9 Exercises That Start With G
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Are you looking for some inspiration to switch up your workout routine? Why not try exercises that start with a letter? By simply doing exercises that start with a letter, such as G, you can introduce creativity into your routine and challenge yourself to try new exercises.
Nine exercises that start with G include glute bridges, goblet squats, gorilla rows, good mornings, grappler’s pull, groiners, glider lunges, glider pike, and gassers.
Keep reading to learn the benefits of each of these exercises and how to conduct them.
Glute Bridges
Glute bridges are a simple yet effective exercise for strengthening the glutes and hamstrings while providing stability to the lower back. This exercise is particularly beneficial for individuals looking to improve their posterior chain strength and enhance overall lower body function.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart. Keep your arms by your sides, palms facing down.
2. Engage Core: Activate your core muscles by drawing your navel toward your spine, ensuring a stable base.
3. Lift Hips: Press through your heels, lifting your hips towards the ceiling while squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
4. Pause at the Top: Hold the bridge position for a moment, maintaining a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
5. Lower Down: Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position with control.
Incorporate glute bridges into your routine to build strength in the posterior chain and improve overall stability.
Goblet Squats
Goblet squats are a versatile and effective lower body exercise that engages the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes while also promoting core strength. This compound movement, often performed with a kettlebell (affiliate link) or dumbbell (affiliate link), is suitable for individuals of various fitness levels.
Instructions:
1. Introduction: Goblet squats are named for the way you hold the weight close to your chest, resembling holding a goblet. This exercise not only targets the lower body but also encourages proper form and posture.
2. Set Up: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell or dumbbell vertically with both hands, close to your chest.
3. Initiate the Squat: Hinge at your hips, push your knees outward, and lower your body into a squat position, keeping your chest up.
4. Depth: Descend until your elbows touch the inside of your knees or your thighs are parallel to the ground, ensuring your back remains straight.
5. Ascent: Push through your heels, straighten your legs, and return to the starting position.
Incorporate goblet squats into your routine for a functional and effective lower-body workout.
Gorilla Rows
Gorilla rows are a compound exercise that combines elements of a bent-over row with a deadlift, effectively targeting the muscles in the back and promoting overall strength and stability.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a weight or kettlebell in each hand in front of you.
2. Hinge at the Hips: Bend at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, lowering the weights towards the ground.
3. Row Motion: As you reach the lowest point, pull the weights towards your chest in a rowing motion, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
4. Engage Core: Keep your core engaged throughout the movement to maintain stability and protect your lower back.
5. Return to Starting Position: Lower the weights back to the ground with control, extending your hips and returning to the upright position.
Incorporate gorilla rows into your workout routine to build strength in the upper back, lats, and rhomboids while also engaging the core and lower body.
Good Mornings
Good mornings is an exercise that primarily targets the lower back, hamstrings, and glutes. Incorporating this movement into your routine can help strengthen the posterior chain and improve overall hip hinge mechanics.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, and place a barbell on your upper back across your traps.
2. Hand Placement: Cross your arms over your chest or, for those using a barbell, grip the bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Hip Hinge: Keeping a slight bend in your knees, hinge at your hips, pushing them back while maintaining a straight and neutral spine.
4. Lower Down: Lower your torso towards the ground, maintaining the natural arch in your back until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
5. Return to Start: Engage your hamstrings and glutes to return to the upright position, focusing on the hip hinge movement.
6. Repeat: Perform the movement for the desired number of repetitions, ensuring controlled and deliberate movements.
Incorporate good mornings with proper form to enhance your posterior chain strength and contribute to a well-rounded strength training routine.
Grappler’s Pull
Grappler's pulls are an effective exercise for targeting the core, shoulders, and obliques while improving rotational strength and stability. Mimicking the motion of a grappler pulling an opponent, this exercise engages multiple muscle groups.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Stand beside a cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Set the cable at chest height with an appropriate weight.
2. Grasp the Handle: With the cable in one hand, stand with your side facing the machine, arm extended, and feet anchored.
3. Rotate the Torso: Initiate the movement by rotating your torso away from the machine, pulling the cable diagonally across your body.
4. Full Extension: Extend your arm fully, engaging the core and oblique muscles. Keep the movement controlled and deliberate.
5. Return to Starting Position: Slowly return to the starting position, resisting the cable's pull to maintain tension throughout the exercise.
Incorporate grappler's pulls into your routine for a dynamic and functional workout that enhances rotational strength and core stability.
Groiners
Groiners are dynamic exercises that combine elements of stretching, core engagement, and lower body strength. This movement is effective in improving flexibility and promoting hip mobility.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Begin in a plank position, supporting your body on your hands with wrists aligned under your shoulders.
2. Engage Core: Activate your core muscles to maintain a stable plank position, ensuring a straight line from head to heels.
3. Bring Foot Forward: Lift your right foot and bring it towards the outside of your right hand, aiming for a position as close to the hand as possible.
4. Return to Plank: Swiftly return your right foot to the starting position in a plank, maintaining control and stability.
5. Repeat on the Other Side: Perform the same movement with your left foot, bringing it towards the outside of your left hand.
6. Continue Alternating: Repeat the sequence, alternating between right and left foot movements, maintaining a brisk yet controlled pace.
Incorporate groiners into your warm-up or workout routine to enhance flexibility and engage the core and hip muscles effectively.
Glider Lunges
Glider lunges are a dynamic exercise that adds a challenging element to traditional lunges by incorporating sliding discs or a smooth surface. This exercise engages multiple muscle groups, particularly targeting the legs and glutes while enhancing stability.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Stand on sliding discs or a smooth surface with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Slide Backward: Slide one foot backward into a lunge position, bending the front knee and keeping the back leg straight.
3. Maintain Control: Focus on controlled movement, using the gliding foot to slide back and forth smoothly.
4. Engage Core: Keep your core engaged to maintain stability and balance throughout the exercise.
5. Alternate Legs: Repeat the movement, alternating legs for a set number of repetitions or a specific duration.
6. Full Range of Motion: Aim for a full range of motion, ensuring the front knee doesn't extend beyond the toes.
Glider lunges are an effective addition to your workout routine, enhancing leg strength, stability, and overall lower-body mobility.
Glider Pike
The glider pike is a challenging exercise that targets the core and shoulders while incorporating stability and control. Utilizing gliders or sliders, this movement adds an element of smooth, controlled motion to intensify the workout.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Begin in a plank position with your feet on gliders or sliders, ensuring your hands are directly under your shoulders.
2. Engage Core: Activate your core muscles, drawing your navel toward your spine to establish a stable base.
3. Slide Feet In: While keeping your legs straight, use the gliders to slide your feet towards your hands, lifting your hips towards the ceiling.
4. Pike Position: Continue sliding your feet as close to your hands as possible, forming an inverted V shape with your body.
5. Hold and Contract: Pause briefly at the peak of the pike, engaging the core and shoulders.
6. Return to Plank: Reverse the motion by sliding your feet back to the plank position, maintaining control.
Incorporate the glider pike into your routine for a dynamic and effective core-strengthening exercise.
Gassers
Gassers, also known as suicides, are a high-intensity cardiovascular exercise commonly used in sports training to improve agility and speed. This drill involves sprinting back and forth between two points, challenging both endurance and anaerobic capacity.
Instructions:
1. Choose Your Distance: Identify two points or markers, placing them at a predetermined distance apart. The distance can vary based on fitness levels and training goals.
2. Warm-Up: Begin with a thorough warm-up to prepare your muscles and joints for the intense sprints.
3. Start at Marker 1: Sprint from the starting point (Marker 1) to the furthest point (Marker 2) as quickly as possible.
4. Touch and Go: Touch the ground at Marker 2 and immediately sprint back to Marker 1.
5. Repeat: Continue the back-and-forth sprinting, touching the ground at each marker, until the desired number of repetitions or time is completed.
Gassers provide a dynamic workout, improving speed, agility, and cardiovascular endurance. Incorporate them into your training routine for a challenging and effective burst of energy.
Also, if you are choosing to only exercise at home, be sure to consider our list of recommended at-home workout equipment (affiliate link) to add variety and resistance to your routine!