Gym Workout

1. Lie on an exercise mat, with your back flat, knees bent and your feet flat on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Fully extend your arms down the side of your body, palms facing in. This is the start position.
3. Exhaling, crunch your torso forward and to the right until you can touch your right heel with your right hand. Hold for a count of one.
4. Return to the starting position smooth motion, inhaling as you do so.
5. Repeat the movement, this time to your left side.
6. When you have completed the movement on both sides, you have done one repetition.
7. Repeat.

1. Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Alternatively, you can place your feet up on a bench a few inches apart with your toes turned inwards and touching.
2. Place your hands lightly on either side of your head.
3. Keep your elbows in  so that they are parallel to your body.
4. Push your back down flat into the floor to isolate your abdominal muscles.
5. Gently curl your shoulders forward and up off the floor.
6. Continue to push down into the floor with your lower back.
7. Raise your shoulders about four to six inches only.
8. Hold and squeeze your abdominal muscles for a count of one.
9. Return to the start position in a smooth movement.

1. Lie on a mat with your hands under your buttocks and raise your legs slightly, keeping knees straight and ankles together.
2. Keep abs engaged and perform short kicks in an alternating fashion.
3. Repeat as needed and then lower legs to the ground.

1. Lie flat with hands under your buttocks.
2. Keep your knees together and pull them in towards you while moving your torso towards them (lift your head, neck and shoulders up).
3. Hold and then slowly return to starting position.

1. Place a dumbbell on each side of a flat bench.
2. Place your right knee on the end of the bench.
3. Bend your torso from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, while placing your right hand on the bench in front of you for support.
4. With your left hand, pick up the dumbbell with an overhand grip. The palm of your hand should be facing into you.
5. Keep your lower back straight. This is the start position.
6. Using your back muscles, pull the dumbbell straight up to the side of your chest, keeping your upper arm close to your side. Exhale as you do so.
7. At the top of the movement, hold for a count of one and squeeze your back muscles.
8. Return to the start position inhaling as you do so. Repeat.
9. Complete all repetitions for one side before switching sides.

This exercise can be performed  using a cable station, with a stirrup handle attached to either the high or low pulley.

1. Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
2. With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the dumbbells up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the dumbbells to the starting point.

1. Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
2. Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
3. Leading with your elbows, pull the handles of the resistance band back, bringing your shoulder blades closer together. Hold this contraction and slowly release to the starting position.

1. Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of water bottles at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
2. With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the water bottles up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the water bottles to the starting point.

1. Lie flat on an exercise mat on the floor.
2. Extend your legs fully and place your hands palms down, flat on the floor beside you.
3. Keeping your feet together, draw your knees up towards your chest, until your thighs are at 90 degrees to the floor and your calves are parallel to it. This is the start position.
4. As you inhale, curl your hips up off the floor while bringing your knees further towards your chest.
5. Continue the movement until your knees are touching your chest, or as far as comfortable.
6. Hold for a count of one.
7. In a controlled movement, return your legs to the start position, exhaling as you do so.
8. Repeat.

• Lie on your back on a flat bench.
• Reach overhead and grab the top of the bench with both hands.
• Brace your abdominal muscles.
• Straighten your legs and lift them up. Stop when they are above parallel.
• Contract your abdominals as you bend your knees and bring your legs up and towards the top of the bench.
• Pause then slowly release your legs to the starting position, making sure to keep the contraction in your abdominals.

1. Lie on your back on a mat with hands under your lower buttocks on either side to support your pelvis.
2. Legs straight out in front of you, ankles together and feet slightly off the floor.
3. Keep your knees straight and raise your legs by flexing the hips until they are completely flexed.
4. Return to starting position.

1. Lie flat with hands under your buttocks.
2. Keep your knees together and pull them in towards you while moving your torso towards them (lift your head, neck and shoulders up).
3. Hold and then slowly return to starting position.

1. Stand straight, your feet shoulder width apart, while holding a dumbbell in your left hand with your palm facing in to your body.
2. Place your right hand on your waist, palm facing in. This is the start position.
3. Keeping your back and head straight, bend only from your waist to the right. Inhale as you bend.
4. Continue as far as possible, then hold for a count of one.
5. Return to the start position, exhaling as you do so.
6. Repeat the movement this time bending to the left and returning to the start position.
7. Complete all repetitions holding the dumbbell with your left hand before changing hands.

This exercise can be performed with a kettlebell or a plate weight.

1. Lie on a padded surface on your left side. Stack your legs and bring your right hand behind your head. Lie your left arm in front of you or across your body. Brace your core.
2. Pulling from the obliques, bring your elbow up and towards your feet. Do NOT pull yourself with your hand.
3. Pause and feel the contraction in your obliques then slowly return to the starting position.

1. Lie flat on an exercise mat, extending your arms straight back behind your head.
2. Fully extend your legs also. This is the start position.
3. Bend at your waist and at the same time, raise your legs and arms to meet in a closed jackknife position. Exhale as you do this.
4. At this point, your legs should remain fully extended at between 35-45 degrees from the floor.
5. Your arms should be fully extended, parallel to your legs.
6. Your upper body should be raised off the floor.
7. Return to the start position by lowering your arms and legs back to the floor, exhaling as you do so.
8. Repeat.

1. Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Alternatively, you can place your feet up on a bench a few inches apart with your toes turned inwards and touching.
2. Place your hands lightly on either side of your head.
3. Keep your elbows in  so that they are parallel to your body.
4. Push your back down flat into the floor to isolate your abdominal muscles.
5. Gently curl your shoulders forward and up off the floor.
6. Continue to push down into the floor with your lower back.
7. Raise your shoulders about four to six inches only.
8. Hold and squeeze your abdominal muscles for a count of one.
9. Return to the start position in a smooth movement.

1. Position yourself on a decline bench so that your feet are secured by the pads. Lay back and place your arms across your chest or behind your head.
2. Begin the movement by pulling yourself up by your abdominals. Do not force yourself up by pulling on your neck. Let your abs do all the work.
3. Once at the top, slowly lower yourself back down. Again, focus on the abs doing all of the work. Repeat by bringing yourself back up.

1. Stand tall with your legs extended straight.
2. Bend over from the hips and touch the floor with your palms flat on the floor.
3. Keep your legs straight as you walk your hands as far forward as you can. Don’t let your hips sag.
4. Take small steps and walk your feet to your hands.
5. Continue for the desired amount of repetitions and then straighten up to the starting position.

1. Get into a face down position on the floor supporting your upper body on your forearms. Your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees.
2. Extend your legs straight out behind you, supporting them on your toes and balls of your feet.
3. Keep your body in a straight line by tightening your abdominal and oblique muscles.
4. Hold for as long as possible.

For extra balance training and core strengthening, you can lift one arm or leg.

1. Sit on the end of a bench with your legs fully extended in front of you angled towards the floor slightly.
2. Grip the sides of the bench for stability.
3. Leaning back to about a 45-degree angle from the bench. This is the start position.
4. Pull your knees in toward you at the same time moving your torso towards them. Make sure you exhale as you perform this part of the movement. Hold for a count of one.
5. Return to the start position by extending your legs out and relaxing your abdominal muscles. Breathe in as you do this. Pause and repeat.

This exercise can also be performed on the floor by placing your arms to the sides and raising your legs off the floor slightly. slightly over the floor. More advanced athletes can use a dumbbell between their feet or attach a pulley to them for added resistance.

1. Lie flat with hands under your buttocks.
2. Keep your knees together and pull them in towards you while moving your torso towards them (lift your head, neck and shoulders up).
3. Hold and then slowly return to starting position.

1. Lie on your back on a mat with hands under your lower buttocks on either side to support your pelvis.
2. Legs straight out in front of you, ankles together and feet slightly off the floor.
3. Keep your knees straight and raise your legs by flexing the hips until they are completely flexed.
4. Return to starting position.

1. Position yourself on all fours on a mat.
2. Position your hands underneath your shoulders and place your knees under your hips.
3. Keep your right knee bent at 90 degrees and flex the foot as you lift the knee until it is level with the hip.
4. Lower the knee without touching the floor and repeat the lift.
5. Once you’ve completed the reps on the right leg, switch legs.

1. Position yourself on all fours with knees underneath the hips and wrists under the shoulders.
2. Engage your abs and keep your spine neutral, pulling the shoulder blades towards the hips.
3. Lengthen the left leg until it is straight out and in line with your hips while simultaneously raising and straightening your right arm until it is parallel to the floor. Keep your head and shoulders aligned at all times.
4. Gently lower your arm and leg back to the starting position and alternate with the other arm and leg.

1. Lie face down on a flat bench with your hips on the edge of the bench. Fully extend your legs and raise your feet up from the floor so that they are in line with your body .
2. Place your arms on top of the bench, using them to hold on to the front edge of the bench for stability.
3. Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings and straighten your legs until they are level with your hips. This is the start position.
4. Start the exercise by raising you left leg higher than your right leg.
5. Then lower the left leg as you lift the right leg and so on.
6. Alternate in this manner  until you have done all repetitions for each leg.

When performing this exercise, breathe normally. As your strength increases, you can add ankle weights.

1. Stand with your feet hip width apart. Your toes should be pointing straight ahead or only slightly outward.
2. Cross your arms in front of your body, place your hands behind your head or at the sides of your head.
3. Keep your weight on your heels and bend your knees while lowering your hips towards the ground as if you are sitting down on a chair.
4. Keep your back straight at all times.
5. Continue until you feel a slight stretch in your quadriceps. Do not let your knees extend out beyond the level of your toes.
6. Pause for a count of one.
7. In an explosive movement, drive down through your heels pushing yourself up of the floor with your quads.
8. At the same time extend our arms out above you.
9. Land with your knees slightly bent to absorb the impact.
10. Repeat

1. Begin standing tall with a tight core. Your chest will be up and your gaze will be straight ahead. Bend at the knees and drive your hips back as you lower yourself into a squat position.
2. Launch yourself up while simultaneously twisting to the other side. Your body will perform a 180 degree turn in midair.
3. Land with bent knees and immediately go right into another jump squat, turning to the starting position. Repeat this alternating pattern.

1. Place your feet at shoulder width apart while keeping your chest up and your abdominals braced.
2. Begin the movement by swinging your arms up towards your shoulders. At the same time, bend at the knees and drive your hips back like you’re sitting in a chair.
3. Once your upper thighs are parallel with the ground, pause, then drive your hips forward to return to the starting position.

1. Set up a barbell on the floor and stand facing it with your legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent.
2. Bend forward at your waist and grip the barbell with an overhand grip.
3. Keep your back straight and nearly parallel to the floor.
4. Keep your head and neck straight. This is the start position.
5. Without moving your torso, exhale and lift the barbell up towards you.
6. Keep your elbows close in to your bodyand use your forearms to support the weight.
7. At the top of the movement, hold for a count of one and sqyeeze your back muscles.
8. Return to the start position inhaling as you do so.

If you suffer from lower back problems, this exercise is not recommended. Always keep your back straight throughout this exercise. This exercise can be performed using an underhand grip to engage the triceps also.

1. Connect a V-bar attachment to the low pulley on a cable station or cable rowing machine.
2.  Sit down at the station and place your feet on the foot pads or crossbar provided, while keeping your knees slightly bent.
3. Lean forward, keeping your back straight and grip the V-bar handles with both hands.
4. Keeping your arms fully extended pull back until your torso is at a 90-degree angle from your legs.
5. Your back should be slightly arched, with your chest should be pushed out. This is the start position.
6. Keeping your torso stationary, pull the handles back towards you while squeezing your back muscles.
7. Keep your arms close to your sides until your hands reach your abdomen. Exhale as you perform this movement.
8. Hold for a count of one.
9. Inhale as you return to the start position in a smooth movement.
10. Repeat.

Do not swing or rock back and forth as you perform this exercise. Doing so can cause lower back injury. <strong></strong> You can perform this exercise using a straight bar instead of a V-Bar. You can use an underhand or overhand grip.

1. Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
2. With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the dumbbells up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the dumbbells to the starting point.

1. Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
2. Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
3. Leading with your elbows, pull the handles of the resistance band back, bringing your shoulder blades closer together. Hold this contraction and slowly release to the starting position.