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Family Life: Ultimate Workout

Posted on: Wednesday, 26 October 2005, 21:00 CDT

MARTIN O'Grady is senior fitness instructor at Birmingham Alexander Stadium Power Point Gym. His top tips to a perfect workout are Always have a proper warm up - mobilise joints by swinging arms for twothree minutes, raise the pulse rate with light cardiovascular work for fiveten minutes and spent up to ten minutes on a pre- workout stretch.

n Make sure you have full range of movement on each exercise.

n Exercise slowly, take twothree seconds on each repetition and a break of four-six seconds between each one Keep joints soft, do not lock them out.

n Ensure a neutral spine. n Breathe normally and do not hold your breath.

n Ensure there is enough resistance to work you but not exhaust you. The last couple of repetitions should push you.

n When using weights, try to ensure you have a spotter - someone to watch over you. n If you have any health worries, or are aged over 40 and have done no training in the last six months, make sure you speak to your doctor before beginning any new exercise regime.

n Always cool down - spend five minutes in low intensity cardiovascular work and stretching

For details of fitness activities at the Alexander Stadium contact 0121 464 8008

Bulging biceps

STEP 1... Place arms down at full extension and grip the barbell

STEP 2... Slowly bend the elbows and lift

STEP 3... Bring up to below the chin then return to full extension

BUILD bigger biceps with barbell curls. If you cannot get to a gym, this exercise can be done at home with two tins of beans. Make sure you isolate the exercise to the biceps and keep upper arms tight to your side. Do two to four sets of 15-25 repetitions

Source: Evening Mail; Birmingham (UK)

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