The Nerdist Way_ How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life) - Chris Hardwick [54]
■ If your body is squirmy or flailing while you’re doing these, lower the weight.
■ DO 2 SETS OF 15 REPS.
Legs
Those two trunky things that split off at your pink parts can turn into useless string cheese if you sit at a computer all day and night. To work the upper legs (quads and hammies), there are two main exercises you’ll want to explore: squats and lunges. There are a couple of different squat machines: On one you will be raising your body and weights, and the other you’ll be pushing weights away from you, so feel free to pick the one that whispers your name when you stare at it for too long, but don’t do both on the same day. Both are good for beginners because your positioning in the machine reduces your risk for injury. Hoorays!
MACHINE: HACK SQUATS
This machine will be at a 45-degree angle and strengthens your legs by creating resistance when you push your body upward from a squatting position. Hack Squats is a silly-sounding name. I would have called them Fart Sits.
■ Load equal weights on both sides of the machine.
■ Step onto the platform with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders.
■ Put your back flat against the back pad and rest your shoulders under the shoulder pads (seems logical).
■ There’s a locking mechanism on the machine, so extend your legs to open the full range of motion.
■ Slowly squat down until your thighs are parallel with the platform.
■ Push yourself back up to starting position but don’t go so high that you lock your knees.
■ When you’re done, push back up to relock the machine into position before trying to get out.
■ DO 2 SETS OF 15 REPS.
MACHINE: LEG PRESSES
With these guys, you’ll be seated in the closest thing a gym has to a recliner. The idea is to push a weighted platform away from your body with your gams.
■ Set your weights on the post.
■ Sit down and make sure your back and butt are resting against the seat as far back as you can go.
■ Place your whole feet on the platform slightly farther than shoulder-width apart.
■ Grab the handles on either side of the bench for support.
■ Slowly extend your legs without fully extending them or locking your knees.
■ Slowly go back to starting position.
■ DO 2 SETS OF 15 REPS.
Abs
CRUNCHES
Don’t confuse crunches with sit-ups! They’re not quite the same thing. Also the name “crunch” is gross, IMHO.
■ Lie on the floor.
■ Put your hands behind your head (sometimes I Superman my arms forward).
■ Bend your knees so that your feet are planted and pulled closer to your body.
■ Contract your ab muscles while keeping your neck in line with your back.
■ You should only lift your back off the ground a little bit.
■ DO 3 SETS OF 25 REPS.
FINITO! Now do a cooldown stretch! (See “Stretching.”)
WORKOUT 2: HOME
If you don’t want to drop the cash every month to belong to a gym, that’s fine. It requires a tad more discipline, but you can get some stellar workouts in your own dwelling. Many people think you need fancy equipment to really train, but you don’t. You can have just as diverse a workout regime by switching up things like hand position, exercise order, number of sets, number of reps, and weights used. Tom has kept me in shape using only a yoga mat, four dumbbell sets (ten, fifteen, twenty, and twenty-five pounds), an exercise ball, and a pull-up bar. NOTE: A pull-up bar isn’t required, but it’s GREAT if you can install one.
Chest
The easiest way to work the chest, especially if you are not at a gym, is the push-up. No matter how many scientific breakthrough fitness devices we see on late-night infomercials, there’s still nothing better than a person, the ground, and the resistance of gravity. Now to modify it with a breakthrough fitness device: the exercise ball. If you’re going to invest $40 in a piece of equipment to keep at the house/apartment/ basement/floating castle, this is a good one. The ball can be used for stretching, ab exercises, balance/core training, sitting at the computer to keep you from slouching, and modified push-ups.
PUSH-UPS ON