Resistance Training With Your Dog

You may be wondering, "How can I possibly do resistance training with my dog?" Well, here are a few exercises you can do with the aid of your faithful furry companion.

  • Leg raises - if you have a male dog, he's probably already shown you how to do this one.

  • Abdominal crunches with a paw on your forehead - laying down on the floor and grunting in pain can cause your dog to do it's own investigation to find out if you're all right. The scratch marks across your forehead are simply a byproduct of that concern.

  • Deadlifts - if your dog has any inkling that you're taking him to the vet or someplace else he doesn't want to go and you've had to scrape him up off the floor to get him in the car, you've just done a deadlift.

  • Pull-ups - this involves pulling up furniture, rugs, carpets, clothes, etc. to pick up all the fur that gets into the strangest of places.

  • Pushdowns - one for the overly-enthusiastic dinnertime beggar.

  • Lunges - when you're trying to grab her for a bath.

    One final word of advice when doing resistance training with your dog is never yell out "Spot me!" if your dog is not housetrained. It's a mistake you'll make only once.

    About The Author

    Nick Nilsson is Vice President of BetterU, Inc., an online exercise, fitness, and personal training company. Check out his latest eBook "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of" at http://www.thebestexercises.com or visit http://www.fitstep.com. You can contact him at betteru@fitstep.com or subscribe to BetterU News, his fitness newsletter at betterunews@fitstep.com.