Alex Robles, MD, NASM

Certified Personal Trainer

Dr. Alex Robles is a Physician, Certified Personal Trainer, and the Founder of the White Coat Trainer. Dr. Robles specializes in helping busy professionals get strong, build muscle, and lose fat. He holds a BS in Biology and an MD from Cornell University. He completed his OB/GYN Residency at New York Presbyterian Cornell. Dr. Robles is also a NASM Certified Personal Trainer.

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Forum Comments (1)

I want six pack abs. Tell me your secrets!

I like ski ab exercises for this. So, in the standard push-up position, you want your hands to be directly underneath your elbows. Keep your elbows to be directly underneath your shoulders. And when you have your legs straight up behind you, you almost want to assume a position called a posterior pelvic tilt, which requires an arched back. From there, jump and move both of your hands out to your side while moving your feet towards one of your hands so they're both on one side of your body. And as you're doing this, you're going to try to maintain that same posterior pelvic tilt. Once you're in a position, jump your feet back to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

Q&A Comments (2)

How can you build arm muscle without lifting weights?

Try an exercise like the horizontal push—this includes the push-up and all kinds of push-up variations. It's all about training the muscles in the anterior upper torso, which includes your chest, triceps and shoulders. You can also try a vertical push, which primarily targets the shoulder and triceps muscles. For this exercise, get in a push-up position, walk your hands back towards your feet, and do a push-up by bringing your forehead down towards the ground.

What exercises can I do to strengthen my arms?

Mix pushing and pulling exercises to build arm strength. Push-ups are a great start and work your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Try variations like incline (easier), decline (harder), close-grip, or pseudo-plank push-ups to target your shoulders more. For overhead strength, do pike push-ups: start in a push-up position, walk your hands toward your feet into a "V" shape, and lower your forehead to the ground. As your arm get stronger, move to handstand push-ups using a wall. Pull-ups are great for your biceps and back; if they’re too hard, use resistance bands, practice lowering yourself slowly, or use a sturdy bar. Rows help balance your pushing strength and work your upper back and arms—use a sturdy table or rings to pull your chest toward the support. Do these exercises 2-3 times a week, adding reps or difficulty as you improve, to build strength and prevent injury.

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