Fat Burner of the Week: Squat with Vertical Chop
Not only is the squat with a vertical chop a great fat burning exercise, but it also makes a perfect dynamic warm-up movement.
You can complete this exercise with a dumbbell, weighted plate, or medicine ball. It looks similar to a kettlebell swing, but this movement uses less momentum and more range of motion. That's the reason it makes such a great warm-up exercise!
Here's how to complete it:
1. Hold a weight in front of your body with your arms straight
2. Squat down by sitting back with your hips
3. Begin to stand back up and raise the weight over head
4. As you stand all the way up bring the weight down slowly behind your head to the top of your shoulders
5. Reverse directions and bring the weight back down in front of your body as you begin to squat down
6. Repeat 10-15x
Tips to remember:
1. Keep your eyes and head looking forward the whole set
2. Do not round your back on the way down or over arch on the way up
3. Do not let your knees go over your toes as you squat down
4. Keep the weight on your heels and sit back with your hips
5. Do not let your elbows flare out as your bring the weight behind your head
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Posted by: Tom Seabourne | Mar 11, 2008 8:49:25 AM
No drama here, and these are not my opinions - check your personal training certification - "first do no harm" - "abduction + external rotation with a load (not a toothbrush) is contraindicated".
Do some research and you will discover that lateral/medial epicondylitis is caused by many activities OTHER THAN racket sports.
Steve, I'm sure that you would agree that many ND clients are newbies and that there are many safe and effective warm up/"fat burners" that you could recommend without putting your readers at risk.
Posted by: Stephen Cabral | Mar 10, 2008 8:54:11 PM
Tom,
It' fine to play devil's advocate with many of the exercise posts and I'm sure everyone appreciates another point of view, but your above statement is a little dramatic.
"Lateral and medial epicondylitis (tennis elbow), median nerve entrapment, radial nerve injury which are injuries to the elbow capsule and olecranon area" are caused more from sharp, repetitive motions rather than merely flexing your arm. (We both know that…)
There is absolutely no harm to healthy individuals by warming up with a light weight. Everyone flexes their arm well past 90 degrees on a daily basis - try brushing your teeth or lifting a bag onto a counter with more than 90 degrees of flexion...
I have worked and rehabbed many clients with and medial epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and it is mainly a result of overuse injuries from a racquet type sport.
Posted by: Tom Seabourne | Mar 10, 2008 8:12:18 PM
Warning - Do not mimic the photo as repetitive full elbow flexion with resistance may lead to lateral and medial epicondylitis (tennis elbow), median nerve entrapment, radial nerve injury which are injuries to the elbow capsule and olecranon area. Is the risk of these injuries worth the supposed warm-up/"fat burning" benefit? Instead, modify the move so that your elbows don't bend beyond 90 degrees while you are holding the weight.
