PrintBy Glenn Mueller
eDiets Contributor
A few years ago I nearly skipped my best friend’s wedding — I was the best man — to see the biggest game of the year. Ok, I admit it, my name is Glenn, and I am a football-a-holic.
Are you a die-hard football fan like me? Do you mark the date and time of important games on your calendar so you can plan your schedule around watching them? If so, I’ve got one question for you: Are you ready for some football workouts?
Even if you are an armchair quarterback, you can still use the football season as a time to get your exercise program in gear. Even if you aren’t a potential draft pick, you can still take your workouts seriously. Even if your team doesn’t make it to the Super Bowl this year, you’ll still be a fitness winner by the end of the season.
Instead of putting off your workout because the game is on, get fit while watching football with some exercises that you can perform in the privacy of your own living room. These exercises come from fitness pro Raphael Calzadilla, the Vince Lombardi of personal trainers. Get off the bench and follow Raphael’s game plan for fitness success.
Perform each of the following exercises in succession during the game. After completing one movement, immediately continue to the next one. After you’ve completed all the movements, perform them one more time. Attempt 20-25 repetitions of each movement. Don’t worry if you can’t perform all the steps at once, it will come.
PUSH-UPS — Lying face down on the floor, place your hands a little wider than shoulder width apart. Your thumbs should be lined with your chest. Your toes should be curled under and your feet hip width apart. Be sure to maintain hip alignment throughout the entire range of motion. Avoid sagging in the midsection of your body. Contracting the chest muscles, raise your body until your arms are fully extended.
CHAIR SQUATS — Perform this exercise with the aid of a sturdy chair. Stand in front of the chair with your back toward the chair and feet shoulder width apart. Keep your head up as a natural extension of your spine. Begin to sit in the chair, lowering your body until your legs are at a 90-degree angle. Contracting your quadriceps (front part of the thigh), slowly return to the starting position — stopping just short of the legs being fully extended. Keep a slight bend in your knees.
AB CRUNCH — Lie on your living room carpet on your back. Make sure your lower back is relaxed against the floor during the exercise. Bend your knees until your legs are at a 45-degree angle. Keep both feet on the floor and place both hands crossed on your chest. Contracting the upper abs, raise your head and torso off the floor until your shoulders are slightly lifted. Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of your head touching the floor. Focus on really contracting your abs during the movement!
CLOSE STANCE WALL PUSH — Stand facing the wall with your feet shoulder width apart. Place your hands on the wall so that your fingers are slightly lower than your shoulders. Your hands should be close enough that your thumbs and index fingers form a triangle. Your feet should be a distance from the wall that forces your body to be at an angle slightly greater than parallel.
Bend your elbow downward and lean your upper body toward the wall — making sure to project your chest forward. Your arms should be supporting your body. Stop the motion when your face nearly touches the wall and your chest touches your hands. Contracting the triceps muscles, slowly return to the starting position — stopping just short of the elbows being fully extended.
AB VACUUM — In a seated position, exhale all the air from your lungs. After completely exhaling, pull the abdomen inward and hold for 20-30 seconds. Continue to breathe lightly through your nostrils, but make sure you are pulling your abs in as if you are attempting to make your abs and back touch. This exercise works the transversus, the main muscle that pulls your abs in. In fact, it’s the most effective exercise for flattening your stomach.
According to Raphael, completing two cycles of these exercises should take you just 12-15 minutes — only about the length of one quarter of the game. You will eventually perform 50 total reps of each exercise except for the vacuum (hey, things always get tougher as the season progresses).
Raphael recommends completing these exercises at least 3-5 times per week. Personally, I plan to do this workout every time football is on TV. So, what are you waiting for? With Raphael calling the plays, you’re in the game and ready to score.
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