Exercise One: The Eagle
Starting position: Sit comfortably on a chair or stool, with feet flat on the floor, shoulder width apart, your thighs and shins creating a 90-degree angle. Keep your back straight and let your arms fall next to your hips. Make sure not to round your shoulders.
Target muscles: Core (28 muscles in your torso, including abs and lower back), posterior deltoids and trapezius (shoulder area), rhomboids (upper back), calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, and gluteus maximus (butt).
The Eagle: Weeks 1–3
From starting position, stand, rising up on your toes while simultaneously raising your arms to the side at shoulder height but no higher. Hold the pose for two seconds, then return to a flat-footed stance as you lower arms to your sides; sit back down. Do four sets of 25 reps, resting 30 seconds between each set.
The Eagle: Weeks 4–6
As before, stand while raising your arms to the side and simultaneously lifting your right knee so that your toes are about one foot off the ground in front of you; foot is relaxed. Lower the leg immediately while lowering your arms. Sit back down. Do one set of 30 reps, alternating legs. Then do two more sets of 20 reps holding a three- or five-pound weight in each hand. Rest 25 seconds between sets.
The Eagle: Weeks 7–9
Again, stand while raising your arms to the side and simultaneously bending, lifting, and slightly rotating one leg out to the side. (Do not raise leg above waist level.) Bring leg back down as you lower your arms. Return to sitting position. Do three sets in all. First set: 30 reps, alternating legs; second and third sets: 20 reps holding a three-or five-pound weight in each hand. Rest 20 seconds between sets.
The Eagle: Weeks 10–12
Instead of starting seated, lunge with right leg crossed behind left, arms down at your sides. Lift the back knee forward and to the side as in previous exercise, while raising arms to shoulder level. Bring leg and arms back down. Do four sets. First set: 25 reps on each leg (cross left leg behind right for other side); second set: 20 reps holding the weights; third and fourth sets: 15 reps holding weights. Rest 15 seconds between sets.
