![wesley-quinn-705931-unsplash.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmQRTzGcCAeqFdU7yB938YQKMZYMqpL4zhc3RoyQtbysKr/wesley-quinn-705931-unsplash.jpg)

When I was younger I was always quite sporty and healthy. However at the age of around 35 I started to develop knee problems and therefore used that as an excuse to drop off. This lasted for a few years until somebody reminded me of something I said to them in my mid-twenties:

>*"I intend to roar into my forties!
>
> *-* *Cryptogee*

So I started roaring :-)

I want to share with you now 3 exercises that have given me the most physical health, and aesthetic benefits. I will link some AthleanX videos below because a few years ago I stopped following everyone else and concentrated on this channel.

If you've read my [The Curious Case Of Cryptogee - The 20 Year Old Born 46 Years Ago!](https://steemit.com/healthandfitness/@cryptogee/the-curious-case-of-cryptogee-the-20-year-old-born-46-years-ago)
 article then you'll know that this has benefited me greatly and has given me physical fitness stats of somebody less than half my age!

## Goblet Squat 

Most people perform squat exercises incorrectly, once I heard this I checked to see if I was one of those people. Indeed I was, basically the common mistake is to load far too much weight which causes something called 'butt wink'.

This is where your tailbone (coccyx) tucks down as you near the bottom of your squat. This causes undue strain on your lower back and can cause injury.

The way to make sure this doesn't happen to you is to practice squatting first with no weight at all and following these guidelines:

- Make sure as you descend, you are doing so by first hinging the hips. You can do this slightly and use your fingers to check for a *crease* in between your waist and the top of your legs.

I have recommended Esther Gokhale's 8 Steps To A Healthy Back, and she demonstrates the best way to bend down. Also AthleanX's Jeff Cavaliere is very big on doing this exercise properly.

- Use a light weight: Once you have mastered going up and down in the right plane. Use a weight (preferably a dumbbell) held underneath your chin and perform your squats.

You should not even think about doing a barbell squat until you can squat half your body weight doing a goblet squat.

- Concentrate on form: Basically if you have been doing this exercise incorrectly, you'll find that when you use proper form it is much harder. Therefore it is form you should concentrate on and don't bother about heavy weight. Leave your ego at the door!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SHgQeBk7zIs" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

## Star Crunches

This is a killer ab exercise, especially if you're the sort of person who can wrack off a couple of hundred normal sit ups with not much problem.

Tips:

- As you curl up make sure you are breathing out and tensing your abdominal muscles. This will get you nice tight trim looking abs and will avoid bloating.

- Do not go back down to a full resting position in betwen each one. Keep the tension in your abs for more rocking results!

- You can build up to the full version by doing a knees bent crunch, slowly extending as you get stronger.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8jyhJ6TiUPA" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

## Hammer Curls

I've just been doing this one recently and oh boy-oh-boy does it work! If you want wider, fuller looking biceps and you really want to fill those T-shirt sleeves then this is the exercise for you.

Top Tip:

- This is harder than a standard curl, so start off with a lighter weight than you would usually do.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F6cAWNUM4_U" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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DID YOU LIKE THOSE TIPS? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE? WHAT EXERCISE(S) HAVE MOST BENEFITED YOU? AS EVER, LET ME KNOW BELOW!

>Title image: Wesley Quinn on Unsplash

[*Cryptogee*](https://steemit.com/@cryptogee)