Nigel’s Friday Challenge (1)

Nigel’s Friday Challenge (1)

Welcome to the first in the series of Nigel’s Friday Challenge.

‘Double Maths’

Oh yes, it’s the dreaded double maths session on a Friday!

Before attempting the exercises please make sure you have warmed up and stretched – you won’t be able to do them without warming up properly.

Exercise 1
Take a look at the video clip of Alex;
https://bratclub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/alex_clegg_core_ex_1.mp4 
The last exercise he does is a ‘Side raise’. One hand on the floor, straight arm to keep the body up, opposite arm up in the air, one leg sitting on top of the other, hips raised up (not sagging in the middle) and his body is straight (head and feet are in a straight line).
Once in this position you have to raise the top leg (as Alex does) and hold that position whilst reciting the 4 x table.

In other words;
Leg up, and shout out “1 x 4 = 4, 2 x 4 = 8” etc… all the way up to 12 x 4.

If you get one wrong then you have to start all over again!

Once you’ve got up to 12 you need to swap arms…
But instead of doing the same again this time you have to recite it backwards (12 x 4 = 48, 11 x 4 = etc….)

That should keep you thinking!

If you want to make it harder – raise your leg up, give the answer (1 x 4 is 4), then take your leg down and raise up again for 2 x4. It’s harder because it will take you longer.

Whichever way you decide to do it, do it slowly – if you rush through the answers then you will lose your balance and if you collapse then you have to start all over again!

I did say ‘Double Maths’ so here is

Exercise 2
Put a chair up against the wall, sit on the chair making sure you are sitting upright (back against the back of the chair, no slouching, with feet flat on the floor). Fix your mind and muscles in that position.

Stand up, remove the chair and resume the position against the wall (no chair), just you flat against the wall – your back must be pressed against the wall, head up, backside level with your knees and your knees directly over your feet – in other words try and make your body the exact shape of the chair.

Hold your arms out in front of you and recite the 7 x table  – both forwards and backwards, then stand up. If that’s too easy, add on the 8 x and 9 x tables until you can’t sit in that position any longer. If you’re doing it correctly it will be your quads which start burning. If it’s your back that’s hurting then you’re not doing it correctly (probably sitting too high or too low and your feet are too far forward).

And remember, if you get one wrong – it’s back to the beginning!
Hot tip – revise the 7 times table before you start!

Good luck everyone, let us know how you get on.

More next week 🙂