Push, Pull, Legs- My Strong Muscle Routine!

Muscle Drives Metabolism & Mobility that’s why I focus on encouraging my Ovvia Members to get strong and stay strong! It’s never too late to improve your strength.

How to Build Muscle
Resistance training and weight lifting are the best ways to build muscle. And healthy muscles require activation for your body needs to stay metabolically healthy. Ovvia Members know I talk about maintaining healthy eating and activity, because the two work together to keep your body’s hormonal infrastructure communicating and functioning properly. 

Easy Ways to Activate Muscles
Walking at a brisk, late-to-a-meeting pace is a great way to get the lower body moving. Once you’ve established a walking routine, it’s time to consider adding in resistance training. To start, use your body weight and gravity only. Then you can progress to using equipment such as weights and resistance bands. 

Formula to Follow

“Push, Pull, Legs” is the simple formula I follow. These three categories help to keep me focused on activating the entire body. “Push” and “Pull” describe the movements. “Legs” is a focus on the lower half of the body’s muscles. Each week, I work to do “push, pull” at least twice and “legs” at least once, ideally twice, but since I run 30 min. six days each week, my lower body is “active” already. 

Body Weight Only
To start all you need is the resistance of gravity and the weight of your body. But as you progress and get stronger, your body will require a challenge for it to change. That’s why, it makes sense to invest in weights or resistance bands you can use at home or go to a gym. 

Resistance Bands 

Are all I could access when the gyms closed in 2020. And they were key to help me maintain my muscle and strength. No matter what, they’re a great low cost investment for every body! Ovvia Member’s check out the best resistance bands and see specific exercises I do and how I use them, with photos in the Resource Guide for Members.   

Challenge the Muscle to Change 

Two times each week, perform each category: push, pull, legs. A minimum of three sets of 8-15 repetitions of an exercise is needed to activate and challenge the muscle group. So for example, if you’re working biceps, you’ll want to use a weight or resistance that will properly challenge the muscle. I like to shoot for 12 repetitions of bicep curls and rest, 30 seconds to one minute between sets, repeating three times.

Push Movements:

• Chest press
• Push-up
• Shoulder press 
• Tricep pushdown 
• Tricep kickback
• Side bridge (abs)

Pull Movements: 

• Pullups 
• Lat pulldown 
• Seated Row  
• Bicep curl 
• Hammer curl (bicep) 
• Plank (abs)

Legs is a focus on the lower half of the body, because 65% of muscles are below the waist. 

• Leg machine press 
• Leg Curls 
• Squats: body weight only is safest for a healthy spine 
• Lunges: body weight only  is safest for a healthy spine 
• Glute bridge: body weight only  is safest for a healthy spine
• Standing calf raises

Learn More: Listen to my podcast episode on “Exercise: How to Kick-Start Your Metabolism."
Read “How to Boost Metabolism”. 

Read “How Exercise Impacts Appetite & Hunger”. 

Ovvia Members, watch the two videos in the Member’s Library to learn “Why Exercise is Important” and “Exercise: How Much & When”.

Disclosure: before starting a new routine, always consult with your doctor, health care provider, or medical professional to get their approval and recommendations first.