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Partner Up
By Kim Miller and Shannon Dougherty Photos by Stephanie Heymann, thompsonimage.com Models: Marcus Johnson and Sarah Stover
Get working on your fitness as a pair.
At the beginning of each New Year, motivation to get fit is at its highest, but despite our best intentions, motivation tends to fizzle by February. One of the key ways to successfully achieve your fitness goals is to develop a solid support network. So grab a partner and get working on these muscle-building moves!
1. High-Five PushUp Set-Up: Get in push-up position facing your partner. Place hands directly under your shoulders, with legs extended and abs engaged. Action: Both partners perform a push-up, bending elbows 90 degrees. Push back up to starting position and give each other a high-five. Continue push-up and high-five combo for 30 seconds.
2. Crunch Climber Combo Set-Up: Partner #1: Lie faceup on the ground with knees bent. Place hands behind head. Partner #2: Place hands on partner #1’s knees. Position one leg forward and bent under body, and extend the back leg. Action: Partner #1: Curl up and forward so your head, neck, and shoulders blades lift off the ground. Pause, and then slowly lower back down. Perform for 30 seconds. Partner #2: Holding the upper body in place, alternate leg position by pushing hips up while extending your body in a plank position. Both feet leave the ground as you drive one leg up and reach the other back. Perform for 30 seconds, then switch. 54
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2014 EASTvalleymagazine.com