Starting With Some Easy Exercises - Muscle locators

If you find it difficult to come up with enough valuable exercises to fill a half-hour to 45 minutes three times a week, why not select some “muscle locators” for the central part (between warm-up and cool-down) of the session? In this section, we will offer two approaches to a set of basic exercises. You may wish to choose some favorites to program into your fitness schedule. By making the selection yourself, you ensure that the program's personalized character will be maintained.

Use caution when performing some of the muscle locators on the Phillips-Hatch list, particularly half sit-ups and squats.

Simplicity characterizes the 11 basic muscle locators. They are:

1. Side bends: Standing with your feet wide apart, knees slightly bent, lean first to the right, then to the left. Keep your hips as stationary as possible. Starting with ten bends to each side in the first week, increase the number as directed until you are doing 30 in the fifth week.

2. Good mornings: Starting again with feet wide apart, knees bent slightly, lean forward. Keep your hips as stationary as possible. Straighten up and then arch gently backward. Repeat as directed.

3. Seated stretch: Seated on the floor, spread your legs as far apart as possible. With your right hand on your left knee, try to touch your left toes with your left hand. At the same time, bring your nose close to your knee. In the first week repeat five times, then reverse for five on the right side.

4. Feet raisers: Lying on the floor with your hands under your buttocks, palms down, lift your head off the floor. With your legs straight and toes pointed, lift your legs off the floor to an angle of about 45 degrees. Lower your legs.

5. Curl-ups: Lying on your back with your hands under your buttocks and head slightly raised off the floor, bring your knees up under your chin. Straighten your legs out until they are hovering at a 45-degree angle from your body. Lower your legs and repeat as directed.

6. Scissors: Again lying on your back, hold up your legs at an angle of 20 to 30 degrees from your body. Keep your hands under your bottom. Work your legs like a pair of scissors, crisscrossing them repeatedly.

7. Half sit-ups: The half sit-up is the same as the whole, but it is not completed. Lie on the floor, knees up, with your hands on your thighs, then sit up to an angle of 45 degrees. Try not to move your legs or hips. As you sit up, bring your head down toward your chest.

8. Side leg raisers: Lying on your side and balancing yourself by holding one hand on the floor, prop your head up on your other hand. Lift your top leg as high as possible for the specified number of times, then lie on your opposite side and lift the other leg the same number.

9. Simple press-ups: standing with your back straight and your bottom tucked in, lean forward, placing your hands on a table edge. Still keeping your back straight, lower yourself down to the table. If the “simple” press-up is too simple, try a regular push-up.

10. Squats: Standing with your feet 15 to 20 inches apart, and with a one- or two-inch block under each heel, bend your knees to a full squatting position. Keep your back as straight as possible at all times and hold your arms folded at shoulder level. Remember the caveat about deep knee bends that involve bringing your buttocks all the way down to your heels.

11. Hip kicks: Kneeling on all fours, bring one knee forward off the floor and toward your face. Now push that leg straight back and upward as high as you can. Repeat with the other leg.