Tone your chest and back with less than 10 minutes a day

by Ana
(Qro., Mexico)

How many people suffer from back pain or seem to have a chest that has started "going down" or has lost its good shape? Find here some exercises that can help the chest to look more firm and sexy, helping your back as well.

Material you'll need:
+ A pad or soft surface
+ A chair
+ A towel
+ Weights or tin cans or 2 objects that you can use as weights (both must have the same weight).

The following workout is composed of these exercises:
1) Backwards torso elevation
2) Moy mix
3) Lawn mower
4) Stretching with the door handle
5) Push ups against the wall
6) The prayer

Always heat up before the performance to avoid injuries. You can find a suggestion in this article:
tone your abdomen with less than 10 minutes a day.

1) Backwards torso elevation
This exercise helps to strengthen the lower part of the back. If you want to add tone to your arms, you can make some small circles with the shoulders.

TIP: Don't lift the torso too much or the lower part of your back will be forced. Make the movement until it is comfortable.

a) Lay down looking to the floor. Place your head on the back of your hands.
b) Contract your buttocks and use your abdomen muscles to elevate the torso from the ground.
c) Join the shoulder blades rotating the arms from the shoulders so that you form a squad (your arms and forearms must form an angle of 90°) and the palms of your hands must be looking down.
d) Take your arms back to the initial position and put down your torso. Repeat the movement.
e) The objective is to make about 15 repetitions in 30 seconds.

2) Moy mix
Great exercise for the back without the need of gym machines.

TIP: Relax head and neck and keep them aligned to the spine to avoid forcing any muscle.

a) Sit on the edge of a chair and take a weight on each hand.
b) Bend the waist and let your chest to be supported on your knees. Your face must be looking to the floor. Keep your head and neck relaxed.
c) Start with hands on the ground, elbows must not be blocked and then flex your arms, taking your hands to the height of your shoulders.
d) Rotate the hand wrists and stretch your arms forward keeping them parallel to the floor.
e) Make the inverse movement until you recover the position at step b). Then repeat the movement.
f) The objective is to make about 15 repetitions in 30 seconds.

3) Lawn mower
The movement is similar to mowing the lawn. It helps to tone the muscles of the half of your back, like the trapezoids. If you make it often, everybody will turn to watch out if you're wearing clothes which uncover the back!

TIP: If you have a back injury, exercise on side each time. If you want to work out both sides at the same time, take off the chair and squat down to make the exercise.

a) Place right knee and right hand on the edge of a chair, just like when you exercise your triceps.
b) Grab a weight with the left hand and take it to your hip.
c) Stretch your left arm in diagonal and forward, sliding it on direction to the floor.
d) Take the weight again to the hip and repeat the movement.
e) The objective is to repeat 10-12 times with the left arm. Then change position and work the right arm.

d) Stretching with the door handle
There's a resistance created when stretching with the towel attached to the door handle, so that all the muscles of the back work.

TIP: Don't perform this exercise too fast. You can notice more resistance if you do it slowly and controlled.

a) Choose a door with a handle in good conditions. Put the towel "hugging" both handles (the one from inside and the one from the outside of the door). Grab the edges of the towel with both hands.
b) Bend your knees a little, take your whole body backwards but from the waist, making the towel to stretch and noticing how your back muscles work.
c) Hold the position for some seconds and recover your initial position. Repeat the movement.
d) Perform about 20 repetitions.

e) Push ups against the wall
This exercise is special for the chest, it helps to strengthen the pectorals.

TIP: Ensure you apply force when separating from the wall so that you work arms and chest.

a) Stand straight at about 60 centimeters (2 feet) from the wall, with your feet slightly separated at the height of your hip and with your legs straight but without blocking the knees.
b) Go a little forward and place the palms of your hands in the wall.
c) Flex your arms and make the chest go towards the wall.
d) Contract the chest muscles and separate from the wall until you go back to the initial position.
e) The objective is to make at least 15 repetitions in 30 seconds.

f) The prayer
This exercise will also help to tone your pectorals.

TIP: Some people will hear their joints cracking so, start tightening the palms just a bit and then increase the pressure. In this way you avoid cramps.

a) Sitting or standing, join the palms of your hands at the height of your shoulders and lift the elbows to the same height (like if you were going to pray).
b) Hold the position all the time that is possible, pressing the palms as much as you can. Rest for a second and repeat the exercise until 30 seconds have passed.
c) The objective is to hold the position for 10 seconds, pause and repeat again. After 2 weeks it is very possible to hold the position for 30 seconds without any pause.

There's no miracle exercise without real performance. Consider being constant and see the results!

The following workout is based in a book from Faye Rowe as the other toning workouts.