Build These Muscles, Be Her Hero

You don’t have to have superpowers – be able to leap tall buildings or stop bullets – to save that damsel from all sorts of danger. But it’s good to be prepared in case you have to. These six sets of workouts are designed by Moiz Malik, a sports scientist from the Integrated Training Institute, to help you get the muscles you’ll need to save your girl from a variety of dangerous situations. Gaining strength has never been this useful.

Scenario 1: The Burning Building

If she’s injured or unconscious, you need to carry her to safety. The heroic approach is to “cradle” her to protection as you dodge debris. You need to be able to move fast, while supporting her.
Muscles you’ll need: Deltoids, quadriceps and core

The Workout: Barbell Clean And Jerk
 

Stand holding a barbell at shoulder-width. Squat and let it touch the floor lightly (left). Pull it off the floor by extending your hips and knees (right). Continue pulling it via an upright row.

As it reaches your chest area (left), bring your elbows under it to “catch” the bar and rest it on your chest. Then raise it over you (right). Reverse the motion to lower the barbell to the floor. Scenario 2: The Cliff Or Ledge Remember the scene from The Lord of the Rings, when Sam saves Frodo? In such situations, you must act quickly because fear and nervousness will cause her hands to perspire, making it more difficult to hold on. Mountaineers who found themselves in a similar situation have discovered that brute force works. Grab her forearms just above the wrists, and have her grip yours in turn to form a firm hold on each other. Muscles you’ll need: Back, neck and arms. The Workout: Single-Hand Dumbbell Row Kneel over a bench and place your left knee and left hand on it. Position your right foot slightly back to the side. Tilt your chin towards your chest so that your neck is in line with your spine. Grab a dumbbell from the floor with your right hand, fingers facing inwards. Pull it up to your side, making contact with your ribs, or until your upper arm is just beyond horizontal. Return until your arm is extended and shoulder stretched downwards. Do all the reps and switch arms.  Scenario 3: The Smashed-up Car Following a collision at the side of the car she’s at, the vehicle’s door may be jammed. Quickly assess the severity of the accident. If there’s leaking fuel, it is imperative to get her out as soon as possible. You’ll need to find a heavy object like a hammer and bash through the door to save her. And you may have to do this repeatedly before you can force it open. Muscles you’ll need: Back, neck and deltoids The Workout: Sledgehammer Slam Stand about 30cm to 40cm from a tyre, knees slightly bent. Rotate your upper back slightly to the right and raise a sledge above your right side. (Don’t rotate your hips.) Brace your abs and swing the hammer down. Aim for the tyre’s inside edge. Do all the reps and switch sides. If you don’t have a tyre or sledgehammer, you can reap similar benefits by doing overhead medicine ball slams. Scenario 4: Drowning You’re enjoying a sunny afternoon lazing on a mat at the beach, and from out of nowhere, you hear a damsel calling out in distress. You quickly sit up and look out to sea, and notice a girl flailing about in the water. There are no lifeguards in sight and you’re the nearest person to her. If you want to successfully bring her in, on top of having open water life-saving know-how, you’ll need the muscles to let you swim out against the currents, grab her and swim back. Muscles you’ll need: Strong upper- and lower-body muscles. The Workout: The Lifeguard Workout   Stage 1: Jog for 2 minutes Stage 2: Do 10 push-ups, lowering and raising your body in 2 seconds each. Stage 3: Do 10 walking lunges. Hands on your hips, step forward with your right foot and lower until your right knee is bent 90 degrees. Stand up and repeat with your left leg. Stage 4: Do 10 single-leg hip raises. Lie face up, arms out to your sides at 45-degree angles, left foot flat on the floor with knee bent, and your right leg straight. Raise your right leg to be in line with your left thigh. Squeeze your glutes and push your hips up – your lower back will elevate. Pause, and return to the starting position. Stage 5: Do mountain climbers. Assume a push-up position with your arms straight. Lift your right foot and raise your right knee close to your chest. Touch the ground with your right foot, return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg. Go as fast as possible for 15 seconds.   Scenario 5: A Sprained Ankle You may think this isn’t a dangerous scenario – but think again, especially if she sprains her ankle while crossing a busy road in nine-inch stiletto heels. If it happens, you’ll have to sweep her off her feet by cradling her, literally – and within seconds – to safety. A simple gesture, but we guarantee she’ll be bloody impressed. Muscles you’ll need: Back, core and arms The Workout: Med Ball Cradle   Stand leftside-on, 2m from a wall with a 1kg medicine ball in the crook of your right arm. Fling the ball against the wall and catch the rebound by cradling it in the crook of your left arm.  Repeat with the other arm. This works the core, back and arms, and improves reaction time. Use a heavier ball as necessary. Do 6 to 8 reps each time.  Scenario 6: The Broken Lift She’s trapped! And by the sound of the frenetic banging on the other side, she’s starting to panic. In order to beat the rescue workers to the task, you’ll need to pry the doors open. “To do this, you’ll need strength in your shoulders, especially if you’re using only your bare hands,” says Malik. “This is not a movement that’s common in our day-to-day; it requires the engagement of your upper back and shoulder muscles.” Muscles you’ll need: Back, neck and arms The Workout: T-Bar Row Straddle a barbell and grab the level handle with both hands. Bend forward at your waist, so your chest is leaning over your feet. Keep your knees bent and feet just beyond shoulder-width apart. Start with your arms fully extended, allowing the barbell to hang at about mid-shin level. Lift the barbell towards your abdomen (left). Return to the start (right) and do the desired reps. To keep your back in a stable position, keep your head up and shoulders back.