Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone. Lisa and I are celebrating our first Valentine’s Day as parents—two weeks in. Her mom is in town this week to help with our little guy, which makes for a funny contrast. I swung by BU for a quick lift, and Lisa headed to Newbury Street in downtown Boston for a fancy hair appointment. Ha—who says romance is dead? Thanks to Grandma for babysitting.
One-legged glute bridge floor press
Origin: I first heard about this from Ben Bruno. He mentioned it a few years ago in his blogs, and I immediately thought: 1) that’s a brilliant idea, and 2) I’m an idiot for never thinking of it myself.
What it does: I call this a hybrid exercise because it combines two moves into one and trains several key functions:
– The floor press is great for people with cranky shoulders or when pressing through a full range of motion isn’t comfortable. The floor stops the shoulders from rolling forward (too much glenohumeral extension) and provides kinesthetic feedback so you know when to stay out of the danger zone. It also works as a solid triceps accessory.
– The glute bridge part trains the glutes. The isometric hold increases time under tension and helps hip stability, with a cue to keep the hips level.
And perhaps most importantly, it just looks and feels strong.
Key coaching cues: I already mentioned one (keep the hips level). This exercise is fairly straightforward. Start with dumbbells on your lap, then slide them up as you lower toward the floor. Even though you’re on the floor, maintain proper scapular position (down and together). Bridge with both legs, then decide which leg to elevate.
From there, press away. Aim for a complete stop when your upper arms touch the floor. Keep the elbows at about a 45-degree angle to the body. Don’t let the elbows crowd the torso or flare out too far, as that can destabilize the shoulders. Elbows at 45 degrees is the Goldilocks position. Shoot for 5–8 reps per leg.
Maybe I’ll talk Lisa into watching The Fellowship of the Ring tonight.
