Banish Bridal Back Flab
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
CARDIO BURST:
Warm-up: March in place, walk around the room or step side to side for five minutes. Then move through all six exercise, performing one set of each, without weights.
STRENGTH MOVE:
START: Hold one heavy weight or two lighter weights doubled up in your right hand and stand with your legs split wide apart, left in front of the right. Bend both knees slightly, then lean forward with a straight back, bending where your hip and thigh meet, rather than at your waist. Rest your left arm on your left thigh and hang your right arm down on the inside of your left leg, palm facing in. Keep your chin tucked into your neck.
Technique Tip: Press your right shoulder blade flat to your back to prevent your right shoulder from rounding forward.
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
FINISH: Pull your right elbow into your waist and hug your upper arm close to your ribcage. Stop just past your back. Feel the shoulder blade move toward your spine. Slowly lower and repeat. Then switch sides.
Safety Tip: Avoid pressing your body weight into you front knee: Distribute your weight evenly between your front heel and back toe.
Common Error: Humping your back
Fit Fix: Hold your ribs high, press your chest forward and lift out of your lower back as you lean forward on your front thigh.
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
CARDIO BURST:
Jog/March: March in place for 60 seconds, then jog in place for 15 seconds. Repeat both four times.
STRENGTH MOVE:
START: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward, and hold the handle of a resistance band in your left hand as you grasp a portion of the middle of the band with your right hand and loop the excess band around your right hand. Raise both arms overhead, palms facing forward and raise your right arm up straight and open your left arm and start to pull it down. Make sure that the band is taut. (Loop any extra slack on the sides over your hands.)
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
FINISH: Stretch the band wider and pull it down by lowering your left elbow out to the sides, stopping when your elbow reaches ribcage level and your elbows are bent to about 90 degrees. Pull against the movement with your upper right hand as you raise the left hand back up to starting position. Repeat, then switch sides.
Safety Tip: Keep your shoulders low when your arms are extended overhead, then focus on sliding your shoulder blades down and together to engage your back muscles as your elbows pulls down.
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
CARDIO BURST:
March/Jump: March in place for 60 seconds, then perform 5-10 jumping jacks in place. Repeat both four times.
STRENGTH MOVE:
Start: Loop a resistance band around a sturdy pole or stable piece of heavy exercise equipment at around waist level when you are standing. Hold the handles in each hand and sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat, facing the direction where the band is attached. Straighten your arms in front of your shoulders, palms face down. Scoot forward or back to adjust the band tension: it should be taut when your arms are straight.
Technique Tip: Hold your ribs high away from your lower back and keep your shoulders down away from your ears.
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
Finish: Engage your abs to keep torso steady as you tighten your upper back muscles and pull your hands apart to stretch the band as you pull your elbows backwards, stopping just past your shoulders. Feel your shoulder blades slide toward each other. Pause, then slowly extend your arms in front back to the starting position. Repeat.
Common Error: Back slump
Fit Fix: Keep your torso stable and move only your arms.
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
CARDIO BURST:
Jog: Jog in place for two minutes
START: Stand and hold the ends of a light weight in both hands, palms facing in. Open your left leg out to the side, raising your left foot three to six inches off the floor. Once you feel stable, extend both arms straight overhead, hands slightly in front of your body. Balance on the right leg and squeeze your butt, abs and supporting thigh.
Technique Tip: If you feel unstable, move your arms and leg closer to your body to form a more vertical, rather than diagonal, line. To increase the challenge, reach your arms and leg farther out to the sides while keeping your back straight.
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
FINISH: Engage your core muscles and pull your elbows to your ribs as you raise the thigh toward your chest. Extend your arms and legs out again and repeat. If you feel unbalanced, drop your toe to the floor between lifts. Then switch sides.
Common Error: Scrunching forward and rounding your back
Fit Fix: Keep your torso tall and spine straight as you move your arms and leg in both directions.
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
CARDIO BURST:
March/Jump: March in place for 60 seconds, then perform 5-10 jumping jacks in place. Repeat both four times.
START: Lie face down on a stability ball and position your hips and ribcage on top of the ball. Open your legs into a wide straddle and tuck your toes into the floor for support. Place your hands on the floor in front of your shoulders, and hold a light weight in your right hand, palm facing in. Straighten your back by lifting your ribs slightly.
Technique Tip: Look down, not forward, to prevent your neck from arching.
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
FINISH: Balancing on your toes and left hand, open your right arm straight out to the side, lifting the weight to shoulder level, palm facing the floor. Feel your shoulder blade flatten to your back. Hold, then lower slowly and repeat. Then switch sides.
Safety Tip: Feel the back of your shoulder control this movement and keep the grip on your weight light.
Common Error: Head droop
Fit Fix: Tighten your butt and back muscles and tuck your chin into your neck without lowering your head to keep your spine straight.
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
CARDIO BURST:
Cool-down: Alternate marching in place with slow stepping side to side for three minutes.
START: Lie on your stomach with your legs extended and prop yourself up on your forearms. Lower your shoulders. Pull your abs in away from the floor to engage the muscles in your entire torso, then raise your hips off the floor. Then raise one knee at a time off the floor until you are in a raised plank position, your body forming a straight line from head to toe. Without bending your elbows or dropping your hips, try to focus on your upper back and open the shoulder blades so they separate.
Technique Tip: Avoid letting your shoulders inch their way up to your ears. Keep them low throughout the move.
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Banish Bridal Back Flab
FINISH: Contract your upper back muscles and draw your shoulder blades in closer toward each other without bending your elbows. Hold then separate the shoulder blades again and repeat.
Safety Tip: Keep the movement subtle and simply focus on increasing the mobility in the middle of your upper back.
Common Error: Dropping your neck
Fit Fix: Limit movement to the back of your shoulders and shoulder blades. Keep your neck and spine stable by tightening your core muscles and keeping your arms straight.
URL: http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/wedding-weight-loss/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100199550
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