Question about tricep exercises on new High Step DVD

[Alhambra]

Cathe,

I absolutely love the new advanced High Step DVD. I did it for the first time yesterday and sweated buckets. I'm training for a triathlon and this DVD fits well into my training regime.

When doing the tricep pushups on the high step, how do you get your triceps engaged? I'm not feeling that exercise in my triceps at all.

Secondly on the one armed tricep dips, can you give me some alignment pointers. I can do the one armed dips with both feet on the floor. When I lifted one foot off the floor, I wasn't sure how close I should have my back to the step and I wasn't sure how to position elbow, shoulder of the dipping arm...thus I stuck to both feet on the floor but I'd really like to do this exercise with one foot on the floor.

Thanks!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Alhambra! Wow, lot's of luck to you in your triathlon


For tricep push ups, avoid letting your elbows flare out to the sides and instead keep your arms close to your sides as if you are trying to keep an envelop from falling out of your arm pit area. As you lower your body down over the high step, you should have the weight of your torso directly over your tricep area. When pressing back up, press your body weight up through the heal of your hands.

For one arm tricep dips, there is a lot of stabilization occuring causing many muscles to fire in addition to the triceps. Place your left hand on the front left corner of the high step. Aim your left elbow behind you (and keep it from flaring just as mentioned above). Now scoot your body forward so that your left leg can comfortably bend down and up while the right leg remains extended to the front (there is a lot of balance required here and you may feel very wobbly at first until you get more acclimated to the exercise). Lower down to the point of comfort. You do not want to go down so far that your shoulder feels strained. Though nobody should go too deeply, this will be a different depth for everyone depending on their shoulder/chest/tricep strength as well as the flexibility in their shoulder area. When pressing up, press up through the heal of the hand. If after numerous attempts, you cannot find a comfort level within this exercise, simply do standard dips with both feet down or the option that Jai and Cedie use.

Good Luck to you!