When it comes to fitness, inasmuch as every exercise you do is important in its own way, there are certain exercises that have more than just one function. These exercise moves might be more intense than the others, but they’re totally worth it and just sticking to these exercises can guarantee you an improved fitness health. Here is the list of 4 exercises that you’re ever going to need:

1. Squats

You’ve probably read and heard about squats a lot – and rightly so. This exercise not only helps you build a powerful lower body but also works on your abs, back and basically to some extent, your entire body.
Squats would help you get faster, stronger and would also improve your range of motion. Squats are simply integral to a balanced workout, so be sure to incorporate them in your daily workouts.

2. Pull-ups

Pull-ups are one of those exercises that incorporate nearly every muscle in your body – your back, chest, ab, arm and even your leg muscles are forced to work in conjunction. It is true that this exercise can be really difficult, as a lot of people can’t even do one. This, however, shouldn’t discourage you from embracing this exercise. It might take some time getting used to doing pull-ups, but before you know it, you’ll be able to bust several reps over a few sets.

3. Power Cleans

The only downside to this exercise is that it might require access to barbells and gym space. Apart from that, power cleans are one of the best exercises ever. This lift, just like squats, gets your whole body into action. Not only will you be using your lower body to get a powerful lift off, but you’ll need your back and core, and finally your arms to handle the weight once you get it above your waist. You’ll develop explosiveness, and definitely build a lot of muscle by incorporating cleans into your workout. There are substitutes, like rows, but if you can, get your hands on a barbell and some plates for the full experience.
Note: Make sure to do this exercise with your gym instructor around. Many people injure their wrist, elbows, and shoulders because they lack flexibility.

4. Planks

The beauty of this exercise is that it can be done anywhere and at any time you please. Planks will give your core and upper legs a real workout, and even help sculpt your abs. And there are a ton of variations you can throw into the mix as well, to ensure you don’t get bored.

Conclusion

These exercises are beneficial for everyone. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, or you want to build more muscles, or you’re trying to get in shape for an upcoming event, these 4 exercises are ideal for you.

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Knee injuries are any active person’s worst nightmare and many an athlete or sportsperson has had their career ended by an unexpected serious injury. From ACL’s to runner’s knee, knee injuries will at the very least mean some discomfort or, possibly, a lengthy lay-off and in the worst case, a total halt to intense physical activity. You should always seek medical attention when you suffer even a moderately serious knee injury as sometimes improperly rehabilitated injuries can be a strong pre-disposing factor for subsequent serious injuries. Depending on the assessment of your doctor, you will probably be asked to do some physical exercise to rehabilitate your knees after a period of rest.

A lot of people also suffer some serious knee pain and discomfort without actually having incurred a specific injury and in such cases, certain exercises for rehab are highly recommended.

Here are some of the most common exercises you can do to get back on your feet after suffering a knee injury.

1. Overhead Squat- Assess Knee Strength

Often, weakness in any of the tissues that are found in the knee or around the knee, will result in some form of compensation by the knee joint. Essentially, this means you will carry out regular physical activities using unnatural and poor form which will eventually, itself, be a pre-disposing factor to injury.

To assess the extent to which your knees might be compensating for any weakness, the overhead squat is a well recommended and popular technique. To do the overhead squat, you start off by performing a regular squat—stand with your feet, shoulder width apart, push your butt out and lower your back until your bum is slightly lower than your knees—but with both hands fully extended over your head. If your knees are compensating for some weakness, they will either subtly buckle inward or cave outward. Either motion will indicate some weakness in the surrounding muscles but when knees cave inwards, it indicates a need for the strengthening of the glutes (butt) and shin, and in the reverse scenario, it might indicate a weakness in the inner thighs and hamstrings. Read on for more details on how to strengthen weak leg muscles.

2. One-legged deadlift- Calf & hamstring

This is a really simple exercise to strengthen all the muscles along the back of your leg and you can do it, literally, anywhere. You bend over and touch the ground/your toes with one hand as if you were picking something up, and raise your opposing leg behind you till it forms a 90-degree angle with your standing leg, then return to starting position and repeat. The key to performing this exercise, with good form, is keeping your back straight and your core tucked in. To add some difficulty to this move, hold an appropriately heavy/light dumbell in your hand when you reach forward.

3. Isometric Squat- Quadriceps/Hamstrings & Glutes

These are squats without any dynamic movements. You simply squat and hold the position for some time, get back up, and repeat the process. Isometric squats have a strengthening effect on the knee joint and on the muscles around it so you should definitely be doing them for increased knee strength.

When you do squats, make sure that your knees do not extend beyond your toes, to limit the amount of strain being placed on the knees.

4. Calve Raises

Do calve raises to strengthen and develop your calves to make running, and other dynamic physical exercises, easier. To perform calve raises, lean with your palms resting against a wall and elevate your body till you’re standing on your toes. Go back down and repeat. Calve raises should be done in a slow and steady movement as opposed to faster jerky movements.

5. Swim

Swimming involves a lot of non-weight bearing knee motion and, for that reason, is an excellent activity for people with bad knees. You should swim to aid joint flexibility and .

Exercise tip

Avoid running on hard or uneven surfaces, while recovering from a knee injury. In fact, running on such surfaces is not recommended for anyone, even fit and healthy athletes.

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When it comes to fitness and developing a stronger body, most people focus much more on their upper body because, of course, a strong upper body is much more visible and impressive. But having a strong lower body is just as important for general fitness and health. If you’ve ever played a contact sport, you might remember having lost a duel to seemingly, scrawny looking guy who you totally expected to dominate. That guy probably had a very strong core and strong lower body muscles. Stronger legs give more balance and power for upper body muscles which is transmitted better by a strong core. Get the picture?

Generally, most squat techniques will work your major muscles such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and the abdominal muscles, and the variations shown below will only serve to target some of these muscles more specifically but without cutting the other muscle groups out of the workout completely. Read on to find out which squats you can do to strengthen all the very important muscles in your core and lower body.

1. Front Squat

This is probably the most popular squat technique and is widely used by body builders, professional athletes and fitness buffs all over the world.  The front squat focuses majorly on the quadriceps, which are the major muscle that run along the front of your thigh. Having stronger “quads” will make you faster and give you more power for kicking or leaping.

To perform a front squat, you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your wrists clasped beneath your chin, and squat until your elbows touch your knees.

One thing to note about all squat techniques is, you should not arch or “round out” your back as you lower your body into position.

2. Back Squat

Similarly to the front squat, you start with your feet shoulder width apart; but the back squat is, literally, designed to place tension on the muscles that at the back of the lower limbs—hamstrings & glutes–and on the back itself. You might need to use a rod or pole, of any kind, to aid in getting the technique right; a lot of people will use a barbell to intensify the exercise but for a beginner this is not advised, at least until you’ve mastered the basic technique.

Hold the rod across the back of your neck, balanced on your shoulders; then squat in the same motion as before but this time your elbows won’t be able to touch your knees so stop when your butt is either parallel or just below your knees. You should feel your hamstrings and butt muscles working a bit harder than when you do a front squat.

3. Isometric Back Squat

Isometric squats are squats that do not have the dynamic element of the traditional squat movement. In isometric squats, you squat and stay in the hole position (the bottom point of a squat when your butt is fully declined) for a longer period, with a longer rest period as well.

Isometric squats are good for improving the strength of individual muscles in the lower body but there is a disadvantage to this: isometric squats place tension exclusively on the particular muscle that is being targeted, unlike other squat techniques that activate multiple muscle groups. The isometric back squat is great for specifically working your hamstrings and the gluteus maximus—the body’s single largest muscle.

4. Isometric Front Squat

Like the isometric back squat, the benefits of the isometric front squat will be limited to increasing strength in the quadriceps. The technique is similar: maintain the “hole” position for an extended period of time.

5. Isometric Wall Squat

The isometric wall squat is significantly easier than both the isometric front and back squats and is recommended for beginners and women trying to lose weight or get into shape. The reason is simple: with wall squats, like the name implies, you lean your back against a wall while you squat. Unlike the other squat techniques we have described so far, your butt should be parallel with your knees, not lower. While the average beginner may struggle to hold an isometric front or back squat for more than 20-30 seconds, you might find it relatively easy to hold an isometric wall squat for up to 90 seconds.

6. Wide Stance

The wide stance is a technique that may be applied to almost any squat, to allow it to target the adductor muscles which run along the inside of the thighs. Adductors are an inside muscle, the type of muscles actually responsible for generating power; so to improve your real leg strength, strengthening the adductors is a good idea.

To do this, place your feet at a much wider distance when you go down on a squat.

7. Plyometric Squat

The term, plyometric, is reserved for exercises which involve some significant jumping or leaping motion, which explains why they are also known as jump training. To perform plyometric squats, do a regular front or back squat but when coming up from the “hole” position, jump off the ground. The extra effort of jumping off the ground activates more muscles including the calves and develops the fast twitch muscle fibers which generate explosive power. Jump squats will also help build endurance.

Plyometric squats are a good idea for a challenging exercise to graduate to once you’ve mastered the easier squat techniques listed here.

8. Squats With Toe Raise

An alternative squat technique that will also place some emphasis on your calves, is squats with toe raises. What you do is: squat using either the front or back squat and then, when you return to starting position, stand on your toes. Do this in one smooth motion.

Squats with the toe raise variation are a very clever way to work all the major muscles in the lower body.

Conclusion

For fitter and stronger leg muscles, and stronger knees, you should probably find a way to work in a number of these squat techniques into your workout routine. For beginners, you may start by doing 3 sets of 15 front or back squats on alternate days.

Having a personal trainer might help speed up the process of getting fit. If you would like to hire one, we would be glad to connect you with someone you can trust. Please get in touch with us at:

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You can get in touch with us 24/7 and one of our experts will not only give you a free consultation but also help you pick out an appropriate male or female personal trainer to meet your needs. One-on-one personal training lessons are available in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and RAK.
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Full squat – 5 sets of 8-10 reps

Leg press – 3 sets of 10 reps

1. Sit down onto the machine
2. Place legs on machine platform directly in front
3. Lower safety bar beside you
4. Press your feet onto the platform pushing it up
5. When your legs are fully extended it is important to make sure you do not lock your knees!
6. Begin to slowly and in your own time lower the platform
7. Your legs should make a 90 degree angle
8. Go back into the starting position and repeat.

Hamstring curl – 4 sets of 10 reps

1. Before sitting on the machine, adjust it to your height so you will be comfortable
2. Sit on the machine
3. The lever should be positioned on the back of your leg
4. Ensure your toes are pointing straight
5. Curl your legs back as far as possible and hold
6. Bring the legs back to the starting possition
7. Repeat exercise

Stiff-leg deadlift – 3 sets of 4-8 reps, increase weight and lower reps with each set

1. Bar should be positioned in front of you
2. Grasp the bar with palms facing down
3. Stand with torso straight
4. Your legs should be spaced apart
5. Your knees should be slightly bent
6. Bending your hips but keeping your back straight
7. Lower barbell over your feet
8. Bring your torso up by extending your hips
9. Go back into starting position
10. When you’re ready, repeat

Leg extension – 5-8 sets of 10-15 reps

1. Add or take off weight
2. Sit on the machine
3. Legs positioned under pad whilst holding side bars
4. Using quadriceps extend your legs forward
5. Ensure the rest of your body stays seated
6. Hold the position
7. Carefully lower the weight back to starting position
8. Repeat

We hear it often, that the benefits of exercise help your health. What’s even more great is that you don’t need to kill yourself with endless hours at the gym or longer runs everyday. Of course, you do need to exercise, in fact 3 to 4 days a week of at least 30 minutes ideally should be focused on some sort of exercise routine to pump your heart.

However, there is plenty of other changes you can make to your day which in turn will help your health.

Suggestions :

Ever feel peckish for something to snack on or forgot to buy eggs?

• When you need to quickly run such errands, consider leaving the car keys at home and taking a run down your local shops. There’s no need to travel further when you can jog somewhere closer to home.

Where is my car?

• Instead of parking your car alongside hundreds of other cars, making it almost impossible for you to find it after. Park further away, this will give you plenty of exercise to walk to your destination and of course walk back once you’re done.

Can I take a break now?

• Consider stretching or taking a long walk on your usual coffee and cigarette breaks.

Do I have to mow the lawn?

• Instead of spending your time hidden away in your house, get some fresh air. Go out into your garden and plant some new flowers, mow the lawn you’ve avoided for months and even consider building your own pond or tree house?

Re-pair, clean and keep moving.

• Spend free time fixing things around your house you keep delaying. Hoover once in a while, not only will it help you exercise but you’ll find thing’s you’ve missed for months. Making it fun, turn on some of your favorite music, you’ll find that time goes by a lot quicker when you’re enjoying yourself.

Should I take the easy option?

• Well, I’m certain you already know the answer! When coming across such an obstacle the answer is simple, take the stairs and leave the elevator for those that really need it. If you travel by public transport, get off a stop before the one you really need and walk to your destination.

Exercise whilst you sneak in some lazy time, can it be done?

• It’s true, you can be lazy and exercise at the same time. So turn on your Netflix or favorite movie, but remember to place open the mat, you can stretch out some yoga routines, use dumbbells to strengthen your arms when you’re seeking for low movement workouts to focus more on the film. Don’t forget squats and crunches can also be performed quick and easy when you’ve got your eyes occupied.

Physical Activity benefits:

Physical activity and weight loss have key benefits to your health, especially for those already suffering from health problems. For instance it is said that even Type II diabetes, can be prevented through consistent exercise. Other patients already suffering from health issues have seen huge changes in improved cholesterol levels, this doesn’t mean the intensity of which you train but the frequency to which you train. Some patients who suffer from high blood pressure will see a reduced improvements if they train 3 to 4 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Moreover, it doesn’t matter how long it’s been since you last exercised. Your age and ability shouldn’t bring you down, starting a better and healthier lifestyle can happen at anytime and to anyone but it’s up to you! You must be committed and consistent, never give up. Remember why you started to exercise and what your overall long term goals are.

You might just want a change for your own health. What’s your reason?

When starting a strength training program to improve bone density and build lean muscle you must be ready to dedicate 3 to 4 days a week exercising. From personal experience when you enter the body building area of th gym it’s all too intimidating at first. What weights should I lift? What if the weights I’m lifting are too much or too little? and most importantly am I going to break something!

Many people will have made a gym friend or brought along an old friend to help ‘spot’ them whilst lifting weights, not only are they there to save your life if you can’t handle the pressure but will quickly notice if you’re doing something wrong and correct you.

The key ingredient to losing weight in any part of your body is to exercise, EXERCISE AND MORE EXERCISE! Burning calories whether it be in the gym or out in nature is the only way you’ll notice result and achieve slimmer legs and strengthen your glutes. But please don’t go out and over train, it is vital you do some sort of cardio 3 to 4 times a week but remember to have rest days in between to help your muscles grow.

The Squat Exercise

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward.
2. Bend your knees and push your butt and your hips out and down behind you as if you were sitting into a chair.
3. Come down until your thighs are below parallel to the ground, or as far down as you can get them.
4. Straighten your legs and squeeze your butt to come back up.

Half Hour Run

You can choose to run both indoors or outdoors, as long as you devote a half hour solid run (that doesn’t mean running down your road to the nearest takeaway). If running a sweat isn’t you’re thing, then consider an hours swimming session or even cycle.  Again this is an exercise you should be doing at least 3 times a week.

Lunges

Deadlifts

1. Your feet should be shoulder width apart
2. With the balls of your feet under the bar, and your toes pointing forward
3. Bend your knees while keeping your back straight
4. Keep your hips back but not down.
5. Have your hips at around 45 degrees to the ground.

There are so many names for the gluteus maximus because it is such a wonderful muscle. As the powerhouse of the body, it’s no wonder that athletes worldwide focus a lot of attention on training their glutes.

Here you’ll learn moves to tone, strengthen and activate the body’s largest muscle. As an added benefit, these moves will also help you fill out those jeans in all the right places.

Squats

The squat is a key movement in developing your derriere. And for variation you can do this move with or without weight by either adding a barbell across your back or holding dumbbells in your hands.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Start with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart and slightly turned out.
• Take a big breath in to brace the core, then send your butt back as you bend at the hips and knees.
• Keep your chest elevated.
• Stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor, or you can squat below parallel if your mobility allows.
• As you drive up through your heels, you should think of screwing your feet out and into the ground. This cue will fire your glutes so you can get the most strength out of your movement.

Front Squats

This move should be performed with dumbbells in your hand or a barbell across the front of your chest.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Start with your feet a little more than hip-width apart.
• With your core tight and your weight focused on your heels, slowly lower yourself with your glutes driving back and down.
• Depending on your mobility, you can go to or below parallel.
• Screwing your feet into the ground and squeezing your glutes, drive your knees slightly out and your elbows up as you stand up.

Lunges

Lunges are a wonderful move for the glutes because there are so many variations.

HOW TO DO IT:

• To start, stand with both feet underneath your shoulders.
• Step forward with one leg and bend both knees so that your back knee touches the floor and your front shin is completely perpendicular to the floor.
• Your front knee should be directly over your ankle and never track over your foot.
• You can alternate doing lunges in place, walk forward while doing lunges, walk backwards while doing lunges or do side lunges.

Banded Side Lunges

Building off the basic lunge, add resistance bands around your upper thighs to amp up the difficulty.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Wrap a band around your knees with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Squat down a quarter of the way and send your butt back so that you feel your glutes engage.
• Then step to the side while staying in a semi-squat position.
• Repeat this movement on the other side and feel the burn!

Banded Front & Back Walks

Another wonderful banded movement that builds strength in your hips and glutes, you can place one band around the knees with your feet shoulder-width apart.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Squat down into an athletic stance.
• Then, with control, step forward while keeping your feet facing forward, imagining that your feet have to stay parallel like train tracks.
• Walk forward for a few steps before repeating this movement and walking backwards.

Banded Clamshells

The clamshell is one of the best moves for the glutes, whether as part of your warm-up or your regular strength-training workouts.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Start by wrapping a resistance band around the outside of your knees.
• Then lay down on one side, stacking your knees on top of one another, with your hand on your hip.
• Keep your bottom leg on the floor with your knee at a 90-degree angle.
• Externally rotate your top knee open while keeping your top foot on top of your bottom foot the entire time.
• With control, continue opening and closing your knees.

Stability Ball Hamstring Curl

This is a challenging move that works not only your glutes, but also your entire posterior chain.

HOW TO DO IT:

• Lie on the ground on your back.
• Place your ankles on top of a stability ball.
• Bridge your butt up to the sky with your arms and hands placed firmly on the floor.
• With control, roll your feet in toward your butt and back out again, all while keeping your hips thrusting to the sky.

You might have heard the term “secretary butt” referring to a round, shapeless and flat bottom. The theory behind the term is that sitting all day, on a 9-5 working timetable, flattens your bottom. Although the term secretary is used, it can be applied to any job that requires you to sit for extended periods of time.

Unless you’re living in the UK and still waiting for the clouds to disappear, the sun must already be out in your City. But don’t panic if you’re not beach body ready yet! Take a deep breath, then dive into this total-body sculpting series. Do it six times a week, pairing the exercises with 30 minutes of cardio, for a trimmer, firmer you.

Do all moves on one side first, then the other.

Tuck-and-Roll Kick

Sit face up with feet flat on the floor. Tuck knees into chest and roll onto back. Roll back down, bringing left hip and hand to the floor. Place left knee on the floor, rotating hips to lift up as you extend right leg out to the side. Rotate hips back down to return to roll: repeat 30 times.

Pro tip: Make sure you are not rolling on your neck.

Single-Arm Bend and Kick

Kneel on left knee with left hand on the floor, right arm resting on hip and right leg lifted (knee bent) so that inner thigh is parallel to the floor. Pull right knee in toward shoulder and then extend leg back and up. Return to “A” and repeat 30 times.

Pro tip: Extend all the way through your toes.

Push-up and Side Sweep

Start in the bottom of a push-up. Push into the floor to rise to the up part of a push-up, then lower back down. Lift back up to plank as right leg sweeps up and out to side. Bring leg back in and lower it to the floor. Repeat 30 times.

Pro tip: Keep your hips down.

 Rowing Machine

One of the most efficient workouts around. When you row, you’re using your whole body – upper, lower, core – simultaneously. Plus your heart rate stays elevated throughout the entire session, so think of it as a spin class complete with leg-presses and pull-downs.

Pro tip: Personally, I could spend around 30 minutes. But start of around 12 – 15 minutes.

Leg Press

Surprisingly the leg press is excellent for working on your glutes as well as giving your legs that desirable look. Load up a leg press machine and keep your legs straight. Powerfully contract your calves and press the platform up as far as possible. Hold for 5 seconds and release back as far as possible.

Pro tip: Lower the weights and push the machine with one leg 10 times, then both legs 10 times, then other leg 10 times. Repeat this rep 4 times.