3 Pullups
Strategy According to Sal Marinello, C.S.C.S., a personal trainer in Millburn, New Jersey, it's important to approach pullups in baby steps: Start with step 1, do each exercise twice a week until you master it, and then move on to the next.
Step 1: Flexed-arm hang
Stand on a bench under a pullup bar. Grab the bar with an overhand grip and position yourself so your chin is right above the bar (A). Bend your knees and take your feet off the bench and hold for as long as you can (B), then come down and rest for 60 to 90 seconds. Repeat 3 times. When you've mastered 3 25-second holds, move to step 2.
Step 2: Negative pullups
From the flexed-arm hang position, lower yourself down as slowly as you can until your arms are fully extended. Place your feet back on the bench and let go of the bar. That's 1 rep. When you can do 3 sets of 3 super-slow (around 20-second) reps, you're ready to take on step 3.
Step 3: Mini pullups
Starting from the flexed-arm hang position, lower your chin to about 2 inches below the bar, then pull yourself back up. Lower yourself about an inch more with each rep until you can fully extend your arms and pull all the way back up. Aim for 3 sets of 2 reps each.
Step 4: Pullup
From a dead hang, have a friend slightly boost your legs as you start the pullup. Do one rep at a time with a minute of rest between pullups until you hit 3. When that becomes too easy, ditch the helpful boost and lose the rest between pullups. Keep challenging your now buff arms by adding reps as you're able.
Do a Yoga Headstand Without the Help of a Wall
Strategy Even if you have the core strength to master this move, you may have a mental wall to break through. "Looking at the world upside down can kick in your brain's fight-or-flight response," says Desi Bartlett, a yoga instructor in Los Angeles and the host of the DVD Yoga for Beginners. Spend the week before your next class practicing a preliminary headstand pose, like Tripod (a stable inversion in which you rest your head on the mat, with your hands in front of your face, elbows bent 90 degrees, knees on triceps) to help you get used to the sensation of blood rushing to your head. Once you can stay steady there for at least a minute, it's time to go for the 'stand. Use these pointers to stay up:
1 Weave your fingers into a basket, making sure both pinkies completely touch the floor.
2 Lift each leg on an exhalation, so you're inhaling during the first few moments of balancing. "This immediately brings oxygen-rich blood to the brain, and that helps you stay calm," Bartlett says. Remember to keep your breathing slow and steady during the entire exercise.
3 Find something directly in front of you to focus on (don't look up or down) and gaze at it to center yourself and keep your balance. Press your shoulder blades into your back and your forearms into the floor as you lift your tailbone toward your flexed feet.
Do 15 "real" Pushups
Strategy It's a big jump from "girl" pushups, where your knees touch the floor, to military-style presses, but there's one simple tool that can help you bridge the gap: a staircase. "Angled pushups are easier than those on a flat surface, and they build more strength in your shoulders, chest, arms, and core than pushups on your knees do," says Mark Nutting, C.S.C.S., fitness director at Saco Sport and Fitness in Saco, Maine. Starting with step 1, practice each step four times a week until you can do 15 pushups without rest, and then move on to the next step.
Step 1 Stand facing a staircase with both feet flat on the floor a few inches in front of the bottom step. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the front edge of a step so your body is at roughly a 45-degree angle to the floor. Keeping your abs tight and your body straight, lower yourself slowly, then push back up. Do 1 set of 15 (stop to rest for 30 to 60 seconds at any time if you need to).
Step 2 Position your feet about 6 inches away from the stairs and place your hands one step lower. Again, aim for 15 pushups, and take 30- to 60second breaks as you need them.
Step 3 Repeat the move, but this time back your feet a few more inches away from the stairs and lower your hands another step. Repeat until you run out of stairs and can do 15 on the floor.
Touch Your Toes Without Your Knees Buckling
Strategy You should be able to reach your piggies after running through these four stretches once or twice. The secret: "unlocking the fascia, the muscular connective tissue that runs from the back of your head to your heels," says Bill Hartman, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training. Use these four moves every morning to increase your flexibility.
Cat-Camel
Stretches: Back
On all fours, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under hips, slowly round your back (A). Then push it toward the floor to create an arch (B). That's 1 rep; do 10.
Heel Lift
Stretches: Hips
Stand with your heels on a 2-inch book or 25-pound weight plate and your toes on the floor. Bend forward at the hips and reach for your toes, then stand back up. That's 1 rep; do 10.
Toe Lift
Stretches: Calves
Now position your toes on that book or weight plate and your heels on the floor. Bend forward at the hips and reach for your toes, then stand up. Do 10 reps.
Ball Roll
Stretches: Feet and toes
Standing on one foot, roll a tennis ball under the other foot from toe to heel for 60 seconds. Repeat with the other foot.
