How to Amp Up Your Exercise Routine

Are you feeling healthy, but want to take your workout routine to the next level? This article will provide you with progressions of functional exercises, plus, easy-to-use tools you can use to give your exercise routine the boost you’ve been looking for.

Please note that you don’t need the tools I recommend in order to progress your exercises. So if you don’t have them, that’s okay. They will provide a “next-level” opportunity for your workout, but aren’t a requirement.

**Full disclosure, I am an affiliate for Flex Kords and Lebert Fitness. The items featured in this article were provided to me by these companies. Also, I receive funds whenever my Flex Kords discount (Dr. Katie) is used at checkout on the Flex Kords website**

The Components of an Effective Exercise Program

If you’re someone who exercises regularly, YAY! I am so proud of you!

Regular exercise (at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity per week, as recommended by the American Heart Association and Center for Disease Control) is key to maintaining good overall health.

So it’s definitely a habit that’s worth celebrating!

However, in order to really increase strength and functional capacity (which we need to do as we age), certain components are required.

5 Components of an Effective Exercise Plan:¹

1. Type– What exercise are you doing? Within this component is the idea of specificity. Just as it sounds, if we want something to improve, we need to work specifically on that. Want to be able to walk further? Yes, leg strength is important, but make sure you’re actually walking.
2. Intensity– Is your exercise challenging? This is typically described in mild, moderate, or vigorous. In order to make gains, we want to make sure the intensity is high enough that we’re being challenged, but not too high that we’re overwhelming our bodies.
3. Duration– How long are you doing the exercise for? While some people seek out hour-long training sessions, studies have found that exercising for even 10 minutes (multiple times per day) can lead to improvements in overall health. Aiming for at least 30 minutes 5 times per week meets the current recommendations.
4. Frequency– How many days per week do you exercise? Consistency is really key to developing any habit, but especially for making functional gains. As mentioned at least 5 times per week is recommended for moderate activity.
5. Progression– Are you upping the challenge? This is what we’re going to focus on in this article- making sure we are not just exercising, but increasing the challenge to continue to improve strength.

Overload

If you’ve been doing the same workout routine for a while, you may notice what many people call a “plateau”. Meaning, your body responded really well when you started this routine, but it may not be continuing to adapt/change/improve.

That’s where the principle of overload comes in. This principle states that in order to improve, one must increase the type, duration, intensity, or frequency progressively.

Note that you don’t need to increase all components and you don’t want to increase any one component rapidly, but rather, progressively.

5 Exercises and How to Progress Them

Click HERE for a video of Dr. Katie Landier, PT, DPT completing these progressions!

1. The Push Up

General Progression within ANY level: Try to complete 2 more reps than you were able to complete before. Rest for less time than you did before. Complete one more set during the day. Perform more days per week than the previous week.

1. Get down to all fours on a mat.
2. Place hands under shoulders, knees under hips.
3. Bend the elbows, keeping elbows narrow, pointed towards your thighs.
4. Imagine you are trying to touch your forehead between your hands (like a bow motion).**Elbows won’t touch the ground but you want to feel the work in the back of the arm**
5. Straighten elbows.
6. Repeat 5-10 times.
7. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
8. Complete 3 sets.

Progression Level 1:

1. Get down to all fours on a mat.
2. Place hands a hands-distance in front of your shoulders.
3. Bend the elbows, keeping elbows narrow, pointed towards your thighs.
4. Elbows will come all the way down to the mat.
5. Straighten elbows from the floor.
6. Repeat 5-10 times.
7. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
8. Complete 3 sets.

Progression Level 2:

Use the Lebert Fitness Equalizer:

1. Place one hand on each Equalizer.
2. Keeping collarbones wide, eyes looking down at the floor, bend the elbows.
3. Allow elbows to brush the rib cage.
4. Straighten the elbows.
5. Repeat 5-10 times.
6. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
7. Complete 3 sets.

2. The Deadlift

General Progression within ANY level: Try adding weight (laundry basket, kettle bell, etc.). Try to complete 2 more reps than you were able to complete before. Rest for less time than you did before. Complete one more set during the day. Do single leg, instead of double leg. Perform more days per week than the previous week.

1. Grab your 12″ Flex Kord (or any resistance band).
2. Sit towards the front of your chair, with Flex Kord under the feet.
3. Hold the Flex Kord so there’s slight tension in the band.
4. Keeping your back flat, tilt your torso forward as you stand up.
5. Hinge at the hip, reaching your bottom towards the chair.

Progression Level 1:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. (If you’re using a kettlebell, stand with one foot on each side of the weight).
2. Bend your knees slightly.
3. Keeping a flat back, hinge forward at the hip as you reach towards the floor to grab your weight (if using weight).
4. Keeping a flat back will require your abdominals to turn on to support your back.
5. Maintaining your flat back with the help of your abs, use your hamstrings and glutes to bring you back up to standing.
6. Repeat 8x.
7. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
8. Complete 3 sets total.

Progression Level 2 (Single Leg):

Use the Lebert Fitness HIIT System

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Hold one handle in each hand.
3. Bend your knees slightly.
4. Lift one foot off of the floor.
5. Keeping a flat back, hinge forward at the hip as your leg lifts up.
6. Maintaining your flat back, use the hamstring and glute muscles of your standing leg to return to upright, lowering lifted leg towards the floor (without allowing it to fully rest on the floor).
7. Repeat 8x.
8. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
9. Complete 3 sets total.

3. The Squat

General Progression within ANY level: Try adding weight (laundry basket, kettle bell, etc.). Try to complete 2 more reps than you were able to complete before. Rise from a lower surface. Rest for less time than you did before. Complete one more set during the day. Perform more days per week than the previous week.

1. Sit towards the front edge of a stable chair.
2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Hinge forward at the hips to stand up.
4. Straighten your knees to stand.
5. Reach back for the chair and sit down.
6. Repeat steps 3-4 10x.
7. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
8. Repeat for a total of 3 sets.

Progression Level 1

1. Stand with your back to a stable chair.
2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with toes slightly turned out.
3. Imagine you’re going to sit in that chair as you bend your knees (no lower than 90 degrees).
4. Straighten your knees to stand.
5. Repeat 10x.
6. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
7. Repeat for a total of 3 sets.

Progression Level 2

With Lebert Fitness HIIT System

1. Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-distance apart, toes slightly turned out.
2. Hold one handle in each hand, arms straight in front of you.
3. Imagine you’re going to sit in a chair as you bend your knees (no lower than 90 degrees).
4. Bend your elbows as you straighten your knees to stand.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 10x.
6. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
7. Repeat for a total of 3 sets.

4. The Plank

General Progression within ANY level: The more parallel you are to the floor, the harder the challenge, so lowering the surface height to progress. Rest for less time than you did before. Hold for 3 seconds longer than before. Perform more days per week than the previous week.

1. Stand facing a wall.
2. Place hands on the wall, about shoulder-distance apart.
3. Taking one step back with the right foot.
4. Take one step back with the left foot.
5. Hold for 10-30 seconds.
6. Walk feet towards the wall.
7. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
8. Repeat 2-5x.

Progression Level 1

Using Lebert Fitness Equalizer or a countertop

1. Stand facing the Equalizer or countertop.
2. Place one hand one each Equalizer / the countertop, about shoulder-distance apart.
3. Taking one step back with the right foot.
4. Take one step back with the left foot.
5. Hold for 30 seconds- 1 minute.
6. Walk feet back to starting position.
7. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
8. Repeat 2-5x.

Progression Level 2

1. Get down to a mat on all fours.
2. Place hands under the shoulders, fingers pointing towards the top of the mat.
3. Move right knee back and then left knee back, so you’re in a kneeling plank.
4. Hold for 10-30 seconds.
5. Move knees back to starting position.
6. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
7. Repeat 2-5x.

Progression Level 3

1. Get down to a mat on all fours.
2. Place hands under the shoulders, fingers pointing towards the top of the mat.
3. Move right foot back, then left foot back, about shoulder distance apart.
4. Hold for 10-30 seconds.
5. Move knees back to starting position.
6. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
7. Repeat 2-5x.

5. The Pull Up

General Progression within ANY level: Complete 2 more reps than the time before. Rest for less time than you did before. Move elbows more slowly to complete with more control. Perform more days per week than the previous week.

Using Flex Kord (or any resistance band)

1. Place Flex Kord in door holder or tie resistance band in a knot and close in door, securely.
2. Hold band in each hand at shoulder height.
3. Sit up tall.
4. Bring shoulder blades together in the back, then bend the elbows towards sides of rib cage.
5. Return arms to starting position.
6. Repeat 10-12x.
7. Rest for 1-3 minutes.
8. Complete 3 sets.

Progression Level 1

Using Lebert Fitness Equalizer

1. Place Equalizer over mat.
2. Lie down under Equalizer, with Equalizer over shoulders.
3. Place hands shoulder-distance apart on Equalizer.
4. Bend both knees, placing feet on the mat.
5. Bend your elbows to bring chest towards Equalizer.
6. Slowly lower yourself back towards the mat.
7. Repeat 5-10x.
8. Rest 1-3 minutes.
9. Complete 3 sets.

Sources:

1. https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/publications-files/acsms-exercise-testing-prescription.pdf?sfvrsn=111e9306_4#:~:text=Exercise%20prescription%20includes%20the%20type,disease%5D%20risk%20factors%20or%20CHD.