February Special: Four Celebrity-Worthy Exercises from a Fitness Trainer

February 1, 2012 By: PeopleStyle Fashion Team 2334 Views

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Personal trainer Ryan Lee has worked with Hong Kong celebrities like Kay Tse, Jordan Chan and Roy Cheung, getting them in shape for concerts and shows. Most recently, he’s created Muscle Mind, a program that trains specific muscles, making working out easier. We asked him to share a few at-home exercises he’s given to his celebrity clientele.

Exercise Ball Ab Crunches

  • Crunches on the ball work the abdominal area but also give you a harder workout because you need to involve the whole body for balancing on top of the ball. Lie flat on the exercise ball and position it on your lower back. Ensure your thighs are parallel to the floor.
  • Lift your arms above your head and lift your torso off the ball. Your neck will easily tense up when doing this, so try to relax it as much as possible.
  • Don’t force your torso up. As your core abdominal muscles get stronger, you should be able to lift yourself easily. You know your muscles are working when you feel them trembling slightly.
  • Routine: 15 repetitions in one set. Repeat three sets with a 30-60 second break in between.

Lateral Raises

  • The lateral raise works the middle deltoid, which directly helps to relieve tension in the neck. Stand firmly on your two feet with dumbbells in hand.
  • Slowly lift your arm ups until they are parallel to the floor. Make sure your arms are not locked at the elbows.
  • Don’t lift or bend the wrist just because the dumbbell feels heavy. When this exercise is correctly done, you should feel your muscles working to maintain your arms raised.
  • Routine: 12 repetitions in one set. Repeated three sets with a 30-60 second break in between.

Triceps Kickback

  • With the dumbbell in your right hand, stand with the left foot forward and the right foot back about three feet apart. Bend your left leg slightly and rest your left arm on the thigh.
  • Lift the dumbbell to your hip. Your hand should move up in a straight line and your arm should bend at the elbow.
  • Extend your arm back until it is completely straight, squeezing the tricep muscles.
  • Don’t lift the dumbbell higher than your hip and don’t or rest your arm on the front knee.
  • Routine: 12-15 repetitions in one set. Repeated three sets with a 30-60 second break in between. Switch hands and repeat with your right foot forward.

Dumbbell Lunge

  • The dumbbell lunge works the thigh muscles. This exercise can easily be done without dumbbells but they help to add weight to your torso and a heavy torso means your thigh muscles work harder. Stand firmly on your two feet, dumbbells in hand.
  • Lunge forward with your left foot. Your feet should be far apart enough that they can both comfortably form right angles.
  • Bend the knees and lower your body straight down. Make sure your legs have formed right angles: on your left leg, the knee should be directly above your ankle. On your right leg, press down with your toes and lower your knee as close to the floor as possible.
  • Don’t leave a narrow gap between your legs. Your front knee should always be directly above your ankles. Having your knee further forward than your ankle puts pressure on the knee, easily causing an injury.
  • Routine: 12-15 repetitions in one set. Repeated three sets with a 30-60 second break in between. Repeat with the right foot forward.

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