The Best Exercises with Marta Montenegro Part II

Switch it: Instead of doing lunges and squats on a stability ball, do them on regular surface. If you want to add greater engagement of the core, use dumbbells or barbells instead of the Smith Machine. (Photo credit: Andrew Meade Photography; location: Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa Miami Beach; clothing: Lululemon Athletica)

Take a vacation from the triceps machine I’m sure that you’ve seen this machine where you sit, put your elbow over the pad and extend the arms to contract the triceps. The machine works the triceps as long as you can fit your body properly and have such a strong core to control the resistance. This photo is not the exact machine I’m mentioning, but the cable machine pictured has its limitations. (Photo credit: Andrew Meade Photography; location: Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa Miami Beach; clothing: Lululemon Athletica)

Switch it: Lying triceps extensions. This exercise will allow you to work the three heads of the triceps. Just make sure that you vary where you lower the bar: if you lower the barbell to the forehead you work more the medial and lateral heads of the triceps. If you lower it behind the head, it emphasizes the long head. Mix it up. (Photo credit: Andrew Meade Photography; location: Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa Miami Beach; clothing: Lululemon Athletica)

Dumbbell side bends: Who doesn’t want a ripped abs? In particular, women like to work the oblique (side of the abdominal) in our quest to get rid of the fat to get a “Barbie waist.” But as you should know by now, no abdominal exercise will get rid of the body fat. Nevertheless, some exercises will emphasize the internal and external oblique more than others. This is critical not just for appearance but also for performance and spine hygiene. (Photo credit: Andrew Meade Photography; location: Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa Miami Beach; clothing: Lululemon Athletica)

Switch it: The Russian twist. This exercise focuses on the same problem areas, but since you have to engage other muscles for stabilization, it’s hard even without weight. The muscle fibers of the oblique runs in a feather shape, which the Russian twist mimics. Make sure that you move one side of the abdominals to the other side and contract. Don’t move the upper body, specifically the shoulders. The effort must be coming from the oblique muscles. You also don’t need to reach out further that 45-degree angle when keeping the arms extended. You can increase the difficulty by adding more resistance. Keep the back slightly flexed. (Photo credit: Andrew Meade Photography; location: Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa Miami Beach; clothing: Lululemon Athletica)