Ok lets face it men, we really, and I mean really need to ‘man up’. What happened to the man that was strong as an Ox? Do you feel like a little extra strength would give you that feeling of being a man more than just merely male? I personally think the metro-sexual shift was needed as men were a little too macho but things have swung too far, it’s time to realign!I recently had an elbow reconstruction and know too well the feeling of what it’s like to barely be able to do a push-up. So please take on this program knowing that I the trainer am doing the same thing. I’ve managed to start training again but am fortunate enough to own my own gym, so this workout is all about using your own body-weight, in your home or at the park.So how do you gain that extra strength without going to a gym? Is it truly possible to build size and shape without weights?The answer is absolutely! If you use your imagination and replicate the following exercises, gradual muscle gain and shape will be the inevitable outcome.You must be consistent with your approach to this and keep these key points in mind:• Train 2 hours after you have eaten a nutritious meal.• Speed; typically you can’t go wrong with a 3/1/2 count. That’s 3 counts during the push or exertion (concentric) phase, hold for 1 count, and return for 2 counts (eccentric) phase. • Always maintain the full program, don’t start cutting exercises because they’re too hard!• If any niggles or pinching type injuries appear then you may be going to hard and not stretching enough. Always stop if you experience any sharp pain. • I would recommend combining your training with a yoga session once a week. I use Vinyasa Flow, and a great resource for finding a class in your area is www.findyoga.com.au Also note if you’re looking for a better body shape then you must be careful with nutrition. There is no amount of training that will combat a poor diet. Check out some of our nutrition articles on maintaining a healthy eating plan for optimal health.Combined with this solid strength program you will not only look and feel great, but if you start now the results will be evident in time for summer!Use the following techniques in a series of sets which allow you to complete all variations, even if in only a couple of reps. Build on this week through week to progressively include greater depth and core control. It’s always worth recording your sessions so that you can see your progression. The strength workout.Push-ups:There are many of muscles involved in a push-up, including the core. Altering the angles and including unstable surfaces such as a BOSU or Swiss Ball will help achieve an overall work out. The push-up is a great exercise!N.B. please make sure you maintain a good core line as demonstrated. Try to retract your shoulder blades and pull them towards the rib cage in the upper back.1: Wide position push-up:• works more chest than arm • hard to keep shoulders retracted in this position• always set hands at chest line, not shoulder line! 2: Narrow position push-up:• works tricep (back of upper arm) more than chest• hands placed just outside the width of your rib cage• always keep your shoulder blades retracted.3: Mid position push-up (add a single leg-lift and hold): • awesome all over upper strength and core• lift a leg as demonstrated to increase core strength, swap half-way through a set.4: Decline push-ups:• really works shoulder and upper chest area• strong core position is imperative for good execution of this position as it’s easy to engage loads of anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder)• step up with a bench or BOSU ball (in order of difficulty).Finish off with a core workout.Prone cobra:Typically done with the palms face down, the main concept is to retract the shoulders with core control. Imagine each vertebra ever so slightly separating or lengthening from the tailbone to the base of the skull. Engage your glutes in conjunction with the lower abdomen. Take shorter, shallower breaths than usual and hold for 45 seconds as a minimum. If you have a lower back problem use a range of motion that is pain-free.The hover:The aim here is to draw the abdomen into the body, effectively narrowing the waistline and supporting the spine with your core strength. If the lower back feels discomfort then either change to an easier level or adjust your position to remove the strain from the lower back. Take deeper, longer breaths, holding for 45 seconds as your minimum target.The side-hover:Keeping a straight line from heels to the base of your head, draw the lower abs with the side (oblique) abs and again breathe, to add a little extra pulse up from this position. Keep the pelvis slightly rotated forward to avoid lower back problems. Remember to work both sides of your body and again hold for 45 seconds minimum.So there you go fellas, a simple but very effective strength workout to get you moving towards a strong and toned physique. In the next part of the series we will go into some further variations. Enjoy.