Personal Training

Technique of the Week
ELevated Push Up
​Body focus
​Main Muscles
​Breathing
Easier Version
​Horizontal Push
Pecs, Delts, Triceps
​Inhale down
​​Standard push up or Plank
Elevated push up instruction:
  1. Set bar at about hip height.
  2. Grab the bar at shoulder width.
  3. Step pack and put feet together.
  4. Keep a flat neutral back. Head, back, feet aligned.
  5. Slowly descend to the bar by retracting the shoulder blades and unlocking the elbows.
  6. Descend until the chest touches the bar.
  7. Push back up to the starting point by extending the elbows and driving your palms into the bar.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  9. Keep the glutes and abs engaged throughout.
Personal Training exercises for a great upper body workout
1.
​Dumbbell
​Benchpress
Body Focus
Main Muscles
Breathing
Easier Version
​Upper body
​Delts, Triceps
​Inhale down
​Half kneeling overhead press
Dumbbell Bench Press Instructions:
  1. Pick up the dumbbells off the floor using a neutral grip (palms facing in). Sit down on the edge of a bench.
  2. Lie back carefully on the bench and keep the weights close to your chest.
  3. Feet should be planted on the ground with the heels behind the knees.
  4. Keep your shoulder blades pinched together to ensure the shoulders remain in a safe position (“pack” the shoulders)
  5. Press the dumbbells upwards to lockout at the top with dumbbells almost touching.
  6. Keep the weights slightly tilted at a 45 degree angle in order to keep the elbows in a neutral position.
  7. Slowly lower the dumbbells downwards with elbows down and out.
  8. Contract the chest and push the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
  9. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2.
Elevated
​Push up
​Body focus
​Main Muscles
​Breathing
Easier Version
​Horizontal Push
Pecs, Delts, Triceps
​Inhale down
​​Standard push up or Plank
Elevated push up instruction:
  1. Set bar at about hip height.
  2. Grab the bar at shoulder width.
  3. Step pack and put feet together.
  4. Keep a flat neutral back. Head, back, feet aligned.
  5. Slowly descend to the bar by retracting the shoulder blades and unlocking the elbows.
  6. Descend until the chest touches the bar.
  7. Push back up to the starting point by extending the elbows and driving your palms into the bar.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  9. Keep the glutes and abs engaged throughout.
3.
Bent Over
Dumbbell
Row 
​Body focus
​Main Muscles
​Breathing
Easier Version
​Horizontal Pull
​Lats, Traps, Delts, Rhomaids
​Inhale down
​​​Chest supported row
 Bent Over Dumbbell Row Instructions:
1.      Pick up dumbbells with neutral grip on the outside of leg and feet shoulder width apart.
2.      Keep neutral spine, flat back and hips back.
3.    Begin the movement by driving the elbow behind the body while retracting the shoulder blades. Only thing moving should be the elbow. Keep the elbow in tight to the body.
4.     Pull the dumbbells towards your body until the elbows are at (or just past) the ribs. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position under control.
5.      Control the dumbbell throughout the movement.
​6.      Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4.
Overhead Press
Body Focus
Main Muscles
Breathing
Easier Version
​Upper body
​Delts, Triceps
​Inhale down
​Half kneeling overhead press
Overhead Press Instructions:
  1. Set up for the exercise by setting the barbell to just below shoulder height and load the weight you want to use.
  2. Stand beside the bar with your feet shoulder width apart.
  3. Place your hands over the bar and grip the bar with a thumb grip about shoulder width apart.
  4. Step under the bar and unrack it.
  5. Take two steps back, inhale, brace the core, tuck the chin, then press the bar overhead and lockout overhead. Aim to bring your elbows in line with your ear. Stand tall.
  6. Exhale once the bar gets to lockout and reverse the movement slowly while controlling the bar back to your chest. Keep your elbows tight to the body at the bottom.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
5. Half kneeling Overhead Press
Body Focus
Main Muscles
Breathing
Easier Version
​Verticle Push
​Delts, Triceps
​Inhale up
​Landmine 1/2 kneeling overhead press
Half kneeling Overhead Press Instructions:
  1. Assume a half kneeling position with your knee directly underneath your hip and your toes tucked in at the back.
  2. Lift the dumbbell to a front racked position. (Lifting arm is the same side as knee on the ground).
  3. Press the dumbbell overhead until the shoulder reaches full flexion and the elbow is locked out.
  4. Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position and repeat for the assigned number of repetitions.
  5. Keep the core fully engaged throughout.
6. ​Push Up
Body Focus
Main Muscles
Breathing
Easier Version
​Horizontal Push​
​​Pecs. Delts. Triceps
​Inhale down
​Plank
Push up Instructions:
  1. Assume a quadruped position on the floor with your hands under your shoulders, toes tucked, and knees under hips.
  2. Extend one leg at a time and assume a pushup position with the legs straight back and together, elbows extended, and head in a neutral position looking at the floor.
  3. Slowly descend to the floor by retracting the shoulder blades and unlocking the elbows.
  4. Descend until the chest touches the floor.
  5. Push back up to the starting point by extending the elbows and driving your palms into the floor.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  7. Keep the glutes and abs engaged throughout.
7. ​Barbell Benchpress
Body Focus
Main Muscles
Breathing
Easier Version
​Horizontal Push​
​​Pecs. Delts. Triceps
​Inhale down
​Barbell press on floor
Barbell Bench Press instructions:
​1. Ideally you should use a squat rack for this exercise and ideally have a spotter available from a safety perspective. ​Lie flat on your back on the bench underneath the barbell.
2. Make sure the bar is in line with your chest, gripping the bar with both hands keeping them slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
3. Feet should be planted on the ground with the heels behind the knees.
4. Keep your shoulder blades pinched together to ensure the shoulders remain in a safe position (“pack” the shoulders)
5. Make sure grip is neutral and ready for the exercise.
6. Push the bar up off the rack hook and bring the bar out and down slowly to your chest, making sure to inhale as you do so.
7. Push the bar straight up fully, exhaling as you do so while keeping the bar in line with your chest.
8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. After the last rep make sure to direct the bar up and back down safely onto the rack hooks.
Personal Training exercises for a great lower body workout
1.
Goblet
​Squat
​Body focus
​Main Muscles
​Breathing
​Easier version
​Squat
Knee dominant
Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings
​Inhale down
​Body weight squat
Goblet Squat Instructions:
  1. Put one hand under each edge of the dumbbell and position it at chest height.
  2. Push the hips back, bend the knees and squat down.
  3. Keep your elbows inside your knees.
  4. Once your thighs reach parallel with the floor, begin to reverse the movement.
  5. Keep your core engaged throughout and drive your feet through the floor.
  6. Drive back to the starting position, stand tall and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  7. Keep looking straight ahead
  8. Don’t have your knees go outside your toes
2.
Trapbar
Deadlift
​Body focus
​Main Muscles
​Breathing
​Easier version
Hip dominant
Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings
​Inhale up
​Single leg glute bridge
Trapbar Instructions:
  1. Stand inside of the trap bar with feet hip width apart.
  2. Push your hips back and reach down and grasp the handles using a neutral grip.
  3. Drop the hips and pull up on the bar. Keep looking straight ahead (think of keeping a tennis ball under your chin throughout).
  4. Drive through the whole foot and focus on pushing the floor away
  5. Stand tall. Once you have locked out the hips, reverse the movement by pushing the hips back and down again.
  6. Return the bar to the floor, reset, and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3.
Front
Lunge
​Body focus
​Main Muscles
​Breathing
​Easier version
Lower body
Glutes, Quads
​Inhale down
​Reverse lunge, split squat
Front Lunge Instructions:
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms by your sides.
  2. Step forward with one leg and allow both knees to bend simultaneously.
  3. Descend until the back knee barely touches the floor.
  4. Don’t have your front knee come over/ in front of your toes.
  5. Drive through the back foot and extend the knee as you stand up fully and return to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Barbell Back Squat
​Body focus
​Main Muscles
​Breathing
​Easier version
​Squat
Knee dominant
Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings
​Inhale down
​Body weight squat
Barbell Back Squat Instructions:
  1. ​Place barbell onto the correct height on the squat rack - shoulder height usually works best.
  2. Bring your body under the bar, and grip the bar with both hands evenly spread across the bar about shoulder width apart using a thumb grip.
  3. Make sure your feet stance is shoulder width apart with feet neutral or slightly pointed outwards.
  4. Rest the barbell onto the upper part of your back over traps and shoulders.
  5. Brace your core and keep your head and chest up.
  6. Unrack the bar taking a step backwards away from the bar.
  7. Once steady, keep body tight and focused on the upcoming movement. Take a deep breath in and keep the core engaged.
  8. Lower into the squat position, pushing knees outwards slightly over toes.
  9. Exhale as you push up out of the squat position, finishing tall with glutes and core engaged.
  10. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  11. After the last rep walk back to the squat rack and carefully direct the bar up and back safely onto the rack hooks. Make sure both sides of the bar are placed on the hooks. Step out safely (mind your head!)
Personal Training exercises for a great core body workout
1. Deadbug
​Dead Bug Instructions:
  1. Setup in a supine position with about 70 degree bend at the hips and knees and your arms reaching towards the ceiling.
  2. Extend the opposite arm and leg straight out simultaneously as you exhale.
  3. Return back to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
  4. Maintain a neutral spine and keep the core fully engaged throughout.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of total repetitions or for desired time period.
2. Plank
​Plank Instructions:
  1. Assume a quadruped position on the floor with your elbows under your shoulders, arms out and parallel to each other, toes tucked, and knees under hips.
  2. Extend one leg at a time, with the legs straight back and together, and head in a neutral position looking at the floor.
  3. Maintain a neutral spine and fully engage the core and squeeze the glutes.
  4. Hold for the desired time period.
3. Shoulder Taps
Body Focus
Main Muscles
Breathing
​Isometric Core 
​​Core, Deltoids, Triceps,
Quads, Glutes
​As normal
Shoulder Taps instructions:
  1. Start in a kneeling plank position with your legs hip width apart. If you can manage it, bring knees off ground into full plank position.
  2. With control, while keeping your hips and shoulders level in front of you, lift one palm to the top of your opposite shoulder and return to the starting position.
  3. Repeat the movement on the other side. This is one full rep.
  4. Try and minimise the movement of the hips throughout.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. 
4. Pallof Press
​Body focus
​Main Muscles
​Breathing
​Core Exercise
​Core, Obliques
​Exhale on effort
Pallof Press instructions:
  1. Start by looping a resistance band around a squat rack at chest height.
  2. Grab the loose end in both hands between thumb and index finger, standing perpendicular to the band.
  3. Step away from the squat rack to create tension in the bend.
  4. Holding the band tightly in both hands, fully extend your hands straight out in front of the chest. You will feel the band pull towards the squat rack. Keep the resistance, and slowly return the band to your chest.
  5. Keep the core engaged throughout.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. Change sides and repeat on the opposite direction.
5. Hollow Hold
Body Focus
Main Muscles
Breathing
​Isometric Core Exercise
​​Core, Abdomials, lower back, Glutes, Hip Flexors
​Slow inhale,
Slow exhale
Hollow Hold instructions:
  1. Start by lying on your back with your arms extended overhead and legs straight out on the mat.
  2. Lift, with control, and at same time, raise shoulder blades and head off the floor.
  3. Keep the core engaged throughout.
  4. Hold for desired time.
  5. Return to starting position.
6. Bulgarian Bag
Some ways a Personal Trainer will support you:
Three area's a Personal Trainer will help you get better with:
  1. Accountability
  2. Patience
  3. Comparison
1. Accountability
​Prioritising your time and consistency is key. There are 168 hours in a week. Prioritise at least 1% (<2 hours) per week to working out should be a critical part of your week. That could be broken down to 3 sessions of 40 minutes each. By having a personal trainer, they will hold you accountability to working out on a consistent basis.
2. Encourage Patience
​The personal trainer will encourage you to be patient with yourself. Don’t expect miracles or dramatic changes overnight! There is an expression that "It takes 4 weeks for you to see your body changing, 8 weeks for your friends and family, and 12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice." Stick at it and the results will come in time.
3. Ensure proper comparison
Don't compare yourself with anyone else. With today’s social media it is too easy to think you have to look like someone else. Just compare yourself with how you were yesterday, last week, last month, last year. Are you feeling better, fitter, stronger than you did before? 
 
By spending at least 1% of your time working out, and being patient with yourself, and being kind to yourself by only comparing yourself to how you were yesterday, you will be better than you were previously. A personal trainer will support you to do this consistently, the results will show and you will feel much better.
For additional inspiration, click on this link to review some of the blogs
​Personal Training Maynooth | Personal Training Kilcock | Personal Training Clane | Personal Training Celbridge | Personal Training Leixlip | Personal Training Lucan | Personal Training Kildare | Personal Training Ireland