The Fit List : Back

Be flexible! The real scoop on stretching

fitlist — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:04:00 GMT

By Keli Roberts

Do your muscles feel stiff and inflexible? Can’t touch your toes? Not really certain when or how to stretch? Read on: You may find that you’ve been stretching incorrectly all along! Stretching for injury prevention and improved sports performance is misunderstood and steeped in tradition.

First off, you may be surprised to know that there are actually four different types of stretching:

1. Static -- A sustained stretch that is held and leveraged with another limb or against gravity in order to deepen the stretch. Example: Lying on your back and using your arms to pull your legs to your chest.

2. Ballistic -- Your body is placed in a stretched position and then followed with small bounces performed in an attempt to deepen the stretch. Example: Doing the last move and then gently bouncing your legs to your chest. This is NOT recommended, though, because it can cause micro tears in the muscle.

3. Active -- A stretch in which the opposing muscle group contracts and pulls the body into a stretch. Example: Reaching your arms up overhead and pressing back to stretch the upper body.

4. Dynamic – A stretch in which the body or a limb is moved through a range of motion. Example: Extending your arms and then moving them in full circles.

Previously, it was believed that static stretching before exercising would prevent injury. However, many recent studies have demonstrated that this is not the case. Furthermore, it has been established that performing a static stretch prior to any type of muscle contraction slows down and weakens the muscles involved, and thus worsens performance. ...(read more)

Sexercise to get ready for some real action

fitlist — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:17:00 GMT

By Keli Roberts

One of nature’s great little secrets is that exercise -- and consequently feeling better about your body -- is an absolute aphrodisiac. When you feel sexy, you feel like having sex! So for Valentine’s Day, I’ve devised a workout that will get you and your partner ready for some real action. Each move is aimed at working muscles that you use when you work out between the sheets.

Try the following 5 “sexercises” to feel fit and frisky. The first 2 moves require a partner to perform, while the last 3 can be done alone or concurrently with a partner.

1. Partner stretch. Promotes flexibility of the hips and thighs.

*Sit in a straddle stretch (legs straight out to the side as wide as comfortable) facing your partner with your feet touching.

*Hold hands (or the ends of a small towel) and sit tall.

*One person leans back and pulls the other person forward into a deep stretch.

*The other person then leans back and pulls the other person forward.

*Repeat back and forwards 10 times slowly.

2. Partner reverse curl. Targets the lower abdominals and enhances lower back flexibility and pelvic mobility.

*Person A stands with feet shoulder-width apart, while person B lies on his or her back holding person A’s ankles. Person A’s job is to provide an anchor for person B.

*Person B crosses the ankles and tucks the feet in close to the buttocks with the feet off the floor.

*Person B slowly curls the hips off the floor bringing the knees towards the elbows and hips to ribs.

*Person B pulses at the top for 2 counts then slowly lowers the hips back to the floor.

*Repeat for 15-20 repetitions, then swap positions....(read more)

Fit tips for frequent fliers

fitlist — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:49:00 GMT

By Kathy Kaehler

Too busy with work to work out? Well consider this: If your job requires frequent flying or other business travel, exercise may help boost your performance.

That’s because staying in shape can help fend off the aches and pains – and sick days – that come from straining your back by heaving luggage or pulling a leg muscle by darting through airports or train and bus stations. A well-rounded exercise plan also gives you energy to keep pace and helps you deal with the stress of it all.

But many Americans are too out of shape to even stow their bags on an airplane or lift them into the trunk of a car. On a flight from California to New York, I had to help out a woman in front of me who simply could not get her bag above her shoulders to place it in the overhead compartment.

Want to avoid this embarrassing scenario? Try these exercises about three times a week:

*Full-body plank. Start face down on the floor, resting on your elbows with your palms flat on the floor. Lift up so that your body is straight and your weight is on your forearms and toes. Keep your head in a neutral position and hold. Pull your abs in. Don’t sink. Try to stay in this position for a minute or more. This exercise will strengthen your upper body as well as your core.

*Push-ups. If you can’t do the traditional push-up from your hands and toes, start out on your knees. Inhale as you lower yourself down. Then exhale as you push back up. Do three sets of 10 repetitions. This exercise will strengthen your chest, triceps and shoulders.

*Overhead press. Grab a pair of dumbbells (5-10 pounds for women; 15-25 pounds for men) and, standing or sitting, position them at your shoulders, wrists facing forward. Press the weights up and over your head. Then lower them until your elbows are in line with your shoulders, and repeat. Do two sets of 10 reps.

Happy – and safe – travels!

Moves that bring sexy back

fitlist — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 23:39:00 GMT

By Gregory Joujon-Roche

Think of some of the sexiest celebrity shots you’ve seen recently: Jessica Biel or Beyonce on the red carpet, Josh Holloway on “Lost,” Matthew McConaughey pretty much anywhere. What do they all have in common besides pretty faces? Sexy backs.

At the gym, it’s easy to obsess over what’s in front of us in the mirror – the arms, abs, hips or thighs. But aside from the butt, the rest of our rear view gets little attention. In our training routines, we tend to neglect one of the sexiest areas of our bodies, and one of the largest muscle groups – our backs.

There are three basic areas to the back: upper, middle and lower. To get a sexy back, you need to hit all three regions. Here are three great exercises, one for each area:

1. Wide grip pull-downs (upper back).

On the lat pull-down machine, grip the bar as widely as possible, making sure to sit up straight. Pull down the bar only to the top of your head, continuing to look forward and sit tall. Now carefully and slowly squeeze your back muscles for 5 seconds as you hold the bar above your head. Next, slowly let the bar come up while taking in a big breath, then exhale and squeeze all the way back down with another 5-second hold. Repeat for 5 sets of 20 repetitions.

2. Low row (mid-back).

On the rowing machine, select a lighter weight so that you’re not straining too heavily. The key to this exercise is to bend forward from your hips and focus the activity on your mid-back, not your lower back. When you pull up, keep your back perpendicular to the ground and your elbows at your sides. Hold for 5 seconds and then repeat. Do 5 sets of 20 reps.

3. Back extensions (lower back).

Position yourself on the back-extension equipment, using your stomach and butt for support. Drop down and then lift your torso up, making sure to never extend your back beyond your butt. Hold for 5 seconds, squeezing your butt and not your lower back, and then lower. Do 5 sets of 10 reps.

Do this routine twice a week, followed by a nice stretch, and you’ll be bringing sexy back in no time.

Which celebrity has the sexiest back? Take our survey.

Don’t be a slouch! Moves to improve posture

fitlist — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 17:20:00 GMT

By Kathy Kaehler

Have you caught your reflection in the mirror lately? If you are like most people, the shoulders are rounded forward, the upper back is hunched and the belly is protruding. It’s not a pretty picture.

Well it doesn't have to be that way! You can improve your posture with some simple exercises at home or the office.

Here are three spine-straightening activities to try:

Stand against a wall and press your shoulder blades back. Let your lower back keep its natural curve, and keep your chest lifted and your chin parallel to the floor. Hold this position and breathe in and out 10 times.
Sit in a sturdy chair with your back straight and your abdominal muscles pulled in, extend the arms straight forward at shoulder-level. Exhale and round the shoulders and back. Pull the chin in towards the chest, contract the abdominal muscles and hold until all the air is blown out. Inhale as you return to the upright position. Repeat 10 times.
Lie on the floor face down, with your arms extended above your head. Exhale and lift both legs and arms into the air, hold for a few seconds and return to the floor. Repeat 5 times.

These exercises all work on strengthening the back, both upper and lower, as well as the abdominal muscles. Do these exercises every other day and soon you'll be walking as if you are carrying a textbook on your head!

A fitness wake-up call

fitlist — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 22:05:00 GMT

By Jay Blahnik

Does it take you a long time to really wake up in the morning? Or do you find yourself not being able to relax before you go to bed at night?

You’re not alone. Many people find themselves struggling to get energized when they first get out of bed, and then can’t seem to clear their head for a good night’s sleep when they hit the pillow. And taking longer to get to sleep at night makes you even more tired in the morning! It can be a vicious cycle that is hard to break.

While there are many people with chronic sleep disorders that might best be treated with some medical or specialized intervention, lots of folks can energize their mornings and relax their evenings by including a few simple exercises designed to provide just the treatment your body and mind need. This week, I’ll give you the exercises for the morning. Next week, we’ll cover the nighttime moves.

When you first wake up in the morning, one of the best ways to energize your neuromuscular system is to “awaken” your spine. These three moves can really get your body tingling and ready to go:

1. Bed Pretzel

Lie flat on your back in bed, bend one knee and draw it close to your chest. Then slowly bring the entire bent leg across the body to the opposite side, gently twisting the spine. If you are flexible, you might be able to allow the knee to rest on the bed. If that is not comfortable, hold the knee comfortably with your opposite hand. Hold this position and take five deep breaths before doing the same move on the other side.

2. Good Morning Arch

Stand next to your bed with your feet in a narrow stance (almost touching). Place the palm of your hands near your waist and your fingers around the small of your lower back. Take a deep breath in, lengthen your spine and slowly (and gently) arch your back, lifting your whole body toward the ceiling. Release and exhale. Repeat this move 10 to 20 times.

3. Bend and Reach

Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-distance apart. Place one arm at your side, and reach overhead with the other hand to the opposite side of the body without leaning forward or back. Hold for one second, feel a gentle stretch in your waist, then repeat on the other side. With each set, try to reach higher up and farther over. Repeat 10 to 20 times on each side.

Get tough like Leonardo DiCaprio

fitlist — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 07:01:00 GMT

By Gregory Joujon-Roche

Warner Bros. Pictures

In the new movie "The Departed," Leonardo DiCaprio plays the part of young undercover cop Billy Costigan, who is assigned to infiltrate the mob.

The look for DiCaprio's character is far from the perfectly chiseled body of a guy who trains daily at a fancy gym. It's more about the brute strength that comes from growing up on the tough streets of South Boston.

So my team at Holistic Fitness and I created a no-frills workout for him that is just as tough.

Want to pretend you're gearing up to fight the mob? Shake up your regular fitness routine by giving these moves a try. (Note: This workout is intended for people who regularly strength train. If you're a true couch potato, start slowly and work your way up to this challenge.)

On the first day, work on sheer strength with bench presses, straight bar curls and military presses. Don't worry about counting set and reps. The goal is to go heavy and feel the power.

On the second day, tone and condition with rear dips off the end of your bed or coffee table -- dozens of them -- to blast your triceps and upper back. Then do old-fashioned sit-ups and pull-ups -- as many as you can, and then a few more.

Repeat this cycle over the next two days, and then rest on the fifth day.

This workout is an example of how a specific fitness strategy can help actors physically feel like the characters they are portraying -- to get into their bodies.

And it can help motivate movie buffs at home, too! Just pick a character you admire physically and design a workout based on him or her. Would this character go to a gym or train outdoors? Do kick-boxing or yoga? Cycle or swim? Shoot hoops or hit tennis balls?

Playing the role of your favorite characters is a unique way to freshen up fitness. Who knows, you may even enjoy one of the new activities you try and decide to make it a regular part of your exercise routine.

The Superman Workout

fitlist — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 06:53:00 GMT

By Gregory Joujon-Roche

Want to become a Man of Steel? While not everyone has the genetics to be as big and buff as Superman, we all can become stronger, faster and fitter.

This intense gym workout is designed to test your strength and endurance, so it should only be done once a week and only by regular exercisers who want to kick things up (Superman is no couch potato! If you're a beginner, start slowly and work your way up to this challenge.).

Here we go:

Warm up with the cardio of your choice (such as walking, jogging or biking) at a medium pace for 15 minutes. During the warm-up, check in with yourself, your breathing, your body. Get ready for the work ahead by getting centered and focused.

Now you're ready to do the Fancy 5: 5 moves, 5 sets, hitting 5 major body parts (chest, legs, arms, back and stomach).

Here are the 5 exercises:

1. Chest: Incline machine press, in which you push the weights straight out in front of you.

2. Legs: Squats, from a shoulder-width stance, holding a barbell across your shoulders, behind your neck.

3. Arms: Straight bar biceps curls, in which you start with the bar on your thighs and curl it up to shoulder height.

4. Back: Wide-grip machine pull-downs, in which you pull the bar down in front of your face, to your chin only.

5. Stomach: Incline weighted sit-ups, performed on an incline bench with a weight on your chest, not your stomach.

Aim for 5 sets of this sequence as follows:

Set 1: A warm-up round. Do all the exercises with light weights and go slowly. Rehearse what the motion feels like and focus on where your stability and power come from. Then go to the treadmill and do a 5-minute run on speed 5 at incline 0.

Sets 2-5: Head back to the weights. This time do 5 reps of each exercise at the heaviest weight you can lift. Really go for it! Your pace should be 5 seconds down and 5 seconds up. If you can't maintain the weight or stay in good form, you're pushing yourself too hard and should reduce the weight. When you're done, go back to the treadmill and increase your pace by .5. Control your mind and breathing. Think about how you can push yourself on the next set, not just with weight but with focus, controlled breathing and grace. By the fifth set, you should be close to complete muscle fatigue and running at speed 7.

Up, up and away!

The anywhere workout

fitlist — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 06:36:00 GMT

By Gina Lombardi

Getty Images File

As a personal trainer I am often faced with the dilemma of having no traditional equipment available for a client workout. Either the client doesn't want to shell out the cash for home equipment or a gym membership, or I may be on a film location or traveling with a client and can't bring equipment with me.

Here's a quick solution. This workout is as challenging as you want it to be and doesn't require extra "baggage." I call it the Magnificent Seven. Seven moves, 30 minutes, no equipment. Assuming you have no physical limitations this workout, which you can do a few times a week or even every day if you like, will leave you feeling invigorated and wanting more.

Start with a 5-minute warm-up (jogging, running stairs or doing jumping jacks).

Next, do this series of exercises one time through in sequence, then repeat two to three more times:

*The Lunge.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, your weight resting more on your heels than on your toes. With your arms at your sides, your stomach tucked in and your shoulders squared, step forward with your right foot about one stride. As your foot comes down, bend both knees until your right thigh is parallel to the floor (your left heel will come up). Step back to the standing position, then lunge forward with the left foot to finish a rep. Do 10 to 15 reps on each side.

*Abdominal Crunch.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Lightly rest your fingertips on the back of your head. Slowly curl your trunk forward, focusing on using your abdominal muscles to pull your head up, not your hands. Do 15 reps.

*Mountain Climbers.
Begin as if you were on a starting block for a footrace: both hands on the ground, right knee bent and slightly under your hips, your left leg straight out behind you. Keeping your hands on the ground, switch the leg positions with a hopping motion. Think of it as running place but with your hands on the ground. Moving each leg forward once counts as one rep. Do 12 reps on each side.

*Oblique Crunches.
Lie on your back with your knees bent, both feet off the ground, hands behind your head. Twist your torso up and toward the outside of your left knee with your right elbow. Immediately move towards the other side - left elbow towards the outside of the right knee. Do 12 to 15 reps.

*Six-Count Bodybuilders.
Count 1: Start in a standing position and crouch down so your palms touch the ground, elbows on the inside of your knees.

Count 2: In one movement, push off with your hands, legs and back straight behind you, into the "up" position of a push-up.

Count 3: DO a full push-up. Down for the count of 3 and...

Count 4: Push up for the count of 4.

Count 5: Jump back to the crouch position.

Count 6: Return to the standing position.

That's one rep! Do 8 to 10 reps.

*Back Extensions.
Lie face down with your hands under your chin. Without pushing off with your hands, raise your shoulders, chest, head and legs smoothly as far up as you comfortably can. Keep your neck in line with the rest of your spine. Hold for 4 seconds, then slowly lower yourself back down. Do 12 to 15 reps.

*Military Push-ups.
Position yourself with your palms on the ground, slightly more than shoulder-width apart, arms extended. Legs are straight out behind you, on your toes. Keeping your back straight, lower yourself towards the ground until your chest is close but not touching. Then push up until your arms are extended again. Don't lock your elbows. If you cannot complete one standard push-up, try the modified version by allowing knees to rest on the ground. Each time your client does the routine, attempt to the military version first until one is accomplished and progress from there. Do 15 reps.

Finally, stretch and cool down for 5 minutes.

Your total workout time should be about 20 to 30 minutes depending on how many sets you do. Rest periods should be taken as needed, but ideally try to go through the seven exercises in sequence before resting.

Build a better back

fitlist — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 06:28:00 GMT

By Phong Tran

A strong, fit back not only looks great and aids good posture, it also helps prevent injuries. A simple act like bending over to pick up some groceries or a small child can hurt your back if it isn't conditioned.

So how do you build a better back?

One of the best ways is to work on core conditioning, which builds a strong mid-section. Core training focuses on the back, abs, upper torso and glutes.

There are many ways to engage the core. I tell my clients to tighten their abs and sit or stand up straight when they are doing cardio activity, such as riding a stationary bike or using the elliptical trainer. Many people lean forward. But sitting or standing up straight engages the back and abs (same goes for when you're sitting at your desk!).

I also recommend doing strength-training activities from a balanced stance that engages the core first. So, for example, instead of doing a lat pull-down from a seated position, do the exercise from a squat, which engages the core. And instead of a seated row, squat above the seat while performing the activity, using the back, legs and abs for stability.

Another good activity for building a strong back is the "Superman" -- starting on the floor on all fours, extend your right arm straight ahead and your left leg straight behind (both parallel to the floor), hold for a few seconds, return to the starting position, and then repeat with the other arm and leg. With these toning activities, aim for three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.

Achieving a healthy weight also is important for your back. You won't see those toned muscles if there's a layer of fat on top of them. And that extra weight takes a toll all over.

The back is one area of the body that many exercisers tend to overlook. But there are many reasons to give it a workout. You'll look and feel better -- and you'll stand tall with confidence, too!