Health Content > Proper Excercise Techniques

Starting Position:

• feet flat and knees bent
• support your neck with your finger tips behind your head
• Keep elbows open and away from the body
• shoulder blades should be flat on the floor
• always look up...never pull your neck

Motion:

• Raise shoulders off the floor
• Continue to look straight ahead
• Exhale as you raise your body off the floor
• Visulalize pushing your belly down into the floor as you raise your body forward
• Mentally picture the muscle you want to work for better results

Scissor Crunch:

• Lift shoulders and one straight leg at the same time
• don't look at your leg, look straight up and don't pull you neck
• Alternate legs
• Don't swing the leg
• Lift leg and visulize your body in the shape of a "V"
• Exhale as you crunch and lift you leg
• Inhale as you lower you shoulders and leg

Starting Position:

• Feet flat and knees bent
• Palms flat on the floor beside your body
• Shoulders stay flat on the floor during the entire movement
  

Motion for Pelvic Tilt:

• Keep your feet flat on the floor
• Raise your pelvis off the floor (hips / waist and stomach should all lift off floor)
• Exhale as you lift pelvis
• Squeeze and hold abs for 2 second at the top of the movement
• Inhale and lower pelvis
  

Motion for Reverse Crunch:

• Pull knees towards chest
• Lower heels to starting position (try not to touch the floor)
• Keep hands on the floor with your palms down
• Exhale as you pull your knees towards the chest
• The only movement is in your legs
• Squeeze your abs as you lift your knees
  

Starting Position:

• feet flat and knees bent
• support your neck with your finger tips behind your head with one hand
• Keep elbow open and away from the body
• opposite palm is flat on the floor
• shoulder blades should be flat on the floor
• always look up...never pull your neck
  

Motion:

• Raise shoulder off the floor
• Bring shoulder towards opposite knee without rolling your body
• Look towards the outside of the knee you are aiming for -don't pull your neck
• exhale as you lift your body
• inhale as you lower your body
• lower body to starting position between each repetition
• Do one side for repetitions indicated then switch and repeat on opposite side

Starting Position:

• Feet flat and knees bent
• Palms flat on the floor beside your body
• Shoulders stay flat on the floor during the entire movement
  

Motion:

• Keep your shoulders and palms flat on the floor
• Look straight up
• Keep heels an inch apart from each other
• Lift your heels 2-4 inches off the floor
• Exhale as you lift your heels
• Inhale as you lower your heels
• Squeeze your abs as you lower you legs so they don't drop out of control
  

Starting Position:

• feet flat and knees bent
• support your neck with your finger tips behind your head
• Keep elbows open and away from the body
• shoulder blades should be flat on the floor
• always look up...never pull your neck
  

Motion for Full Sit Up:

• Lift upper body with your core. (center of your body)
• Keep elbows open and away from the middle of your body
• Do not swing or pull body up out of control
• Continue to try and lift body without assistance
• If you need assistance, have someone hold your feet down or place them under a safe object
• Exhale on the way up.
  

Here are some tips for proper technique:

• Always keep your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your fingers together and pointing straight ahead
• Start in the 'up' position with your arms straight
• Inhale as you lower yourself toward the floor
• Stop when your elbows form a 90-degree bend. There is no need to touch your chest or chin to the floor
• Exhale as you push yourself up from the floor
• Don't lock your elbows at the top of the move
• Your back should be straight. Don't let it sag and don't stick your bottom in the air

Use the incline push-up as an alternative to floor push-ups. The technique is only different with your hands now being placed on a chair or on step

Dips are great for building and toning the tricep (a.k.a. flab on the back of your arm)

• keep your elbows tucked in near your rib cage and concentrate on your tricep muscles (not your chest)
• Take hold of a chair, step, dip bar or dip machine, preferably at the narrowest point so that your arms are closer to your body
• Once you have a thorough grip, elevate yourself in the air
• Before you lock your elbows slowly bring your whole body down, leaving your triceps parallel with the floor
• Go down until your arms reach a 90-degree angle and slowly return to your initial position
• Keep your balance and don't build momentum by swinging back and forth. Keep a strict form throughout the entire exercise for better results.
• The secret to building great triceps is the same as with any other body part
• Maintain a strict form, stay on track with a consistent healthy diet and sufficient. Remember to squeeze and focus on contracting your triceps at the end of each repetition, and you'll see a noticeable improvement within a few weeks

This is a simple exercise to do...just hold yourself up.

• Don't hold without breathing
• All you need to do is hold the starting positon of a push-up - See push-up technique