Strength Workout

Equipment: 20-pound dumbbell and stable chair

Setup: Hold the dumbbell close to your chest. Stand in front of the chair with your feet about shoulder-width apart.

How to perform it:

1. Brace your trunk gently.
2. Push your hips backward and bend your knees.
3. Lower slowly toward the chair.
4. Lightly touch the chair without relaxing onto it.
5. Press through your whole foot and stand tall.

Main cues: Keep the weight close. Keep your knees tracking with your toes. Keep your full foot planted.

You should feel: Thighs, glutes, and trunk.

Avoid: Knees collapsing inward, dropping onto the chair, rising onto your toes, or rounding your back.

Approved substitution: Body-weight chair squat.

Equipment: Resistance band secured around chest height

Setup: Hold one end in each hand and step backward until the band has light tension.

How to perform it:

1. Stand tall with relaxed shoulders.
2. Pull your elbows backward toward your ribs.
3. Gently bring your shoulder blades together.
4. Pause briefly.
5. Return slowly to the starting position.

Main cues: Pull with your elbows. Keep your shoulders away from your ears. Do not lean backward.

You should feel: Upper and middle back.

Avoid: Shrugging, jerking the band, flaring your ribs, or using momentum.

Equipment: Wall, counter, or stable elevated surface

Setup: Place your hands on the surface and walk your feet backward until your body forms a straight line.

How to perform it:

1. Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the surface.
2. Keep your elbows about 30–45 degrees from your torso.
3. Press the surface away.
4. Return to the starting position under control.

Main cues: Keep your body straight. Move your chest toward the surface. Use a comfortable wrist position.

Avoid: Sagging hips, flared elbows, shoulder shrugging, or painful wrist extension.

Approved substitution: Standing band chest press or wall push-up.

Equipment: 20-pound dumbbell

Setup: Hold the dumbbell with both hands in front of your body. Keep your knees slightly bent.

How to perform it:

1. Push your hips backward.
2. Keep your spine long and neutral.
3. Lower the dumbbell close to your legs.
4. Stop when your hamstrings feel loaded.
5. Drive your hips forward and stand tall.

Main cues: Hips move backward. Keep the weight close. Stand by squeezing your glutes.

Avoid: Rounding your back, squatting straight down, or reaching for the floor.

Approved substitution: Body-weight hip hinge.

Equipment: Chair or wall for support

Setup: Stand in a staggered stance beside your support.

How to perform it:

1. Use one hand for balance.
2. Bend both knees and lower through a comfortable range.
3. Keep your front foot fully planted.
4. Push through the front foot to rise.

Main cues: Lower mostly straight down. Use support freely. Start with a shallow range.

Avoid: Letting the front knee collapse inward or forcing extra depth.

Approved substitution: Chair squat.

Equipment: Floor space

Setup: Lie on your back with your hips and knees bent. Raise your arms toward the ceiling.

How to perform it:

1. Brace your trunk gently.
2. Extend one leg and the opposite arm.
3. Stop before your lower back begins to arch.
4. Return to the starting position.
5. Repeat on the opposite side.

Main cues: Move slowly. Keep your lower back controlled. Continue breathing.

Avoid: Extending too far, holding your breath, or rushing.

Equipment: Wall or chair

Setup: Stand beside your support with fingertips available.

How to perform it:

1. Shift your weight onto one foot.
2. Lift the other foot slightly.
3. Stand tall for 20–30 seconds.
4. Use support whenever needed.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Main cues: Keep a slight bend in the standing knee. Keep your whole foot planted. Look at a fixed point.

Avoid: Locking your knee, holding your breath, or practicing near hazards.

Equipment: Chair or wall for support

Setup: Stand tall beside a stable chair or wall with enough open space behind you.

How to perform it:

1. Hold the chair or wall lightly for balance.
2. Step one foot backward.
3. Bend both knees and lower through a comfortable range.
4. Keep most of the working pressure through the front foot.
5. Push through the front foot and return to standing.

Main cues: Step backward, not forward. Keep the front foot fully planted. Use a shorter step and shallower range when needed.

You should feel: The thigh and glute of the front leg.

Avoid: Letting the front knee collapse inward, losing balance, or forcing extra depth.

Approved substitution: Supported split squat.

Equipment: 20-pound dumbbell and stable chair

Setup: Place one hand on the chair. Hold the dumbbell in the opposite hand. Keep your feet stable and your back long.

How to perform it:

1. Let the working arm hang toward the floor.
2. Pull the dumbbell toward your hip.
3. Keep your elbow close to your body.
4. Pause briefly at the top.
5. Lower the dumbbell slowly.

Main cues: Pull toward the hip. Keep the torso still. Keep your shoulder away from your ear.

You should feel: The upper and middle back on the working side.

Avoid: Twisting the torso, shrugging, jerking the weight, or pulling toward the shoulder.

Approved substitution: Standing band row.

Equipment: Resistance band secured safely behind the body

Setup: Face away from the anchor. Hold one end of the band in each hand and use a staggered stance.

How to perform it:

1. Start with your hands near chest height.
2. Brace your trunk gently.
3. Press both hands forward.
4. Stop before the shoulders move into an uncomfortable range.
5. Return slowly to the starting position.

Main cues: Keep your ribs controlled. Press forward without shrugging. Maintain a stable stance.

You should feel: Chest, shoulders, triceps, and trunk.

Avoid: Leaning backward, flaring the ribs, shrugging, or allowing the band to pull the arms back too far.

Approved substitution: Wall push-up.

Equipment: Floor space

Setup: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet planted about hip-width apart.

How to perform it:

1. Press your feet into the floor.
2. Tighten your glutes.
3. Lift your hips until your body forms a controlled line from shoulders to knees.
4. Pause briefly at the top.
5. Lower slowly.

Main cues: Lift with the glutes. Keep the ribs controlled. Stop before the lower back begins to overarch.

You should feel: Glutes and the back of the thighs.

Avoid: Pushing through the toes, overextending the lower back, or bouncing at the top.

Equipment: Light resistance band secured around face height

Setup: Face the anchor and hold the band with both hands. Step back until the band has light tension.

How to perform it:

1. Begin with your arms extended.
2. Pull the band toward your face.
3. Keep your elbows slightly elevated.
4. Gently draw your shoulder blades together.
5. Return slowly.

Main cues: Use very light resistance. Keep your neck relaxed. Move from the upper back and shoulders.

You should feel: Upper back and the muscles around the rear shoulders.

Avoid: Shrugging, leaning backward, using heavy resistance, or pulling aggressively.

Equipment: 20-pound dumbbell

Setup: Stand tall while holding the dumbbell at one side.

How to perform it:

1. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart.
2. Hold the dumbbell beside one leg.
3. Keep your shoulders level.
4. Maintain normal breathing for 20–40 seconds.
5. Switch sides.

Main cues: Stand tall. Keep your ribs stacked over your hips. Resist leaning toward or away from the weight.

You should feel: Trunk, grip, and shoulder stabilizers.

Avoid: Side bending, shrugging, holding your breath, or gripping harder than necessary.

Approved substitution: Standing anti-lean hold with a lighter weight.

Equipment: Chair or wall for support

Setup: Stand tall with both feet planted and one or both hands available for support.

How to perform it:

1. Press through the balls of both feet.
2. Raise your heels slowly.
3. Pause briefly at the top.
4. Lower under control.
5. Repeat without bouncing.

Main cues: Use both legs. Keep the movement smooth. Use support freely.

You should feel: Both calf muscles working evenly.

Avoid: Bouncing, rolling the ankles outward, forcing the range, or shifting all the work to one leg.

Stop if: You feel sharp, localized, or worsening calf pain.

Approved substitution: Reduced-range supported calf raise.

Equipment: Stable chair; optional 20-pound dumbbell

Setup: Stand in front of the chair with your feet about shoulder-width apart.

How to perform it:

1. Brace your trunk gently.
2. Lower toward the chair over approximately three seconds.
3. Lightly touch the chair without relaxing onto it.
4. Stand at a normal controlled speed.
5. Add the dumbbell only when body-weight repetitions are clearly easy.

Main cues: Lower slowly. Keep your full foot planted. Keep your knees tracking with your toes.

You should feel: Thighs, glutes, and trunk.

Avoid: Dropping onto the chair, rushing the lowering phase, rising onto your toes, or allowing the knees to collapse inward.

Approved substitution: Body-weight chair squat.

Equipment: Resistance band secured safely overhead and padding for the knee

Setup: Kneel on one knee with the opposite foot planted in front. Hold the band with the hand on the kneeling side or as directed by your setup.

How to perform it:

1. Begin with the working arm extended upward.
2. Keep your trunk tall and ribs controlled.
3. Pull your elbow downward toward your ribs.
4. Pause briefly.
5. Return slowly to the starting position.

Main cues: Pull the elbow toward the ribs. Keep the shoulder away from the ear. Avoid leaning backward.

You should feel: The side of the upper back and muscles around the shoulder blade.

Avoid: Arching the lower back, shrugging, jerking the band, or using a heavy resistance.

Approved substitution: Standing band row.

Equipment: Stable elevated surface or resistance band secured behind the body

Choose: Use the option that feels best for your wrists and shoulders that day.

Incline push-up:

1. Place your hands on a wall, counter, or stable elevated surface.
2. Keep your body in a straight line.
3. Lower your chest toward the surface.
4. Keep your elbows about 30–45 degrees from your torso.
5. Press back to the starting position.

Band chest press:

1. Face away from the band anchor in a split stance.
2. Start with your hands near chest height.
3. Press forward without shrugging.
4. Stop before the shoulder reaches an uncomfortable range.
5. Return slowly.

Main cues: Keep your ribs controlled. Maintain a neutral wrist position when possible. Choose comfort and control over difficulty.

You should feel: Chest, triceps, shoulders, and trunk.

Avoid: Sagging hips, flared elbows, shrugging, painful wrist extension, or forcing the shoulder backward.

Stop if: The wrist or shoulder produces sharp pain or feels unstable.

Equipment: Chair or wall for support

Setup: Stand beside your support and shift your weight onto one leg.

How to perform it:

1. Keep light support with one hand.
2. Soften the knee of the standing leg.
3. Reach the free leg backward as your torso tips forward.
4. Keep your hips mostly square to the floor.
5. Return to standing by pressing through the working foot and tightening the glute.

Main cues: Reach the hips backward. Keep your spine long. Use support freely. Prioritize balance over range.

You should feel: Hamstrings, glute, foot, and hip stabilizers of the standing leg.

Avoid: Rotating the hips open, rounding the back, locking the standing knee, or reaching too far.

Approved substitution: Two-leg body-weight hip hinge.

Equipment: Light resistance band

Setup: Stand tall with your elbows bent and held close to your sides.

How to perform it:

1. Hold the band with both hands.
2. Keep your elbows close to your ribs.
3. Rotate your forearms outward through a comfortable range.
4. Pause briefly.
5. Return slowly without losing control.

Main cues: Use very light resistance. Keep your neck relaxed. Keep the elbows still.

You should feel: Small muscles around the back and side of the shoulders.

Avoid: Pulling the elbows away from the body, arching the back, shrugging, or using heavy resistance.

Stop if: The shoulder produces sharp pain, catching, or instability.

Equipment: Floor space; optional padding

Setup: Begin on hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.

How to perform it:

1. Brace your trunk gently.
2. Reach one arm forward and the opposite leg backward.
3. Keep your hips and torso stable.
4. Pause briefly.
5. Return slowly and repeat on the other side.

Main cues: Reach long rather than high. Keep your hips level. Continue breathing.

You should feel: Trunk, glutes, shoulders, and back stabilizers.

Avoid: Arching the lower back, rotating the hips, lifting the limbs too high, or rushing.

Wrist option: Use fists, push-up handles, or forearm support if flat palms irritate the wrists.

Approved substitution: Dead bug.

Equipment: Open floor space; wall or chair nearby if needed

Setup: Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart.

How to perform it:

1. Step sideways onto one foot.
2. Shift your weight onto the working leg.
3. Settle into a controlled athletic position.
4. Hold your balance for two to three seconds.
5. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Main cues: Move slowly. Keep the knee tracking with the toes. Establish balance before returning.

You should feel: Glutes, thighs, feet, ankles, and lateral hip stabilizers.

Avoid: Rushing, letting the knee collapse inward, crossing the feet, or stepping farther than you can control.

Use support if: Balance becomes uncertain or the movement area contains nearby hazards.