WGBJ 2 - Workout 33

Workout 33: Chest & Abs

Caution: In order to protect yourself, it is best to have a spotter help you.

Start by lying back on a flat bench. Use an overhand grip that is wider than your shoulder-width to lift the bar from the rack. Hold it directly above you with your arms fully extended.
Inhale and begin lowering the bar toward your chest until your elbow creates a 90° angle.
After a brief pause, push the bar back to the starting position as you exhale. Focus on using your chest muscles to push up the bar.
Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position at the top of the motion. Hold for a second and then slowly begin lowering the bar.

Caution: In order to protect yourself, it is best to have a spotter help you.

Start by securing your legs under the brace at the bottom of the decline bench and lie down.
Using an overhand medium-width grip, lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over your chest with your arms full extended. Your arms should be perpendicular to the ground.
As you inhale, lower the bar toward your chest until your elbows reach a 90° angle.
Pause for a second, then use your chest muscles to push the bar back up to the starting position as you exhale. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in at the contracted position. Hold for a second and then start to lower the bar down slowly.

Lie back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand atop your thighs. The palms of your hands will be facing each other.
Then, using your thighs to help push the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them at shoulder-width.
Once you have the dumbbells raised to shoulder-width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
Be sure to keep full control of the dumbbells at all times. Then, breathe out and push the dumbbells up with your chest.
Lock your arms at the top, hold for a second, and then start slowly lowering the weight. Note: Ideally, lowering the weights should take about twice as long as raising them.
Repeat the movement for the prescribed number of repetitions.
When you are done, place the dumbbells back on your thighs and then on the floor. This is the safest manner to release the dumbbells.

Start off laying flat down on an incline bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand next to your thighs with palms facing up.
Take the dumbbells and create a semi-circle by rotating them up over your head with the motion staying parallel.
Return back to the starting position.
Repeat this exercise for as many repetitions as needed.

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.

Caution: Do not choose a weight that is too heavy. This can result in straining your lower back.

Find a cable station and attach a rope handle to the top pulley. Grasp the rope attachment at each end, and kneel down so your knees are bent at a 90° angle.
Your arms should be stretched over your head. Your palms should be facing each other when holding the rope and your hands should be placed next to your face.
Slightly flex your hips forward. There should be tension on the cable, and you should feel a stretch in your abs.
Keep your hips stationary, contract your abs, and crunch your chest towards your hips until your head is between your knees. Your elbows should be approaching the middle of your thighs. After reaching this point, hold the contraction for a second.
Slowly reverse back to the starting position. Keep as much tension in your abs during this whole movement.

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.

Get in a tabletop position with your hands directly beneath your shoulders. Hold your body up off the floor in this position. Hold a light dumbbell in your right hand.
From this position, extend your right arm out in front of you and extend your left leg straight out behind you.
Next, crunch your abs by bringing your right elbow to meet your left knee in the middle of your body.
Extend them again and repeat.
Make sure to finish one side before switching hands and doing the other side.