May 2005. I've been so busy responding to meal delivery requests (in addition to serving my personal training clients), that I wanted to take a moment to post an article I just wrote for the UK's Sunday News/Tabloid "Sunday People: Take It Easy Magazine" for Steve King.
I know what women want! As a women's body sculpting expert, I hear it all the time..."I want a tempting tushy!" "I want astonishing arms! "I want lovely legs! "I want amazing abs!" Women want to have bodies that are firm, curvy and admired – especially with bathing suit season nearly here, and these "no weights required" home exercises will tighten and tone you in no time flat!
(1) Going from head-to-toe, let's begin with your arms. There are 3 different areas to work-the front of your upper arm (bicep), the back of your upper arm (tricep) and your shoulders. To target the upper arm, stand up against the wall with your rear-end against the wall and your hips, elbows and shoulders pressed into it. Be sure to relax your shoulders. Let them drop down toward the floor vs being hunched up around your neck.
Then tighten your upper arm while clenching your fist in a hammer-grip style and swing your forearms slowly up and down while keeping your elbows pressed to the wall and your upper arm as tight as you can make it. Bring your fists up to your shoulders and back down to the wall. Swing them up and down 30 times on each side.
(2) To target your shoulders and chest, nothing compares to simple "Push-ups." Ly face-down on the floor. Bend your knees and swing your ankles up and cross them. Place your hands on the floor at chest level and wide with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your elbows toward the ceiling, the push your body up by pressing through your hands and onto your knees. Fully straighten your arms, then bend your elbows out again and sink back down to where your breast hovers just above the floor. Repeat as many times as you can targeting 20 over time. See Photo.
It's worth mentioning here that exercise won't necessarily tighten your breast tissue as exercise works the muscle underneath the breast, but it will tighten that muscle and if your calories fall in line with your exercise program, your body fat will lessen which will cause your breasts to tighten as well.
(3) The very best overall exercise for your mid-section is the "AirBike." It is excellent for whittling away at your midsection. Ly down on the floor on your back. Bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the floor. Place the fingers of each hand against your temples (vs around your neck) and raise your head and shoulders up and in toward your knees. Then pull both knees into your chest. This is your starting position.
Once your head, shoulders and knees are raised, begin extending your right leg outward, straightening it toward the floor, while twisting your right elbow toward your left knee. Then extend your left leg out while pulling the right knee in and twisting your left elbow to touch your right knee. Go slowly and carefully and repeat 20 times. See Photo.
(4) To target your entire backside, ly face down on the floor with your legs fully extended and your elbows bent with your hands stacked under your chin. Keeping your hips on the floor raise your head and shoulders and your straight legs up as high as you can, then sink slowly back down to the floor. Remember to bring your head, hands and shoulders up as one unit and to keep your legs straight as everything gets raised upward to the ceiling. This exercise is a great total-back-side exercise as it targets your back, hamstrings (the backs of your upper legs) and your rear-end! Repeat this exercise 20 times. See Photo.
(5) Then to continue working your lower body – thighs, bottom and hips, let's do what I call "Sit-Stands." Stand up about 3-6 inches in front of a straight-back chair or in front of the 2nd – 3rd stair of a stair case – facing away from the chair/stair. Being careful to bend at the hips (vs in your back) while keeping your knees right up on top of your knees (vs over your toes), easily push your hips back and sit down fully on the chair/step. Do not move the position of your feet as you sit. Then push through your heels to stand back up. Repeat 30 times.
(6) Lastly, to target the backs of your lower leg (your calves), stand facing a wall ~12 inches away from it. Place your hands on the wall for balance at about shoulder height. Push your body up into the air by rising up onto the balls of your toes, then sink slowly back down to the floor. Repeat 30 times and then go back through each exercise in sequence once more while performing the same number of repetitions for each a second time.
Perform your exercises, twice through, three to six times a week. More often means more progress, but those who aren't used to exercise shouldn't overdo it.
For more pictured exercises and a home-based "12 Week Tranformation" total-body program, consider getting a copy of At Home With The Body Sculptress.
