The Fit List : Chest

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)

A 6-minute shape-up

fitlist — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:03:00 GMT

By Gina Lombardi

Who isn’t pressed for time? That’s why we need quick, efficient ways to work out for those days when we can't swing a longer bout of exercise.

The following workout can be done anywhere, anytime – no special equipment required. And it takes just 6 minutes!

*Lunges
Start with your feet together, then step out with your right foot into a forward lunge. Keep your back straight. Your right leg and thigh should form a 90-degree angle. Push back off the right foot and up to the starting position. Then repeat with the left leg. Do 24 lunges on each side.

*Push-ups
If you can’t do a full traditional military push-up, modify your technique by pushing up from your knees instead of your toes. Do 24 push-ups.

*Mountain-climbers
From a traditional push-up starting position, up on your hands and toes, lift your right foot and bring your knee to your chest. Touch the foot down and then return to the starting position. Then bring up the left foot. Do 24 repetitions on each leg.

*Bicycle crunches
Lying on your back, bring your left elbow to your right knee, and then bring your right elbow to your left knee. Do 24 repetitions on each side.

*Step-ups
Using the stairs or a sturdy chair, step up with your right foot. Bring your left foot up to touch the right foot and then step back down. Switch to the left leg. Do 24 repetitions on each side.

*V crunches
Start on your back with your hands at your sides. Then bend your knees and lift them up. At the same time, lift up your torso and bring it toward your thighs. Your thighs and chest should form a “V.” Then lower and repeat. Do 24 crunches.

If you have extra time, do this sequence of exercises twice or even three times in a row.

Aim to do this quick shape-up a few times a week and you’ll be surprised by how much you can accomplish with so little time.

Pump up your pecs, boost your confidence

fitlist — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:04:00 GMT

By Rob Parr

When you think of a buff chest, celebs like Matthew McConaughey probably come to mind. Pumped-up pecs look good on guys at the beach, but they also wear well at the office. Strong chest muscles can help men -- and women -- stand up straighter and carry themselves with confidence.

Here’s a workout that will really challenge your chest.

Start by warming up on the floor with some push-ups. If you can’t do the full military push-ups right away, modify them by pushing up from your knees rather than your toes. Do a set of 20, then 15, then 10 and 5, with a 20-second break in between each set.

Next, you’ll need a set of dumbbells for a combination of two chest exercises. Start by lying down on your back on a weight bench or the floor with your knees bent up.

The first exercise is the chest fly. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms out to your sides, slightly bent at the elbows. Then press your arms straight up so that the dumbbells just come together (don’t bang them). Pause and then lower to the starting position. Do a total of 10 repetitions and then move directly on to the next exercise, the dumbbell press.

For this move, bend your elbows and hold the dumbbells at your shoulders, with your palms facing forward. Then press your arms directly up. Just before the arms fully straighten, turn your wrists so that your palms are facing each other. Tighten your chest and then lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders. Do 10 reps.

When you’ve completed a full set of these exercises, you should feel the burn. Rest for a minute or two and do two more sets.

Aim to do this workout three times a week, as part of a well-rounded strength routine, and you should soon be sporting a chest you can carry with confidence.

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!

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!

Naomi Watts gets red-carpet ready

fitlist — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 06:50:00 GMT

By Rob Parr

Before the stars hit the red carpet, they hit the gym. They all have their favorite workout regimens, from Pilates and yoga to spinning and kickboxing.

But some Hollywood A-listers, like Naomi Watts, like to take their workouts outdoors.

When Naomi and I train together, we hit the road running for four to six miles or take to the hills for an hour-and-a-half-long mountain bike ride.

During training for her most recent role in "King Kong," Naomi did an intense outdoor cardio workout about five days a week. The goal was to boost her stamina and overall fitness level so that she was up for the physical demands of filming, including some stunt work.

Naomi also did weight training, mainly to improve her upper body strength. Because "King Kong" is set in 1933, we didn't want her to look really cut but we did want to tone her up. So throughout the week we hit the weights, doing a few sets of 10 to 15 repetitions of various exercises including bench presses, military presses and lat pull-downs.

If you're tired of the gym and looking to spice up your workouts, consider taking them -- or part of them -- outside. Incorporating outdoor activity into your fitness plan can make it more challenging and motivating.

You can even build in some resistance activity when you're outdoors, so that you can skip the gym if you want.

Here's a beginner workout to get you started: Set aside half an hour two to three days a week for some outdoor activity such as walking. Walk for five to 10 minutes and then stop to do some calisthenics, such as squats, lunges or push-ups, for instance. Then walk another five minutes and stop at some stairs and do step-ups. Continue on with the walking and calisthenics, aiming to target all major muscle groups for three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

This is a great way to maximize your workout time and have fun, too. Over time, you could build up to jogging, if you like, and working out on four or five days a week.

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.