pulling your belly button up and in toward your spine. Imagine that
you’re wearing a pair of underwear that’s one size too small; when you
pull your abs in, it’s like tightening the underwear another two sizes
down. This position helps hold your torso still while you exercise, pro-
tecting your lower back from injury and ensuring that you’re actually
using the muscle you’re intending to work.
“Stand up tall.”You don’t need to stand like a guard at Buckingham
Palace, but do lift your chest and keep your head centered between your
shoulders. No slumping allowed!“Tilt your chin toward your chest.”Tilt your chin just enough to fit
your closed fist between your chest and chin. This position lines up the
vertebrae of your neck with the rest of your spine. If you tilt your chin
back or drop it toward your chest like you’re sulking, you put excess
pressure on your neck.Lifting weights the right way ...........................................................
The way some people lift weights, you’d think they were in labor or imper-
sonating a mountain gorilla. Grunting, screaming, and rocking back and forth
are not indications of proper weight-lifting technique. We’ve seen people
invent some pretty outrageous exercises. One guy bent over, picked up a
very heavy dumbbell, lifted it straight over his head so that he almost fell
backward, and then threw it to the ground so hard that it bounced and broke
a mirror. He seemed quite pleased with himself.
Whether you’re performing the exercises that we feature in this chapter — or
any other exercise you try — the following rules always apply:
Always warm up. Before you lift a weight, do at least five minutes of aer-
obic exercise to get your muscles warm and pliable. If you’re going to do
arm exercises and there aren’t any upper-body aerobic machines around
(such as a VersaClimber, rower, or cross-country skier), you can even do
a few minutes of arm circles.Good form is always more important than lifting a lot of weight. Don’t
arch your back, strain your neck, or rock your body to generate momen-
tum. Not only can these maneuvers cause injury, but they also make the
exercises less effective.
Increase your weight by the smallest possible increment. Jumping
from a 5-pound weight to a 10-pounder doesn’t sound like a big leap, but
think about it: You’re doubling the load on that muscle. If you’re using a
5-pound weight, move up to a 6-, 7-, or 8-pounder. If your health club or
home gym doesn’t have interim weights, buy a pair of PlateMates —
nifty magnets that you stick on each end of a dumbbell or barbell. (See
Chapter 25 for details.)Chapter 14: Designing a Strength-Training Program 215