Raw Food Explained: Life Science
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Article #5: Developing Your Arms
Are you a weakling? Can you do more than four or five pushups, even women’s (modified) pushups? For some people, doing five pushups is pushing it. They are ready to stop at four if not before. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with modified pushups, they are done from the knees instead of from the toes. Otherwise they are the same as regular pushups.)
The worst problem some people have when it comes to pushups is that they dislike or even despise doing them. But then it’s not unusual for a person to dislike what they’re not good at. You may want to develop your arms and upper torso without suffering, even if you’re not a swimmer and dislike doing pushups. Here is a solution to this problem for weaklings who don’t want to remain weaklings. Purchase a set of dumbbells, “a short bar with two identical spheres or with adjustable weighted disks attached to each end and used usually in pairs for calisthenic exercise”?Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary.
Start off with the lightest weights and do about five repetitions to start with. Then increase the number of repetitions in increments of five as you gain strength. You can do your weightlifting at the same time as other calisthenics, alternating between exercises for your legs, for your arms, and for your abdomen and sides so that the muscles in the various parts can rest somewhat between exercises. For example, you can lift both dumbbells from your sides, outward and meeting above your head, starting off with five repetitions and, in time, increasing to 10, then to 15 and to 20, etc. Then do 10 or 20 situps, preferably on a slantboard. So far you have exercised primarily your arms, then your abdomen.
Next lie down on your side and, with or without ankle weights strapped around your ankles, lift one leg 20 times (like scissors). Then stay in that position and lift it from your side up into the air and over your head several times. Do this same scissors exercise and dumbbell lift on your other side.
Continue exercising in this manner, and lift the dumbbells in various ways. While lying flat on your back, lift from your sides with your arms as far away from your body as possible to a meeting point over your chest. Also while lying on your back, lift from your sides with your arms beside your legs and then above your head.
These exercises are very effective, and your upper torso will develop as desired. You won’t be a weakling anymore, even though your pushup ability may not improve. It will become much easier to open heavy doors, and turning the steering wheel on a car without power steering will be noticeably easier, too.
If you wonder why you still can’t do pushups after using dumbbells awhile, ask yourself if you can lift 50-90 pounds of dumbbells. When you can do that, perhaps you can lift about half of your body weight with your arms more than half a dozen times?and enjoy it.
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Informal Exercise
- 3. Formal Exercise
- 4. Questions & Answers
- Article #1: Exercise: A Hygienic Perspective By Ralph C. Cinque, D.C.
- Article #2: Exercise: What Most Of Us Forget
- Article #3: Jogging And Other Vigorous Exercise
- Article #4: Hiking Is More Than Just Exercise By Marti Wheeler
- Article #5: Developing Your Arms
Raw Food Explained: Life Science
Today only $37 (discounted from $197)