Why squeezing the desk you work on can give you a lean upper bod

If you've stashed away those sleeveless tops because you are embarassed about your upper body, here's a guide to a dream body that can be yours without gymming. Just grab a door knob or squeeze your desk and watch the fat melt away

If you've been cribbing about missing your workouts thanks to a gruelling day at work, listen up.u00a0 Here's a guide to a sexy upper body that's possible to attain with a few quick exercises at work.

The great thing is that you won't sweat bullets because you are cooling down between sets, writing memos and answering the phone. Your creativity will improve when you add mini-workouts to your day.

Treat your office workouts just as you would your gym workouts. Your chest muscles don't care whether you are pressing a bar or a desk. Train each upper-body muscle group no more than twice a week, but if you enjoy working out daily, split up your body parts. On Monday, train your chest and the back of your arms. On Tuesday, work your back, shoulders, and the fronts of your arms. You could even tone a single muscle group each day.

Your celeb inspiration
Shahid Kapoor,
Bollywood actor
Shahid says his favourite food is Rajma (kidney beans) and rice. Rajma is pure protein. It releases carbs slowly, so that you feel full longer. This nourishes your muscles and decreases fat storage surrounding the hard-earned muscles of your upper body.

DIY exercises at your desk
Push-ups off your desk
Push-Ups off your desk are great for your chest, back of your arms and shoulders. Make sure your desk is secured to the floor, though. Performing desk push-ups is less challenging than doing them from the floor, so you may have to do several sets in order to fatigue your muscles. Draw an imaginary line from the top of your head to the back of your heel. Keep your wrist neutral and don't allow your back to sag.
Move slowly through each repetition three seconds down, three seconds up. If it is too difficult to do a regular desk push-up, just bend your elbows a couple of inches on each rep. As you get stronger, increase your range on motion. Never go beyond a 90-degree angle with your elbows. After a few months, you can challenge yourself further for stopping for three seconds ever inch on your repetition down and every inch on your repetition up.
Steps:
>>Stand about a foot away from your desk and place your hands shoulder-width apart on the top edge of your desk.
>>Lead with your chest as you lower your body toward the desk by bending your elbows.
>>When your elbows bend 90 degrees, press back into your original position.
Hot tip: Don't baby yourself during your office workouts. Your muscles don't know whether stimulation comes from a weight machine or pressing against the back of your chair.

Dips
Dips tighten the backs of your arms, shoulders and chest. Sit on the edge of your desk or chair and begin your repetitions.
Maintain perfect posture throughout the duration of the exercise. At first, bend your elbows an inch or two on each repetition. You may rest in the up posit ion if you need to. Use your legs to help you move up and down.
As you become stronger, bend your elbows a little more. Be careful not to bend your elbows further than 90 degrees. Move slowly through each repetition. Breathe normally or exhale on the exertion phase of each rep. As you move more longer, do not rest in the up or the down position and do not use your legs to help complete your reps.
Steps:
>>Stand with your back to your desk and your hands placed behind you on your desk with your fingers pointed forward.
>>Use your legs for balance as you lower yourself by bending your elbows.
>>Extend your elbows and return to your starting position.

Squeeze the desk:
Squeezing the desk firms the muscles in your chest. At first, do not squeeze hard. Press with palms and heels of your hands. Focus on your chest muscles flexing. As you get stronger, you may press harder.
Be sure to breathe normally while you are doing this exercise. Do not hold your breath. If you prefer, you can exhale through each repetition. If holding each repetition for three seconds is too challenging, begin with one second. Add a second a week until you can hold your desk press for three seconds.
Steps:
>>Face the narrow part of your desk. Place both palms on the outside of your desk with your elbows bent.
>>Press your palms into the desk, flexing your chest muscles. Hold for three seconds. Then relax.
>>Be sure to keep your back straight whether you squat down by bending your knees or lean over hinging at your hips.
did you know? Pushing and pulling exercises are all you need to firm and tone your upper body.

Shoulder flexion:
Shoulder flexions firm and tone the fronts of your shoulders. Perform this exercise either sitting or standing. Try this move from different angles so that you will firm and tone all parts of the fronts of your shoulders.
If you are performing the exercise with your left arm, place your right hand on your left shoulder and feel the muscle flex. Be sure to breathe normally through the entire movement.
Steps:
>>Sit in a military posture with the back of your right hand contacting the underside of your desk. (Keep your chest out, stomach in, shoulders back and your head up.) Keep your elbow slightly bent.
>>Flex the front of your shoulder, pressing the back of your hand into the desk as if you are trying to lift it. Hold for three seconds. Then relax.

Back exercise:
Back exercises add form to your upper back. Before you begin this exercise, try it without moving. Simply grab the bottom of your chair with both hands, keep your desk straight, and pull gently. You should feel the muscles in your back flex. These are the muscles you will be using to perform the exercise.
Be sure to breathe normally through the duration or, if you prefer, you may exhale through each rep. Use your arms as if they were hooks so that they do not fatigue. On the way up you are training your back. On the way down, you are training both, your abs and your back. Keep your neck relaxed throughout.
Steps:
>>Grab the underside of your chair with your hands. While seated in your chair, pull your stomach in, and bend forward with your back straight, hinging from your hips.
>>Hold onto the underside of your chair as you extend your back to your original position.

Doorknob
Pull-Ups:
Doorknob pull-ups firm your arms and back. This is a great full-body exercise because all your muscles take part in the movement. Even your forearms get a great workout from gripping the doorknob. Don't let your colleagues catch you doing this exercise or it will be very difficult to explain!
Steps:
>>Grab one doorknob in each hand.
>>Using your legs for balance, sink toward the floor as your arms extend. Pull yourself back up. Use your legs if necessary.

Remember:
Use perfect posture on every exercise. Hold your head up, shoulders back, stomach in, and chest out. Perform 10 repetitions of each exercise. Be careful not to lock your elbows. Begin each movement by drawing your naval in toward your spine using your lower abdominal muscles. Continue to flex those muscles through the duration of your reps. Breathe normally or exhale on the exertion of each rep.
For more tips, pick up a copy of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to a Great Upper Body. Available at bookstores for Rs 150

The food guide
Why feeding, not starving, will keep your muscles lean
To slim down the flab on the back of your arms, it's important to eat right. The subcutaneous fat between your skin and the muscle is the problem. Follow this eating programme and find the weight shedding and staying off.

The carbs that count
Carbs aren't good for you. They are fantastic! What you need to realise is the difference between good carbs and bad cards. Nutrient-dense carbs give you the energy you need without adding fat to your well-defined physique. There has never been a single case of someone getting fat by eating apples and oranges. Colourful veggies such as sweet potatoes, tomatoes, kale, spinach, broccoli, peppers and carrots are vitamin arsenals that you cannot get enough of. The deeper and darker the colour, the better for your body. So eat as many and as often as possible. Fruits and veggies and whole grains provide you with quick energy to power your upper-body workouts. They also contain fibre and other compounds that are essential to uncovering those rippling triceps.

Water keeps metabolism revvedu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Add some water to the recipe and you've got yourself a healthy deal. You need water as a coolant, to digest and absorb food, transport nutrients, build and rebuild cells, remove waste products, and enhance circulation. Most of us walk around dehydrated. Drink about 64 ounces (1.8 litres) of water a day. But if you work out hard, drink more than that. If it's dry and hot or if you are sweating profusely, drink liberally. Water by itself won't chisel those abs, but it will keep your metabolism revved.

Eat protein for Power
Besides nutrient-dense carbs, another major staple in your diet is lean protein. Eat a serving of protein at each meal (A "serving" of anything will be about the size of a deck of cards.) Protein releases carbs slowly, so that you feel full longer. This nourishes your muscles and decreases fat storage surrounding the hard-earned muscles of your upper body. Protein is also the foundation for your muscle. Small chicken is leaner than the larger one, and turkey breast is leaner than chicken. If you are a vegetarian, eat protein-rich low-fat dairy and lots of beans and legumes. Kidney beans, dried peas, lentils, and other types of beans are good sources of protein. Peas and beans are digested slowly for a steady release of energy.

How to plan your daily diet
Figure out the foods that work for you. You may prefer to eat most of your starchy carbs through the day and cut back on them in the evening. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper. If you want to keep your upper body toned and strong, eat breakfast! After fasting all night, your muscles need energy. Eating breakfast not only increases your energy, but also helps you make better food choices for the rest of the day.
A good breakfast: Oatmeal or low-sugar cold cereal, non-fat milk, and a banana or raisins.
Breakfast: Lean roast or grilled chicken sandwich.
Snack: Some sliced fruit with cottage cheese.
Dinner: Fish, rice, salad with a healthy dressing, and your favourite fruit.

How to make the most of your mealsu00a0u00a0u00a0
Balancing your meals energises your workouts. The quantity of food that you eat before and after your workout, depends on your metabolism and your activity. You may burn between 300 and 500 calories per training session. Therefore, be sure you are eating enough to maintain your hard-earned muscle. Eat four carbs to one protein as soon after your upper body workout as you can to speed up the delivery of nutrients to your depleted muscles.

How fat can be your friend
Fat has more than twice the calories as protein or carbs, but it's not your enemy. You just need to eat the right kind of fat. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil, or canola oil into your eating programme. Eat omega-three fatty acids, which are found in fish, whenever you can. Fat is important because it makes you feel full. You may eat all the carbs in the house, but until you eat a morsel containing some fat, you will never feel satiated. Fat disperses flavours across your tongue and gives your taste buds a chance to allow you to experience a wide range of flavours (sweet, sour, spicy) to create a feeling a satiety or satisfaction.

HOT TIP
Eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty.
Keep those upper-body muscles firm and full. Never let yourself go more than a couple of hours without sustenance. If you don't eat now, you may eat too much later.