Shape up like Spider-Man
Posted: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 6:40 PM
By Gregory Joujon-Roche
We all love Spider-Man because, as superheroes go, we can relate to him. Sure, he’s got that special Spidey sense, yet he’s not the size of a brick building and he doesn’t eat villains for lunch.
He’s a little more like the rest of us mere mortals -- and he has many of the fitness qualities we aspire to: strength, speed and agility.
Well, with the superhero workout below, you can shape up like Spider-Man, too. But these three activities aren’t for the weak. If you’re a beginner, start slowly and work your way up to this challenge.
*Peter Parker push-ups:
Start on the floor in traditional push-up position. Keep your abs braced and your body in a straight line, parallel to the floor. Slowly lower yourself down, and as you do, bring your right knee toward your right elbow. Try to rotate your knee so it is outside your elbow, keeping your foot off the ground. Hold for 5 seconds, pushing through your chest, shoulders and triceps, and then return to the starting position. Aim for 5 to 10 push-ups per side.
*Superhero side planks:
Side planks will help build your core strength, which is important for balance and dexterity. Start by lying on the floor on your left side. Then lift up on your left elbow so that your hips are off the floor and your entire body is in a straight line. Hold for one minute and then repeat on the right side. That’s one set. Aim to do three sets on each side.
*Spidey sprints:
To do your best Spidey imitation, you need to be built for speed. Get outdoors for this one. The goal is to do 10, 100-yard sprints. Be sure to warm-up first with some jogging and half-paced practice sprints, then pick up the pace. Sprint as hard as you can -- go, go, go, go, go! Record your times and see how you improve each week. At the end of each sprinting session, take a little walk to keep things loose and then get in some nice stretches.
Do these activities three days a week and feel your transformation!
Gregory Joujon-Roche and the team at Holistic Fitness trained Tobey Maguire for "Spider-Man 3."
