How to get perfect posture, according to the Ken Doll of the fitness world

Sorry, Amy Cuddy. We’ve found a new posture guru, and his oiled abs glisten just a little bit more than yours.

Los Angeles-based trainer Jason Wimberly is truly Barbie’s soul-mate come to life, but he’s way more than a shiny six pack.

Wimberly, who just may the most caring, genuine, funny trainer you’ll ever meet, teaches cycling classes at Equinox and is the creator of Wimberlean, a Pilates- and ballet-inspired whole-body fitness technique using resistance bands. The method puts a lot of emphasis on good (no, great) posture—and he believes standing up straight has all kinds of benefits, from making your booty look ah-mazing to boosting your confidence.

“With good posture, you look better, you feel better, and you breathe better,” he says, while just, you know, standing around generally radiating poise. (Thanks to Cuddy’s research, we know he’s not making this up, by the way.) Plus, there’s the fact that it protects your body. “If we don’t have correct posture, it can lead to serious injuries and ailments,” he adds.

To get you started, he created this series of four Wimberlean moves that are great for balance, correcting posture imbalances, and strengthening your core, lower back, and upper back.

For all of the exercises, you can use Wimberlean bands or any basic resistance bands. No, body oil and booty shorts are not required. But hey, stop being so uptight and live a little, okay? —Molly Gallagher

(All photos: Jason Wimberly)

1. Upright Row and Plie Squat with Shoulder Press

Aim for 15 reps

1. Wrap your medium-to-heavy resistance band around the middle of your fist and reaching in front of you. In second position, sit into a deep turned out plié squat as you pull your elbows wide, keeping your arms parallel to the floor. Make sure to squeeze your elbows back, and that your knees are going directly over your toes as you sit down.

2. Keeping the band stretched, straighten your arms and lift the band overhead as you raise high onto your toes, holding for two seconds before sitting back into the plié.

2. Lower Back Extension with Unilateral Upright Row

Aim for 10–15 on each side

1. Lying face down on a mat, wrap your light resistance band around the middle of your hands. Keeping your feet on the ground, squeeze your glutes, and raise your chest and upper body off the ground reaching your arms long in front of you.

2. With the band pulled shoulder-width apart, pull one arm back at a time keeping the elbow high as you pull and the wrist as flat as possible. Ensure the opposite arm is straight as you pull back.

3. Traveling Plank with Resistance

Aim for 10 reps

1. Start standing tall with your light to medium resistance band wrapped around your wrists. Pull the band taught to shoulder width making two fists.

2. Pike down so your hands hit the floor and begin to crawl out, inching your hands with the band wrapped tight until you reach a high plank position.

3. Once in the high plank, walk each hand out further until you’ve traveled at least six inches. Return to high plank.

4. Side Lunge to Curtsy with Rear Row

Aim for 15 reps each side

1. Using a light to medium resistance band wrapped around your wrist, step into a wide side lunge with the band in front of your chest. Make sure your front knee is behind the tips of your toes.

2. With the same leg, immediately sit back into a deep curtsy as you flex the wrists and pull the band wide across your chest, squeezing the should blades together.

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