Diet & Fitness 

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The No-frills workout

Do you think you need a room full of expensive equipment to help you get stronger? Hardly. You can sculpt your muscles using little more than a couple of pillows, some soup tins and your own body weight. Here's how:

Twice a week, do one set of eight to 15 repetitions of each of these no-frills exercises. Once you can get through the routine without breaking into a sweat or feeling achy for a day or two afterwards, increase to two sets per exercise, three times a week. You should see firmer, tighter muscles within six to eight weeks.

Squat (legs)

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, your weight in your heels, and place your hands on your hips. Pull your abdominals in and stand up tall with your shoulders squared and your chest lifted.
2. Lower yourself back and down, as if you're about to sit in a chair. Go as far down as you can without leaning your upper body forward more than a few inches (this depends on your flexibility and how you’re built.) If you can bend far enough down so that your thighs are parallel to the floor, that’s great, just don't let your knees move forward past your toes. Then, straighten your legs and stand back up. Take care not to lock your knees at the top of the movement.

Pull-overs (upper back)

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Take two towels and lie down so that your head, back and shoulders are resting on them. Pull your abs in gently so your lower back doesn't arch up. Grasp a soup tin in both hands and straighten your arms upward so that the can is suspended directly over your upper chest and your palms are facing downward.
2. Slowly move your arms backward until the soup tins are level with your head. Your body should be almost in a straight line. Then, move your arms back to starting position.

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