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Forget the Pushup Bra! Get Your Girls in Shape with These Exercises!
Photo credit: shape.com
As we age, gravity continues to push down on our bodies making everything, even “the girls” point more towards earth. If you find that the ta-ta’s just are not looking as perky as they used to be, you don’t need to resort to push-up bras, corsets, or padded bras. You can develop the muscles under the breasts to help support your girls and hold them up.
Breasts are made up of various glands, fat, and connective tissue, and they can begin to droop for a wide variety of reasons such as aging, rapid weight loss, and pregnancy. For many women, these changes in their body can begin to feel embarrassing, making them feel self-conscious about wearing certain types of clothing.
Although we can’t turn back the clock, and the following exercises won’t change you from an A to a C cup, they can definitely add some extra va va voom to your chest.
Most of these exercises involve weights, a bench, and a yoga ball. Be sure you choose weights that are slightly challenging so that you increase muscle strength, but not so heavy that you become sore and discouraged. Find weights that make you feel as if you could do perhaps two more reps after each set, but no more than that. Challenge yourself and increase the weights by one pound about every two or three weeks. Doing the following exercises will definitely make a difference you can see and feel in about 4 weeks’ time if you do these exercises two or three times per week.
Are you ready to go? Let’s give the girls a hand, then.
1. Dumbbell Flyaways
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent comfortably. To begin, hold your weights in each hand, the back of your arms on the floor, your hands facing towards the ceiling, almost as if you were in a crucifix position. Raise your hands up towards the ceiling and touch the weights lengthwise, as if you were using them to clap. The weights should be centered over your chest. Return to the start position. Do 10 repetitions and work towards doing 3 sets with a 30 second recovery period between sets.
Photo credit: shape.com
2. Single Arm Press
Grab your weight with your left hand and lie on your back on a yoga or Swiss ball. Raise your hips to ensure that your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold the weight at your chest and pull your shoulder blades down. Press the weight straight up, and then lower it back to your chest.
Nothing else should move except for your arm. Do 8 reps, then repeat with the right arm. This is one set. Try to do 4 sets with 30 seconds of recovery time between sets.
Photo credit: shape.com
3. Raise ‘Em High!
Take a pair of slightly lighter weight dumbbells than you would normally use and stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart, your knees slightly bent. Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs. Keeping your core tight, pull your shoulders down and back as you push the weights above your head in a Y position.
Return to the start position slowly; don’t just allow the weights to fall uncontrolled. This is 1 rep. Do 20 reps in a set. Work towards completing 4 sets with a 30 second recovery time in-between sets.
Photo credit: shape.com
4. Y Raises
Lie on your stomach on a yoga all with your toes barely touching the ground for balance. Place your arms in front of you, shoulder width apart, as if you were going to place them on the floor. Instead, lift your hand up and out, without arching your back too much, so that your arms form a Y. Lower arms back to start.
This is one rep. Do 15 raises for one set. Work towards doing 3 sets with a 30 second recovery time in between each. You can do this one with or without weights.
Photo credit: thescienceofeating.com
5. Bench Press Flyaway
This is very similar to the dumbbell flyaways, except that you lie on a bench instead of on the floor. Don’t let the weights drop to the floor. They should remain chest high.
SEE ALSO: Best Exercises to Tighten that Belly
This really gives your arms and shoulders a good workout as well as your chest muscles! Do 10 to 15 reps (as many as you can!) and work up to doing 4 sets with a 30 second recovery time between each set.
Photo credit: shape.com
6. Renegade Row
Take your dumbbells and get into the straight arm plank position, placing your weights on the floor. Your hands and the weights your hands are resting on should be directly below the shoulders, your feel slightly wider than hip width apart. Bend your right elbow and lift the weight up to your chest, keeping your elbow close to the body and without moving your hips! Lower the weight slowly back to start and repeat with the left side.
This is one rep. Do 8 reps and work up to 4 sets, with a 30 second recovery time between each set.
Photo credit: shape.com
7. Push- Ups
Not very exciting, but very effective! If you are not strong enough to support your body weight and do full push-ups, put your knees on the floor and do them this way until your upper body become stronger. Do 10 push-ups, which is one set. Work towards doing 4 sets. If you can, do all 4 sets without resting in between for super “push up” power that doesn’t require a bra!
There you have it! 7 simple exercises that will give you amazing results!
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