Onsite At Four Bells Fitness Emporium

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday! This week we headed down to Four Bells Fitness Emporium to chat proper form on two of the most common exercises that people use- Push Ups and Squats. Proper form is extremely important to ensure that no injuries occur and to ensure that the right muscles are engaged and doing the work so that you see the results you are hoping for. Mark and Jeremiah (owners of Four Bells and personal trainers) shared their tips on how to ensure these exercises are done properly and easy ways to increase ability and range of motion. Check out the full pointers below!

Fitness Pointers

Push Ups

-In a plank position place your hands shoulder width
-Corkscrew arms into the ground
-Hug the ribcage with your elbows as you pull yourself towards the ground
-Chest comes to the floor and then back to your start position
-Keep a tight plank, “The Worm" belongs in the 80s, not in the gym!

If you can’t complete a full rep on your toes, elevate your hands until you can complete some quality reps with a full range of motion, you could use the stairs in your house, a study counter top or table, or if you’re in a gym you could use a bar in a squat rack or Smith machine (maybe the only thing a Smith machine is good for??)

If you can, try and throw a few extra reps into your day, 5 to 10 reps at any point throughout the day is fine if you have healthy shoulders, your aim is to continually strive to get closer to the floor, but make sure each rep is performed for quality, half reps equal half results!

Squat

Pointers:

-Weight in heels
-Chest upright
-Torque the feet out 
- twist the ground away (twist big toe towards pinkie to) “knees out”
-Lead back with the hips initially 

If you can’t break parallel without maintaining proper technique then use a target to aim for and continually lower until it’s no longer needed. Don’t sit on the target and loose position, just use it as a safety net. 

Add load once you’re able to perform a squat without load well. Start with a kettlebell or dumbbell in the “goblet” position. 

Additionally, sit more in the “third world” squat. Make sure the weight is in your heels, hold onto something so you don’t fall backwards if needed. Try to accumulate 10 minutes in this position throughout the day. The benefit to your hips, knees, ankles, and low back will be massive! 

Have fun and squat more!!!

If you wanted to bring these two movements together for a short workout at home that requires zero equipment we would recommend:

5 rounds for quality:5 push ups 15 squats
Perform 5 reps perfect push-up reps (hands elevated if need be) and then perform 15 reps of the squat going through the best and fullest range of motion your body will allow. You don’t need equipment or complexity to get a solid and quick workout!

For more information about all Four Bells Fitness Emporium has to offer visit their great website and follow them on instagram.

Disclaimer: The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing a Naturopathic Doctor or your primary care provider for individualized health recommendations.