Frog Sit-Ups
Frog sit-ups (also known as butterfly crunches) strengthen your abdominal muscles, as well as your heart and lungs.
How to do them: Lie flat on your back with your shoulder blades on the floor, and drop your knees to each side in a frog position, which will stretch your groin muscles. Bring your shoulder blades up until they are six inches from the floor, then lower yourself back down.
Modifications: To make these sit-ups more challenging, do them while stretching your arms in front of you with small weights in each hand. In addition, you can pick up the pace of your sit-ups or do them on an incline so your shoulders are lower than your hips. If you want to make your sit-ups easier, pull your knees together, which will help you pull yourself up using your hip flexors.
Push-Ups
Push-ups are an excellent way to strengthen your upper body and your core, as well as increase your metabolism and bone mass.
How to do them: Get into a plank position (shown above), making sure your lower back and shoulders are straight and not slumping. With your hands shoulder-width apart, lower your body straight down and either touch the ground briefly with your chest or go down to about an inch from the floor. Then push your body straight up.
Modifications: To make push-ups easier, you can do them on your knees instead of keeping your legs straight, or put one knee down and stretch the other leg straight behind you. If you want to make your push-ups more challenging, alternate kicking each leg back as you push your body upward.
MO
— Kenya McCullum is a freelance writer based in California. She compiled data for Military Officer’s 2012 State Report Card.
Body-Weight Exercise Resources
Want to learn more about body-weight exercise? These resources offer ideas and tips.
■ You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises (Ballantine Books, 2011) by Mark Lauren. Certified military physical training specialist Lauren outlines a body-weight exercise training program, as well as a nutrition guide and mental techniques designed to keep you motivated.
■ Hyper Fitness: 12 Weeks to Conquering Your Inner Everest and Getting Into the Best Shape of Your Life (Avery, 2007) by Sean Burch. In this book, trainer Burch offers instruction on a number of body-weight exercises to help you stay physically and mentally fit.
■ 8 Weeks to SEALFIT (U.S. Tactical Inc., 2011) by Mark Divine. This guide by a former SEAL includes body-weight exercises that will increase your strength, stamina, and endurance.
JANUARY 2014 MILITARY OFFICER 67
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