Like pullups, dips are an amazing
upper body blaster. They work your shoulders, chest, and triceps. Static
dips do the same thing, and they're easy to do.
To perform static dips, you'll need two kitchen or dining room chairs.
Position the chairs slightly more than shoulder width apart, with the
seats facing each other. Move into the gap between the chairs, and place
your hands firmly on the seats. Then, lower yourself until your arms form
right angles. You should immediately feel the load on you shoulders,
triceps, and chest.
L-sit
If you've ever watched gymnastics,
you've probably seen competitors on the rings or on the pommel horse hold
themselves in an "L" position. That takes a lot of strength, the kind you
can build by doing what I call an L sit.
To do the L sit, take two chairs and place them slightly more than
shoulder width apart, with the seats facing each other. Move into the gap
between the chairs, and place your hands firmly on the seats. Lift your
legs off the floor and try to hold them straight out in front of you.
You'll really feel it in your shoulders and abs.
If you can't do a full extension of your legs, try raising your knees up
and let your lower legs dangle. As you get stronger, try extending your
legs. It will take a while to be able to do that, but you'll notice your
gains in strength as you keep doing the exercise.