Stuart Taylor is the Founder of PerfecTone and one of the UK’s most respected training and fitness experts, so we wanted to tap into his expertise and see if our tall work outs should be tailored to our extra inches. Taylor is best known for his TV roles, including Head Coach on Gladiators, Total Wipeout, Celebrity Wrestling and International King of Sports, as well as being the fitness industry expert on The Apprentice and the featured personal trainer on Fat Families and Britain’s Hardest. Taylor has also trained many celebrities from stage, screen and professional sport.

The Human race has over six billion different variations of the same species. Every person is individual with a completely unique set of characteristics. We are all wonderfully different in so many ways: Genetics, self-motivation, self-discipline, desires, dreams, metabolisms, body types/shapes.

Some lucky individuals are tall with the potential for long lean muscles and a flat toned stomach.For ladies of the tall variety, training can be challenging! Long legs in a kick boxing class can mean an unfortunate roundhouse kick collision with the person training in the space in front of you. In yoga it can mean a large area needed for a sun salutation or your warrior pose. Your running style may feel slightly awkward and adjusting the bike seat in the gym may be a constant pain.

For every challenge there is always a solution and for the vertically blessed (tall) minority the pros outweigh the cons considerably!

With long legs comes the opportunity to achieve long lean legs. With long arms the gift of a toned look. With a long torso comes the chance for a slim flat stomach. This won’t appeal to all but to those who do crave the long, lean, slim toned look, a height advantage is a genetic boost to achieving your goals quicker.Core strength and core stability are essential for tall individuals. A long spine leaves a vulnerable lumbar area, which can lead to lower back pain. This c
an be managed very easily with a simple workout routine to strengthen and stabilise the targeted area.

To achieve the long lean body that looks toned, you must have a balanced workout targeting most of the major muscles in the body. The workout below will strengthen the areas where you may feel weak and will accentuate the areas where you are strong.

1 Marching on Spot

  • Stand on the spot, raising one leg and opposite arm
  • Leg raised so thigh horizontal
  • Arm bent at elbow with forearm horizontal
  • Balance on balls of feet
  • Repeat with opposite arm at leg.

2 Authentic Crunch

  • Bend knees, Dig heels into the floor
  • Place fingers by temple
  • Crunch, flexing spine, bringing elbows towards the knees

3 Plank

  • Body in a straight line from back of head to back of heels
  • Weight evenly distributed, engage deep abdominal muscles.

4 Side Lunges with Toe Touches

  • Step to left side, bending left knee bringing right hand down to touch left toe, keeping arm and right leg straight
  • Reverse movement to return to start position
  • Repeat using alternative arm and leg.

5 Face Down Supermans

  • Keeping chest on floor, simultaneously raise left arm and right leg
  • Keep arm and leg straight
  • Return to start position, raise alternative arm and leg.

6 Squat and Rotate

  • Lock hands in front of body fingers pointed upwards
  • Squat down keeping hands in front of body
  • On upward movement, twist at hips to extend arms straight to left side of body, weight on left foot, right foot lifted to be on toes
  • Repeat moving to right side of body.

7 Beginners Press Up

  • Arms straight, knees on floor
  • Feet raised and crossed at the angles
  • Perform press up.

8 Single Leg Touchdowns

  • Weight on right leg, bend left leg, bring knee up and forward to hip height
  • Move left leg backwards and straighten it simultaneously bending forward to put hands on the floor in front of the body, with straight arms
  • Change legs half way through your time.

Perform each exercise for 45 seconds allowing 15 seconds between each one. You run through all 8 exercises before you rest. Allow 2 minutes rest then repeat the circuit.

No equipment is needed for this workout so it can be performed almost anywhere. The whole workout will take less than 20 minutes so you can squeeze it into your morning routine or whenever you prefer.Remember, being vertically blessed, you are genetically gifted to look great! Embrace your potential and start your journey to healthier happier you.

Best of luck

Stu

Originally posted Tall Guides 22 September 2016