The Edenlifestyle corner
MAJE AYIDA
Lie on your back with hands above you and feet up so your knees are at 90 degrees. Straighten your leg until your heel is an inch from the floor and then return to the start position. Repeat with the other leg.
By extending your legs and hovering your heels you work on your core stabilisers, not just your abs. That means you’re building muscle you can use on the sports field, not just see in the mirror.
Lie on your left side with your legs straight and prop yourself onto your elbow. Brace your core and raise your hips until your body forms a straight line. Hold this position while breathing deeply. Roll over and repeat on the other side.
Excellent for targeting a small muscle in your lower back, the quadratus lumborum. Strengthening it is crucial for spine health and will help you avoid the notorious beginner’s back pain. Diamond-cut obliques are a bonus.
Lie down on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand. Bend at the elbows and hold the weights above you. Press up and straighten your arms before pausing at the top of the rep and lowering slowly to the start position.
By restricting your range of movement this moves helps you build a bigger chest, minus the risk of shoulder injury from over extension. Consider this your stepping stone to being a bench pro in the gym.
Rest your left knee and left hand on a bench and lean forward until your chest is parrallel with the floor. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, with your bicep against your torso and your elbow tucked in, bent to 90-degrees so the weight hangs below you. Steadily swing back with the dumbbell until your arm is straightened directly behind you and slowly lower to the start position.
Doing dips from the edge on your sofa subjects your shoulder to an unsafe amount of strain. This move isolates your triceps for maximum growth without the need to put pressure on your joints. And considering it makes up two-thirds of your arm, that means sleeve-filling guns in less time.