Mention Rob Lowe at the Access Hollywood office and women of all ages will first gasp and then blurt, “He’s gorgeous.”
Yes, Rob is undeniably beautiful, but even more remarkable is – at 47-years-old – he’s got the wrinkle-free baby face and sculpted physique to rival any man half his age. Certainly a body of work any middle-aged man would be proud to claim!
Yet, men take heart, Rob’s buffed body wasn’t always the headline, a few years back the “Parks and Recreation” star spotted a shirtless photo of himself in a magazine’s Worst Beach Bodies and decided it was time to get in shape.
Lowe recruited fitness guru Peter Park, who also trains Matthew McConaughey and Lance Armstrong, to help reshape his body.
“He made a total lifestyle change. Rob is so disciplined – he just did it,” Park has said of Rob’s transformation. “It wasn’t just about vanity. He was always very active. But as you get older you have to work harder to stay lean.”
Luckily for men (and women), Peter is sharing some of those age-defying workout secrets in his book, “Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, And Move With Confidence, ” which is co-written by Dr. Eric Goodman.
“With Foundation training, you are building a solid muscular base. From there you can go anywhere with flexibility, power, and endurance. Once you learn to move properly, there are few limits to what you can achieve physically,” reveals Park.
Peter shares with Healthy Hollywood 3 core exercises. Each exercise teaches you to keep the core tense in a long position, lengthening abs and creating a sleek, long physique.
1. Lunge Stretch:
This exercise lengthens the front and side of your body. So often we are in a forward flexed position. Works the abs, hip flexors, and chest muscles.
Get into a long lunge with your right leg forward, knee slightly bent. Make sure your right knee is pressed behind your ankle, not over your toes. Keep your left foot facing forward and your back heel pressing toward the ground.
Extend your spine from the hips and raise your arms overhead. As you extend, you should feel a stretch at the hip flexors of the back leg.
Laterally flex your upper body to the right, away from your left (or back) leg, while keeping extension in your spine. Keep your hips squared. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat with other leg.
2. Back Extension:
This exercise is used to begin teaching the lower back muscles, both superficial and deeper layers, to contract and begin adapting to resistance. Without a strong low back, you will not be able to move properly. Works the lower back muscles.
Lie flat on your stomach with your arms stretched out in front of you. Look at the floor a few inches in front of you; do not extend your neck to look straight.
Bring your elbows and forearms off the floor, and pull your elbows hard into your rib cage/mid-back, using your shoulder blades.
Lift your upper body off the floor, leading with your chest. Keep your feet flat on the ground to avoid excess spinal compression.
Slowly lower your chest while keeping your elbows and hands off the ground. Repeat 15 times.
3. Windmill:
This exercise stretches and lengthens the abductor muscle group of the inner thigh. Works the glutes and the hamstrings.
Start in a very wide-legged Founder position, legs slightly bent and hips pushed back, with your weight on your heels. Bring your arms out in front of you and hold for 15 seconds.
Raise your arms, keeping your weight on your heels and your shoulder pulled down your back.
Keeping your shoulders back and your back flat with your knees slightly bent, fold forward, bringing your right arm down to the ground below your chest. Rotate your left arm as high as you can in a twist. Keep pelvis squared, make sure knees are bent. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
Switch by bringing your left arm to the floor, pulling your weight farther back on heels and switching arms. Rotate right arm as high as you can in a twist. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Do 3 rotations per arm.
For more workout tips, go to www.foundationroots.com. In addition, there is an enhanced eBook, which give readers opportunity to watch videos of how exercises should performed and is available at www.apple.com/itunes.
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