I'm in agreement with Jean about the push-ups doing more for your anterior rather than posterior. What kind of rows are you bored with? Have you tried a High Cable Row where you set the grip a few inches above you head and pull down and back with the elbows close to the body? Assisted pull-up machines are also great for the back (and the wide grip does even more for the back.
How about tricep dips with your feet on a ball? Adds an element of instability and can be challening. I always like skullcrushers/french press too. I always suggest doing one arm at a time on these though so you can maintain form.
For the shoulders, try a cuban press (this also works the back too). You'll stand, with a neutral spine, feet about hip distance apart. Instead of rolling your shoulders back to set your form, you will actually roll your shoulders forward and you'll have a gorilla stance. You'll lift the weights up and you'll have a complete shoulder rotation. At the end of your rep, you should be holding the weights like goalposts and your shoulder blades should be squeezed together. I apologize for the long winded description - it'd be so much easier if I could show you. :) Once you master the cuban (and with heavy enough weights, it's HARD), you can add a military press to the end of it for a compound movement.
I am not a fan of specific abdominal exercises in general. I think it's so much more functional to do core training. But... one of my favorite ab exercises is to sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you, knees soft, heels dug into the floor. You'll hold a medicine ball (or some type of smallish object) and twist your torso from side to side. Then you'll lean back and bring one elbow to touch the floor and then the other. From here, you'll lay all the way back, touch the ball to the floor above your head, sit up, and repeat.
Also, if you want to add instability to any standing exercise, you can always do it on one leg. I recommend dropping the weight down when you try this the first time so you can make sure your form and balance are good.
Jean's right. You are my favorite kind of client to train. You're strong and not afraid to try new things. With someone like you, I'd find exercises that you haven't done before and encourage you to lift heavy and hard. I do a little bit of coaching during sets especially when the client starts to make faces. :)
Keep in mind that when you work with a trainer, YOU call the shots. You decide what you want to do. If you want them to walk you through basic exercises and check your form, they will. If you want them to design a full body workout with all new exercises for you, they can do that too.
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Just some feedback.
Jean,
Maybe I should try pull-ups on the assisted pull-up machine.
That's great that you can do unassisted dips!
Just a few suggestions...
I'm in agreement with Jean about the push-ups doing more for your anterior rather than posterior. What kind of rows are you bored with? Have you tried a High Cable Row where you set the grip a few inches above you head and pull down and back with the elbows close to the body? Assisted pull-up machines are also great for the back (and the wide grip does even more for the back.
How about tricep dips with your feet on a ball? Adds an element of instability and can be challening. I always like skullcrushers/french press too. I always suggest doing one arm at a time on these though so you can maintain form.
For the shoulders, try a cuban press (this also works the back too). You'll stand, with a neutral spine, feet about hip distance apart. Instead of rolling your shoulders back to set your form, you will actually roll your shoulders forward and you'll have a gorilla stance. You'll lift the weights up and you'll have a complete shoulder rotation. At the end of your rep, you should be holding the weights like goalposts and your shoulder blades should be squeezed together. I apologize for the long winded description - it'd be so much easier if I could show you. :) Once you master the cuban (and with heavy enough weights, it's HARD), you can add a military press to the end of it for a compound movement.
I am not a fan of specific abdominal exercises in general. I think it's so much more functional to do core training. But... one of my favorite ab exercises is to sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you, knees soft, heels dug into the floor. You'll hold a medicine ball (or some type of smallish object) and twist your torso from side to side. Then you'll lean back and bring one elbow to touch the floor and then the other. From here, you'll lay all the way back, touch the ball to the floor above your head, sit up, and repeat.
Also, if you want to add instability to any standing exercise, you can always do it on one leg. I recommend dropping the weight down when you try this the first time so you can make sure your form and balance are good.
Hope that helps! :)
There are lots of different kinds of trainers...
Jean's right. You are my favorite kind of client to train. You're strong and not afraid to try new things. With someone like you, I'd find exercises that you haven't done before and encourage you to lift heavy and hard. I do a little bit of coaching during sets especially when the client starts to make faces. :)
Keep in mind that when you work with a trainer, YOU call the shots. You decide what you want to do. If you want them to walk you through basic exercises and check your form, they will. If you want them to design a full body workout with all new exercises for you, they can do that too.
I'm not picturing the Cuban press.
This should help...
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Cuban+Press
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