Get the body: Halle Berry's sexy shoulders and back
From her coveted Academy Award for best actress to her enviable bikini body, Halle Berry seems to have it all. On August 14, Berry turns 46, so what better way to celebrate than to hit the gym, Bond-girl style, with a few fitness tips from her trainer Hally Pasternak.
The actress is reportedly no stranger to rowing exercises to get those sleek shoulders and back muscles (a perfect match for strapless dresses and tank tops). Here are four dumbbell exercises that can help get your body up to speed, as per fitness blog FitSugar on Monday. How much weight to use? It depends, but aim for enough weight that it exhausts your muscles by the 12th repetition.
Bent over dumbbell back row
The purpose: trains the rhomboids, the muscles in your upper back that connect your shoulder blades to your spine, giving you a sleek back and better posture.
1. Position your right knee and right hand on a bench so your back is parallel to the floor. Your left leg should be on the ground, and let your left hand hang straight down -- perpendicular to your body -- holding the dumbbell.
2. Using your left arm, lift the dumbbell straight up to torso level. Be sure to keep your elbow in and pointed upward.
3. Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position to complete one rep. Do three sets of 12 reps on each side.
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP_fqQ6yEQ8
Elbow plank
The purpose: a strong core and tone chest, shoulders, and biceps.
1. Lie face down on the floor resting on your forearms and knees.
2. Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.
3. Tighten your abs and concentrate on keeping your body as straight as a board -- back flat, not drooped, and your rear shouldn't be sticking up into the air.
4. Hold as long as you can. Aim for 20-30 seconds in the beginning, and repeat three times.
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkmgmbDhzC8
Hammer curls to overhead press
The purpose: tones your biceps and shoulders.
1. Stand with your feet hip width apart, a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Inhale as you bend your elbows, raising your hands toward your chest with your palms still facing in.
3. As you exhale, straighten your arms up over your head.
4. Inhale to lower your elbows back down toward your ribs.
5. Then exhale, straightening your arms back down toward your legs. Repeat for a total of 12-15 times. Do two sets.
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPvxV4dBHIA
Tricep dips
The purpose: to train the triceps, the muscles that run on the backside of your upper arm from your shoulder to your elbow.
1. Position your hands shoulder-width apart on a secured bench or stable chair.
2. Move your buttocks in front of the bench with your legs bent and feet placed about hip width apart on the floor.
3. Straighten out your arms and keep a little bend in your elbows in order to always keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints.
4. Bend at your elbows and lower your upper body down toward the floor until your arms are at about a 90 degree angle. Be sure to keep your back close to the bench.
5. Once you reach the bottom of the movement, slowly press off with your hands, and push yourself straight back up to the starting position. Repeat for a total of 12-15 times; perform two sets.
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0326dy_-CzM
