Sets	Reps	Weight/Resistance
1
2
3
4
5

Exercise Name:
Elbow Plank - Beginner

Ready Position:
Start by going to your elbows and knees on a mat. Place your forearms flat on the ground, with your elbows at 90 degrees. Walk your feet back until your legs are straight. Keep your chin, chest and hips all at the same level, bracing your stomach and squeezing your butt to avoid the hips dropping and to avoid sagging of the lower back.

Get it Done:
This exercise is an isometric exercise (meaning that there is no movement of the muscles). Your goal is to keep your back from sagging by squeezing your butt and stomach.

Pro Tips:
You can do this exercise by a mirror to see if your back is straight and in line with your hips, chest and chin. You can also place a watch with a second hand between your elbows to watch the time. Once you have built up to being able to hold (for one minute) for three sets, with a minute rest between, move onto the Plank Hold With Straight Arms.

Sets	Reps	Weight/Resistance
1
2
3
4
5

Exercise Name:
The Barbell Row - Beginner

Ready Position:
Push your butt back and fold at the hips, with a slight bend in your knees. Keep your chin up to avoid rounding the back. Allow your arms to fully extend. Grasp the barbell with a medium overhand grip.

Get it Done:
Secure a tight grip. Grip the ground with your feet and brace your stomach as you drive with your elbows to create the pull movement. Keep your wrists straight and squeeze your shoulder blades when the barbell reaches either your hip or your nipples. Keep your chin slightly up to avoid rounding the back.

Pro Tips:
Pulling to the hips will place more of an emphasis on the latissimus dorsi, or the large lat muscles of the back. Pulling to the chest, or nipple area, will place a greater emphasis on the scapula retractors of the upper back. And remember, don’t be an arm puller. If you feel the majority of the tension in your arms, you’re trying to curl the movement. The first step you can do is to take a slightly wider grip in this movement to help avoid being an arm curler. However, remember that curling turns the small muscles of the arm and forearm from accompanying muscles into primetime players. This is not what you want. To ensure maximum benefit from this movement, learn to drive from the elbows using your latissimus dorsi and scapula retractors of the upper back.