Work It Out Radio

The Milk Jug Triceps Kickback exercises the back of the upper arm — the muscle known as the triceps brachii. This exercise is great for teaching proper body alignment and may also transfer to activities like a chest pass in basketball.

HOW-TO:

1. Use two four-litre milk jugs filled a quarter of the way full. Use a couch or bench.
2. Place your left knee on the couch/bench. Position the right leg on the ground for support. Place the left hand palm or knuckles down on the couch/bench. Ensure that your shoulder are pulled back and down, your tummy is tight, your spine is neutral and that your neck is long.
3. Raise your upper arm so that it is parallel to the floor and you can dig your elbow into your sides, your forearm will be perpendicular to the ground. This is the starting point.
4. With your wrist neutral, straighten your elbow, bringing the forearm from a perpendicular to a parallel position to the floor.
5. With control and a slow tempo, return the forearm to its perpendicular starting position.
6. Repeat.

VIDEO DEMO:

The Milk Jug Triceps Kickback exercises the back of the upper arm — the muscle known as the triceps brachii. This exercise is great for teaching proper body alignment and may also transfer to activities like a chest pass in basketball.

HOW-TO:
1. Use two four-litre milk jugs filled a quarter of the way full. Use a couch or bench.
2. Place your left knee on the couch/bench. Position the right leg on the ground for support. Place the left hand palm or knuckles down on the couch/bench. Ensure that your shoulder are pulled back and down, your tummy is tight, your spine is neutral and that your neck is long.
3. Raise your upper arm so that it is parallel to the floor and you can dig your elbow into your sides, your forearm will be perpendicular to the ground. This is the starting point.
4. With your wrist neutral, straighten your elbow, bringing the forearm from a perpendicular to a parallel position to the floor.
5. With control and a slow tempo, return the forearm to its perpendicular starting position.
6. Repeat.

The Milk Jug Biceps Curl emphasizes the arm muscles. These muscles are used in every day activities like lifting and lowering your watering can as you water the flowers as well as hammering nails.

HOW-TO:

1. Use two four-litre milk jugs filled a quarter of the way full.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder to hip width apart, knees slightly bent, elbows at your sides, chest up and out with shoulders drawn back and down and tummy tight.
3. Hold a jug in each hand with the tops pointing upwards.
4. Dig you elbows in tight to your sides and allow the jugs to rest at the side of your thighs.
5. Curl one jug at a time by bending at the elbow, decreasing the distance from your upper arm to forearm, focusing on contracting the muscles in the front of your upper arm.
6. Bring your arm up 135 degrees as you breathe out, squeezing at the top.
7. With control and a slow tempo, lower the jug to the starting position.
8. Repeat on the other arm.

VIDEO DEMO:

Turtle planks emphasize the core in a static position. This exercise helps to maintain a solid, upright posture and produce well-developed muscles in our abdominals and low back to help protect the spine.

HOW-TO:
1. Lay on your back with your hands overhead, with the back of your palms against the floor.
2. Make sure your knees and hips are fully extended, your elbows are fully extended, and your heels are against the floor.
3. Lift your heels and arms off the floor and hold the position by contracting your abdominals.

VIDEO DEMO:

The abdominal muscles are extremely important for the health of your back, maintaining good posture and breathing. They are also very important for reaching forward at the trunk as well as bending your trunk to the side.

HOW-TO:

1. Take the towel and put it under your feet.

2. Keep your hands and toes shoulder width apart.

3. Raise your upper body off the ground.

4. Pull your knees to your chest while breathing in.

5. Straighten out while exhaling.

VIDEO DEMO:

Towel rows are a great exercise for working the large muscles of your back and arm. This is a very functional exercise that will aid in pulling open heavy cabinet drawers, pulling up your slacks and obviously pulling towels out of the washer and dryer.

HOW-TO:

1. Stand up tall, with knees slightly bent, back neutral, tummy tight, neck long, chin back, chest up, shoulder blades back and down and one hand on a towel.
2. Place the other hand on another towel. Have a buddy do the same thing with the other ends of the towels that you are grabbing. Keep your elbow close to your sides, shoulder blades stable and body upright.
3. Draw the towel towards your body and drive your elbow back as your partner resists the motion.
4. The partner pulls the opposite arm and you must resist their force without overcoming it.
5. Repeat.

VIDEO DEMO: