9 Exercises That Start With R
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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 R, you can introduce creativity into your routine and challenge yourself to try new exercises.
Nine exercises that start with R include running, rowing, Russian twists, reverse lunges, renegade rows, rock climbing, rollouts, rear delt flyes, and Romanian deadlifts.
Keep reading to learn the benefits of each of these exercises and how to conduct them.
Running
Running is a basic cardiovascular exercise that improves overall fitness, burns calories, and increases endurance. For maximum performance and injury prevention, using the correct form is essential, whether using a treadmill outside or indoors.
Frequent running can enhance cardiovascular health and help create a well-rounded exercise regimen.
Instructions:
1. Warm-Up: To get your muscles and joints ready for the activity, start with a gentle warm-up that includes dynamic stretches.
2. Appropriate Footwear: Choose supportive running shoes based on your running style and foot type.
3. Posture: Maintain a relaxed stance with your shoulders down and arms swinging freely. Stand tall with a slight forward lean.
4. Start Slowly: Take it easy at first, letting your body adjust over time.
5. Stride Length: To lessen the strain on joints, keep your stride length moderate and avoid overstriding.
6. Breathing: Take regular breaths, exhaling through your mouth and inhaling through your nose.
7. Gradual Progression: To avoid injuries and overexertion, increase speed or distance gradually.
8. Cooldown: Conclude with some static stretches to ease tense muscles and increase flexibility.
Rowing
Replicating the motion of rowing a boat, rowing is a high-intensity, low-impact exercise. It enhances cardiovascular health, increases strength, and improves endurance.
Rowing works the back, arms, and leg muscles in addition to the cardiovascular system, making it a very effective full-body exercise. The key to optimizing the benefits and avoiding injury is using proper form, whether rowing in a boat or on a rowing machine.
Instructions:
1. Set-Up: Position yourself so that your back is straight, tighten the foot straps on a rowing machine, and grasp the handle with an overhand grip.
2. Beginning Position: Keep your arms straight, bend slightly forward, and fully extend your legs.
3. Drive Phase: Lean slightly back, push through your legs, and contract your core as you pull the handle towards your chest.
4. Finish Position: Bend backward without bending too far, and bring the handle to your chest. Keep your elbows close to your body.
5. Recovery Phase: To reposition yourself, bend your knees, extend your arms forward, and pivot at the hips.
Russian Twists
Russian twists are a good abdominal exercise that strengthens the core and enhances rotational stability by focusing on the obliques. Since this exercise is typically done without equipment, people of all fitness levels can perform it. You can add Russian twists to your routine for a tough and efficient abdominal exercise.
Instructions:
1. Beginning Position: Using your sit bones for balance, sit on the floor, slightly lean back, and raise your feet a few inches off the ground.
2. Interlace Hands or Hold Weight: Put both of your hands in front of you and clasp a weight (such as a plate, medicine ball, or dumbbell [affiliate link]).
3. Twist to One Side: Turn your body to the side and shift your weight or hands to the floor next to your hip.
4. Return to Center: Twist to the other side while maintaining core engagement as you move back to the center.
5. Repeat: For the required number of repetitions, keep up the controlled twisting motion while switching sides.
Reverse Lunges
An excellent substitute for traditional forward lunges, reverse lunges are a versatile lower-body exercise that targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. This exercise emphasizes stability and balance by having the participant step backward into a lunge position. It also tends to lessen knee strain in comparison to other lower-body moves.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Maintain a tall stance, shoulders back, and a stable core while keeping your feet hip-width apart.
2. Step Backward: Using your right foot, take a deliberate step backward, landing on the ball of your foot.
3. Lower Body: Bend both knees so that your right knee is just above the floor and your left knee is directly above your ankle.
4. Push Off: To go back to the starting position, press through the left heel of your foot.
5. Alternate Legs: Carry out the motion again, taking a step back with your left foot. Keep switching up the legs.
Renegade Rows
Renegade rows are a great complement to any strength training program because they are a dynamic exercise that works the arms, back, and core. Maintaining a plank position while switching between rows presents a challenge to your coordination.
Renegade rows are a great compound exercise for a well-rounded fitness program because they improve strength, stability, and muscular endurance.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: With your wrists positioned beneath your shoulders, start in the plank position, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Row with Right Arm: Using your upper back and lat muscles, raise the right dumbbell toward your hips while maintaining a stable posture.
3. Lower Right Arm: While keeping your plank posture steady, carefully lower the right dumbbell back to the floor.
4. Row with Left Arm: While maintaining core stability, repeat the rowing motion with the left arm.
5. Alternate Rows: Keep switching up your rows while keeping your form correct and your plank position firm.
Rock Climbing
Rock climbing combines strength, endurance, and problem-solving abilities into an exhilarating and demanding full-body workout. Rock climbing works many different muscle groups and improves mental focus, whether it is done on an indoor climbing wall or scaling naturally occurring rock formations outside.
For a safe and controlled environment, it is recommended that you start with indoor climbing and always use a harness and helmet.
Instructions:
1. Footwork: Pay close attention to where you plant your feet and use the edges of your climbing shoes as footholds.
2. Handholds: Use a combination of crimps, jugs, and slopers to grasp the handholds firmly.
3. Body Positioning: Use balance and effective movement to keep your body close to the wall.
4. Route Reading: Make an ascent plan by analyzing the route and determining the best places to place your hands and feet.
5. Resting: Use effective resting positions and schedule your breaks wisely to preserve energy.
6. Dynamic Moves: When required, use dynamic movements like jumping between grips.
7. Descend Safely: To finish the climb safely, descend cautiously, either by rappelling or by taking a descent route.
Rollouts
Rollouts using an ab wheel are a great way to work your core and strengthen the muscles in your shoulders, lower back, and abdomen. Both strength and stability are put to the test by this explosive movement.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Place the ab wheel in front of you and start on your knees. Use an overhand grip to hold the handles.
2. Engage Core: Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your knees by contracting your core muscles.
3. Roll Forward: Extend your body forward while maintaining an engaged core as you slowly roll the ab wheel out in front of you.
4. Full Extension: Stretch to the limit of your strength, making sure not to arch your back.
5. Return to Starting Position: To bring the ab wheel back to its beginning position, contract your core muscles.
Rear Delt Flyes
The rear deltoid muscles are the focus of the efficient isolation exercise known as rear delt flyes, which improves shoulder strength and definition. This exercise promotes stability in the upper body and balanced shoulder development.
To improve the aesthetics of your shoulders and encourage balanced muscle development, incorporate Rear Delt Flyes into your shoulder exercises.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, and keep your elbows slightly bent as you stand or sit.
2. Bend at the Hips: To bring your torso forward while maintaining a neutral spine and a straight back, hinge at the hips.
3. Lift the Weights: Squeeze your rear delts by lifting the dumbbells out to the sides with a small bend in your elbows.
4. Controlled Descent: Pay particular attention to the eccentric portion of the exercise by gradually lowering the weights back down.
Romanian Deadlifts
One great exercise that targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back while increasing hip mobility is Romanian deadlifts (RDLs). The posterior chain can gain strength and stability by performing this compound movement, which involves a hip hinge.
Instructions:
1. Beginning Position: Grasp a barbell (affiliate link) or two dumbbells in front of your thighs with a shoulder-width grip while standing with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Hip Hinge: As you lower your weight toward the ground, hinge at your hips, pushing your glutes back while maintaining a flat back.
3. Maintain a Soft Bend in the Knees: To prevent locking out, maintain a small bend in the knees during the exercise.
4. Lower the Weight: While keeping your spine neutral, lower the weight down to the middle of your shins, and you feel a strain in your hamstrings.
5. Engage Glutes and Rise: To stand back up straight, emphasize hip extension by using your glutes and hamstrings.
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!
This article has been reviewed by our editorial board and has been approved for publication in accordance with our editorial policy.
