Perfect Fitness Daily Workout Blog

We are about to embark on a 21-Day Challenge designed to improve your maximum number of pushups, pullups, and dips. Before we officially kick off this challenge, here is your homework:

Test your one-set max for Pushups, Pullups, Dips (regular), Ab Rippers, and Squats (regular stance). Unless otherwise specified, instructional video for all the exercises in this 21-Day challenge can be found in the Workouts section of Perfect Online. Your one set max is the number of reps of each exercise you can perform using proper form and without stopping. Make sure to give yourself plenty of rest between tests.

You can perform all movements with Perfect equipment, but if you don’t have the products, do not worry! Here are some options for equipment free exercises:

Pushup: Perfect Multi-Gym, Perfect Pushup rotating handles, regular pushup handles, or hands on ground

Pullup: Perfect Multi-Gym, Perfect Pullup, or chinup bar

Dip: Perfect Multi-Gym, Perfect Pullup with Dip Bar attachment, parallel bars, two sturdy surfaces between waist and sholder height (such as two sturdy chairs placed one body width apart)

Squat & Lunge: Perfect Pullup bar, strap looped around a sturdy post, or chair (for balance)

Abs: Perfect Pullup with Ab Straps, chinup bar or Perfect Multi-Gym (holding onto bar to work grip strength), roman chair (found in most gyms and health clubs)

Check back tomorrow for Day 1 of the 21-Day Push-Pull Challenge!

Gold Medal Moment, courtesy of Tom Hoff

According to US Olympic Gold Medalist and professional volleyball player Tom Hoff, “keeping your fitness level up while traveling helps me maintain the performance edge that I am always  in search of on the volleyball court.”

Try this quick and dynamic volleyball work out sent to us by Tom. It will hit your legs and upper body, while keeping your heart rate up for short intense bursts —  exactly what you need for the sport of volleyball.

Perform each of the following supersets three times:

Superset #1

• 15 Perfect push ups with feet on physio ball for added core and shoulder stability work.
• 10 Perfect pull up grips hanging off a squat rack bar for Australian pull ups
• 10 Front squat

Superset #2

• 10 Explosive step ups each leg with weight vest
• 10 Perfect Pull ups narrow grip
• 10 Med Ball Russian twist

Surfer Riley Coon, Photography by Ginger Coon

The following dry land training workout will train the muscles involved in the most common maneuvers in surfing:

Paddling – while lying in prone position (upper, middle, and lower back)

Carving – trunk rotation with leg balance and control (obliques, quads, hips)

Standing up – explosive pushup to standing position (chest, core, legs)

This circuit calls for very short rest periods between moves to keep your heart rate in an aerobic state for the entire workout.  Perform each exercise as recommended in the progression below. After you have completed one set of every exercise, take a one minute rest. Repeat the circuit three times.

Equipment needed:  Perfect Pushup and Perfect Pullup

Move 1:  Pushup + Burpee
How: Using the Perfect Pushup, perform a regular position pushup then drive feet up under chest in one motion.  Rise to standing position keeping Perfect Pushups in hands.  Squat and lower handles back to ground, shift weight onto hands, and then jump feet back to full extension.  This is 1 rep.
Muscles targeted: chest, shoulders, arms, core, abs, quads, hip flexors
Reps: 10-12

Move 2:  The 21
How: Perform a superset of regular pullups (if modification needed, do Australians or standing rows), Australian pullups and standing rows, with no rest between exercises.
Muscles targeted: back, biceps, shoulders, core
Reps:  7 pullups, 7 Australians, 7 standing rows

Move 3:  Negative pushup with Superman
How: Using the Perfect Pushup, start at the top of a pushup.  Slowly lower chest to ground.  Keeping pushup handles in hand, activate back muscles to lift chest off ground, and sweep arms back alongside body.  From there, bring arms to forward in an arching motion so handles are in front of your face (mimicking  a paddling motion).  Replace handles back under shoulders and push up to start position.
Muscles targeted:  upper/lower back, shoulders, chest
Reps: 12-15

Move 4:  Assisted single leg squat
How: Bring Perfect Pullup bar down to hip level.  Holding onto the bar for assistance, raise one leg in front as you lower yourself down with the other.  Squat so your thigh forms a 90° angle with the ground. 
Muscles targeted: quads, hamstrings
Reps: 15 per leg

Move 5:  Staggered pushup
How: Using the Perfect Pushup, place hands in a staggered position (left handle one handle length behind right).  Perform 5-6 pushups  focusing work on one arm at a time, then switch stagger position and repeat.

Muscles targeted: chest, core, deltoids, obliques
Reps: 5-6 per arm

Real Simple Magazine May 2010

Today we are sharing with you a Perfect Fitness workout that was featured in the May 2010 issue of Real Simple magazine. This workout tones the back of your arms, typically an area of interest to most women, but everyone can benefit from this quick tricep routine.

Equipment:
- Two medium dumbbells
- Chair or bench
Perform three sets of the following movements, 12-15 repetitions each:

1. Standing Wall Push-Up
Standing at arm’s length from a wall, extend your arms so your hands are flat on the wall at shoulder height, with your thumbs touching each other. Inhale and, in one movement, press your body toward the wall as if doing a push-up. Exhale and push back to the original position, keeping your elbows close to your sides throughout.

2. Triceps Dip
Sit on the edge of a chair or a bench with your knees bent and your hands on the bench, positioned wider than your hips. Lift your rear up and shift it toward your feet. Bend your arms to lower your body slowly, then lift back up, keeping your elbows as narrow as possible. For more of a challenge, straighten your legs out in front of you.

3. Biceps Curl With Triceps Squeeze
Hold a light weight (about five pounds) in each hand, with palms up and arms at your sides, then slowly raise the weights to your shoulders for a biceps curl. When your hands are at your shoulders, contract your triceps, then rotate your wrists, so your palms face out, away from you, and slowly press the weights down. Once your arms are straight, slightly lift them up, behind and away from you, and squeeze your triceps again to finish the move.

To view the article with illustrations on the Real Simple website, click here.

We wanted to draw some attention to the little gems of information to be found on Perfect Online. On our Workout Videos page, you can access how to perform basic movements on all Perfect equipment, but there are sample workouts to be found as well!

For today’s workout, Alden shows us the Abs and Ass Workout. You can use this as part of your routine, or make it an “abs and ass” day and make it your quick workout for the day. Add repetitions if you need to make it more challenging.

Equipment:

Perfect Pullup (with rotating handles)

Perfect Counter

Ab Straps

The workout:

1. Squat – 5 reps

2. Single Leg Lunge – 5 reps each leg

3. Ab Knee Ups – 5 reps

4. Oblique Ups – 5 each side

Repeat sequence 3 times.

A typical summer afternoon in San Francisco Bay (Alcatraz in the background)

May is here, and summer sports abound!

In the San Francisco Bay, it is not uncommon to see dozens of kite boarders braving the chilly waters after work when the wind is just right. 

We sat down with former intern Lucas, design genius by day and avid kite boarding athlete by afternoon, and got a few pointers on how to prepare the body for this exciting sport.

The following dry land training workout will train the muscles active in the most common kiteboarding positions:  

-          Heel side riding position – stability and muscular endurance in legs (quads, glutes)

-          In harness – stability in lean (core, back)

-          Steering – pull and push control (upper back and shoulders, chest)

Lucas kiteboarding in the snow

This circuit calls for very short rest periods between moves to keep your heart rate in an aerobic state for the entire workout.  Perform each exercise as recommended in the progression below.  After you have completed one set of every exercise, take a one minute rest.  Repeat the circuit three times.

Equipment needed:  Perfect Pushup and Perfect Pullup

Move 1:  Perfect Pushup with static hold at top
How: Perform a regular position Perfect Pushup.  At the top of the move, hold for 5 sec.
Muscles targeted: chest, shoulders, arms, core
Reps: 10-15

Move 2:  Hanging knee ups
How: Hang from a pullup bar and position legs at the same width they would be in your bindings.  Draw knees up toward chest.  Squeeze abs at the top of the move.
Muscles targeted: core, forearms (grip strength)
Reps: 15-20
To further activate obliques, rotate hips (legs still binding-width apart) toward center of doorway as you bring knees up.  Alternate sides. 

Move 3:  Assisted squat
How: Bring Perfect Pullup bar down to hip level.  Hold onto the bar for assistance as you squat so your thighs form a 90° angle with the ground.  From this starting position, hold for 10 sec then perform 10 squats, only going half-way down. 
Muscles targeted: quads, glutes
Reps: 3 x (10 sec hold + 10 half-squats)

Move 4:  Standing row
How: Using the Perfect Pullup in the down position, place feet against door frame.  Keeping your elbows close to your body, pull from your back and perform a standing row.
Muscles targeted: biceps, back, shoulders
Reps: 15-20

Move 5:  Inchworm
How: Using the Perfect Pushup, start with hips in the air, in a pike position.  Slowly walk your feet backward, “inching” down into a plank.  Return to starting position.  “Inch” back down, this time to the right.  Return to start, then repeat to the left.  This is one rep.
Muscles targeted: lats, core, chest
Reps: 3 x (1 straight back/1 right/1 left)
Added modification: rest feet on top of a gliding disc
Alternative: Pilates pushup

Keep moving, and

For today’s Daily Workout, we are excited to present our first Perfect fan-created workout. It’s called the Blitzkrieg workout and was submitted by super-user Joe Saliga.

A blitzkrieg is a sudden, swift, and overwhelming military attack. Joe developed this workout to combine the benefits of all three workouts (perfect pullup, perfect pushup, ab-strap) into one total workout that only takes 15 minutes. In Joe’s own words, “this is a sudden, swift, and overwhelming workout. that is why i called it ‘blitzkrieg’.”

 Here’s how to do it:

1. Find your one set max for pushups, pullups, and knee-ups using the 2 minute drill charts in the instructional poster for each product.

Pushup Chart

Pullup Chart

Ab Rippers Chart

Enter the first (or highest) number from the first set of each chart for each of the following movements: full pullups, regular pushups, ab rippers, Australian pullups, wide pushups, standing rows, and close pushups. See Perfect Online if you aren’t sure how to do these exercises.For knee-ups and oblique knee-ups, use your ab ripper number.

Example: Joe’s workout

 Starting with Set #1, work from left to right across each row to complete each exercise in succession with no rest in between.

Once you complete a set, you immediately start the next set until you have completed all three sets. Try not to rest between sets, but if you start feeling dizzy, or short of breath, take as much time as your body needs.

Here is a blank template that you can print and personalize your own workout.

Good luck, and savor the burn! Joe, thank you for leading the way!