Viking Strong Exercise & Stretch Ebook

Viking Strong Exercise & Stretch Ebook

Lower Body Exercises. 2

Abductor. Training the abductors and adductors improves muscular imbalances, strengthens your core and prevents injury. We've all seen the girl in the gym sitting at the hip adductor/abductor machine squeezing away. There are far more effective ways to train the adductors and abductors. Using resistance bands allows you to train the muscles of the hips and thighs in a safe and practical way. Such functional training is the way to go because it mimics everyday movement. Think of it as training the same way in which you move. Our model shows how to do it standing, but laying on your side with your legs stretched out works well if balance is an issue. Or if you have access to a post, you can tie one end as the base and do both abductors and adductors. Main Muscle: Abductor 3

Kickback. Feel the burn with this move your butt and outer thighs will be feeling it in no time! Hold onto one side of your resistance band, and place the center of the band around the sole of your right foot. Place your hands and knees on the ground so your back is straight. Hold the band firmly, draw your belly in, and extend your leg straight out behind you. Lastly, draw your knee forward, but don't let it touch the ground and repeat. Main Muscle: Glutes 4

Good Mornings. Well good morning to you too! Warning: This is an advanced move. Form, form, form. Standing on one end while spreading your feet a small amount apart. Bend at the hips to loop the end of the band behind your neck. This will be your starting position. Keep your back tight, shoulder blades pinched together, and your knees slightly bent. Begin by bending at the hips, moving them back as you bend over to near parallel. Keep your back arched and your cervical spine in proper alignment. Ensure that you do not round your back as you go down back to the starting position. Reverse the motion by extending through the hips with your glutes and hamstrings. Continue until you have returned to the starting position. Main Muscle: Hamstrings 5

Deadlift. Deadlift builds core stability. The deadlift directly targets all of the major muscle groups responsible for correct posture and core strength. Correct deadlifting technique enables one to hold their back straight when engaging in daily activities, due to its emphasis on maintaining a straight back throughout its movement. How To: Assuming a shoulder width stance with the band as the picture illustrates. Fix spine in a neutral position looking straight ahead (neither up or down). Shoulders should be held back, squeezed tightly. They should never be rounded. Pushing with your feet, the legs are powering the weight/resistance up. Hips and shoulders should ascend at the same time, while the hands are holding the band in place. Toward the top of the movement, lock out by employing more upper body strength until the you stand completely up. 6

Hip Thrust. Exactly like the model illustrates secure the band on either side of you. If your hands make it uncomfortable the band can be secured using heavy dumbbells or similar objects, just ensure they won't move. Adjust your position so that the band is directly over your hips. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Your hands can be on the floor or holding the band in position. Keeping your shoulders on the ground, drive through your heels to raise your hips, pushing into the band as high as you can. Pause at the top of the motion, and return to the starting position. Main Muscle: Glutes 7

Lunges. Position the band under your working leg as the model illustrates. Hold both sides beside your shoulders. Your other foot is one step behind. Adjust the distance so that when you kneel you form an angle of 90 degrees with both knees. Then push up returning to the initial position, keeping your back rigid again, and chin up. Main Muscle: Quadriceps 8

Single Leg Dead Lift. Keeping the working leg knee slightly bent and the resistance band under your front foot while holding the other end of the band with one or both hands. Perform a stiff-legged deadlift by bending at the hip, extending your free leg behind you for balance. Continue lowering until you are parallel to the ground, and then return to the upright position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. One leg, Twice the Results. Main Muscle: Hamstrings 9

Upper Body Exercises. 10

Shoulder Press. To begin, stand on an exercise band so that tension begins at arm's length. Grasp the handles and lift them so that the hands are at shoulder height at each side. Rotate the wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing forward. Your elbows should be bent, with the upper arms and forearms in line to the torso. This is your starting position. As you exhale, lift the handles up until your arms are fully extended overhead. Main Muscle: Shoulders 11

Shoulder Press with Squat. This exercise combines both the squat and the shoulder press. Hold and place the band as you would when performing a normal shoulder press. Lift your arms while assuming the squat position. Two for the price of one. What we call a Twofer. Main Muscle: Shoulders/Quadriceps 12

One-Arm Lateral Raise. Place band in one hand while you step on the other end with the opposite foot as shown by model. Stand with a straight torso and have the band by your side at arm s length. This will be your starting position. While maintaining the torso stationary (no swinging), lift the band to your side. Continue to raise your arm until it is parallel to the floor. Exhale as you execute this movement and pause for a second at the top. Lower the band back down slowly to the starting position as you inhale. Main Muscle: Shoulders 13

Tricep Extension. Place one end of the band under your foot behind your back and hold the other end in your hand. Bend your elbow so it is pointing to the ceiling and your hand is behind you. Straighten your elbow and point your hand to the ceiling. Slowly return to the starting position Main Muscle: Triceps 14

Bicep Curl. Start this Bicep Exercise with the middle of the band under your feet and an end in each hand. Start with the arms straight by your sides and the band held taught. Bend the arms at the elbows to lift the hands towards the shoulders. Slowly return to the starting position. Building them guns. Main Muscle: Biceps 15

Bent Over Row. Start this exercise with the middle of the band under your feet with each side in each hand, where you place your hands on the band will depend on how much tension you want. Start with slightly bent knees and tilt at the hips as shown by the model. Extend your arms in front of your knees, palms facing each other. While keeping the torso stationary, breathe out and pull the band towards your chest. Keep the elbows close to your body. At the top contracted position, squeeze the back muscles and hold for a brief pause. Inhale and slowly lower the resistance band to the starting position. Repeat. Main Muscle: Middle Back 16

Pushup. Stretch band across your back and hold in each hand, once band is in a comfortable position assume the pushup position. Band will give that extra resistance you are looking for to increase your strength. Modification: Get on your knees! Main Muscle: Chest Plank. Stretch band across your back and hold in each hand, once band is in a comfortable position assume the plank position and HOLD! Main Muscle: Abdominals 17

Lying Front Kick. Let s not forget those abdominals. Stance: While laying on your lower half of your back (as if you were going to do a crunch). Place the band at the center of whichever foot you want to work. Hold the other end of the band with both hands. The other leg lifts straight up to add more core stability and strength. Lift your head. Once your stance and position is ready begin to kick forward and back in a controlled, steady manner. Main muscle: Abdominal, Obliques 18

Stretch. 19

Calf Stretches. In a sitting position, hold onto one side of the band with your hands, and loop the other end around one or both your feet. Gently pull, creating tension on the top of your foot. Push your heel away from you to increase the intensity of the stretch. 20

Chest Stretch. In a sitting or standing position, grip the band with a wide grip up over the head. Gently pull the arms out and down as low as you can to stretch the chest. If you have shoulder problems, you may want to skip this stretch. 21

Hip and Glute Stretch. Lie on the floor and loop the band around the right or left foot, grabbing onto the bands with the opposite hand. Straighten the leg out on the floor and gently lower the opposite leg across the body and to the side as low as you can go feeling a stretch in the hip and glute. 22

Lower Back and Hamstring Stretch. A great stretch that tackles two muscle groups. Loop the band around your feet, grasp onto the band and lean forward slightly while pulling the band toward you. You should feel a stretch in the hamstrings and lower to middle back. 23

Hamstring Stretch. Lie on the floor and loop the band around your foot while, grabbing the end of the band to create tension. Gently pull the leg towards you, stretching the hamstring muscle. 24

Outer Hamstring Stretch. Lie on your back and loop one end of the band around the top of your foot. Wrap the band around in the inside of your calf and back around your knee and grasp the other end of the band. While holding tight onto the band, move your leg toward your other leg to stretch out the outer hamstring muscles. 25

Hip Flexors Stretch. Lie on your stomach with the one leg straight out while the other leg is slightly bent to the outside behind you. Loop the band around your bent foot and gently pull your foot towards the glutes to stretch the hip flexors and quads. 26

Torso Stretch. In a sitting or standing position, hold onto each side of the band. To stretch the left side of the torso, pull gently with your right hand. To stretch the right side of your torso, gently pull with your left hand. 27

Tricep Stretch. Position the band behind head so that the band hangs down behind body. Reach behind back or waist with opposite hand and grasp opposite end of the band. Position upper arm close to back side of head and hold onto the band. Now pull down with the opposite hand on the lower arm. Hold the stretch and then repeat or switch to opposite arm once finished stretching. 28

WARNING: Exercising with Viking Strong resistance bands has been known to cause Nordic strength, lean body and sense of accomplishment. When being strong isn t good enough. Be Viking Strong. 29