight as possible throughout the exercise.

Decrease difficulty by placing the hands on an elevated surface, while placing the feet on the elevated surface will cause the exercise to become more difficult.

 

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Deltoids

Get in Line

Start in a push up position, place one hand directly under the forehead while the other hand is placed under the sternum. The arms are bent and the body lowered to the floor as in a normal push up, the elbows kept as close to the body as possible. The hands may be alternated with every repetition or with every set.

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Deltoids

Close Grip Push Ups

This exercise is performed just as a classic push up, but the hands are moved closer together to approximately one or two hand widths apart. The hands may be elevated to decrease the difficulty, or the feet raised to increase the difficulty.

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Pectorals

Shoulders

Core

Military Press

The Military Press is performed in a similar manner to the Chinese Push Up, but the hands are placed shoulder-width apart.

Muscle Groups

Triceps

Pectorals

Shoulders

Core

Shoulder Drop Push Ups

The Shoulder Drop is performed in a similar manner to the Classic Push Up, but one shoulder is lowered to the ground as the opposite shoulder is raised high in the air.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Triceps

Deltoids

Core

Deep Push Ups

Deep Push Ups are performed as a Classic Push-up, with each hand placed on a raised surface so the body can be lowered between the hands at the bottom of the movement. This modification places more emphasis on the pectorals and deltoids.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Triceps

Deltoids

Core

Staggered Hands Push Up

Performed like a Classic Push Up, except one hand is placed forward of the normal starting position and one hand is placed slightly behind.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Triceps

Deltoids

Core

Bouncing Push Ups

Performed as a Classic Push Up, but the body is propelled upwards with a plyometric movement so the hands leave the floor for a moment. Land gently on the fingers and palms of the hand and lower the body again to the floor.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Triceps

Deltoids

Core

Semi-Planche Push Up

Begin in a prone position, with the hands palm-down on the ground with the fingers pointed toward the feet. The arms are then extended to raise the entire body off the ground so that only the palms of the hands and the toes are touching the ground. The body is then returned to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Triceps

Deltoids

Core

Planche Push Up

Performed as a Semi-Planche Push Up, but the toes are also raised off the ground and the entire body is balanced on the hands which remain stationary on the ground.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Triceps

Deltoids

Core

One-Arm Push Up

Performed in the form of a Classic Push Up, but one arm is placed behind the back, with the elbow of the other arm held tightly against the ribs. The feet are spread apart to provide balance, and the body is lowered and raised using only a single arm.

Muscle Groups

Pectorals

Triceps

Deltoids

Core

Abdominals

Obliques

Lower back

Spiderman’s

Begin in a prone position on the ground, the balls of the feet on the ground and the hands placed on the ground above the head, fingers splayed. The body is then raised in the air, keeping the midsection as straight as possible, until only the fingers and balls of the feet touch the ground. The body is then lowered to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

Core

Back

Pectorals

 Pull

Pull body weight exercises use a resistive or static pulling motion to work various muscle groups.

Human Flag

Start by grabbing a vertical object such as a pole or tree trunk, with both hands palms pronated. The body is then lifted into a horizontal position using the abdominal muscles, with the arms remaining as straight as possible. 

Muscle Groups

Abdominals (mainly obliques)

Shoulders

Triceps (this is for the pushing down by the lower arm)

Biceps (this is done by the pulling of the upper arm)

Muscle up

Starts with an aggressive standard Pull Up with an overhand grip to chest level, at which point the wrists are rotated forward to permit the elbows and arms to swing above the bar. The arms then push the body up until the arms are straight and the waist is at the level of the bar. The motion is then reversed so the body can be lowered back to the starting position. The transition between the high pull up and the low dip is the most difficult part and emphasizes the trapezius.

Muscle Groups

Deltoids

Trapezius

Erector spinae

Latissimus dorsi

Biceps

Brachialis

Pull Up

The body weight Pull Up is another common indicator of an individual’s general fitness level.

Start by hanging from a bar with the arms extended and the palms facing away from the exerciser. The body is then pulled up using the arms until the elbows are bent and the head is higher than the hands. If the hands are moved closer, more emphasis is placed on the biceps and elbow flexors.

Muscle Groups

Deltoids

Trapezius

Erector spinae

Latissimus dorsi

Biceps

Brachialis

Abdominals

Let Me Ins

Start by facing the outer edge of an open door that has a standard doorknob set. The feet are placed on either side of the door and the door pressed between the feet, the heels directly below the doorknob. The individual then leans back until the arms are straight and bends the knees so a 90-degree angle is formed between the thighs and back. The body is then pulled toward the door until the chest touches the edge of the door. The thighs and back should remain locked into a 90-degree angle throughout the exercise. The body is then lowered to the starting point.

The exercise can be performed with either a side grip or over-handed grip, which places emphasis on the extensors on the outside of the forearm, or an under-handed grip, which shifts the focus to the flexors on the inside of the forearms.

The difficulty can be modified by moving the feet; moving them forward increases the difficulty while moving the feet back decreases the difficulty. The exercise can also be performed with unilateral movements (one-handed) to increase the difficulty.

The Towel Grip variation works to increase grip strength. A small towel or rope is hooked around the doorknob and the individual grasps one end of the towel in each hand to perform the exercise. In lieu of a door, the same exercise can be performed with a tree trunk, railing, or any vertical stable pole.

Common Variants

Towel Grip Let Me In

One-Handed Let Me In

Muscle Groups

Latissimus dorsi

Biceps

Forearms

Deltoids

Let Me Ups

The individual starts by lying on the ground in the supine position, and grasps a bar mounted at arm’s length above the chest. The arms are bent to pull the body up to the bar, while the body remains as straight as possible from the ankles to the shoulders. The body is then lowered until the arms are straight.

The exercise may be made less difficult by moving the feet closer to the bar and bending the knees. The exercise may be increased in difficulty by raising the feet onto a raised surface. Performing the exercise with an overhand grip focuses on the extensors on the outside of the forearm, while an underhand grip changes the focus to the flexors on the inside of the forearm.

Muscle Groups

Latissimus dorsi

Biceps

Forearms

Deltoids

Towel Curls

Start in a standing position with the back against a wall. The ends of a bath-sized towel are grasped in each hand, and the towel is looped under the foot of one leg. The towel is pulled upwards with the arms, the elbows locked against the side of the body, while pushing down with the foot to provide resistance. The arms are then lowered slowly as the foot continues to provide resistance until the arms are at the starting position.

The difficulty of the exercise may be modified by providing more or less resistance with the foot; the exercise may be made even more difficult by performing it with one hand.

The Ledge Curl variant uses a fixed ledge between waist and chest height to provide resistance. The hands are balled into fists and placed under the ledge. Then bend over slowly while pressing up against the bottom of the ledge, then returns slowly to the starting position, maintaining the same level of resistance along the way.

The Isometric Curl variant uses one hand placed on the wrist of the other hand to provide resistance to the curling motion; the curling arm does not move in this case but instead benefits from the isometric tension of the exercise.

Common Variants

Ledge Curls

Isometric Curls

Muscle Groups

Biceps

Forearms

The Claw

Begin by placing the arms in front of the body, and opens and closes the hands and fingers as tightly and as quickly as possible. This exercise is usually performed for a large number of repetitions.

Muscle Groups

Hands

Forearms

Core

Core exercises primarily involve dynamic and static contraction of the back and abdominal muscles. Core exercises can aid with improved balance and overall stability.

Crunch

Start in a supine position on the ground. The shoulders are curled towards the pelvis while the lower back remains flat against the floor. The focus is placed on contracting the abdominal muscles.

a. The Crunch It Up variant places the feet under a stationary object such as a low bed or couch. The arms are crossed over the stomach and the knees bent. Using the abdominal muscles, the torso is brought up just until the arms touch the thighs. The torso is then lowered to the starting position.

b. The V-Ups variant starts in a supine position with arms straight out on the ground and parallel to the body. The body is bent at the hips, the torso is raised off the ground and the legs brought to the chest with knees bent. The legs and torso are then lowered until they are just a few inches off the ground, but not touching it.

c. The Side-V variant starts on the ground, lying on one side of the body, with the arm closest to the ground stretched out perpendicular to the body. The other arm is bent and the hand placed behind the head. The torso is raised and the legs, kept straight, are raised until the legs form a 90-degree angle with the torso. The legs and torso are then lowered until they are just a few inches off the ground, but not touching it.

d. The Jack-Knife variant starts on the ground, legs stretched out straight and the arms on the ground extended straight up over the head. The chest and legs are simultaneously brought up until the hands touch the feet. The legs and torso are then lowered until they are just a few inches off the ground, but not touching it.

e. The Bicycle variant starts on the ground, the hands behind the head. The knee is pulled in toward the chest while the upper body curls up to touch the opposite elbow to the knee. The leg is then straightened and the exercise performed on the other side. The legs should be suspended off the ground during the exercise.

Common Variants

Crunch It Ups

V-Ups

Side V-Ups

Jack Knives

Bicycle

Muscle Groups

Abdominal

Hyperextension

Start in a prone position on the ground with the arms straight out in front of the body. The arms, legs and upper chest are lifted off the ground, and then slowly lowered back to the ground. This exercise is also known as “Superman’s”.

a. The Thumbs-Up variant starts in the same position, forms two fists with the thumbs pointed straight up, then lifts the head, shoulders and chest off the ground as high as possible.

b. The Swimmers variation raises and lowers the opposite leg and arm and alternates sides.

c. The Pillow Humpers variant places a towel under the hips and the feet under a stationary object like a low bed or couch. The hands are placed behind the head and the torso is raised off the ground as far as possible.

Common Variants

Thumbs Up

Swimmers

Superman’s

Pillow Humpers

Muscle Groups

Lower back

Erector spinae

Planche

Start on the ground in a prone position, with the hands at the side of the body by the hips, palm down. The body is held straight while the arms push the body off the floor until the arms are straight. The entire weight of the individual is balanced on the arms. The body is then lowered to the ground.

Muscle Groups

Full Body

Plank

Place the toes and the forearms on the ground, with the elbows underneath the shoulders and the arm bent at a 90-degree angle. This position is maintained for as long as possible.

a. The Static Push Up variant simply holds the starting position of a Classic Push Up for as long as possible.

b. The S&M Push Up variant builds on the Static Push Up variant, but opposite legs and arms are lifted from the ground. The position is held as long as possible before switching sides.

Common Variants

Front Plank

Side Plank

Reverse Plank

Static Push Up

S&M Push Ups

Muscle Groups

Core

Abdominals

Back

Shoulders

Russian Twist

Start by sitting upright on the ground, with arms crossed and knees bent. The feet are lifted off the ground while the torso is twisted so the left elbow can touch the right knee, then twisted in the opposite direction so the right elbow can touch the left knee. The movement is repeated as long as possible.

Muscle Groups

Abdominals

Intercostal

Obliques

Standing Knee Raises

Start by standing upright, with arms raised out in front of the body. The left knee is brought up as high as possible, held up for a few moments, then lowered to the ground. The right knee is then raised as high as possible, held, then lowered to the ground.

Muscle Groups

Abdominals

Leg Raises

Start in a supine position on the floor, palms on the floor under the lower back or buttocks. The legs are slowly raised to a 45-degree angle with the ground, then slowly lowered to the ground.

The exercise can be increased in difficulty by raising the legs to a 90-degree angle, and not allowing the legs to return fully to the floor between repetitions.

a. The Flutter Kicks variation raises both legs off the ground by several inches, then alternates lifting each leg to the 45-degree position and returning it to its starting position.

b. The Hello Darlings variant raises both legs off the ground by several inches, then opens and closes the legs with a horizontal movement.

c. The Hanging Leg Lift variant starts by hanging from a horizontal bar by their hands. The knees are brought slowly up to the chest and then returned to the starting position. The difficulty can be increased by keeping the legs straight as they are raised as high as possible.

Common Variants

Flutter Kicks

Hello Darlings

Hanging Leg Lifts

Muscle Groups

Abdominals

Hip flexors

Beach Scissors

Begins by lying on the side, one hand propping up the head, both legs kept straight. The upper leg is raised as high as possible, held in the air for a moment, then lowered to the starting position. The difficulty may be increased by propping up the body on one elbow.

Muscle Groups

Hip flexors

Obliques

Hip Ups

Begins by lying on the ground, propped up on one elbow, hip and feet touching the ground. The hips are then raised until the body is in a straight line. The hips are then lowered to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

Obliques

Intercostal

Supine Windshield Wipers

Begin by lying on the ground in a supine position, legs raised in the air at 90 degrees, arms stretched out the sides. The legs are then lowered to the right side by rotating the hips, then brought back to the starting position. The legs are then lowered to the left side, then returned to the starting position.

Common Variants

Half Windshield Wipers

Full Windshield Wipers

Muscle Groups

Abdominals

Obliques

Intercostal

Yes, No, Maybes

Begin in a supine position on a raised surface, with the head and neck extending off the edge. The head is then moved up and down in a “yes” fashion. The head is then turned from side to side in a “no” fashion. Finally, the head is moved from side to side, bringing each ear to the nearest shoulder in a “maybe” fashion. The exercise may also be performed in a prone position, with the hands placed on the back of the head to provide extra resistance.

Muscle Groups

Neck

Legs/Glutes

Body weight exercises that work the thigh, calf and glute muscles are generally performed in the upright, seated, and all-fours positions. Increasing the difficulty of exercises in this class is usually accomplished through unilateral modifications (performed on one leg) or providing additional weight over and above the individual’s own body weight.

Calf raises

Start with both feet on the edge of a raised surface, with the toes on the surface and the heels lower than the toes. The heels are raised as high as possible, then returned to the starting position.

The difficulty may be increased by performing the exercise on one leg.

a. The Cliff-hanger variant requires one foot only to be placed on the surface and the position held as long as possible in isometric tension.

b. The Donkey Calf Raises variant requires that you bend at the waist to about 90 degrees and rest the arms on a chair or other stable surface.

c. The Little Piggies variant is performed by placing the heels on the surface, and moves the toes instead.

Common Variants

The Cliff-hanger

Donkey Calf Raises

Little Piggies

Muscle Groups

Calves

Squat

Start in a standing position with feet shoulder width apart. The legs are bent at the knees and hips, and the torso is lowered between the legs. The knees should remain behind the toes at all times. The body is then raised to the starting position.

a. The Invisible Chair variant is performed with the back against the wall, knees bent at 90 degrees, and the body is held in this position for as long as possible.

b. The Wall Squat variant is performed with the back against the wall and the feet one step forward from the wall. The back slides down the wall as the knees are bent to a 90-degree angle.

c. The Sumo Squat variant is performed with a wide stance, and the body is lowered until the thighs are parallel to the ground.

d. The One-Legged Squat is performed with one leg held out straight in front of the body while the other leg bears your full weight during the squat.

e. The Pistol Squat variant builds on the One-Legged Squat and brings the buttocks all the way down to the heel of the foot on the ground. This variety of squats is made to challenge your balance. The Bulgarian Split Squat. Put the rear leg on a bench, drop straight down, and make sure that the front heel always stays in contact with the ground to avoid any excess stress on the knees. Retain a tall posture throughout the whole exercise. These can work the abs, quads and glutes, as well as the ability to stabilize. Moreover, 3 sets of 6-10 reps do the job to satisfaction.

f. The Sissy Squat variant uses a pole or other support to hold with one hand, while the body leans backward through the squat until the buttocks are resting on the heels.

Common Variants

Invisible Chair

Wall Squat

Sumo Squat

One-Legged Squats

Pistol Squat

Bulgarian Split Squat

Sissy Squats

Muscle Groups

Legs

Good Mornings

Start in a standing position, hands behind the head. The body is bent at the waist and the back is kept straight until the legs and torso form a 90-degree angle. The torso is returned slowly to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

Glutes

Hamstrings

Lower back

Dirty Dogs

Start in an all-fours position, then lifts one knee off the ground and swings the knee out to the side as far as possible, maintaining the bent knee at a 90-degree angle. The leg is then returned to the starting position and the exercise is then performed with the other leg.

a. The Mule Kick variant is performed by straightening the leg as it is lifted away from the body as high as possible.

Common Variants

Mule Kick

Muscle Groups

Glutes

Lower back

Hip flexors

Standing Side Leg Lift

Stand with their feet hip-width apart. The leg is lifted to the side in a slow, controlled manner until it forms a 45-degree angle with the stationary leg. The leg is then returned to the starting position and the exercise performed on the other side. One hand may be rested on a chair or other stable surface for support.

Muscle Groups

Glutes

Hip flexors

Lower back

Standing Leg Curls

Start with the feet shoulder-width apart. The leg is lifted from the ground, with the knee bent, and the foot curled in toward the buttocks. The leg is returned to the starting position and the exercise performed on the other side. One or two hands may be rested on a chair or other stable surface for support.

Muscle Groups

Glutes

Hamstrings

One-Legged Romanian Dead Lifts

Start in a standing position with the feet together. Bending at the waist, one leg is raised in the air while the hand reaches for the floor. The leg is lowered to the starting position and the body returned to the upright position. The leg and back should stay straight at all times during the exercise.

Muscle Groups

Hamstrings

Lower back

Core

Hip Extensions

Start with the back resting on the ground, and the legs bent at 90 degrees with the feet resting on an elevated surface such as a chair. Using only the legs, the hips are pushed up as high as possible, held in contraction for a moment, then lowered to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

Glutes

Hamstrings

Lower back

King of the Klutz

Stand on one leg, body held vertically, closes the eyes, then holds the position for as long as possible. The difficulty may be increased by performing the exercise on a soft or unstable surface.

Muscle Groups

Calves

Quadriceps

Hamstrings

Hip flexors

Bam Bams

Lie in a prone position on a raised, horizontal surface so the legs may project freely beyond the edge of the surface and the toes rest on the ground. The legs are then spread as wide as possible, then raised slowly and brought together until the heels touch. The feet are then returned to the ground. The legs are held as straight as possible throughout the exercise.

Muscle Groups

Glutes

Ham Sandwich

Kneel on the ground, with the feet anchored under a solid surface, or held to the ground by another person. The body is then lowered until the chest is touching the ground. The individual then uses a plyometric movement with the arms to return to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

Hamstrings

Pectorals

Shoulders

Beat Your Boots

The feet are placed together on the ground and the individual bends at the waist to grab the ankles, with the legs kept straight. The knees are then bent until the buttocks touch the ankles. The body is then returned to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

Hamstrings

Quadriceps

The Arabesque

The arabesque is a technique that is borrowed from the ballet moves. It works excellently for the butt muscles, and does not even make the use of free weights. However, if you want to add cuffs or ankle weights, you need to follow the following procedure. Place your hands on the back of the chair or on a railing, and lift one leg behind you as high as possible, while holding your glutes and squeezing them for a count of about 4 or 5. Make sure to maintain an upright position so that you do not stress your lower back instead of the glutes.

Muscle Groups

Hamstrings

Glutes

The Duck Walk

Duck walks are really good exercises to help shape your butt. The procedure to do this exercise is to assume and hold a squatting position while walking forward for the repetitions and then walk backwards in the same positions for the repetitions. This position might not be very “diva” looking, but is highly effective all the same.

Muscle Groups

Quadriceps

Hamstrings

Glutes

Ref:

  1. Wikipaedia
  2. NSCA
  3. ETA

Tigerobics

Tiger Athletic Sandton introduces Tigerobics, a fun, modern, effective, time efficient, workout to burn fat and sculpt lean muscles.

Long ago, to survive as a warrior, sharp skills in combat, top physical conditioning and clarity of mind had to be maintained. To achieve this, warriors practiced daily; it was a part of their “job”.

Today we have other jobs and many demands on our time which take their toll on both our minds and bodies. Yet these same combat skills can be of great benefit to anyone seeking a non conventional, exciting way to invest in themselves to keep both physically and mentally fit!

Tigerobics fuses martial arts and coaching science. The result? A physical fitness program that is both challenging and fun!

Tiger Athletic Sandton uses state-of-the-art strength & conditioning equipment, Coaching Science and revolutionary circuits, providing an extraordinary workout that is simple, efficient and effective in 45 minutes. All this in the heart of Sandton!

There is a private shower/ change room facility, premium coffee, refreshments and bespoke media entertainment so you can pop in and workout and return to your everyday grind refreshed and refocused in under an hour!

Your personal trainer Aubrey, is a health/fitness professional that uses an individualized approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients regarding their health and fitness needs. He designs safe and effective exercise programs and provides the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals. A Black Belt and graduate in Coaching Science, he employs modern, effective methods to measure and nurture your development.

So when want an hour to invest in your personal well, being it to shed a few kilos and tone your body or to relaxing your mind in fresh and innovative way.

Book a personal class and start training like a professional athlete. It’s the only sure way to get real, lasting results quickly and safely!

 

Outdoor Fitness

Outdoor Fitness is a fresh, innovative, modern take on the age old physical conditioning principle of outdoor calisthenics. Set in the outdoor environment, with world class fitness instruction and backed by Johannesburg’s premier personal training studio, this program offers you a unique opportunity to condition yourself outside of the confines of a gym.

This program employs calisthenics which are exercises consisting of a variety of gross motor movements; often rhythmical and generally without equipment or apparatus. They are, in essence, body-weight training. They are intended to increase body strength, body fitness, and flexibility, through movements such as pulling or pushing oneself up, bending, jumping, or swinging, using only one’s body weight for resistance; usually conducted in concert with stretches. When performed vigorously and with variety, calisthenics can provide the benefits of muscular and aerobic conditioning, in addition to improving psychomotor skills such as balance, agility and coordination.

We believe everyone is an athlete! We believe you can get fit and healthy at any age with the right motivation and fitness instruction!

While the great outdoors are a key component of this fitness program, you also get the opportunity to exercise with one of South Africa’s top personal trainers according to the industry respected Personal Trainer South Africa website and get an opportunity to join your personal trainer Aubrey for custom fitness sessions at premier fitness studio, Tiger Athletic Sandton!

You are encouraged to move at your own pace and encouraged to push yourself as hard as you personally are willing to go! Sessions are always motivational, safe, different and fun! Whether you are a beginner, an enthusiastic amateur or a competitive professional, we will train you to look and feel like an athlete.

Calisthenic training provides you with the strength, stability, power, mobility, endurance and flexibility that you need to thrive as you move through your life and sports. You use basic functional movement patterns like pushing, pulling, hinging, squatting, rotating, carrying and gait patterns (walking and running) every day. This program utilizes exercises that improve your movement proficiency in these primary patterns to give you an edge and enhance your performance so you can achieve your goals safely and with good health.

Life is unpredictable and unstable. So why would you develop your training using stable and predictable routines and equipment? No matter your fitness goals or ability, your personal trainer Aubrey, treats variety and practical application as critical components of your training. Every training session is as different and unique as you are! You don’t live in a vacuum, so why would you train in one?

Outdoor Fitness challenges the entire body in every plane of motion with versatile, scalable tools that anyone, anywhere can use to perform exercises that improve movement on the field or in life. The program uses the physical characteristics of the environment; the stairs, grass, playgrounds, rooftops….anywhere! as your primary training tools along with modern training aids like resistance harnesses, training hurdles, speed cones and weighted balls while you hop, skip, jump, squat, lunge, twist and laugh your way to your ideal body!

Your personal trainer Aubrey uses an individualized approach to assess, motivate, educate and coach clients regarding their health and fitness needs. Aubrey is a graduate of The Exercise and Training Academy with a National Diploma in Coaching Science (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Performers), Coach Rugby (Beginner to Advanced), Coach Football (Beginner to Advanced), Flexi-Sports Germany Athlete & Master Trainer for FLEXI-BAR® and XCO®-TRAINER, Advanced Diploma in Electromyostimulation and holds a 6th Dan Black Belt in Traditional Okinawan Karate. Aubrey designs safe and effective exercise programs providing you with the guidance and support to achieve your personal and professional goals!

This program is available on location every month end and on order and can be delivered to your school, office or playground, in fact anywhere where people want to get together and have fun losing weight and getting healthy!

 

Custom Goal & Program Development

Simple, effective, efficient workouts with a personal trainer that are based on your health and fitness assessment, motivation, coaching science, education and your goals. Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only strength and conditioning gym offering revolutionary 50 minute workouts in the heart of Sandton. You can pop in have a workout, a refreshment and head back to your life in an hour!

Personal training that uses physical assessments that give consideration to your unique health and exercise history and your unique personal wellness goals, there is no “one size fits all” test or set of tests that will suit you and your unique circumstances. Tiger Athletic chooses valid and reliable tests specific to your physique, health and individual  wellness goals.

We offer revolutionary, goal-specific strength & conditioning programs that focus on building strength as a foundation for lifelong fitness. Full body workouts that address strength, flexibility, cardio, balance, agility and muscular alignment.

Tiger Athletic is a modern facility, your personal trainer records and manages your health and fitness assessment to design a that incorporates your goals and interests, this for us is the ‘personal” in personal training.

Your trainer monitors your fitness levels and goals and makes subsequent adjustments to the program in an ongoing cycle as your develop aesthetically ato ensure ongoing change towards your goals.

Our trainers use these assessments to gather baseline data for developing specific, measurable, attainable, realistic time based goals and effective exercise programs. The various pieces of information gathered, gives us a broader perspective of who you are as an individual. The processes and data collected assist your Personal Trainer, in identifying potential areas of injury and reasonable starting points for recommended intensities and volumes of exercise based on those goals and fitness outcomes.

Tiger Athletic Sandton utilizes the information gathered from physical assessments in conjunction with personal information gathered in your consultation and health appraisal to plan a time efficient, body specific program that is designed to help you achieve your goals. Understanding your personal characteristics and lifestyle factors helps us to plan sessions that are reasonable in length, frequency, intensity and complexity. Tiger Athletic Sandton believes developing short, medium and long term goals with you, is critical for both exercise program design and your motivation to stick to the plan and achieve success.

Fitness Assessment for accurate, body specific training program design is our go to tool for ensuring you reach your goals efficiently and effectively and is a must have component of your training success.

 

Free Yourself

Simple, effective, efficient workouts with a personal trainer that are based on your health and fitness assessment, motivation, coaching science, education and your goals. Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only strength and conditioning gym offering revolutionary 50 minute workouts in the heart of Sandton. You can pop in have a workout, a refreshment and head back to your life in an hour!

Your body. Your rules. We allow you to find the right fitness routine for you, ensuring you meet your goals quickly and safely by designing your fitness solution based on your lifestyle, state of  health and goals.

We believe everyone is an athlete. We employ the same sport science protocols to train you that we use on professional high performance athletes. It simply is the best way for you to achieve real results.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning motivates, assesses, trains and educates clients in a private, appointment only, personal trainer led facility providing an extraordinary simple, efficient and effective 50-minute workout in the heart of Sandton!

Let’s chat about your health

Breakfast:Five Perfect Protein Sources.

Eggs may be the most popular protein choice for breakfast, but don’t get stuck thinking inside the shell. Check out these 5 awesome, unconventional protein sources!

You need to prioritize protein at breakfast. The macronutrient serves a number of important functions when consumed during your first meal of the day.

To begin with, protein helps put the brakes on the muscle catabolism that can occur during an overnight fast and switches on your muscle-making machinery again. Protein at breakfast has also been shown to be important in the battle against the bulge. It curbs the body storing fat by helping to curb hunger and control blood sugar, both of which help reduce overeating later in the day.

When most people think of breakfast proteins, eggs come to mind first. While I certainly have a love affair with this protein packed miracle of nature there are other proteins worth exploring for your daybreak meal.

Smoked Salmon – 10 grams protein per 60 gram Serving.

Kick-start your day with top-notch protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition discovered that combining fish-oil intake with regular exercise plays an important role in making it easier to shed body fat and, smoked salmon requires no cooking, so you’ll still be in good shape to make it to work or the gym on time.

tiger-athletic-five-perfect-sources-of-protein

Ricotta Cheese – 14 grams per ½ Cup Serving.

Made from the whey that’s skimmed off during the production of other cheeses, ricotta is a notable source of this ultimate muscle-building protein. Studies suggest that beyond sculpting lean muscle, whey can help regulate appetite so you’ll be less likely to give into hunger pangs during the morning hours, you’ll also benefit from good amounts of bone-strengthening calcium.

Black Beans – 14 grams per 1 Cup Canned

The fibre, along with a greater intake in a range of vitamins and minerals, is likely a big reason why research suggests those who load up on plant foods like beans have improved longevity and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Enjoy breakfast by piling canned black beans, sliced avocado, diced pineapple salsa on wraps.

Canadian Bacon – 12 grams Protein per 60 gram Serving

More like ham than the strips of crispy bacon most of us are more accustomed to, Canadian bacon is gleaned from the loin section of the hog and thereby significantly leaner than regular bacon harnessed from the fatty belly of a pig. Dijon-style mustard on a toasted whole-grain muffin, top with cooked Canadian bacon, sliced tomato, and baby spinach, with a fried or poached egg!

Quinoa – 8 grams Protein per 1 Cup

Quinoa possesses all of the necessary amino acids to instigate muscle growth. On top of being a complete protein, the grain contains an impressive arsenal of vital nutrients including magnesium, iron, and B vitamins. In similar fashion to oats, quinoa can be cooked into breakfast porridge to help launch your day in the healthiest way possible. Bring 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon ginger powder to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Add honey and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, divide among serving bowls, and top with milk, diced fruit, and chopped nuts or seeds.

REFERENCE

Rains, T. M., Leidy, H. J., Sanoshy, K. D., Lawless, A. L., & Maki, K. C. (2015). A randomized, controlled, crossover trial to assess the acute appetitive and metabolic effects of sausage and egg-based convenience breakfast meals in overweight premenopausal women. Nutrition Journal, 14(1), 17.

Hill, A. M., Buckley, J. D., Murphy, K. J., & Howe, P. R. (2007). Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(5), 1267-1274.

Zafar, T. A., Waslien, C., AlRaefaei, A., Alrashidi, N., & AlMahmoud, E. (2013). Whey protein sweetened beverages reduce glycaemic and appetite responses and food intake in young females. Nutrition Research, 33(4), 303-310.

Bazzano, L. A., He, J., Ogden, L. G., Loria, C. M., Vupputuri, S., Myers, L., & Whelton, P. K. (2002). Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults: the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76(1), 93-99