Men\'s Health Australia - 11.2018

THE LAPTOP

MARTYR

Hours bent over your

desk will leave you with

bad posture and a weak

core. You won’t see your

abs until you iron out

the kinks, says PT

David Birtwistle

THE DIAGNOSIS

Exaggerated

Kyphosis

BY WHICH WE MEAN

Your shoulders

are hunched

THE DIAGNOSIS

Scapular

Protraction

BY WHICH WE MEAN

Your pecs are

in knots

THE DIAGNOSIS

Hyperlordosis

BY WHICH WE MEAN

Tight hips and

weak abs

FIX IT Boost your mobility to

help your abs pop. Lie with

your knees bent, a foam

roller across your shoulders

beneath you and a bar

held behind your head.

As you push with your

legs, push the roller

down your back and up again.

FIX IT Releasing your tight pecs

will improve your posture,

giving you a flatter stomach.

Align the roller with your spine.

Lower your hips to stretch your

abs. Grab two light dumbbells

behind your head for 30

seconds, then arc them around

to your hips and hold again.

FIX IT Use this to stretch out your abs

and hips, shortened by hours at your

desk. In a lunge position, with one knee

on the floor, tilt your pelvis under and

slowly push your hips forward,

squeezing your glutes and lifting your

arms overhead. Do five slow pulses,

breathing out as you push forward.

THEWEEKDAY

AUTOBRO

Hitting the gym five times a

week is of limited use if

you’re just going through

the motions. Mix things up

for noticeable definition

YOUR COR

FINISHER

M o s t o f u s h a v e a d e f a u l t

workout. A run, a stretch, a few

minutes on the bench...

But if you keep doing the same

old thing, you’ll go on seeing the

same old results. PT Courtney

Fearon, AKA “The HIITman”, has

drafted a one-week regimen

that’s certain to shock your

muscles. Run through your usual

moves if you want to, but end

each session with one of these

20-minute core-sculptors and

you can’t go wrong.

On these days,

perform a circuit

of tough, targeted

moves such as leg

raises, oblique

twists, abs wheel

rollouts and

mountain climbers.

Push through

intensive intervals

with short work

periods and long

rests to shed extra

fat. Use a treadmill,

AirDyne bike or

SkiErg machine.

Strengthen your

deep core on

these days with

a combination of

plank variations,

weighted dead

bugs, bird dogs

and pull-downs.

Monday

ABS

Tuesday

SPRINTS

Friday

SPRINTS

Sunday

REST

Wednesday

STABILITY

Saturday

STABILITY

Thursday

ABS

KEY

PHOTOGRAPHY: JASON LEE; VENUE COURTESY OF NORTHSHOREGYM.COM.AU; ILLUSTRATIONS: ALCONIC

68 menshealth.com.au