Help with upper body exercises
Hi everyone! I need your help! First let me tell you I have NEVER exercised this much in my life (gee I wonder why I got so big - duh!!) Anyway, I have arthritis in my knee and orthopedic surgeon recommended an incumbant bike. So far it is working great. I've lost 76 lbs but I need some exercises for my upper body, waist and hips. Does anyone have any suggestions or sites that I can go to for exercises that will help me lose in these areas?
Thanks for your help!
Thanks for your help!
Hey Debbi, yes there are a few exercises you can do for your upper body 
I'm guessing that by hips and waist you mean abs and lower back.
Here's a site that looks pretty good upon first glance:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/yoga-and-strength-training-workout
Second, there are literally tons of exercises you can do that are extremely fun and give you a challenge. One of the best exercises you can do to strengthen your upper body and core (abs and lower back) is the first exercise you ever learned: the pushup.
Done correctly, this exercise will challenge and give you a great foundation for strength training. The plank (others call it something different) is another good ab/lower back exercise. Lay on your stomach and prop up and your elbows (make sure they are 90 degrees) and contract your ab muscles. You can do this for as long as you can hold it. Then switch to your sides.
Here are some exercises I learned from my academic advisor in graduate school.
Triangle Push-up
- Assume standard push-up position but alter hand position so that the hands form a triangle shape directly under the sternum.
Wide Push-up
- Assume standard push-up body position but alter hand position so that the hands are one to two spans further out than before.
One-leg Push-up
- Perform a standard push-up with one leg extended upward as high as possible. Variations include extended the leg to the side
Half Cartwheel
- With the palms in contact with the ground, cartwheel your legs from side to side.
I'm guessing that by hips and waist you mean abs and lower back.
Here's a site that looks pretty good upon first glance:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/yoga-and-strength-training-workout
Second, there are literally tons of exercises you can do that are extremely fun and give you a challenge. One of the best exercises you can do to strengthen your upper body and core (abs and lower back) is the first exercise you ever learned: the pushup.
Done correctly, this exercise will challenge and give you a great foundation for strength training. The plank (others call it something different) is another good ab/lower back exercise. Lay on your stomach and prop up and your elbows (make sure they are 90 degrees) and contract your ab muscles. You can do this for as long as you can hold it. Then switch to your sides.
Here are some exercises I learned from my academic advisor in graduate school.
Triangle Push-up
- Assume standard push-up position but alter hand position so that the hands form a triangle shape directly under the sternum.
Wide Push-up
- Assume standard push-up body position but alter hand position so that the hands are one to two spans further out than before.
One-leg Push-up
- Perform a standard push-up with one leg extended upward as high as possible. Variations include extended the leg to the side
Half Cartwheel
- With the palms in contact with the ground, cartwheel your legs from side to side.
Chris Gillette, MS
www.chriseducatedguess.blogspot.com
www.chriseducatedguess.blogspot.com
(deactivated member)
on 10/2/08 10:12 am - FL
on 10/2/08 10:12 am - FL
I absolutely love this book. Check it out!
http://www.amazon.com/28-Day-Body-Shapeover-Brad-Schoenfeld/ dp/0736060456/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222992619&sr=1 -2
http://www.amazon.com/28-Day-Body-Shapeover-Brad-Schoenfeld/ dp/0736060456/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222992619&sr=1 -2
Does anyone have any suggestions or sites that I can go to for exercises that will help me lose in these areas?
Debbie--while it is important to do resistance based exercises to maintain muscle, there is no such thing as spot reducing. The way to loose fat anywhere on the body is for the body to use it as fuel. That means cardio exercise, watching what you eat, etc.
Now, maintaining muscles is important and it does raise the body's basal metabolic rate. So that too will help you burn more calories even at rest. You can tone your upper body while you loose fat, but there unfortunately is no way to "spot reduce".
Debbie--while it is important to do resistance based exercises to maintain muscle, there is no such thing as spot reducing. The way to loose fat anywhere on the body is for the body to use it as fuel. That means cardio exercise, watching what you eat, etc.
Now, maintaining muscles is important and it does raise the body's basal metabolic rate. So that too will help you burn more calories even at rest. You can tone your upper body while you loose fat, but there unfortunately is no way to "spot reduce".
Most Active
Recent Topics
