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| This list features different exercises and their meanings from the bodybuilding or fitness world, and explains how to complete them. The explanations are from various sources, including bodybuilding and fitness magazines. |
Lie across a bench with only your shoulders on the padded surface and your feet flat on the floor. Grasp a dumbbell with both hands, palms against the inside of the top plate. Hold the dumbbell at arm's length (with your elbows slightly bent) over your chest. Inhale deeply while simultaneously lowering the dumbbell behind your head in a smooth arc. While lowering the dumbbell, drop your hips toward the floor to increase the stretch. Keep your hips low until the weight is returned slowly to the start position. Use a weight that will allow you to perform 15 to 20 reps. Beginners should try 1 or 2 sets while advanced lifters perform 3 - 4 sets. If you did not feel a tremendous stretching sensation through the ribcage, your probably didn't drop your hips down all the way or take a deep breath. You'll know what we mean when it happens. Lean on a bench with your left hand and left knee. Your back should be parallel to the floor. Grab a dumbbell with your right hand at arm's length. Keeping your head level with your back, pull the dumbbell up into your lower rib cage area, palm facing toward your body. Hold there for a 2-count while you flex the back muscle tightly. Lower the weight slowly back to full extension. Basic purpose of the lying dumbbell triceps extensions is to develop the overall triceps with director focus on the outer triceps muscles. Lie flat on a bench, head even with the end. Feet can be flat on the floor or up on the bench, whichever suits you. Hold two dumbbells extended overhead, palms facing each other, as if you were about to start dumbbell flyes. From this position, lower the dumbbells back towards your head by bending your elbows. Your upper arms should stay fixed. The dumbbells will descend past the sides of your head until your triceps are fully stretched. Your upper arms will slant towards your head slightly. Now press the dumbbells back up in an arc (keeping your arms slanted back) until your elbows lock out. Flex your triceps hard. Repeat the movement. Focus on the muscles being worked. Work the muscles, not the exercise. In other words, don't feel the exercise being worked. The dumbbells are only a means to an end. By keeping your upper arms slanted slightly back toward the head, you maintain constant tension on the triceps muscles. If you bring the upper arms perpendicular to the floor, you reduce stress on the muscle, this losing the full effectiveness of the exercise. Control the weight. Perform slow, deliberate reps. Avoid going too fast and getting into a rhythm. Stop at the top and flex hard. Lower to full stretch, pause momentarily to help control the movement and then press back up. Avoid using dumbbells that are too heavy and cause loose, sloppy form. This will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise on the triceps muscles. It will bring on other muscles into play, perhaps causing injury. Set an incline bench at a 5-10 degree angle. With a pair of dumbbells in your hands, lie back. Extend the dumbbells over your head, palms facing together. Lower the weights out and down in an arc while keeping your arms slightly bent. Go as low as is comfortable, then bring the weights back up through the same arc to the starting point. Pretend you're hugging somebody. Remember, keep the dumbbells in a wide arc, do not press them up from bottom position. Don't smash the weight together at the top. Use smooth, controlled reps. Concentrate on squeezing your chest muscles as you bring the weights together. Defined as exercises which involve only one muscle and one joint . These are different from the many exercises which are multi-joint in nature and typically involve several different muscles and are referred to as Structural exercises. Your target zone are the Side Delts. Stand with two dumbbells at your sides, with your palms facing in towards your thighs. With your elbows slightly bent, slowly raise the dumbbells away from your sides; as the dumbbells reach shoulder height, make sure your little fingers are level with or higher than your thumbs. Lift the dumbbells up to about shoulder height, but no higher than that; pause at the top for a contraction and then return to the starting position. Your target zone with leg curls are your hamstrings, also known as your leg biceps. Lie prone (face down) on the bench of a leg curl machine and hook your heels under the support pads. Keeping your body flat against the bench, raise your heels toward your butt until you can’t lift the weight any farther. Lower the weight slowly to the starting position and repeat. Don’t rush through the exercise; feel the hamstrings contracting and stretching as you lift and lower the weight. Your target zone are your thighs (Quadriceps). Sit on a leg extension machine and place the tops of your feet under the foot pads. With your lower back firmly against the seat, slowly lift your lower legs until your knee joint reach the locked position. Pause for a contraction, then slowly return to the starting position. Leg extensions, ideal for isolating the quads, are an effective warm up for the squats that follow Sit on a bench sideways, grasping the edges for support. With knees bent, raise your legs slightly and then straighten them, leaning backward as balance requires. Now lift your knees up toward your chest, keeping your lower leg pointed downward, and flex your abs really hard. Keep continuous tension on the abs throughout this movement. This exercise works both upper and lower abs. The basic purpose of lunges on the Smith Machine is to develop and separate the muscles in the thigh and shape the muscles in the glutes. Step into the Smith machine and place the bar across your shoulders / traps as you would to squat. Put your right foot two feet in front of you. stretch your left leg back as far as you can with little or not weight on it. Lower with the weight until your thigh is parallel with the floor and your left knee almost touches the floor. Now drive the weight back up using your right leg only, pushing hard from the heel. Finish your set with one leg and then repeat with the other. Your target zone are the Front Delts. Your supporting and secondary muscles are your side and rear delts, triceps and traps. Sit on a bench with your back supported. With a wide grip – four to five inches past shoulder width – hold the bar at upper chest level. With your elbows back (don’t let them move in front of your hands), press the weight directly overhead. Lock out at the top – your arms should be straight – and slowly lower the bar to the starting position. Bend at your waist and knees to grasp either dumbbells or a barbell on the floor with an overhand grip. Straighten your torso and lift the weight as if performing an upright row; rather than stopping at the top, raise the weight overhead in one continuous motion by rolling your wrists back and 'throwing' the bar or dumbbells overhead. Reverse the movement to return to the start position. One of the most overlooked exercises in bodybuilding. An excellent exercise in developing the lats and lower-trap fibers, and stresses the biceps quite well, too. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, hands about 10 inches apart. From an extended position, pull yourself high until your elbows are close to your ribs. As you pull up, lean back by arching your back in an attempt to bring your face next to the bar as opposed to under it. Breathe in deeply as you begin the movement and exhale forcefully once you're through the sticking point. Stand in front of a high pulley with your feet shoulder width apart. Grasp the pulley handle with one hand using a reverse grip and stand back, bending slightly at your hips. Hold the handle so that you upper arm and elbow are vertical and slightly in front of your body with a 90 degree bend in your elbow. Slowly push down on the handle until your arm is fully extended and behind you, then slowly return it to the starting position. Repeat for the required number of reps, then switch arms and perform the same number of reps. Lying facedown on the floor, place your palms next to your chest a little wider than shoulder width apart. Keeping your body straight, lift up until you are supported on your hands and the balls of your feet. Press up until your arms are extended, then lower your body. Remember, keep your body straight and back flat. Position yourself in front of a counter, with your hands resting on the edge about shoulder width apart. Move your feet back so your body is positioned at a 45-55 degree angle. Now perform 'Pushoffs' as you would flat floor pushups. This is the same routine as a Flat Floor Pushup, except you put your feet elevated on a bed or chair. Lie on your back on the floor, hands at the sides of your head. Bring your knees up while keeping your feet flat on the floor. Let each knee fall out to the side, down to the floor, or as far as your flexibility allows. Once you have assumed the 'frog' position, lift you shoulders only up off the floor as high as possible while crunching the abdominal muscles. Your legs remain steady and still throughout the exercise. This works the upper abs. Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet crossed in the air. Place your hands at the sides of your head and sit up, forcing your head toward your knees, while keeping your legs and feet as stationary and steady as possible. Really try to crunch your abs at the top of the movement. Lower yourself back to the starting position slowly. (Placing your hands on your lower abdomen will make this exercise easier). This exercise works both upper and lower abs. Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand as if you are about to descend into a lunge; one foot extended in front, the other extended back, torso upright. Jump off your front leg and switch your legs in midair so that you land in the opposite lunge position. Repeat for the desired number of reps. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointed slightly outward, with a bar resting across your shoulders and traps. Descend into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Explode upward; as your hips and knees approach full extension, jump off the balls of your feet. Upon landing, move immediately into another squat. Look straight ahead and keep your torso and neck muscles tight throughout. In one continuous motion, descend into a quarter squat with a barbell resting across your traps and drive back up through your heels. As you stand up, push up off the balls of your feet. Start by placing the barbell on your upper back and while standing with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Check your balance to make sure your feet remain flat on the ground. Now squat down slowly until your upper thighs are about parallel to the floor. If your legs and knees are not quite warmed up yet, do your first few squats a little less deeply. At first, you will feel like you need to lean forward to keep your balance. This can be altered by leaning your head back and keeping your lower back straight. Maintain your body weight on your heels and mid-foot. Resist going up on your toes to maintain balance. Do approximately 10 to 12 reps on your first set to make sure you are getting the movement down. The lower spine must remain straight and inflexible. Barbell Squats build the muscles of the frontal thigh (Quadriceps) and the posterior hip region (Glutials). You will also feel the effect on the muscles of the lower back and the Hamstrings. It is always a good idea to warm up and stretch before working a muscle group. A good stretch for the pec muscles uses a doorway. Step through the doorway, reaching back with both arms. Hold the doorway on either side, as shown, then stick your chest out. Hold for 10 -15 seconds, relax, the repeat 2-3 times. Try to stretch a little further each time. Defined as exercises which are multi-joint in nature and typically involve several different muscles. These are different from the many exercises which involve only one muscle and one joint and are referred to as Isolation exercises. Some examples of the primary structural exercises include the squat variations (back, front, split), lunge, deadlift, shoulder press, bench press and rowing variations (upright, bent-over, seated). Other structural exercises that are important for power development include the Olympic lifts, which are the snatch and clean and jerk, and parts of these lifts (hang pulls). Your target zone is your Triceps. Stand in front of a triceps pushdown machine and grasp the bar with an overhand grip, slighly less than shoulder width. Tuck your elbows into your sides, bend slightly forward at the waist and position the bar at upper chest level. Relying only on your lower arms to move the weight, push the bar down to arm’s length and squeeze your triceps. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. |
