Workout with Wu!
F-Teamer and Australian Diving champ, Melissa Wu, has shared with us her top exercises that she fits into every workout.
Australian diver Melissa Wu was just 13 when she competed at her first Commonwealth Games in 2006. In 2008 she became the youngest Australian diver in history to win an Olympic medal securing a silver in the sychronised 10 metre platform. Now, as a three time Olympian, Commonwealth champion and Funkita athlete, Wu is a ‘veteran’ of the sport and has overcome numerous strains and injuries over the years to have her focus set on competing at a fourth Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Her secret to building and maintaining a fit and healthy body is a religious-like commitment to her gym and core routine. Wu shares with us a selection of exercises that she fits into her daily schedule around her dive training, coaching, study and work. These exercises are achievable from home, even when you’re short on spare time, to help you keep your body in the best shape possible.
Swiss Ball Pikes
How: Start in a plan position on the Swiss Ball and lift your hips up into a pike, rolling the ball forward in the process
Adapt: To make it easier you can do it in a tuck position or, if you’re up for the challenge, try completing the pike and then lifting the legs all the way up to a handstand!
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
How: Starting with lighter dumbbells to avoid any shoulder discomfort, slowly lift the arms to shoulder height so you are in a T shape and lower back down
Adapt: Progress this exercise by slowing the movement down to increase your muscles’ time under tension and gradually add more weight. You can also perform this exercise seated as an alternative
Medicine Ball Squat & Press
How: Holding the medicine ball in front of your chest, squat down before standing up and pushing the medicine ball above your head and repeat
Adapt: Gradually increase the weight of your medicine ball or use weights to adapt this exercise. It is also a great step towards a medicine ball squat clean and press or a barbell thruster
Lunges
How: Bring one foot forward and bend your knees so they are both at a 90 degree angle before coming back to standing. Watch that the knee stays above the ankle to support the knee in this position
Adapt: You can do this exercise with different types of resistance such as a medicine ball, dumbbells, kettlebells or a barbell, etc. I add in some jump variations to my lunges for explosive power.
Banded Bent Over Rows
How: In a bent over position, with strong core and holding the band in each hand, slowly bend arms up so they are in line with the body and then release back down.
Adapt: This can be made more challenging by using a heavier resistance band or by twisting the band around your hand to shorten it. You can also use weights for this exercise instead of a band.
Skipping
How: Pretty straightforward - grab a skipping rope and go for it! The key is timing the turn of the rope with your jump which might take practice.
Adapt: As your skipping skills improve there are lots of harder skills you can try in order to mix it up, for example criss cross, double unders or skipping backwards. I personally love double unders because I train them in CrossFit and like to see how many reps I can do unbroken.
