5 workouts to get ripped!

Who doesn't want a physique like Hrithik Roshan? Brinda Sapat tells you just how to get it!

Give your chest super definition and a ripped look with these mean exercises!

This is the no-frills, challenging stuff!

Get enough cardio to burn off the excess fat lying over the muscles; and eat a low fat, high protein diet.

Brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming, high intensity cardio training 4-5 days a week for 30 minutes is good.

Equipment needed:

• Incline-decline bench
• Dumbbells -- pick a weight that is heavy enough to be able to do no more than 12 repetitions.
• Stability Ball
• Parallel Bars

Begin this workout with a 7-10 minute warm up like jogging or climbing stairs, to get your muscles warm and ready to exercises safely and effectively.

This exercise is to be done on an incline-decline bench and dumbbells.

• Lie with your head on the higher side.
• Grab the dumbbells in both hands and hold them up in level with the chest, with your palms facing each other.
• Lower your arms slowly taking them out to the sides in line with the shoulder, keeping the elbows soft all through.
• Do 2-3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
• Then repeat with your head on the decline.

  

• Lie with your head on the higher side of the incline bench.
• Grab your dumbbells.
• Start in the same position as the previous exercise.
• Turn your palms to face front.
• This time bring the weights down to your chest, with your elbows bending entirely and pulling down.
• Push the arms up by squeezing the chest but do not lock the elbows.
• Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
• Then repeat with your head on the decline.

What makes the ball push up tougher than the regular one is the fact that the ball is unstable, making you activate more muscle to perform the exercise as well as challenge muscle stabilisation.

• Place the stability ball in front of you, kneel behind it and place your hands on it.
• Walk your feet back till you reach plank position. Tighten your abs and keep your back flat.
• Now do a push up by lowering your body towards the ball; and then push back to plank.
• Do 2-3 sets of 12 reps or more.
• Kneel behind the ball and place your tummy over it.
• Get your hands on the floor and begin to walk the hands forward as you roll out until your knees or if you can manage, feet are on the ball.
• Place your hands wide apart on the floor and perform a push up. Hold the abs tight ensuring a flat back.
• Lower your body towards the floor by bending at the elbows, then push up to start position.
• Do 2-3 sets of 16 reps.

• Stand in-between the bars and pull yourself up by pressing down on the bars.
• Bend your knees and cross your feet at the ankles. This is the start position.
• Now bend your elbows behind you as you slowly lower your body, till your elbows make a 90 degree angle.
• Then raise your body up again until the elbows are straight but not locked.
• Do 2-3 sets of 8- 12 reps.

• Stand with your feet a hip distance apart holding dumbbells in both hands. Start with your hands down, wide apart from your body. 
• Raise the arms forwards, bringing them in towards each other, at shoulder height.
• Lower slowly.
• Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.

This article deals only with chest exercises, but you must know it is extremely essential to balance the training with an equal amount of exercises for the back of the shoulder and back muscles (trapezius).

The triceps muscles get heavily loaded while performing some chest exercises, so it is necessary to balance it out with some bicep work.

Stretch out your muscles post exercise, holding each stretch for 20 seconds to prevent stiffness, inflexibility and soreness.