Seven Forms of Torture I Highly Recommend

A friend asked me this morning what exercises I recommend as "must do" for a beginner. My mind was blank at that moment (it was early), but later I remembered a great article on Sparkpeople.com that covered a lot of the exercises my trainer forces me to do on a regular basis. There are seven exercises listed and we do five of them. I loathe every single one of them (along with planks!) It's partially for that reason that I recommend every single one. They're tough, but they make me stronger. (I have to keep reminding myself of that while I'm doing them.)

Here are the exercises listed (the Sparkpeople article has a neat little demo of each one):

7 Exercises to Work Your Whole Body The Ready-to-Order Workout -- By Zach Van Hart, Staff Writer
Ever gone through a workout and afterwards said, "That was great, except I forgot to work my triceps," or "I should have done a set of leg lifts," etc.? Here’s a workout that will have you thinking, "Why haven't I done this routine before?" The following 7-exercise workout will take care of every major muscle area.

1. Hamstring Flexion with Ball The hamstring flexion is a great exercise to strengthen your hamstrings and calves, and improve your stability in your core. To start, lie on your back and place the Swiss ball underneath your feet with your arms to your side. Raise your hips off the ground until your body is a straight line on an incline. Then, roll the ball towards you with the
bottoms of your feet, which will cause your knees to shoot up. Roll the ball as far underneath as you can, then roll it back out and repeat. It’s important to do all the work with your legs and not to cheat by using your arms. Do two sets of 10-12 reps. (Cammy notes: We did this one tonight, but I had to do 2 sets of 20!)

2. Wall Squat with BallThis exercise is an awesome workout for your quads and can also help with posture. To start, place the Swiss ball against a wall and lean against it with your back. Stand straight up with your legs shoulder-width apart and bent slightly at your knees. Then, lower straight down until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Stand up and repeat for
10-15 reps. (Cammy notes: I haven't done the 'reps' version of this one in a while. The trainers usually make me squat and hold it for some ungodly length of time, like a minute. They also like to make me do something with my hands like lifting weights, or sometimes just holding them. One thing I've learned from this exercise (and the trainer) is that whenever I do them, I feel better the next day if I do a little bit of easy walking on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes when we're finished with the workout.)

3. SwimmingThis is a great workout for your lower back, one of the more neglected parts of the body. It requires no equipment so you can do it anywhere. Start by lying face down on the ground, with your hands and legs extended so you make a skinny X. Simultaneously lift your opposite arm and leg (right arm-left leg, left arm-right leg) 6-12 inches off the ground. Lower and
lift the other arm-leg combination to the same height. Do two sets of 20-30 total reps, 10-15 of each combination. (Cammy notes: I actually like this one. Well, okay, maybe that's going too far. I'll put it this way: I don't hate it.)

4. Crunches with Swiss ball By exercising with the Swiss ball, your typical crunch has a little kick added to it. Start by sitting on the Swiss ball just a little forward from the top, with your feet in front of you on the ground and your knees at a 90-degree angle. Then, lie back until your back
covers the ball. Place your hands to either the side of your head or across your chest, but not behind your head. Come up until your body is at a 45-degree angle with the ball. Release back down and repeat, 10-15 reps. (Cammy notes: This is definitely an easier way to do crunches!)

5. Reverse Flys with Swiss Ball and DumbbellsThis is a great workout for the shoulders and upper back, areas that can be neglected. To start, sit on the top of a Swiss ball, holding the dumbbells to your side and your palms inward. Have your feet on the ground, your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and lean over until your chest is close to your legs. Keeping your arms straight, raise your hands up until they are perpendicular to the ground and even with your shoulders. Bring them back down and repeat 10-12 times for two sets. (Cammy notes: We don't do this one, but I might have to suggest it.)

6. Dumbbell Lateral RaisesThis exercise will work both your shoulders and arms, and dumbbells are required. Start by standing with your legs shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Then, raise your arms until they are even with your shoulders and perpendicular to the ground. Keep your elbows as straight as possible. Do two sets of 10-12 reps. (Cammy notes: Another one I don't hate--it depends on the number of reps. I don't think I get to do 12 of anything anymore.)

7. Pushup with Swiss ballThis is the classic chest exercise, with a little bit of a twist. Start in the typical push-up position, facing the ground while your hands keep you off the ground, but place the Swiss ball under your knees. Then push up until your arms are straight, lower, and repeat. Do two sets, 10-15 reps. (Cammy notes: Another one I haven't done, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to.)

Those are the seven forms of torture covered in the article. I would add an eighth one: planks. We did a couple sets of those tonight. I never did link together more than one thirty-second hold in each set, but I did try!

I'm sure none of these exercises is pretty when I do them, but they're all effective and at the end of it all, I feel good--really good--for having done them.

Even when I haven't done them particularly well.