Heath & Beauty - Free Fitness Library
Body attack
BY LYDIA CAMPBELL
Combine our nutritional plan with a 10 week body attack before you step onto the beach.
FIT FACTS
* Exercise every day
* Don't let 48 hours go by without exercise
* Always warm up the body with lightly limbering exercises,dance to
a record or gently jog on the spot for 5 minutes before doing the Toning
exercises.
* If you are totally new to exercise have a quick MOT with your doctor
before you start.
* Posture - learn to Tuck and Suck. This means stand tall, lengthen
from the back of your neck, fett hip width apart, shoulders relaxed,
rib cage lifted, contract your tummy muscles and allow your tail bone
to move, pointing downwards not backwards. You are now in a neutral
position, ready for action. You also look 5lbs slimmer. Practice Tuck
and Suck anytime.
* The sculpted-washboard-stomach look can only be achieved by those
with very low body fat, which for most women is neither healthy, nor
achievable. You can shape, tone and strengthen your tummy area with
a combination of toning and fat-burning exercises and a low fat diet.
Try to do abdominal exercises everyday, starting with a set of twenty,
and working up to a daily set of one hundred.
Shape up your calves with heel raises(Targets Soleus Gastrocnemius)
Using a step, one foot placed flat on top for balance,
keeping your weight evenly distributed. Do 15 slow
raises. On rising hold for 2 counts then slowly lower.
Lunge 'n' Stride (Targets Glutes, Quads and Hamstrings)
1. Stand with feet hip-width apart. "Suck and tuck"
with your abdominals contracted, tailbone down,
hand on hips.
2. Leading with the left leg, lunge forward so that
your knee is just above the ankle. Don't pass this
point! Your right leg is extended behind you.
3. Push off the floor with your left leg,
back to the starting position. Now lunge backwards
with the left leg and return to starting position.
Repeat 8 times on left leg then 8 times on the right leg.
Seated tricep press (Targets back of arm)
Sitting on the edge of a bench, holding a 1-3kg
dumbbell with your palm facing inwards. Lift the
elbow upwards and backwards, holding this position,
allow your body to lean forward slightly, with your
weight supported on your other arm. Keep your
upper arm lifted and fixed, smoothly extend the
lower arm backwards, avoiding locking or pinching
the elbow, then curl the arm back in front. Repeat 16
times on one arm before changing sides. Avoid slouching,
keep your ribs lifted out of your hips.
Progression: Increase weights and work up to 3 sets.
Sit 'n' Squat (Targets Glutes and Quads)
1. Stand tall, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart,
shoulders relaxed and rib-cage lifted. Abbs contracted,
tailbone down. Toes aligned with knees and knees bent,
hands on hips.
2. Imagine that you are going to sit on a chair, squat down,
bending your knees and allowing your torso to move forward,
shoulders in line with mid-thigh. Your backside moves
backwards, with your abbs continually contracted.
Return to standing position, avoiding locking the knee.
Try to avoid too deep a knee-bend or bending forwards or
backwards as you squat
Progression: Advance the sequence by combining squats and lunges;
forward lunge, sit'n'squat, backward lunge sequence.
Pull Row'n'Squeeze (Targets upper back and Rhomboids
Trapezius exterior deltoid, pectorals)
Sit on the edge of a chair using 2-4 kg weights,
abdominals contracted. Ribs lifted, back long,
palms turned in holding weights. Create a wide
rowing action towards armpits, elbows
lifted out and upwards. Focus on pulling your shoulder
blades together. Exhale on the upward row
then extend arms down.
Repeat 8 - 24 times. Avoid hunching shoulders.
Back 'n'Bust Toner (Targets upper back and chest)
For beginners the modified press-up -
On your hands and knees, place your hands
slightly wider than shoulder width apart, fingers
facing forward. Abdominals contracted, body
weight evenly distributed between arms, upper body
and knees.
Looking downwards, lower yourself smoothly to the
floor without a sagging back, leaving your backside
in the air then push back up.
Avoid locking elbows. Repeat 8-10 times
Progression: Progress to full body press ups, repeat 16 times.
Work up to 3 sets.
Straight leg press ups are for aerobic champions or the ultra fit.
Inner Thigh Toner (Targets Abductors)
Lying on your side, head resting on lower extended
arm, upper arm supporting the body. Upper leg, the knee
is bent and foot is resting for support on the floor.
Abdominals contracted. Action: The lower leg is
extended, foot flexed, lift it towards the ceiling/sky
and lower slightly. As you lift, focus on squeezing your
inside thighs together. Keep the action smooth and controlled.
Repeat 20 times each leg
Progression: Advance to using light weights or resistance bands. Work up to 2 sets.
Side leg lifts(Targets Tensor Fascial Latae)
Lying on your side, rest your head on one arm, keeping your
head in line with your shoulder, hip and ankle. Contract the
tummy muscles to stabilise yourself. Place the upper arm
out in front of you to avoid rolling forward. Keep your
knees facing forward and your hips still.
Lift your upper leg, two counts up and two counts down.
Focus on pushing away as you lift the leg and press
downwards as you lower the leg.
Avoid swinging and lifting the leg too high.
Repeat 15 times on each side, working
up to three sets
Progression: Advance to using light leg weights or resistance bands.
Waist whittler (Targets Obliques ribcage)
Lie on your back as in the basic curl. Place your right
heel up and across the left knee. Your right knee should
be pointing outwards. Support your head with your
left hand, and place your right arm by your side.
Contracting your abdominals, tilt your pelvis inwards,
and curl upwards. Rotate your left elbow and torso across
to your right knee. Exhale and rotate back to the basic curl
and slowly roll down.
Repeat 12 times to the right side.
Then change leg and arm.
Work up to 3 sets.
Curl ups (Targets Rectus Abdominus)
Lie on a mat or towel, with your knees bent, feet flat
on the floor at a comfortable distance from the body.
Hands supporting the head as one lifts. Focus on curling
upwards and inwards, as you lift the head and shoulders
(there should be no neck movement in this exercise) breath out.
As you curl, contract your abdominals, allowing your pelvis
to rotate inwards ensuring that your lower back is pressed
against the floor. Curl smoothly, strongly and slowly,
focusing on the muscle action.
Repeat 12 times and build up to 4 sets.
WARNING: Toning exercises do not burn body fat. To shift the
fat its aerobic time.
Do some form of aerobic exercise 5 times a week. Cross train, from power-walking,
stepping, running, cycling to hi/low impact aerobics. Gym CV equipment,
anything goes, just do it continuously for a minimum of 30 minutes.