Day 21 - Corn Cob Pull-ups

Difficulty - Advanced
Muscle Groups Addressed - Delts, Lats, Pecs, Biceps, Back

Had to throw another P90X favorite your way. The corn cob pullup is a juiced up version of the timeless classic. Before we dive in, perhaps a little basics tutorial on the multiple variations of grips you can use for a pull-up. Based on your grip, you can target multiple different muscle groups and adjust the intensity of the exercise.

Supinated (palms up) grip = Chin-up (more biceps, easier)

• Chin-up with narrow grip - 4-6 inches apart; engages forearms more
• Chin-up with neutral grip - ~12 inches apart; overloads elbows, heavy use of biceps
• Chin-up with wide grip - 12-24 inches apart; engages

Pronated (palms down) grip = Pull-up (more back, harder)

• Pull-up with narrow grip - Emphasizes lower lats and works biceps due to ineffective angle
• Pull-up with neutral grip - Overloads forearms and shoulder stabilizers, heavy use of the back
• Pull-up with wide grip - Emphasizes upper lats and upper pectorals

If you're not at the stage where you can do a full pull-up, put a chair underneath and support yourself with one or both feet.

Just make sure no matter which variation you're performing, you come all the way to the bottom and fully extend your arms. If you don't, you're not getting the most out of the exercise and you're neglecting all your synergist and dynamic stabilizer muscle groups. Also, try not to "kip", or use a jerking motion (momentum) to get yourself over the bar. Nice, slow, controlled movements will maximize the benefit of this exercise.

For corn-cobs, choose your grip and hang down with your arms fully extended. Slowly raise yourself up until your head is over the bar. Once you reach the top, in an isometric hold, shift your body to the left, then shift your body to the right, then come back to the center. Now, slowly release and lower your body down to a full hanging position. Repeat as many reps as you can. Again, the home/work version is exactly the same, you just have to find a doorframe or a pipe to hang from (careful to make sure it's not a heated pipe...)

Day 20 - Frog Stretch

Difficulty - Moderate
Muscle Groups Addressed - Inner Thighs, Groin, Hips, Lower Back

A great stretch for anyone that has tight thighs or shares my strangely specific New Year's resolution: side splits by the end of 2012. A move I haven't been able to do since I was 7 or 8 years old, the side split is my unicorn. Seemingly unattainable, but I know it's out there somewhere... if I just keep looking... and keep stretching.

This is a slightly more advanced move in the gym but very easy to do at your desk - just sit on the edge of your chair and push your knees out with your elbows. Or assume a butterfly stretch (remember, the one from gym class years ago?) by bringing your feet up to your chair, the soles of your feet together, and pushing your knees down with your hands until you feel a stretch.

At the gym, make sure you have a nice soft surface or a mat so as not to hurt your knees when you do this. Start on your hands and knees and then come to your elbows. Slowly start to inch your knees apart from one another, but as you slide out, keep your back flat and your feet pointed strait backward. It's also very easy to want to lean forward, but push your butt back to maintain the stretch in your groin. When you've come to a point where you're feeling the stretch, stop and hold it. Keep your eyes pointed down at the ground, your arms soft, butt back, back flat. Breathe. Hold here for 30 seconds. If at the end of the 30 seconds you feel like you can stretch more, push your knees slightly wider with your hands (or just slide them out further) until you feel that familiar level of stretch discomfort again. Hold for another 30 seconds. Breathe deeply. Bring your body forward to come out of the stretch. You'll be ready to pop a split on the dance floor in no time :)

Day 9 - Knee to Chest Stretch

Difficulty - Easy
Muscle Groups Addressed - Lower Back, Hip

So I was traveling today, and a friend smartly suggested that I post an exercise that you could perform on an airplane. Your options are limited here, especially if you're crammed into a window seat like I was, but I've been preaching that you can discover wellness opportunities anywhere, and this circumstance is no different.
I was going to get the passenger next to me to snap a picture, but he was literally asleep from the moment the doors shut to the moment they re-opened. So you'll have to use your imagination as I try to explain this stretch as thoroughly as I can.
In your seat, assume proper posture - feet flat on the ground, shoudlers square, pelvis tucked in. Wrap your hands under one of your knees and gently start to bring your knee up towards your chest. Continue to pull your knee up until you feel a slight stretch in your lower back (you may also feel a little tension in your hip). Hold this position for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. This stretch will help release tension in your lower back, which is most likely screaming from having to sit in a terrible airplane seat for a few hours (mine definitely was!). Come back for more tomorrow!