Tuesday, February 4, 2014

"Balls To The Wall"

Last week I completed my first set of regular group class sessions at Paradiso Crossfit and supplemented these workouts with gym sessions at LMU's Burns Recreation Center.  I was unable to exercise Friday through Sunday because I was traveling, but I used this time as a rest period to recuperate from the previous four days.

Featured Exercise

A portion of last week's crossfit workouts utilized an exercise called "wall balls."  I am particularly impressed with this exercise because it is a full-body exercise that is both cardiovascular and strength-building in nature.  Additionally, the exercise movements are simple and easy to understand, making it ideal for all levels of fitness and exercise experience.

One repetition of a wall ball is completed using the following sequence:
  1. Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing the wall, and approximately two to three feet away from the wall.
  2. Hold the ball close to your chest with your hands on the left and right side of the ball.
  3. Drop down into a squat position so your thighs are even or just below parallel with the ground and your chest is upright and parallel with the wall while continuing to hold the ball close to your chest.
  4. Drive up from the squat position, keeping your weight in your heals and activating your hips until you are fully erect.
  5. Use the upward momentum from the drive to lift the ball from your chest and fully extend your arms overhead, releasing the ball while aiming at the designated target on the wall (usually 9 to 12 feet above the ground).
  6. Once the ball hits the target on the wall and begins to fall back towards you, simultaneously catch the ball, bringing it back to your chest while beginning to dropping down into the squat position described above.
  7. Once you are in the bottom of the squat position, begin the upward drive of the next repetition.

A video illustrating this sequence can be viewed here.  This exercise can been done in conjunction with other exercises or stand-alone in sets of varying repetitions depending on your fitness level.  It can also be done anywhere there is a sturdy wall (caution: balls often leave marks on the wall from repetitive contact).  If you do not have access to a weighed ball but want to utilize this exercise, you can purchase the ones used in crossfit training here.

What's Next?

Next week I will feature a healthy on-campus meal and compare my current health and fitness levels (weight, abdominal circumference, strength, endurance, etc.) with my fitness levels recorded before I started dieting and exercising seriously.

Final approach in sight. Over and out.
MJH


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