Muscle Groups Addressed - Pectorals, Deltoids, Lats
Let's throw in an advanced move for kicks. Start slow with this one, as there is a distinct possibility that you may smash your face. The gym version employs the use of 2 round dumbbells (don't use hex, you won't be able to roll them...). Start in a close-grip position, back straight, head down. Slowly roll your hands out as wide as you can and hold the position for a second. Keep your core tight... this is a very difficult hold. Then, with all the might of He-Man, keeping your arms fairly straight, start to bring your hands back to the starting position. Tough, eh?
A simpler variation that doesn't work the shoulders nearly as much is the pec fly. You can do this easily with dumbbells on a bench, as shown here. For this modification, keep your back flat on the bench (push down with your pelvis and resist the temptation to arch your back), and do not let your hands fall below the plane of the bench. Over-extending here will hurt your shoulders.
The office/home version is as follows: start by lying face down in a T-position. Be aware of how much force you'll have to exert to lift your body off the ground in this position. As a general rule, I'll start with arms fully extended (as big a wing-span as I can muster), and I'll note where my wrists lie on the ground. Then I'll pull my hands inward until the tips of my thumbs rest where my wrists were. This position allows me enough leverage to get my body off the ground but is still wide enough to mimic the move. Put all your energy into your hands and force your body upward... hold for 3 seconds, then come back down. If this is too much, do pushups with your hands slightly more than shoulder width apart and work towards getting wider and wider.
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