UPPER BODY
Lower and Lift
(works triceps, back, chest, and buttocks)
Kneel on all fours with your back flat. (A) Extend your right leg behind you until it's slightly higher than parallel with the floor. (B) Bend your elbows, and lower your upper body until your chest is a few inches from the floor. Pause and return to starting position. Repeat 10 times with right leg lifted, then switch legs and repeat 10 more times to complete one set. Aim for two to three sets, resting for one minute between sets.
Reverse Arm Lifts
(tones back, triceps, and biceps)
Lie facedown on a mat or carpet with your forehead resting on the floor and your arms at your sides, palms facing up. Keeping arms straight, lift them as high as you can, then pause and squeeze arms in toward the center of your back without bending your elbows. Lower and repeat 20 times to complete one set. Aim for two to three sets, resting for one minute between sets.
Incline Push-Ups
(strengthens chest, abs, and back muscles)
Stand facing a wall, about two feet away from it. Keep your body straight, pull your abdominal muscles in, and lean forward to place hands on the wall at shoulder width. Maintaining your posture, bend your elbows out to your sides, and lower your body until your chest almost touches the wall; pause and return to starting position. Repeat 10 times to complete one set. Aim for two to three sets, resting for one minute between sets.
Quick TipFocus on using your chest muscles to push back from the wall; otherwise your back and arms do all the work.
Arm Circles
(strengthens shoulders, biceps, triceps, and abs)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your toes turned out slightly, and tighten your abdominals to stabilize your upper body. Extend your arms to the sides so they're parallel to the floor, palms down. Pull your shoulder blades together, and press the shoulders down. Slowly circle your arms forward, rotating only at the shoulder, as if you were drawing small circles in the air. Repeat 20 times, then bring arms back as far as you can while keeping them straight, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Maintain this position, and do 20 more circles in reverse. Without pausing to rest, bring your arms forward to a 45-degree angle, and squeeze your pectoral (chest) muscles; rotate your arms forward again to perform another 20 circles. Aim for one to two sets of the 20-20-20 cycle, resting one minute between sets.
Torso Toner
(strengthens abs and shoulders)
Lie on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling. Bend your knees and lift your legs so thighs are perpendicular to the floor and knees are bent at 90 degrees. Keeping the bend in your right knee, slowly lower your right leg until your toes touch the floor. At the same time, lower your left arm to the floor behind your head. (The rest of your body remains motionless.) Return to starting position, and repeat on opposite sides. Twenty reps on each side complete one set. Aim for two to three sets, resting for one to two minutes in between.
