The Better Sex Workout - Men's Health

The Better Sex WorkoutWarm-Up ExercisesThis quick warm-up routine will bring blood to your muscles, loosen your joints in preparation for a workout, and stretch and strengthen the stabilizingmuscles of the lower body, pelvis and core—used when you get busy. You might be tempted to jump right into the main workout. Don’t. Take it slow.Think of this as foreplay for your workout. On second thought, don’t. That would be creepy. Just do the warm-up. It will prepare your muscles so theycan work harder and get more from the main workout. And it’ll help you avoid injuries that can set you back and keep you out of the sack.HingeStretches and strengthens core, quadriceps, and hip flexors.During your last hingestretch, while still on yourknees, lean back and start aseries of Kegels. Squeezeyour PC muscles for 10 to 15seconds, then relax, andrepeat 10 times.InchwormLoosens thighs, hips, obliques, back, and shoulders.Bend yourknees if youcan’t keepthem straight.Keep yourcore braced.ABWalk your hands out asfar as you can withoutallowing your hips to sag.• Kneel on the floor withyour hands at your sides.Resist the urge to sit backand rest your weight onyour heels. Your backshould be straight andyour knees bent at a 90°angle.• Keeping your head andspine in line with yourthighs, slowly lean backa few inches. Hold for 3seconds then return tothe starting position.Do 8 to 10.A• Stand with your legs straight,feet hip-width apart.B• Bend at the waist and placeyour hands on the floor.C• Keeping your legs straight, walkyour hands forward whilekeeping your abs and lowerback braced. Then take tinysteps to walk your feet back toyour hands. That’s onerepetition. Do 6.Jumping JacksRaises the heart rate, lengthens andwarms muscles to avoid injury.Lower-Back Lie-DownStretches the lower back muscles.A• Lie flat on your back with your legs bent, feet flaton the floor, and arms at your sides.BKeep your tailbone andthe back of your head onthe floor. You’ll preventyour back from rounding,which would lessen theeffect of the stretch.• Gently grab your legs just behind the knees. Slowlypull both knees toward your chest as far as you cancomfortably go, keeping your back flat on the floorat all times. Hold the stretch for 2 to 3 seconds andthen slowly lower your legs. Repeat the stretch for10 repetitions.Standing Hip ThrustStretches the hip flexors.BA• You remember: Standwith your feet togetherand your hands atyour sides.B• Simultaneously raiseyour arms aboveyour head and jumpenough to spread yourfeet out wide. Quicklyreverse the movementand repeat. Do 20.A• Stand with your feettogether, hands on yourhips or clasped in frontof your chest. Stepforward with one foot sothat your feet are acouple of feet apart.Keep your toes facingforward and your kneesslightly bent.• Gently push your pelvisforward until you feel avery mild stretch in yourhips. Although this moveseems too subtle, don’toverdo it: The hip flexorsare attached inside thelegs in such a way that ittakes very little effort tostretch them. Hold thestretch for 30 secondsthen reverse leg positionsand repeat.Try to keep thesame knee anglethroughout thestretch.MHBigBookofSex.com 2

The Better Sex WorkoutWarm-Up ExercisesJog in PlaceYou know how to do this, but do you know perfectform? You’ll burn more calories and warm upfaster by doing it right.A• Drive your knees high to get a better stretchand pump. As you drive each knee up, swingyour opposite hand upward to get as muchvertical lift as possible. If you wish, youcan turn this into a high knee skip byadding a hop on the downward step.As you run inplace, keep yourupper bodystraight. Keepingyour head up andlooking forwardwill help yourform.Low Side-to-Side LungeImproves strength and flexibility of lower body, especially hips,glutes, and groin.Push your hipsback.Your leg shouldbe straight.Keep your footflat on the floor.SquatStretches the hamstrings, calves, and quads, and warms the entire body.A• Stand with feetshoulder-width apart.Grasp your handsbehind your head.B• Sit back, bending yourknees, until yourthighs are at leastparallel to the floor(or lower). Standstraight up, pressingthrough your heels.Do 10 to 30 ata brisk pace.A• Stand with your feet spread wide,about twice shoulder-width apart, yourfeet facing straight ahead. Bendslightly at the waist and clasp yourhands in front of your chest. Shift yourweight over to your right leg as yourpush your hips backward and loweryour body by dropping your hips andbending your right knee. Your lowerright leg should remain nearlyperpendicular to the floor. Your leftfoot should remain flat on the floor.Without pausing, reverse themovement and raise yourself back to astanding position.Kneeling Leg CrossoverStretches the adductors and abductors.A• Kneel and place your hands onthe floor (knees and hands shouldbe shoulder-width apart). Yourhead should face the floor.Straighten your left leg behindyou.B• Next, repeat to the left side. Alternateback and forth. Do 10 to 20 reps on eachside.B• Now, angle your leg to the left,with your toes touching the floor.Keep your spinestraight throughoutthe move.Squat ThrustStretches the whole body; also known as Burpees.A• Stand with your feetshoulder-widthapart and your armsat your sides.B• Push your hips back,bend your knees andlower your body asdeep as you can intoa squat.C• Kick your legsbackward so thatyou’re now in apushup position.Then quickly bringyour legs back to thesquat position.Stand up quicklyand repeat theentire movement.C• Raise your left leg up and overyour right leg, then lower it untilyour left foot touches the floorjust outside your right foot.Reverse the motion to get back tothe starting position and repeat10 times. Then mimic theexercise, this time bringing yourright leg over your left.As you squatdown, place yourhands on the floorin front of you,shifting yourweight onto them.If you want agreater challenge,do a pushup here.MHBigBookofSex.com 3

The Better Sex WorkoutWorkout CircuitStability Ball Decline PushupWorks shoulders, chest, triceps, and abs.A• Kneel with a stability ball behind you and place yourhands flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Placeyour shins or toes on the ball and get into the standardpushup position—arms straight, hands directlyunder your shoulders. Your back should be flat andyour abs drawn in.Sandbag LungeTargets the quadriceps, glutes, and calves, but also worksthe arms and back for holding your partner.Your front lowerleg should benearlyperpendicular tothe floor. Do notallow your kneeto creep forwardof your toes.Keep yourtorso uprightfor the entiremovement.Lying Gluteal BridgeStrengthens gluteals, hamstrings, pelvic muscles,and builds stability in the lower back for liftingand thrusting power through the hips.A• Lie on your back with your knees bent andyour feet flat on the floor. Place your arms atyour sides, palms facing down.Press with your heels,not toes, when youbegin to press up.B• Tuck your chin and, leading with your chest, loweryour body to the floor. Push yourself back up. Do 10to 15 reps.BKeep your head in line with your backand resist looking at the ball. Bendingyour neck in this position can strain it,and you might lose your balance.A• Hold a 30- to 60-poundsandbag in your armswith an underhand grip.Stand tall with your feethip-width apart. Braceyour core and stick yourchest out.BYour back knee shouldnearly touch the floor.• Step forward with yourright leg and slowly loweryour body under yourfront knee is bent at least90 degrees. Pause, thenpush yourself to thestarting position asquickly as you can.Repeat the move, thistime with your left legforward. Continuealternating this way for20 total reps.• Squeeze your glutes and slowly raise yourbutt off the floor until your body forms astraight line from your knees to yourshoulders. Hold this position for 3 to 5seconds, then slowly lower yourself to thefloor and repeat the move 10 times.Squeeze your glutesas you lift your hips.Renegade RowWorks the middle and upper back as well as thechest; ideal for endurance and core strength in theman-on-top position.A• Get into a pushup position with your handsgripping a pair of dumbbells, arms straightand shoulders directly above your hands. Yourback should be straight from head to heels.Tighten your core muscles.B• Now, keeping your arms straight, bend yourright knee and draw it across your torsotoward your left elbow. Pause, then straightenthat leg, returning your right foot to the floor.C• Repeat the move, this time bringing your leftknee to your right elbow. Return to the startingposition.Keep your pelvisstationary andtight throughoutthe movement.Abdominal Tootsie RollFor a strong, toned waist, and core stability for easily changingsexual positions.A• Lie flat on your stomach on the floor with your armsextended out above your head. Lift your chest, arms, andlegs off the floor, as if doing a Superman stretch.B• Slowly roll from your stomach to your right side whilenever losing abdominal control.The key is not to jerk or usemomentum. Stay controlledthroughout the entire motion.D• Now, balancing on your left hand, row the rightdumbbell to your shoulder, pause, then lower itto the floor.C• Roll onto your back. Then, slowly reverse the roll first toyour side, then your stomach. Relax your arms and legs tothe floor. That’s one rep. Next, reverse the roll to the leftside. Do 3 to 4 reps in each direction.E• Do the same with the left dumbbell whilebalancing on your right. That five-part move isone complete repetition. Do 8 to 12.MHBigBookofSex.com 4