Archive for November, 2010

MMA Legend BJ Penn turns to Science to get back on Championship Track
Even great champions lose an edge with age. Coming off his last two losses BJ learned that mature athletes need to find another dimension in training to keep or regain their edge over the competition. Looking to resurrect is status as the best fighter in the division, BJ consulted Phase IV Scientific Health and Performance [...]

Bridging with Single Leg Straight
While lying on your back, knees bent, feet flat on floor, and hands at your sides, perform a pelvic tilt. Raise your hips off the mat to create a straight line with your body, aligning your knees, hips, and shoulders. Hold this position while breathing. Straighten out one leg, keeping the thigh bone and knees [...]

All 4’s Opposite Arm and Leg
Get onto your hands and knees. If your knees are tender you can put a soft pillow under your them. Tighten your abs. Extend one leg behind you straightening the knee, toes pointing straight down, with the foot just off the ground. Keep the back flat and the hips level. Raise the opposite side arm [...]

Partial Sit Up & Partial Sit Up with Rotation
Lie on your back, knees bent with feet flat, and your arms reaching above your knees. Do a pelvic tilt by contracting your abdominals and flattening your low back down. While keeping your head and neck in line with your spine, raise your shoulder blades up off the floor and reach your hands towards your [...]

Cable Shoulder Abduction
Using floor-level cables, stand facing away from machine, and cross the cables behind your back. Start with your hands down at your sides, thumbs up, palms facing forward. Then bring arms straight out to the sides with thumbs pointing up, just to shoulder level. Pause at the top and then return to the bottom. Remember [...]

Cable Hip Flexion
Connect one leg to floor-level cable. Stand about 3 feet away from the machine, facing away from it. Keep standing leg bent. Begin with working leg extended behind you with your foot pointing towards the floor. Bring the knee up in front of you to 90 degrees, with a 90-degree angle in the hip. As [...]

Reverse Flies
Set cable arms between 4 and 5 o’clock and between 7 and 8 o’clock. Stand facing away from machine with cables crossed in front of you. Make sure your knees are bent, hips are bent, and your back is flat. Begin with straight (but not locked) arms pointing down towards the floor and then bring [...]

Cable Shoulder Extension
Using floor-level cables, stand back a few feet from the machine. Stand with feet hip width apart. Bend both knees, bend at the hips, and keep a flat back. Set your shoulder blades. Raise arms straight back until hand is just past hip level. Return arm to beginning position and pause. Do not swing.

Leg Press
On leg press machine, place your feet on the plate so that your toes are higher than your knees, and your feet are hips width apart. Press through your heels. Straighten your legs but do NOT lock your knees. Lower until your knees are at 90 degrees.

Cable Shoulder Flexion
Using floor-level cables, stand facing away from machine with knees slightly bent, shoulder blades held down and back, abdominals firm, and cable handles in your hands. Keep elbows slightly bent the whole time as you raise your hand up in front of you to shoulder level, pause, then go back down to a stop at [...]