Basic Isometric Program for Men: These 15 exercises are primarily intended for men, but if you ladies want to do one or all of them, go right ahead. You can do this whole series in one session, or you can do one at a time, or a few at a time, whenever you want to. It makes absolutely no difference when. Later on I am going to suggest many alternative exercises. You can substitute back and forth to suit your own schedule and inclinations. Some may overlap. It is impossible to give a separate exercise for each of the 600-plus muscles of the body. If you find yourself exercising one set of muscles more than once, don’t worry about it… you are simply getting a bonus. Perform each exercise for six seconds. Count slowly: One thousand and one, one thousand and two . . . . Do not hold your breath. Breathe normally. To avoid repetition, I will not repeat this six-second time limit for every exercise, but that’s the magic number for all of them. Give each exercise all you’ve got. Push or pull as hard as you can. Make a conscious mental effort to feel more and more muscle fibers coming into play. Isometrics will not injure a healthy muscle, though you may feel some stiffness or soreness at first. In case of a previous injury, or an abnormal weakness, check with your doctor before performing these exercises.
Head and Neck: Hold your head erect, firmly and proudly, and you’ll walk better, look better, feel better. Proper carriage begins with the muscles which hold your head up.
>1 Clasp hands behind neck, hold tight. Push your head back against this unyielding resistance as hard as you can. Breathe normally. Hold for six seconds.
>2 Place palms of hands against forehead, elbows pointing straight ahead. Hold tight. Push your head forward as hard as you can.
>3 Place palm of right hand above right ear. Push against it as hard as you can.
>4 Place palm of left hand above left ear. Push against it as hard as you can.
Shoulders: Strong shoulders are the mark of a man. Increased strength in the shoulders and upper arms will benefit you in a hundred ways, from picking up things, swinging a golf club, or throwing a ball, to just looking and feeling better.
>5 Stand in a doorway. Reach outward with both hands, palms against door-frame; imitate Samson . . . try to push the doorway apart. Hold for six seconds.
>6 Stand in doorway; raise arms and place palms against top of doorway. Elbows should be bent; if necessary, stand on something to adjust. Push up as hard as you can.
Chest: The heavy muscles of the chest play a mighty role in masculine physical activity, from merely breathing to wrestling. And a deep, full chest, along with broadened shoulders, tend to make the waist seem smaller by contrast.
>7 Stand about 18 inches out from a blank wall, facing it. Stretch your arms straight out to the sides. Put palms against the wall and, bracing with legs, push with both arms as though you are trying to bring your palms together.
Upper Arms: Your biceps, the muscle on top of your upper arm, is probably the best known muscle in the body. That’s the one kids mean when they say, "Hey, look at my muscles!" It’s also the one the youngsters feel to see how strong Daddy is.
>8 Sitting at your desk, or sitting or standing in front of any immovable object, place your hands under it, palms up, and try to lift it by bending your elbows. (You have already exercised the muscles on the back of your upper arms in the Samson-in-the-doorway exercise.)
Forearms: The strength of your fingers and wrists comes from the muscles of the forearm. A powerful grip, a firm handshake, strong wrists, all will result from good tone in these muscles.
>9 Standing sideways in the center of the doorway, reach your arms out in front of you chest high, palms in, so that they are on opposite sides of the door-jam. Spread and bend your fingers so that each hand is like a claw. Now, exerting pressure with fingers and wrists, try to bring your hands together.
Abdomen/ Waist: Many people fail to realize that the waist is itself a set of muscles. Strong abdominal muscles not only hold in a sagging waistline, but also hold the internal organs in place, the way they are supposed to be. The following exercise is just as beneficial as doing several sit-ups, but, as you will see, takes far less time.
>10 Lie on your back on the floor or bed, knees up. Hold a book behind your head. Attempt to sit up, pulling with all your strength against the force of gravity. If you are one of the fortunate few who can come all the way up, use a heavier book.
Lower Back: It’s easy to get carried away with the thought of bulging biceps or stomach muscles like a washboard, and forget the unseen but vital muscles of the back. Good strong back muscles, however, improve our posture, enable us to put in a good day’s work, sitting or standing, with less pain and strain.
>11 Use a bed, a heavy chair, or any heavy object a foot or so off the floor. Lying face down, with heels under the resistance, try to lift object, keeping legs straight and lifting from the hips.
Side and Hip: Now that you have given a good workout to front and back, here’s an exercise which will firm up the muscles of both the sides and the upper hip.
>12 Stand in doorway, with your left foot about 18 inches out from the left side of the doorway. Place your right hand over your head, with the palm against the side of the doorway on your left side. Brace yourself with your right leg and push as hard as you can with your right arm. You can feel it toning up those muscles.
>13 Reverse.
Legs, Thighs and Calves: When you get right down to it, the muscles of your legs are probably the most vital to any active man. After all, they hold us up! Increasing the strength of your leg muscles makes it that much easier for them to carry you around, and thus, in a sense, decreases your weight. Thus you get not only explosive power in running, but increased stamina as well.
>14 Stand in the doorway; reach up with arms straight so as to lock the upper part of your body. Your knees should be bent preferably at an angle midway between 90 degrees and straight. Now try to push the top of the doorway up through the roof. Make sure that you are using your legs, trying to rise on your toes and bend your knees.
>15 Stand sideways in the doorway with your back against one side. Raise your right heel a few inches off the floor so that the knee is bent, and push back and up against the door jamb. Repeat with other leg . . . . ENJOY!
