Get In Top Shape

Aerobic | Strength/Muscle | Flexiblilty

STRENGTH/MUSCLE

Frequency:

First begin performing these types of exercises at least three days a week.  Make sure that you have at least one rest day in between where you don’t perform any calisthenic-type exercises. If you wish to perform these exercises five or six days a week, split your program so that each body part has at least 48 hours of rest between sessions.

Intensity:

For calisthenic-type exercises, you can use your body weight as the resistance. If you cannot perform at least five repetitions of an exercise, modify it so that it is easier and build up your strength and endurance that way.

Time:

You should perform at least one set for each body part. The minimum number of body sets would be at least one exercise for your legs (e.g., body squats), one upper body pushing exercise (e.g., push-ups) and one upper body pulling exercise (e.g., pull-ups).

Type:

Perform exercises where you can use your body as the resistance. Examples would be push-ups, pull-ups, and situps.

UPPER BODY

Push-ups

Muscles Exercised
Pectoralis major (chest), deltoid (shoulder), triceps (back of upper arm), abdominal muscles.

Execution – Regular
  1. 1) Lie on your stomach on the ground.
  2. 2) Place your hands on the ground directly underneath your shoulder, with your hands facing forward.
  3. 3) Keep your feet close together and pivot off your toes.
  4. 4) Push up your body with your arms while keeping your body straight.
  5. 5) Don't allow to "roll" up - that is, your body, abdomen and legs should lift off the ground at the same time.
  6. 6) Go up until your elbows are straight.
  7. 7) Lower yourself down in a controlled manner until your chin touches the ground. Don't let your legs or body touch the ground at all.
  8. 8) Repeat.

Modifications

Wall
Perform the push-up while standing by pushing up from a wall. This will make the exercise easier.

Clap
Clap your hands in front of you when you have reached the up-phase of the push-up. This will make the exercise harder and develop upper body power as well as strength and endurance.

Hand Width
You can adjust how hard each of the muscles work by widening or narrowing how far your hands are apart. Wider = Less arm involvement Narrower = More arm involvement

Modified
Pivot off your knees instead of your toes. This will make the exercise slightly easier.

Pull ups

Muscles Exercised
Latissimus dorsi (back), trapezius (upper back), rear deltoids (rear shoulder), bicep brachii (front upper arm), forearm muscle group, abdominals.

Execution
  1. 1) Place a solid broom handle across two chair seats.
  2. 2) Lie underneath the broom handle so that it is above your lower chest.
  3. 3) Grasp the broom handle with a shoulder-width grip and palms facing up.
  4. 4) Pivoting off your heels and keeping your body straight, lift yourself off the ground. Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together as you move up.
  5. 5) Lower to starting position in a controlled manner.
  6. 6) Repeat.

Modifications

Hand Position
If the palms face down towards your feet, you will emphasize the brachialis muscle, which lies underneath the bicep brachii muscle.

Broom Handle Height
The higher the broom handle is off the ground, the harder the exercise will be to perform. You can also modify the exercise by letting your body touch the ground between repetitions.

Grip
Wider grip = more emphasis on back muscles and less on arms. Narrower grip = more emphasis on arms and less on back.

Body Dips

Muscles Exercised
Triceps, deltoids, chest.

Execution
  1. 1) Start in a sitting position on the floor with your feet behind you.
  2. 2) Place your hands on the ground beside your hips with your fingers facing forward.
  3. 3) Raise your hips off the ground so that only your hands and feet are still on the ground.
  4. 4) By bending your elbows, lower your hips towards the ground without letting them touch the ground and straighten your elbows to lift yourself again.
  5. 5) Repeat.
Notes
  1. 1) You can make this exercise more difficult by placing your hands on a chair edge and increasing your range of motion.
  2. 2) You can make this exercise most difficult by placing your hands on one chair and your feet on another chair facing the first.
  3. 3) You can practise your balance by letting only one foot touch the floor at a time.

LOWER BODY

Body Squats

Muscles Exercised
Quadriceps femoris (front thigh), gluteal muscle group (buttocks), abdominal muscles, hamstring muscles (rear thigh).

Execution
  1. 1) Stand erect with your feet shoulder-width apart and feet facing forward or toes slightly facing out.
  2. 2) Keep your body erect and back straight.
  3. 3) By bending your knees and hips at the same time, lower your body down until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
  4. 4) Raise your body back to starting position.
  5. 5) Repeat.
Notes
  1. 1) Don't let your knees go past your toes.
  2. 2) Keep your feet flat on the ground.
  3. 3) Keep the movement controlled – don't bounce at the bottom of the movement.

Modifications

Jump Squat
At the top of the movement, jump as high as possible off the ground. This helps to develop leg power and is good for sports like basketball and volleyball.

Split Squat
Perform the squat while standing in a lunge position. Work one leg at a time (i.e., perform the repetitions with your right leg forward, and then perform the repetitions with the left leg forward). This will help you to concentrate on one leg at a time.

Stance
Wider stance = increased emphasis on the inner thigh muscles. Narrower stance = increased emphasis on the outer thigh and gluteal muscles.

Lunges

Muscles Exercised
Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves.

Execution
  1. 1) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands on your hips.
  2. 2) Step far forward with one leg while keeping the back leg in contact with the ground. Both feet should be facing forward.
  3. 3) Lower your hips until your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
  4. 4) Push explosively with the front leg so that you can return to starting position.
  5. 5) Repeat with the other leg.
Notes
  1. 1) Don't let your front knee travel past the toes of the same foot.
  2. 2) When you step forward, you should take a long step so that it is almost a stretch.
  3. 3) Keep your body erect during the whole exercise.

Burpees

Muscles Exercised
Quadriceps, glutes, chest, arms, calves, abdominals.

Execution
  1. 1) Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms at your side.
  2. 2) Drop quickly forward and down to a push-up position.
  3. 3) Perform a rapid push-up.
  4. 4) Jump up to your feet. Raise your arms above your head and, when you are on your feet, jump as high as possible. This should be one rapid movement.
  5. 5) Repeat step 2 through 4 quickly.

Good Mornings

Muscles Exercised
Lower-back muscle, hamstrings (rear thigh).

Execution
  1. 1) Stand erect with your feet shoulder-width apart and feet facing forward.
  2. 2) While keeping your back straight, push your hips back and lower your body forward towards the ground.
  3. 3) When your body is parallel to the ground, stop, pause, and return to starting position.
  4. 4) Do not let your back round out at all during the execution of the exercise.

Calf Raises

Muscles Exercised
Gastrocnemius and soleus (calf muscles).

Execution
  1. 1) Stand on a step with the balls of your feet on the edge, your heels over the edge, your knees straight, and holding lightly onto a wall or railing for balance.
  2. 2) Lower your heels until you feel a stretch in your calf muscles.
  3. 3) Pause.
  4. 4) Raise yourself up on the balls of your feet.
  5. 5) Pause.
  6. 6) Repeat.

Modifications

Single Leg Calf Raises
Perform the same movement with one leg at time. Make sure that your free leg is not touching the ground at all.

Knee Position
By letting the knee be slightly bent, you can change the emphasis of which calf muscle is doing the majority of the work. Make sure that the knee angle is constant.

CORE EXERCISES

Note
During each movement, you should contract your abdominal muscles. Do this by thinking of pulling your belly button towards your back and tightening up your stomach like someone is about to pat or hit it. You should still be breathing normally while holding this position.

Crunches

Muscles Exercised
Rectus abdominus, obliques (abdominal muscles).

Execution
  1. 1) Lie on your back on the ground.
  2. 2) Have your knees bent at approximately 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor.
  3. 3) Place your fingertips behind the back of your ears and have your elbows pointed towards your knees.
  4. 4) Raise your body off the ground until your shoulder blades are off the ground. Pause for one second at this position while contracting your stomach muscles.
  5. 5) Lower your body to starting position in a controlled manner.
  6. 6) Repeat.
Modifications

Arm Position
You can cross your arms across your chest or stomach, or leave them lying on the ground beside you. The farther away from your head, the easier the exercise, because you have less weight to lift with each repetition.

Foot Position
You can alter the dynamics of the exercise by holding your feet off the ground or letting them rest on a bench or chair.

Side Crunches
Instead of raising yourself straight up, bring your right elbow to your left knee for one repetition, and then your right elbow to your left knee for the next repetition.

Superman

Muscles Exercised
Spinal entensors (lower-back muscles), gluteal muscles (hip extensors).

Execution
  1. 1) Lie on the ground on your stomach with your feet straight back.
  2. 2) Place your arms above your head on the ground.
  3. 3) Start with your right arm and left leg.
  4. 4) Keeping your left knee straight, raise it off the ground about 10 cm while raising your right arm 10 cm to 15 cm off the ground.
  5. 5) Pause at the top of the movement.
  6. 6) Lower to starting position.
  7. 7) Repeat with left arm and right leg.
  8. 8) Perform your repetitions by alternating sides.
Notes
  1. 1) When lifting your arm off the ground, reach as far forward with it at the same time.
  2. 2) When lifting your leg off the ground, reach back with your foot as much as possible.
  3. 3) Make sure that you lift your arms and legs straight off the ground, and not to the side.

Sit-ups

Muscles Exercised
Rectus abdominus, obliques.

Execution
  1. 1) Lie on your back on the ground.
  2. 2) Have your knees bent at approximately 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor.
  3. 3) Place your fingertips behind the back of your ears and have your elbows pointed towards your knees.
  4. 4) Lift your body off the ground until your elbows touch the top of your knees.
  5. 5) Lower in a controlled manner to starting position.
  6. 6) Repeat.
Notes
  1. 1) Don't lock your fingers behind your neck or the back of your head. You may want to pull on the neck or head and cause a strain.
  2. 2) Keep your heels (at least) in contact with the ground during the whole movement.
  3. 3) Try not to have anything holding down your feet. This will take the emphasis off of your abdominal muscles.
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