When quad gets cool
These Quadrupedal movements are a great way to exercise your entire body.
Movements like walking, standing are linear in nature and don’t aid multi-joint movements. To put it simply, if your workout includes only linear movements, muscles lose their strength. Quadrupedal movements are multi-joint movements that engage the entire body, especially the core. These exercises can be quite different than your standard bodybuilding workout, since they combine many different types of training into an exhaustive workout session. These exercises will help you tone your body, and get rid of that slouch — which otherwise isn’t corrected with your normal exercise routine.
Push-ups with rolls and rotations
Take the side plank position with one arm in the air, then drop forward in push-up position. Roll on either left or right side. After completing the roll, get back into push-up position. Lift the opposite hand and get back into side plank position.
Hip thrusts
Lie down on your back. Fold your leg with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Thrust your hips straight up keeping your chest, knee and hip in one line. Come back down slowly. Do not touch your hip to the floor. Thrust up again.
Walking Deep Lunges
Stand with legs open as wide as your shoulders. Enter a normal lunge position, but keep your back leg extended and knee straight. Keep your hands on your head and try to step forward in a straight line without losing balance. Do this forwards and backwards.
Squat position walking
A squat walk warms up all the muscles of your body. Stand with your legs open as wide as your shoulder. Enter half squat position then slowly start walking in a straight line while maintaining the squat position. Make sure the foot does not rotate to the outside, and stays in a straight line. Repeat this walk as many times as possible.
Chakrasana crawl (Exorcist crawl):
Plant your hands firmly on ground in reverse position next to your head. Push against the floor with your hands and feet to create a bridge shape. Attempt to move your opposite limbs and try to walk slowly.
Lizard crawl
Move opposite limbs forward together (refer pic). Perform a push-up then move the other set of limbs forward. Continue performing push-ups.
Lateral jumps
Stand on right foot with your left foot suspended in the air. Hop in a straight line laterally, land on your left foot and suspend your right foot in the air. Repeat the set for three to 20 times.
The trainer Viren Vijayakumar is a martial artist and club manager at a fitness centre in Pune.