women's health - ALL FOURS CRUNCH

STRENGTHENS

ABS (RECTUS ABDOMINIS, TRANSVERSUS ABDOMINIS)

STARTING POSITION

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat, and hands resting behind your ears. draw inward with your abs (A).

MOVEMENT

initiate action from your core and simultaneously bring your elbows and knees together, attempting to touch them above your navel (B). HARD

Pause at the highest point and contract your abs deeply.

Slowly release, lowering your upper and lower body simultaneously, allowing your arms to return to the starting position in contact with the floor (A). EASY

Why It’s Perfect for You

This is a great basic movement that strengthens torso flexion. Crunch-type movements are valuable for both core contractibility and appearance as long as other core movements complement them. This is the only traditional crunch of the five core movements in this section.

women's health - ALTERNATING DUMBBELL SUPINATED CURL

STRENGTHENS

BICEPS, SHOULDERS (ANTERIOR DELTOIDS)

STARTING POSITION

Stand with your feet together and dumbbells at your sides, touching your thighs, with your palms facing out (a supinated grip). Keep your knees unlocked and your shoulders pulled back and down (A).

MOVEMENT

Without changing your hand position, pull the right dumbbell up to the front of your shoulder (B). HARD

Pause here and squeeze the biceps muscles.

Maintaining your hand position, lower the dumbbell back to the start EASY while simultaneously pulling the left dumbbell up to the front of your shoulder (C). HARD

Continue simultaneous alternating for the full set. One arm will be in the HARD phase, while the other will be in the EASY phase.

Why It’s Perfect for You

Because you are simultaneously alternating, you will increase the pressure and intensity in your muscles by limiting rest time in between reps. This improves the time under tension and creates change. You’ll feel an awesome “pump” after this exercise!

women's health - STRAIGHT BAR CABLE CURL

STRENGTHENS

BICEPS

STARTING POSITION

Begin by facing the cable column with a supinated grip (palms facing out) on the short straight bar attachment. Keep your arms extended, your hands at shoulder-width distance, and your feet together. Stand tall with a natural arch in your lower back, your shoulders pulled back and down, and your chest forward (A).

MOVEMENT

Bend at the elbows without moving your upper arms. Contracting your biceps, pull the bar up to your collarbone (B). HARD

Pause in the top position, keeping tension on your biceps.

Keeping your upper arms perpendicular to the floor and your shoulders locked, slowly lower the bar back to the start (A). EASY

Why It’s Perfect for You

The bi in biceps indicates there are two “heads” to your upper arm muscles. This movement complements the previous exercise, the Dumbbell Hammer Curl, because each exercise addresses one head of the biceps. This movement makes the arm stronger, while the previous one creates shape and definition.

women's health - DUMBBELL HAMMER CURL

STRENGTHENS

BICEPS, SHOULDERS (ANTERIOR DELTOIDS)

STARTING POSITION

Begin in a seated position with dumbbells hanging at your sides in a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Sit tall with your chest forward and your shoulders back and down (A).

MOVEMENT

Without changing your hand position, contract your biceps and pull the dumbbells up until the ends nearly touch the front of your shoulders (B). HARD

Pause in this position and squeeze your biceps.

Keeping your shoulders anchored down and back, slowly lower the dumbbells back to the start (A). EASY

Why It’s Perfect for You

This particular hand position makes for amazing definition and roundedness in the front of the upper arm. The seated position lets you focus all energy on the movement.

Maintaining a neutral grip allows your muscle to develop in a narrow and rounded way, rather than creating thickness. Men like thick, full biceps and women tend to prefer rounded, thin biceps.

women's health - OVERHEAD ROPE EXTENSION

STRENGTHENS

TRICEPS, SHOULDER STABILIZERS

STARTING POSITION

Using the double-rope attachment, face away from the cable column in a staggered foot stance. Extend your arms outward until they are straight with nearly locked elbows. Anchor your shoulders down toward your hips and maintain this position (A).

MOVEMENT

Without changing the angle of your upper arm, allow your elbows to bend so that your hands move over your head toward the cable column (B). EASY

Pause with your elbows bent around 90 degrees.

Activate your triceps to drive your arms back to the starting position with elbows nearly locked (A). HARD

Why It’s Perfect for You

I love how this movement keeps tension on the triceps, allowing for more time to build strong arms. It also helps to improve shoulder stability and to eliminate bra bulge under the arm and around the back, trouble zones for many women.

women's health - DUMBBELL FRENCH PRESS

STRENGTHENS

TRICEPS

STARTING POSITION

Lie on a flat bench with your feet up and dumbbells extended together directly over your chest in a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Allow a natural arch in your lower back, and actively press your shoulders down toward your hips (A).

MOVEMENT

Without changing the position of your hands, bend your elbows and slowly lower the dumbbells next to your ears (B). EASY

Pause with the dumbbells next to your ears.

Activate your triceps to push the dumbbells back to the start, ending with nearly locked elbows (A). HARD

Why It’s Perfect for You

This is the perfect complement to the last exercise, the Straight Bar Cable Pressdown, because of the hand position. This movement targets the triceps and creates definition in the middle of your upper arm. By anchoring your shoulders down toward your hips, you also improve shoulder stability.