Squats
Squats activate all the foremost leg muscles without delay: quads and hamstrings (thighs), gluteals (buttocks) and gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris (calves). “Squats can help you build and maintain a strong lower body, which makes overall movement easier and safer and allows you to stay active and avoid injuries,” says Drianani.
Why do you hate them? Since most men suffer from tight hip flexors and hamstrings, squats might be difficult, and squats can result in back pain if done incorrectly.
Learn to like them. Dariani explains that each time you sit and stand, you're essentially squatting. “So, you can get many of the same benefits from regular squats by doing squats,” he says. “They provide support and are easy to perform, so you can avoid awkward movements that can stress your back.”
Here's the right way to do it: Sit in a chair along with your feet hip-width apart and your hands in your thighs. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Exhale as you slowly arise. Then slowly sit up in a controlled motion. Take three to 5 seconds to arise and sit down, ensuring not to make use of momentum.
To make it easier, use a chair with arms and rest your hands on the arms of the chair as you stand. For a challenge, do the exercise along with your arms in front of your chest, hold a dumbbell or heavy book with each hands at chest level, or hold a dumbbell in each hand. Using a low chair may also increase the problem.
Push-ups
The old-school push-up is a multi-purpose exercise that engages your body from top to bottom using the arms, chest, core, hips and legs.
Why do you hate them? Push-ups are sometimes used as a measure of strength and vitality. “If you can't do much, or if you struggle, you may see it as a sign of weakness, so you avoid even trying,” Dariani says. Also, push-ups have long been viewed as punishment within the military and gym classes, so the exercise has an air of negativity.
Learn to like them. “Push-ups can be easily modified in many ways so that anyone can do them successfully with confidence,” says Daryanani. For example, start with push-ups done at an angle against a wall or kitchen counter. “By placing yourself closer or further away from the wall or counter and changing the angle, you can increase or decrease the difficulty,” says Dariani. “That way, you can focus on engaging the muscles and perform with better form.” When you're able to hit the ground, start with knee push-ups.
Eventually, you’ll be able to work as much as regular push-ups. And never worry about what number of things you’ll be able to do without delay. “Proper execution and form, where you can feel your muscles fully engaged, is what's important,” says Daryanani. “It's always better to do five good push-ups than 10 bad ones.”
The bridge
Another great move, the bridge works the hips, back, and core — where your strongest muscles are. “You engage these muscles every time you roll over, get off the floor, or lift something heavy,” Drianani says.
To perform the bridge, lie in your back along with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart and parallel to one another. Keep your arms at your sides, palms down. Rest your shoulders against the ground. Tighten your hips, then raise your hips off the ground as high as is comfortable. Hold for five seconds, then return to the starting position.
Why do you hate them? Pulls can feel awkward at first, especially in case your core or back muscles are tight or weak. “Plus, they're not things people are used to doing regularly outside of a yoga class,” says Dariani.
Learn to like them. If you’ll be able to't lift your hips very high or if arching your back is just too difficult, place bolsters or pillows under your back for support. “This way, you can hold the pose for longer and reduce the risk of straining your back,” says Dariani. Another option is to lift your hips high enough to interact your hamstrings, which could also be just a number of inches.
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