ThirdAge Tone-Up

Strength Training

Three Steps to Fitness
Follow these three simple steps--it should take you less than 30 minutes--to start building a stronger body. Today's focus is on firming your thighs and strengthening your abdominal muscles.

Step 1. Warm-Up
Walk around or jog in place for five minutes to get your blood flowing and increase flexibility.

Step 2. Firm Your Thighs
Perform one set of each exercise, to the point of fatigue (when you can't repeat the exercise one more time without sacrificing form or proper body position, or, when you start using muscles you are not targeting).

Stationary Lunge

• Starting Position: Stand with one leg out in front of the other (like a front-to-back straddle).
• Let your back knee drop slowly toward the floor until your front knee is bent to a 90-degree angle (like a curtsey). Do not let your front knee extend past the ankle. You should be able to see the shoelaces of your front foot.
• Lower your body 4 to 8 inches and raise it up again. Do not bounce. Use your thigh muscles only to lower and raise your body's weight.
• Continue to lower and raise your body until you are fatigued.

Squat:

• Stand tall with your feet slightly wider apart than your hips and toes pointed in a comfortable position. Rest your hands on your hips or on top of your thighs. Keep your spine in the "neutral" position--maintaining the three natural curves of the back with the abdominal muscles slightly contracted). Bend your knees slightly.
• Jut your buttocks out as though you were about to sit in a chair and slowly squat down. Keep your shins close to perpendicular to the floor until your thighs are approximately parallel to the floor. Keep your eyes straight ahead. Do not allow your knees to extend past your toes.
• Now slowly stand up to the starting position, forcing your hips in and your head up. Keep your weight back on your heels throughout the squat. Do not shift your weight onto your toes.
• Always move in a controlled manner. Do not bounce or jerk your body in an attempt to gain momentum.
• Repeat the squat until you are too fatigued to continue.
• Beginners can practice their squatting form by literally sitting into a chair and standing back up.
• For greater intensity, do the squat while holding dumbbells to the front of your hips.

Inner Thigh Lifts

• Starting Position: Lie on your left side, rest your head in your left hand, and put your right hand on the floor in front of your chest, elbow bent.
• Keep your lower leg straight and bend your upper knee to a 45-degree angle. Let your top leg come across your body and rest on the floor in front of you.
• Very slowly raise your lower leg straight up toward the ceiling while squeezing your inner thighs together. Keep your lower foot flexed throughout the lift.
• Very slowly lower your bottom leg to the starting position.
• Repeat the exercise until you are too fatigued to continue.
• Roll onto the other side and repeat the exercise with the other leg until you are fatigued.

Step 3. Tighten Your Abs
Do one set of each exercise until fatigued.

Crunches

• Starting Position: Lie flat on your back in the sit-up position--knees bent and feet flat on the floor about 10 to 15 inches from your buttocks. Cup your hands behind your ears, keeping your elbows out to the sides and your chin up.
• Pressing your lower back flat into the floor and without moving your lower body, bring your rib cage up toward your hips. You should only see your elbows in your peripheral vision. Keep a space between your chin and chest about the size of an orange. Do not jerk yourself up. Slowly bring yourself up, using your abdominal muscles only.
• As you curl to the highest point possible without losing form, tighten and flex your abdominal muscles for a second or two.
• Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position, using your abdominal muscles to resist gravity on the way down.

Side Crunches

• Starting Position: Lie on your back in the sit-up position--your knees together and bent and feet flat on the ground about 10 to 15 inches from your buttocks.
• Place both hands behind your head with elbows out.
• Now angle your knees down to the right while keeping your back in contact with the floor.
• Using your side abdominal muscles (the obliques) only, lift your shoulders off the floor slightly, keeping your elbows wide.
• Using your obliques, crunch your upper body up and down as many times as you can without letting your shoulders touch the floor again until you have completed your set.
• Although this exercise is done more quickly than the other crunches, do not bounce or use inertia or your hands to lift your upper torso. Let your obliques do all the work.
• Now angle your knees down to the left side, and repeat the exercise as many times as possible.

Dead Bug

• Starting Position: Lie on your back with your knees to your chest and your hands crossed over your chest.
• Keeping your head and back flat on the floor and your knees bent, slowly lower your right leg until your toe touches the floor then lift your leg back to the starting position.
• As your right leg comes back up, slowly lower your left leg (knees still bent) until your left toe touches the floor. Think about pulling in with your abdominals as you move your legs through the range of motion.
• Continue to touch the floor with alternate toes until you are too fatigued to continue.