[...]... Draw the belly button in, and lift the hips up off of the floor, so that your body is in a straight line from foot to shoulder Remember to keep the belly button held in throughout the entire exercise, and do not forget to breathe Hold in the up position for 8 – 10 seconds, then slowly lower yourself With a 5 second rest in between repetitions, perform this movement 5 times, then do the same on the opposite... rise higher than the rest of your body Lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, then push back up to the starting position Breathe in on the way down, and exhale as you push back up © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 28 You can increase the challenge of the push up by performing the move with your feet on a stability ball Another way to make them more difficult... able to speak and breathe normally as you do this Another way of thinking about is to “brace your abs”, like you would do if I was about to punch you in the stomach Not that I would, but you get the point The purpose of this is to activate the transversus abdominis and other muscles that act to stabilize your spine People often ignore these muscles in their exercise programs, but they are a critical... ball and the other on the floor, switching hands half way through your set © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 29 If you do not yet have the strength to do a standard push up on the floor, you can make them easier by placing your hands on a bench, coffee table, or other object and performing them on an incline As you gain strength, lower the incline and move your hands closer to the floor... Contract the muscles in your butt and lift your legs until they are in a straight line with your body Hold in the up position for a count of two seconds, and then slowly lower them back down You want to keep the movement smooth and controlled Do not bounce at the bottom When your toes just touch the floor, bring your legs right back up, remembering to really squeeze your glutes in order to perform the movement... on the floor, support yourself on your elbows They should be directly under your shoulders, so that your upper arms are perpendicular to the floor Draw the belly button in and lift the hips off the floor so that you are supported by your elbows and toes Do not let your butt either sag down, or arch up in the air Your body should be straight from shoulders to feet, like a “Plank” Be sure to keep the. .. days a week, on the treadmill at the gym If you aren’t, you have at least seen this woman, Cardio Girl Cardio Girl wants to lose fat So she gets on the treadmill and checks out the little chart on the treadmill display that shows her what her heart rate needs to be for her to be working in The Fat-Burning Zone” Of course, there is a cute guy on the next treadmill over, so she cranks up the speed to about... Eventually you will reach the point where you are able to do a set of standard push ups on the floor © 2007, 2008 Perfect Fit, LLC All Rights Reserved 30 Bench Dips Bench Dips are great for the triceps, or the back of the upper arm Place the heel of your hands on the top edge of the bench, chair, or coffee table with a grip just wider than your hips, fingers wrapped over the edge, and arms straight... one foot on the bench and your other foot approximately two feet out in front of the bench Bend your front knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor, and your rear knee is a few inches above the floor Your front foot should be far enough in front of you so that in the down position your knee does not extend beyond your toes Pushing through the heel of your front foot, rise back to the starting... drawn in and do not forget to breathe Hold in the up position for 8 – 10 seconds, and then slowly lower yourself With a 5 second rest in between repetitions, perform this movement 5 times As you get stronger, increase the time held in the up position As your core strengthens, you will begin to hold the position for 15, 20, 30, and even up to 60 seconds Don’t increase the number of repetitions as you . They don’t do long duration cardio. They sprint, they rest, then they sprint some more. Short duration, high intensity activity. Would you rather. dollars a year on these things and most of them don't get the results they want! For a fraction of those costs, you can get all of the benefits