Exercises for when you must increase your bust

By Daisy Carrington, amNewYork Deputy Features Editor | daisy.carrington@am-ny.com

September 5, 2007

Curses to gravity for bringing down what was once a perfectly inflated bosom.

I'd propose taking arms against the uglifying force, but unfortunately it's just too powerful. Or is it?

While throwing a bomb at gravity will do little to appease our army of breasts, there is a secret weapon that can give the clamorous, mountainous mob a little lift: Pilates.

Alycea Ungaro, owner of the TriBeCa studio Real Pilates, has devised a workout for women guaranteed to give back a little youth where it counts. Men who have found their chest muscles softening may also find this routine useful.

1. The hundred
Lie on your back cupping a Pilates roll-up bar (a four-pound bar is preferred) between the palms of your hands, with your knees drawn in toward your chest. In one motion, extend your legs out to a 45-degree angle and curl your upper body into a crunch, sinking your abdominal muscles inward and upward. Hold this position and pulse your arms as though you are squeezing the bar. Continue this invisible pumping for 100 counts, breathing in for five counts and out for five counts until you reach 100.

2. The hug
Sit cross-legged with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms outstretched to your sides. As though you were pulling heavy cables, inhale and hug your arms toward your center, creating a circle in front of you. Now exhale and open your arms back out, pressing them apart with tremendous resistance. Repeat three times and then reverse your breathing.

3. Chest expansion
Kneel upright with your legs hip-width apart and a two- to three-pound dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms out in front of you. Inhale and pull your arms down and back behind you, retracting your shoulder blades. Lift your chest high and turn your head over one shoulder, then the other. Return to the center, exhale and bring your arms back to starting position. Repeat three sets of 10-15 reps, alternating your head turn with each rep.

4. Push-ups
Stand tall with your legs pushed tightly together and your waist lifted. Round down over your legs, reaching your fingertips to the floor. Walk your hands out to a plank position, lowering your hips as you go. Perform three push-ups with your knees either bent or straight, depending on your level. Pike your hips back up and walk your hands back toward your feet, stretching fully before rolling back up to a standing position. Repeat three sets breathing naturally throughout.