56 oxygenmag.com
SYMMETRY
(DIS)SIMILARITIES
While we’re on the subject of upper
vs. lower body — ever wonder why
men wear those baggy sweatpants
to the gym? It’s not because they’re
cold — it’s because their legs suck.
Men are notorious for training their
arms, shoulders and abs — their
mirror muscles — while women
are obsessed with training legs and
glutes. It’s only natural that you
want to play to the strengths you
already have and kill it in the squat
rack, and there is nothing wrong
with that. But if your goal is to bal-
ance your physique aesthetically
and make your lower body appear
smaller without actually shrinking
it, then think like a man and hone
in on your upper half. From a body-
sculpting standpoint, having wider
lats and shoulders makes your waist
look smaller and gives you an hour-
glass silhouette rather than that of a
yardstick.BE MORE BALANCED:
BAND LAT PULLDOWN
Secure a resistance band over a
high bar and grasp the handles
with your palms facing forward.
Assume a kneeling split stance —
one knee on the ground, the other
bent 90 degrees in front of you
— underneath the bar. Draw your
shoulder blades together, then
drive your elbows down to pull
the handles, then squeeze at the
bottom. Slowly return to the start
and repeat.TOPHEAVY MASS
BUILDER: BURPEE
PULLUP
Stand underneath a
pull-up bar, then crouch,
place your hands on the
ground and jump your
feet back into plank. Do
a push-up, then hop your
feet back underneath
you and explode upward
to grab the bar. Use that
upward momentum to
help you do a full pull-up,
then lower slowly back
down. Drop off the bar
and go right into the next
burpee.YOUR CENTER OF M(ASS)
Men carry proportionally more mass — both fat and muscle
— in their upper bodies, while we women tend to be more
bottom-heavy. This means our center of mass is lower, which is
not necessarily a bad thing: We are more stable and controllable
because our relative weight is closer to the ground, meaning we
are rock stars at things like yoga and pistol squats. But upper-
body moves like pull-ups and muscle-ups are more of a challenge
because our ratio of upper-body muscle to total-body mass is less
as compared to men.
Take advantage of your lower center of mass and imple-
ment exercises such as skater jumps and agility drills to further
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and burn mega-calories. And while pull-ups and push-ups may
be warm-up moves for men, you can use them for developing
strength and muscle mass. Can’t quite get your chin above the
bar? Use those super-strong legs to jump up to grab it, then take
advantage of the muscle-building negative on the way down.
Model: Lindsey Renee / Hair & Makeup: Nancy J / WardrobeStyling: Julia Perry / Clothing: Better Bodies / Shoes: Nike