DUBAI: Nora Hameidani, founder of Dubai’s Barre Effect fitness studio, shows you how to build and maintain strength in or out of the gym. Try these simple yet effective barre moves to help you build lean muscle in the comfort of your own home.
Pushups
Start with hands slightly wider than shoulders, fingers pointing forward. (Shutterstock)
Targets: Arms/chest/shoulders
Start with 10 reps, build up to 3 sets of 10
Start with hands slightly wider than shoulders, fingers pointing forward. Place knees slightly behind your hips, tuck hips under. Bend your elbows wide and slightly downwards, hips lower with chest, keeping abdominals engaged, then press arms to straight. For a challenge, legs can lengthen.
Tricep Dips
Bend and straighten your elbows, lifting and lowering your hips, keeping your elbows pointing backwards and your chest proud. (Shutterstock)
Targets: Triceps/shoulders
Start with 15 reps, build up to 3 sets of 15
While sitting tall with your legs bent in front, place hands under shoulders, with fingers pointing towards your hips. Bend and straighten your elbows, lifting and lowering your hips, keeping your elbows pointing backwards and your chest proud.
Forearm Plank
Keep your legs straight and a hips distance apart, keep hips in line with shoulders or slightly above shoulder height. (Shutterstock)
Targets: core/arms/shoulders
Holding still for 30 sec, build up to 3 sets of 30 sec
Lying on your front, place your elbows under shoulders, pointing your fingers forward and keeping your forearms parallel. Keep your legs straight and a hips distance apart, keep hips in line with shoulders or slightly above shoulder height.
Bicycle Crunches
Start lengthening one leg at a time to the high diagonal, simultaneously rotating your chest, shoulders and arms towards the opposite, bent leg. (Shutterstock)
Targets: abdominals/obliques
Alternating sides for 30 sec, build up to 3 sets of 30 sec
Lying on your back, bring your legs to a tabletop position with your knees bent 90 degrees on top of your hips. With your hands behind your head, elbows wide, engage your abdominals to lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor. Start lengthening one leg at a time to the high diagonal, simultaneously rotating your chest, shoulders and arms towards the opposite, bent leg.
Wide 2nd Pulses
Pulse hips at knee height, in small, controlled movements for only about an inch. (Shutterstock)
Targets: Inner and outer thighs/glutes
Pulsing for 30 seconds, build up to 3 sets of 30 sec
Place your feet out wide, bending your knees so they stack on top of your heels. Externally rotate your feet so that your knees track through the middle of your foot. Pulse hips at knee height, in small, controlled movements for only about an inch.
Lunges
Keeping front leg still and stable, pulse back knee in small, controlled movements, only about an inch, toward the floor. (Shutterstock)
Targets: Thighs/hamstring/glutes
Pulsing 1 set of 30 seconds on each leg, build up to 3 sets of 30 seconds per leg
With your feet parallel, hips distance apart, bend both knees and step right leg directly back. Bend both knees to a 90-degree angle, front knee on top of heel, back right knee bending slightly behind the torso. Keeping front leg still and stable, pulse back knee in small, controlled movements, only about an inch, toward the floor.