When performed correctly, pushups are a difficult exercise but well worth the effort; they exercise not only your chest muscles, but your arms, shoulders, back and stomach muscles.

The key is to keep your body rigid and – ideally – straight throughout the motion. If full pushups are too hard, you can start by pivoting at the knee instead.

When performed with good form, squats are a lot more challenging than people expect.

To do squats with good form you should keep your feet flat on the ground, with your back straight and head up.

Crunches and Situps are NOT the same; crunches focus on your stomach muscles and are much less likely to result in back issues.

You should be aiming to lift just your chest, head and shoulders from the ground. To get the best form, imagine you are trying to reach something directly above your head.

Avoid;

• Bending your neck forward.
• Pivoting at the waist.
• Putting your hands behind your head (doing that might strain your neck).

For most people, pullups are extremely difficult. Even people who think they can do good pullups are in fact doing CHINUPS. There’s an important difference:

• Pullups: wide grip, palms facing away from you.
• Chinups: narrow grip, palms facing towards you.

Whether your choose to do pullups or chinups is up to you, but if you want to become seriously fit pullups are the way to go.

Whichever you choose, it’s important you do the reps slow and controlled; waving your body about is a sure root to injury!