| Search results - "chest" |
Form: Proper Standing Form for BackKeep your chest up and out at all times and look straight ahead. The illustration left demonstrates improper form – slumped over, back rounded, legs locked. The illustration on the right demonstrates proper form – chest up and out, looking straight ahead, rear pushed out to shift center of gravity, and legs slightly bent (exaggerated in this illustration). Note the slight curvature of the lower back.
|
|
Form: Proper Seated FormDo not slump into the chair, as in the illustration. Instead, keep the chest up and out. With proper form, most people will find that their lower back does not touch the chair, as a slight curve will be present. Also note that the shoulders are pulled back, chest is up and out, and knees are over the ankles. With most exercises, your knees should be over your ankles and the same height as your hips.
|
|
Exercise: Barbell Bench or Chest PressBegin by lying on your back. Your knees should be over your ankles and the same height as your hips and shoulders. Grasp the bar wide enough so that your arms form a right angle when your elbows are at the same level as your shoulders. Thrust the bar upwards until just before locking out completely – this is important, your arms will be straight but do not lock them, as this places undue stress on the elbow joint. When you perform this exercise with dumbbells, your palms should face your feet.
|
|
Exercise: Standing Barbell CurlStart with arms about shoulder width apart, palms facing away. Your chest should be up and out to properly align the spine. Look straight ahead. Knees should be slightly bent. Do not hang the arms completely down – keep them with a slight bend at the bottom to keep tension on the biceps (the muscle located on the inside of your upper arm). Now, contract the biceps and drive the bar up towards your chest. Do not bring the bar all of the way up – stop when you feel the tension coming off the muscle.
|
|
Exercise: Hammer CurlGrasp a dumbbell in each hand. Start with your arms hanging by your side, palms facing your body. This is known as the neutral position. Keep your chest up and out to align the spine. Your legs should be straight, but not locked. Flex your biceps and bend at the elbow, driving the weight up. Stop when you feel the tension start to leave your upper arm. Do not allow your elbows to drift forward (they should remain below or behind your shoulders throughout the movement). Do not straighten your arms at the bottom of the movement – keep them slightly bent so that tension will remain on your biceps.
|
|
Exercise: Dumbbell FlyeGrasp a dumbbell in each hand. Lie on the bench on your back. Your knees should be over your ankles. Keep the chest up and out to align the spine. Start with your arms stretched straight above you, with a slight bend in your elbow. Your wrists should remain over your shoulders or just inside them – do not “touch” at the top (this will take tension off of the chest). Now, slowly spread your arms and maintain a slight bend in your elbow until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Your elbows should be slightly below your shoulders. From this position, contract your chest muscles and squeeze to bring your arms back up and complete the rep. Variations include incline and decline. For these, you will move the weight in a plane perpendicular to your body (so, for incline, your arms will be slightly in front of you, and for decline, your arms will be slightly over your head).
|
|
Exercise: Standing Military (Shoulder) PressTypically, this exercise would start at the front of the chest. If specified, you may perform this behind the neck. Behind the neck does place stress on the rotator cuff and may cause impingement, so this exercise is not recommended behind the neck if you have any type of rotator cuff condition. Start with the bar at the top of your chest (elbows will be below shoulders). Contract your shoulder muscles and drive the bar upwards, stopping just before your arms lock out. Return to the start position, but do not rest the bar on your chest or upper back. Find a grip that your wrist will be directly over your elbow when your elbow is on the same level as your shoulder. In other words, when your upper arm is parallel to the floor, your arm should be bent at a right angle.
|
|
Exercise: Seated Lat PulldownSit in the chair. Keep your chest up and out to align your spine. Legs are either bent or locked underneath a support for heavy weights. Start either beneath or slightly behind the pull-down bar. Your arms should be over your head with a slight bend (do not lock them out!). Bring your shoulder blades together (scapular retraction) and keep them retracted during the entire rep. Focus on pulling from your back and lower the bar to the top of your chest, just below the base of your neck. Keep your chest up and out during the entire rep. Return the bar to the original position, again not allowing your arms to lock out. A standard grip is one where your arms form a right angle when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. In other words, when your elbows are the same height as your shoulders, they should be directly underneath your wrists. A wide grip is anything wider than the standard grip. A narrow grip can typically be defined by extending your thumbs and sliding your hands together until the tips of your thumbs touch – this is the width for a narrow grip. When performing these behind the neck, pull the bar to the top of your upper back or the base of the back of your neck.
|
|
Exercise: Pull-upGrip the bar overhead. To find your grip width, hold your upper arms parallel to the floor and bend at the elbow so that your forearms are vertical. Your arms will be making a right angle. This is the distance to grip the bar. A wide grip is outside of this position, and a narrow grip is inside of this position. A reverse-grip is with palms facing you, a regular grip is with palms facing away from you. Hang and bend your legs (you may cross them if necessary, but keep in mind that if you have any type of back condition, you should keep them uncrossed). Let yourself hang and be perfectly still – do not jump into the pull-up. Now, pull your shoulder blades together to retract your scapula and pull upwards. You should raise yourself so that shoulders are level with your wrists, preferably so that your chest is level with the bar (or the base of your neck for pull-ups behind the neck). Slowly lower yourself in a controlled fashion, stop completely at the bottom with arms fully extended then perform the next rep.
|
|
Exercise: Seated Cable RowStart sitting on the floor or a pad. Feet should be proper against the machine. Your legs should be slightly bent. Keep your chest up and out for proper alignment of the spine. Grasp the bar or rope, then squeeze your shoulder blades together (scapular retraction) and maintain this for the entire rep. Pull the bar or rope towards you, keeping your forearms parallel to the ground and elbows in tight by your sides. Stop when your wrists are just touching your torso. Do not lean forward our backwards during this movement – your torso should remain erect with your shoulders directly over your hips. A typical grip is with your palms facing each other. You may use a palms-down or palms-up grip. A standard grip distance is the distance between your wrists when your arms are hanging naturally by your sides. Anything inside of this is a narrow-grip, and anything outside of this is a wide-grip.
|
|
Exercise: One-armed Dumbbell RowGrasp a dumbbell in one hand. Position yourself on a bench so that the same leg as the arm holding the dumbbell is on the bench. Your other leg will be slightly bent, and your opposite hand will grip the bench for support. Keep your chest up and out to align your spine, and look straight ahead. You should maintain lordosis throughout this exercise. Focusing on your back, pull the dumbbell up. Keep your elbows tight by your side. Raise the dumbbell as far as it will comfortably go, then return it to the start position. You should not let your arm “hang” at the end, but maintain a slight bend to keep constant tension on your back muscles.
|
|
Exercise: Lying Triceps ExtensionsThese may be performed seated, standing, or lying. In all cases, your knees should remain over your ankles and your chest up and out to align the spine. Raise your arms over your head, so that your elbows are either directly above your shoulders or slightly behind them (i.e. over your head). The standard grip is with your wrists the same distance apart as they are when hanging naturally by your sides, and palms facing up and away from your body. Bend at the elbow and lower the bar over your head as far as it will comfortably go without your elbows moving. Contract your triceps and drive the bar back to the start position. Some people prefer lockout in this exercise; we prefer a slightly bend to keep constant tension on the muscle and off the elbow joint. A reverse grip would be with palms facing in or towards you.
|
|
Exercise: Stiff-legged DeadliftThis exercise works the hamstrings. Start with your wrists hanging naturally by your sides and grasp the barbell with this grip width. If the weight is excessively heavy, you may use wrist-wraps to support your grip. Pull the barbell from the rack and step back. Keep your legs slightly bent throughout this exercise. To protect your back, proper spine alignment is crucial. Keep your chest up and out, and look straight ahead. Pull your shoulder blades together (scapular retraction). Bending at the waist, slowly lower the barbell. Keep it close to your body (if it rubs across your legs, that is fine). You may have to allow your rear to drift out over your ankles in order to maintain your balance; as long as you keep your chest up and out, this is fine. Continue to bend until your back starts to round or until the barbell clears your knees. Focus on contracting your hamstrings to return to the start position. At the top, reset your shoulders to maintain scapular retraction.
|
|
Exercise: Lying Hamstring CurlLie on your stomach on the bench. Place your knees on the pads and hook your ankles underneath the machine. Keep your chest up and out, and either look down or straight ahead. Your hips and shoulders should remain in-line throughout this exercise – do not raise your rear or hips from the bench (if you must, you are using a weight that is too heavy). Point your toes and keep them pointed. Contract your hamstrings and curl the weight up. Start with your ankles slightly above your knees; do not return to a straight-leg position until you are through with the exercise (this will keep tension on your hamstrings). Curl up as far as you can go (many people can touch their lower backs at the top of the curl movement), then return to the start position with your ankles above the level of your knees.
|
|
Exercise: Seated Leg ExtensionSit in the leg extension machine. Adjust the bench so that your knees are in line with the pivot on the extension, and the pads fit comfortably over the tops of your feet. Keep your chest up and out and look straight ahead. Flex your quadriceps and bring your legs forward so that your ankles are slightly in front of your knees. This is the start position – you should not go any lower than this until you are done with the exercise! Now, extend your leg so that it is straight. Unless you have any type of condition with your knee joint, you may lock at the top, but keeping your legs slightly unlocked will increase tension and the effectiveness of the exercise. Return to the start position to complete the rep.
|
|
Stretch: Shoulder StretchShoulder Stretch – take one arm and place it across the front of the chest. Now, use the other arm to pull the first arm across body and towards the chest.
|
|
| 26 files on 2 page(s) |
 |
1 | |
|
Contact
Terms and Conditions
Help! (Getting Started)