No Excuses
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LEG PRESS: <>This machine has two positions, one more difficult than the other. When you press out with your legs from a seated position, the motion lifts your chair back and upward. “Your legs are such an important part of your life, getting here and there,” Roig said. “For the fun activities, what recreational sports don’t use legs? This is good for surfing, soccer, tennis and running. And if you want to prevent injuries, you strengthen your muscles.”
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SIT-UP BOARD: The incline board works core muscles. Keep your stomach compact and contracted, Roig said. “Inhale as you go back,” he said. “Don’t go too fast or else you will be using momentum. Count to four as you go back and count to two as you come up.”
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ELLIPTICAL: This is another cardiovascular exercise that increases endurance while increasing leg and hip strength. It helps to stand on the balls of your feet, Roig said. But even though the levers can be moved with ease, don’t underestimate it. “I’d say it’s more challenging than the rower,” Roig said.
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ROWING MACHINE: The fluid motion of rowing, which uses both legs and arms, will work the cardiovascular system, Roig said. A 10-minute set is a great warm-up if you haven’t arrived at the park by running or walking. “It’s a great cardiovascular exercise because it includes your upper body and lower body,” Roig said. “It is going to burn more calories and be more beneficial to build your upper body’s aerobic capacity. And you are using large muscle groups so you can sustain it for a longer period of time.”
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BACK EXTENSION: This exercise requires you to lie forward against a chest plate, facing the ground with your legs and feet wedged in place. To secure yourself, your thighs are placed against a restraining bar and your feet pressed against the lip of a foot platform, Roig said. Lean forward into space, then back up to engage the lower back, glutes and hamstrings. If you cross your arms against your chest, the movement is easier than if you stretch them forward Superman style, Roig said.
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SEATED CHEST PRESS: After grabbing the ends of the levers, keep your arms 90 degrees off the ground from your shoulder points and bent 90 degrees at your elbows, Roig said. Press outward and exhale to work your chest, shoulder and triceps muscles, he said.
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PULL-UP AND DIPS: This station allows four basic exercises, but Roig cautions they are the hardest ones in the exercise park: pull-ups, dips, reverse dips and abdominal legs lifts. “If you have a knack for them, great, but otherwise, don’t force the issue,” he said. “Some people will never be able to do them, so do the best with what you have and realize that it isn’t the end of the world.”
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SEATED LAT PULL: This will build upper back muscles and biceps, too, Roig said. As you pull down on the overhead levers from a seated position, you engage your muscles as you lift the chair you’re on. “You take your feet off the ground and you pull down,” he said. “I’m lifting myself up so I’m working my lats. I think for most people, if they can do 15 reps, that will be great. You will build muscular strength and endurance.”
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SQUAT PRESS: For the squat press, at right, users stand on a platform in a squatting position, thighs parallel to the ground, then rise up and finish with an overhead shoulder press. The motion lifts the platform and the person working out. “I work my legs, my buttocks, shoulders, triceps and upper chest,” Roig said. “It’s a great full-body motion.”
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