The Life Plan (41 page)

Benefits:
This exercise shapes and strengthens your chest as well as develops explosive power.

To start:
Place your hands on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder width apart, and extend your legs behind you, your toes on the floor.

Complete a standard pushup with the following timing: slow and controlled on the way down.

Push up as fast as you can, catching a bit of air at the top.

Clap your hands together between pushups.

Repeat for the prescribed number of reps.

Benefits:
This exercise shapes and strengthens your upper back.

To start:
Sit at the lateral pull-down machine. Adjust the knee pads so that they fit snugly over your thighs. Place your feet flat on the floor. Draw your navel inward. Keep your torso erect. Grasp the bar with your palms facing away from your body.

Draw your shoulder blades together and pull the bar down toward your chest, just past your chin.

Hold this position for 2 seconds.

Slowly straighten your arms, bringing the bar overhead.

Benefits:
This exercise strengthens and shapes your back.

To start:
Sit down on seated-row bench machine. Draw your navel inward. Keep your back straight. Place your feet on the platform with your legs slightly bent. Choose a handle that has a double neutral grip (palms facing inward) and attach to the lower pulley cable.

Hold the handles and pull them toward your midsection.

Pull your shoulder blades together and contract your back muscles.

Extend your arms in front of you. Stop before your shoulder blades roll forward.

NOTE:
Be sure to keep your torso erect.

Benefits:
This exercise strengthens and shapes your back and hamstrings.

To start:
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart or slightly narrower with a slight bend in your knees, holding a dumbbell in each hand.

Hinge yourself at the hips without losing the natural curve in your back. Your back should be almost parallel to the floor.

Bring the weights toward your chest by bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together without shrugging your shoulders. Return to the starting position.

Benefits:
This exercise strengthens the muscles in the upper back.

To start:
Grab the overhead bar with your palms facing away from your body slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Extend your arms and relax your shoulders to fully stretch your back. Draw your navel inward.

Pull yourself up until your chin is even with the bar.

Contract your back at the top of the movement.

Slowly lower to the starting position.

Benefits:
This exercise will strengthen the low back, gluteus, and hamstrings.

To start:
Position your body on the machine with your legs about hip width apart. Place your hands on your chest and draw your navel inward. Keep knees slightly bent.

In a controlled manner lean forward at the waist.

When your body is at about a 45-degree angle, stop.

Return to the starting position by contracting the gluteus, hamstrings, and lower back.

Benefits:
This exercise shapes and strengthens your upper back.

To start:
Sit at the lateral pull-down machine. Adjust the knee pads so that they fit snugly over your thighs. Place your feet flat on the floor. Draw your navel inward. Keep your torso erect. Grasp the bar with a palms-facing-inward grip.

Draw your shoulder blades together and pull the bar down toward your chest, just past your chin.

Hold this position for 2 seconds.

Slowly straighten your arms, bringing the bar overhead.

Benefits:
This total-body exercise will work a large percentage of your back and legs.

To start:
Place a mat on the floor, under a pull-up bar. Lie flat on your back, with bottom of feet flat on the floor. Your arms should be overhead.

Begin by swinging your arms from overhead toward your feet.

Allow the momentum of the arm swing to carry your body into a full sit-up.

Allow the momentum of the sit-up, combined with the strength of your legs, to get you up off the floor.

As soon as your body is upright, jump up to grasp the pull-up bars.

Pull your body up until your chin is over the bar.

Lower your body off the bar onto your feet.

Sit back on the floor.

Once you are seated, lie back on the floor in your original starting position.

Benefits:
Works the middle part of back, particularly the rhomboids and rear delts.

To start:
Stand upright, holding a barbell with palms facing inward. Keep your back straight and bend forward at the waist. Draw your navel inward. Keep your knees slightly bent. Extend your arms straight down.

Pull the barbell toward your chest. Concentrate on pulling with your back muscles.

Raise your elbows as high as possible.

Slowly lower your arms, returning to the starting position.