Dr. DeFranca's Sample Exercise Routine...
1. STRETCHES
Cat/camel
Cobra lower back extensions
3 pt stretch for hips (see exercise video's)
Cat/camel
Cobra lower back extensions
3 pt stretch for hips (see exercise video's)
2. BALANCE TRAINING: SINGLE LEG STANDING
Eyes Open: Stand tall, raise one leg until thigh is parallel to ground, keep your eyes fixated on a distant object, and maintain your balance for as long as you can, up to 30 seconds. Try doing this without faltering or flailing your arms. If you have to, hold onto a doorknob or chair for support. Repeat on the other leg. Do this three times on each leg.
Eyes Closed: repeat the above and while holding onto something for balance, close your eyes and try to maintain steadiness for only 10 seconds. Repeat on the other leg. Do this three time on each leg.
Eyes Open: Stand tall, raise one leg until thigh is parallel to ground, keep your eyes fixated on a distant object, and maintain your balance for as long as you can, up to 30 seconds. Try doing this without faltering or flailing your arms. If you have to, hold onto a doorknob or chair for support. Repeat on the other leg. Do this three times on each leg.
Eyes Closed: repeat the above and while holding onto something for balance, close your eyes and try to maintain steadiness for only 10 seconds. Repeat on the other leg. Do this three time on each leg.
LOWER BODY FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES
3. SQUATS: do as many as you can do for one set. Stick your butte out when you go down to keep your back straight. Goal: 50 reps!
4. BRIDGES: Tighten your belly and lift your hips off of the floor. Any lower back pain means your doing them wrong. Try not to roll your pelvis too hard or arch your back. Lift through your hips. Goal: 50 reps.
UPPER BODY FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES
5 a. PUSH-UPS: COUNTERTOP or FLOOR
Keep your trunk and legs rigid from your toes to your shoulders and do push-ups off of a counter-top for ease or the floor, hinging around your toes only. Keep neck stable and looking at counter-top / floor without poking head forward or arching it back. Do as many as you can as one large set. Goal: 30 reps.
Keep your trunk and legs rigid from your toes to your shoulders and do push-ups off of a counter-top for ease or the floor, hinging around your toes only. Keep neck stable and looking at counter-top / floor without poking head forward or arching it back. Do as many as you can as one large set. Goal: 30 reps.
5 b. PULL-UPS: These are great at increasing upper body strength! Do as many as you can making sure you from a complete hanging position to a chin-up position. You can alter your grips. Keep them at least shoulder width, even wider.
If you can't do them, step up on a chair and start by doing a few from the top, and just lower yourself down slowly. When you get to the bottom, do not pull-up but start another one from the top. Doing these "negatives" are a great way to initiate pull-up strength. After a few days of doing this, you will be amazed at how you can do a few regular pull-ups.
If you can't do them, step up on a chair and start by doing a few from the top, and just lower yourself down slowly. When you get to the bottom, do not pull-up but start another one from the top. Doing these "negatives" are a great way to initiate pull-up strength. After a few days of doing this, you will be amazed at how you can do a few regular pull-ups.
6. CABLE PUNCHES: Punch out while holding the resistance tube and turn your body. Just imagine you are punching in front of you using you whole body pivoting off of your back foot. Repeat until tired, whether it is 10, 15, or 25 reps. Just punch until you cannot punch anymore. Repeat on the other side.
7. Lawn Mower Pulls: Pull the cable as if trying to start a lawnmower. Pull several times until you cannot pull anymore. Repeat on the other side.
8. PLAY BALL!! BASEBALL BAT SWING Grasp the cable handle with two hands and swing an imaginary ax or baseball bat, whichever you desire. Pivot through your hips and feet, swing out to meet the "ball", return to the start position and repeat several times until you can not do another swing. Repeat on other side.
CORE and INTERVAL TRAINING
9 a.Core Pushes: Pull cable to chest with both hands and turn sideways to the pull of the cable. Bend knees slightly, tighten your belly muscles as if someone was going to punch you, and SLOWLY push your arms straight out in front of you. Hold the position for about 5 seconds, then SLOWLY being your hands back to your chest. Repeat until you can not do another repetition. Turn around 180 degrees and face the other direction, repeat above process.
9 b. Side / Front Planks: For a more difficult core training, side and front planks are excellent. To make it easier, plank off of your knees. Try to hold the position for 45 seconds without too much shaking. Work your way up to it. Perform three reps on each side and hold until you are fatigued.
9 b. Side / Front Planks: For a more difficult core training, side and front planks are excellent. To make it easier, plank off of your knees. Try to hold the position for 45 seconds without too much shaking. Work your way up to it. Perform three reps on each side and hold until you are fatigued.
10. Interval Training.
Any exercise can be done as a form of interval training. The key is to exercise to YOUR level of exertion for YOUR level of fitness. If you are out of shape, you won't have to work too hard to get out of breath. The goal is to stimulate your body to secrete growth hormone by fulfilling three criteria during your exercise: 1. get out of breath, 2. break into a sweat, and 3. exert until your muscle hurts! (as in a lactic acid burn or ache) .
Interval training entails exercising with short bursts of activity followed by longer periods of rest. For example, walk as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then rest for 90 seconds (three times as long as you exert.) This is what one interval of exertion is like. Do NO MORE THAN 8 INTERVALS. At first, you might only do 4-5 intervals in your first few sessions. Progress one interval per session over a period of 2-3 weeks until you get to 8 intervals per session. Do this type of training 2-3 times per week and give yourself a few days in between sessions. The key is to push yourself so that you get out of breath for a short period of time, you sweat, and you push your muscles to ache when you exert.
Any exercise can be done as a form of interval training. The key is to exercise to YOUR level of exertion for YOUR level of fitness. If you are out of shape, you won't have to work too hard to get out of breath. The goal is to stimulate your body to secrete growth hormone by fulfilling three criteria during your exercise: 1. get out of breath, 2. break into a sweat, and 3. exert until your muscle hurts! (as in a lactic acid burn or ache) .
Interval training entails exercising with short bursts of activity followed by longer periods of rest. For example, walk as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then rest for 90 seconds (three times as long as you exert.) This is what one interval of exertion is like. Do NO MORE THAN 8 INTERVALS. At first, you might only do 4-5 intervals in your first few sessions. Progress one interval per session over a period of 2-3 weeks until you get to 8 intervals per session. Do this type of training 2-3 times per week and give yourself a few days in between sessions. The key is to push yourself so that you get out of breath for a short period of time, you sweat, and you push your muscles to ache when you exert.