Lunges
and Traveling Lunges
For the leg muscles.
Stand with feet hip-width apart in a stride position.
Hold dumbbells next to body or rest bar on your shoulders
behind your neck with palms forward hands spread far apart
on the bar. Lower the body directly between the feet by
bending the knees to approximately 90-degree angles. Press
back up to the starting position. Perform the same number
of lunges on the other side. Suggested initial load: 1/4
of body weight.
Variation: Hold dumbbells next to body or rest bar on
your shoulders behind your neck with palms forward hands
spread far apart on the bar. Step forward with the right
foot and lower the body weight to a lunge position. Bend
knees to approximately 90-degree angles. Push through
the hips and thighs in order to bring the left foot forward
to meet the right foot. Continue lunge, walking forward,
alternating feet. |
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Toe
Raises
For the muscles of the back of the lower leg.
Stand on a platform at least 4 inches high on right
leg and hold a dumbbell in right hand. Balance yourself
with the left hand. Keeping the right knee straight,
raise upward on the ball of the right foot as high as
possible then slowly lower the heel towards the floor.
Do not stretch down as far as possible. Repeat on other
side. Suggested initial load: 1/8 of body weight. |
| Side
Leg Raises
For the hip and thigh muscles.
Standing with your side to the pulley at a pulley station
and holding it with one hand, hook the ankle of the
outside leg to the pulley. With the knee slightly bent,
move your leg to the side, as far as possible, and then
return to the starting position. After completing a
set, hook the ankle of the inside leg to the pulley.
With the knee straight, move your leg in front of the
other as far to the side as possible and complete a
set. Turn around and repeat the exercises with the opposite
legs. Suggested initial load: 1/4 of body weight. |
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Bench
Steps
For the leg muscles.
Step up onto a bench 8 12” high, bringing up both
feet and then down again, one at a time, for 30 seconds
(“up up down down”). Increase the time for
each lead foot by 10 seconds per week, up to a maximum
of 60 seconds of stepping up and down with each lead foot.ackpack.
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Bench
Press
For
the muscles in the shoulder, chest and arms.
Lie on your back on a bench with your feet on the bench.
Hold the bar above the chest with an overhand grip,
hands slightly wider than shoulder width, and elbows
straight. Lower the bar to approximately 1 inch above
the chest and then return it to the starting position.
Suggested initial load: 1/3 of body weight.
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Lateral
Pull-downs
For the muscles of the upper and mid-back.
Grip the bar with palms forward hands slightly wider than
shoulder-width apart. Start from a sitting position or
kneeling position on the floor with arms stretched overhead.
Lean torso back slightly. Pull the bar towards the chest.
It is not necessary to touch the chest. Return to the
starting position. Suggested initial load: 1/3 of body
weight. |
Bent
Over Row
For the muscles of the upper and mid-back.
Stand next to bench with right hand and right knee on
top of bench. Maintain flat back position. Grasp dumbbell
in left hand. Pull left elbow towards ceiling brushing
left forearm by ribcage. Slowly return to starting position.
Repeat on the other side. Suggested initial load: 1/3
of body weight. |
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Lateral
Raise
For shoulders.
Stand erect with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly
bent. Hold dumbbells slightly forward of thighs. Maintain
a slight bend in the elbow as you raise the arms to shoulder
level. Hands should remain in peripheral vision. Slowly
return to starting position. Suggested initial load: 1/20
of body weight. |
Overhead
Press
For
the muscles of the shoulders.
Sit or stand erect with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold
dumbbells with palms facing ears, hands positioned directly
over the elbows. Push the dumbbells straight up to an
overhead position until the arms are straight and then
lower it in a controlled manner to the starting position.
Do not arch your back. Suggested initial load: 1/4 of
body weight |
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Arm
Curls
For the muscles that bend the elbow.
Standing with the elbows straight and in front of the
thighs, hold the bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder
width apart. Keeping the elbows close to your sides, bend
your elbows and raise the bar to your chest, then slowly
lower the bar to the starting position. Do not lean backward
while raising the bar or forward when lowering it. Suggested
initial load: 1/4 of body weight. |
Triceps
Push-down
For the muscles that extend the elbow.
Attach bar to the top pulley at pulley station. Stand
with feet shoulder-width apart one foot forward of the
other and knees slightly bent. Grasp bar with palms forward
and shoulder-width apart. Pull bar down so that the elbows
are next to but not touching ribcage. Straighten your
elbows pressing the bar down towards thighs and then return
to the starting position. Suggested initial load: 1/3
of body weight. |
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Wrist Curls
For the muscles that bend the wrist.
Standing with the elbows straight and in front of the
thighs, hold the bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder
width apart. Keeping the elbows close to your sides, curl
your wrists to move the bar up, then slowly lower the
bar to the starting position. Suggested initial load:
1/4 of body weight. |
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Reverse
Wrist Curls
For the muscles that extend the wrist.
Standing with the elbows straight and in front of the
thighs, hold the bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder
width apart. Keeping the elbows close to your sides, extend
your wrists to lift the bar up, then slowly lower the
bar to the starting position. Suggested initial load:
1/4 of body weight. |
Trunk Lifts
For the muscles in the back, buttocks and back of the
legs.
Lie on your abdomen, with the trunk unsupported over the
edge of the trunk lift station support, and bent. With
the hands locked behind your head, slowly lift your trunk
and head so that your back is parallel to the ground and
then return to the starting position. Suggested initial
load: 5 lifts. Increase the number of lifts by at least
1 per week, up to a maximum of 15. |
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Opposite
Arm and Leg Lifts
For the muscles of back, buttocks and the back of the
legs. Lie face down on the floor with forehead resting
on a towel. Arms are stretched overhead with hands shoulder-width
apart. Raise the left arm and the right leg approximately
4-8 inches from the floor. Lower to starting position.
Repeat on other side. Increase by at least 1 per week,
up to a maximum of 15 raises per side. |
Curl-ups
For the abdominal region.
Lie face up on the floor with legs bent and heels approximately
8 - 12 inches from buttocks. Using abdominal muscles,
tilt hips towards ribcage as you raise head and shoulders
off of floor pressing lower back towards floor. Eyes stay
focused over knees. Hands and arms may be supporting head,
crossed over chest, sliding up legs or resting on floor.
Increase by at least 2 per week. |
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