WGBJ 2 - Workout 26

Workout 26: Back & Abs

Grasp the pull bar with a grip wider than your shoulder-width.
Take a deep breath and depress the shoulder blades. Drive your elbows straight down to the floor to pull yourself up. Simultaneously, try to activate your lats.
Pull your chin towards the bar until your lats are fully contracted. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position and repeat. Try to do this motion slowly.

Attach a wide-grip handle to the lat pulldown machine. Adjust the knee pad of the machine to fit your height to prevent your lower body from moving while performing this movement.
For a regular lat pulldown, grasp the bar with an overhand grip with your arms at the end of the flat bar.

For a reverse-grip lat pulldown, use an underhand grip and your palms facing your body.

For a close grip, your hands should be positioned shoulder-width apart.

Extend both arms up above you while holding the bar. Keep your back upright, create a slight curvature in your lower back, and stick out your chest.
Keep your torso stationary and pull the bar down towards your body by drawing your shoulder blades and upper arms down and back. Squeeze your back muscles during this movement.
Slowly raise the bar in a controlled motion back to the starting position. Your arms should be fully extended and your lats fully stretched.

Attach a rope at your shoulder-level on the pulley of the pulldown machine. Grab the bar with an overhand grip with your palms facing downward, and make sure your grip is wider than your shoulder-width.
Take a couple steps back and make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart. Slightly hinge at the waist so that your torso is leaning forward. Keep your arms fully extended so that they’re parallel to the ground. Your arms can have a slight bend at the elbow.
Pull the rope down while keeping your arms straight. Continue pulling down until your hands are beside your thighs; you should feel a contraction in your lats.
Reverse this movement while keeping your arms fully straight.

Find a flat bench and place a dumbbell on each side. Start by placing your right knee on top of the bench.
Bend your torso forward from your waist. Your upper body should be parallel to the ground. Place your right hand on the bench with your palm facing down, above where your knee is positioned. Place your left foot on the ground beside the bench.
Use your left hand to pick up the dumbbell with an overhand grip (your palm should be facing your torso). Keep your arm fully extended and make sure to keep your lower back straight.
Keep your elbow close to your side while you pull the weight straight up towards your chest. As you pull the weight up, concentrate on squeezing your back muscles and shoulder blades (you should feel a contraction in your back muscles).
Slowly lower the weight straight down with control.
Alternate sides.

Load an appropriate weight onto the end of the T-bar.
Stand over the bar so that it’s in between your legs and your chest is resting on the pad. Keep your back flat and make sure you have a firm grip on each side of the V-grip handle.
Remove the bar from the rest. Keep your chest up, your hips back, and your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Lead the movement with your back, your arms should follow. The focus should not be on the angle of your arms, but on the contraction of your back.
After your back reaches its maximum contraction and your shoulder blades are retracted, slowly let the weight of the bar pull your shoulder blades down to stretch your back.
Let your arms follow naturally until the T-bar is returned to its starting position.

Start off standing with your side next to a high pulley cable machine with a grip attachment connected to the machine.
Grasp the handle with one of your hands, with your feet shoulder width apart and the other arm rested at your side.
Slowly pull down with the arm grasping the cable with your obliques until you feel a stretch in your abs.
Return back to the starting position and repeat. Only when you’re done with one side, move to the opposite side.
Repeat!

Lie down on the floor placing your feet either under something that will not move or by having a partner hold them. Your legs should be bent at the knees.
Elevate your upper body so that it creates an imaginary V-shape with your thighs. Your arms should be fully extended in front of you, perpendicular to your torso and with the hands clasped. This is the starting position.
Twist your torso to the right side until your arms are parallel with the floor while breathing out.
Hold the contraction for a second and exhale, moving back to the starting position. Now, move to the opposite side, performing the same techniques you applied to the right side.
Repeat for 10-20 reps per side.

Stand straight up with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding dumbbells.
Jump into a wide squat position and touch the floor (or close to the floor) with one arm extended towards the floor.
Jump your feet back together in a straight, standing position.
Jump immediately back into a wide squat position and touch the floor with opposite hand.
Keep alternating arms back and forth.

*Try to keep your chest lifted while you do this.

Position yourself face-down on the ground and place your hands shoulder width apart. Keeping your back as straight as possible, push your body off the ground, through your hands.
Inhale as you lower yourself downward, until your chest nearly touches the ground.
Exhale and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest, arms, and abdominal muscles.