Exercise Profile : One Arm Dumbbell Row

With the left knee on the bench, bend over at the waist and put your left hand on the bench as well for stability. Your back should now be parallel with the floor.

Grab a dummbell and let it pull your shoulder to the floor slightly, this is the starting position. Pull the dumbbell up in a controlled manner and then control it back down to the starting position. Try 3 sets of 12 reps to start and keep increasing.

A.J. McAlendin

Exercise Challenge : Dust Off Your Balls! (err, exercise balls that is)

I know many of you have an exercise ball tucked away that you have probably used 3 times! Go give it a wipe down and do the exercises in the picture. One set of 10 reps for each exercise to start, three times a week for three weeks and then increase to 2 sets and so on. A sample schedule would look like this.

Week 1 - 1 set of 10 (three times a week)
Week 2 - 1 set of 10 (three times a week)
Week 3 - 1 set of 10 (three times a week)
Week 4 - 2 sets of 10 (three times a week)
Week 5 - 2 sets of 10 (four times a week)
Week 6 - 2 sets of 10 (four times a week)
Week 7 - 3 sets of 10 (four times a week)

Give it a go and watch your body change. Small changes over time yield huge results!

A.J. McAlendin

Exercise Challenge : Dips

I have recently begun doing dips on a counterbalance machine (makes it easier to lift your weight and work up to just using your own body weight). This is an amazing upper body exercise. It works the traps, lats (to a lesser degree), chest (wow!) and arms (especially triceps and forearms). Start with three sets of 10 and over the next 6 weeks add a set every week, so it should look like this.

Week 1 - 3 sets of 10
Week 2 - 4 sets of 10
Week 3 - 5 sets of 10
Week 4 - 6 sets of 10
Week 5 - 7 sets of 10
Week 6 - 8 sets of 10

Do them on a day by themselves when you are not doing your weight training. Incorporating them before cardio is a great idea as you will need all of your strength! Once you hit week 6 you will need to shock the body a little and lower the amount of help you are getting from the machine.

If you need 100lbs of assistance, drop to 90 and start the cycle over at the week 2 level and continue through week 6. Then drop to 80 lbs of help and do the cycle. You will soon be using your own body weight and your strength will be through the roof. You should be increasing definition and adding a little muscle on your upper body!

Good luck and have fun!

A.J. McAlendin

Exercise Profile : The Upright Row

The upright row targets the upper trapezius, middle deltoid and anterior deltoid.

1) Start standing straight with your knees slightly bent to keep pressure off your lower back. Chest out and shoulders back. Hold the barbell with palms of your hands facing your legs. Keep your hands about 10 inches apart, but feel free to vary your grip to allow you to "feel" the exercise.

2) Extend your arms fully down so they are just above your thighs.

3) Make sure your legs are hip-wide with toes slightly pointed out. This will keep you stable and in balance.

4) Inhale as you pull up to the upper chest area. Keep your abs tight.

5) Keep your head in a fixed position. Keep your eyes forward and find a spot to concentrate on.

Start with three sets of 10! Have fun!

A.J. McAlendin