weight training

weighttraining excersises
The bench press is a form of weightlifting which primarily focuses on the development of the pectoral or chest muscles. The lifter lies on his/her back on a bench while pushing up and lowering down a weighted bar directly above the chest. While the exercise is primarily intended for the development of the chest, or pectoral muscles, it also helps develop the anterior deltoids, serratus anterior, as well as the triceps.

Contents
1 Variations
2 One-repetition fitness levels
2.1 Entry level requirements into the Hampton, New Hampshire Police Force
2.2 Vermont State Police MINIMUM entry standards
2.3 World records
3 See also
4 Notes


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Variations
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Can be performed on an incline, on a decline, or on a stabilizer ball. Incline-version shifts some of the stress from the pectorals to the anterior deltoids and gives a greater stimulus to the “upper” pectorals, whereas decline is more demanding for the “lower” pectorals.
Varying width grips can be used to shift stress between pectorals and triceps.
Can also be performed with dumbbells which incorporates more use of stabilizer muscles. However the barbell bench press is a better exercise for strength, whereas the dumbell bench press isolates the pectoralis.
Each variation is intended to work different subgroups of muscles, or work the same muscles in slightly different ways. In the short term, the working of these different muscles may not necessarily promote a significant performance increase for the traditional bench press, but rather serve as a long term foundation to achieving an increase to an individual’s “one rep max”.


One-repetition fitness levels

Entry level requirements into the Hampton, New Hampshire Police Force
Multiply figure by body weight [1]:

Age Males Females
18-29 .96 .58
30-39 .86 .52
40-49 .78 .48
50-59 .70 .43
60+ .65 .41


Vermont State Police MINIMUM entry standards
Multiply figure by body weight [2]:

Age Males Females
20-29 1.06 .65
30-39 .93 .57
40-49 .84 .52
50-55 .75 .46


World records
The previous world record for the heaviest bench press at 1005 lb (456 kg) was set by Gene Rychlak under International Powerlifting Association rules in November 2004. This record was slightly broken. Scot Mendelson pressed 1,008 pounds on his first attempt at the Fit Expo at the 2006 Iron Man Bodybuilding contest on February 18, 2006. It must be noted that the different federations have subtly different rules on technique, the equipment that is allowed and whether performance enhancing drugs are tested for.

The heaviest “raw” bench press (without equipment such as denim shirts) is 713 lb (325 kg) by Scot Mendelson.

The world record for women’s bench press is 551 lb (250 kg), set on August 26, 2006 by Becca Swanson in Daytona Beach at the APF/WPO Debbie Kruck Bench Press Contest.


See also
Press up
International Powerlifting Federation rules: http://www.powerlifting-ipf.com/IPF_rulebook.pdf
The Ultimate Strength Chart: http://www.criticalbench.com/strengthchart.htm
Bent-over row
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A bent-over row is a weight training exercise.

To perform this, the exerciser supports themself on a workout bench with one knee and one hand. With the other hand they lift a dumbbell from the floor to their side, until their upper arm is just beyond horizontal or at the height of their back. This is then lowered until their arm is extended and shoulder stretched forward.

A variation of this exercise can be performed using a barbell, by bending forward and pulling the barbell towards the chest.

Another variation would be doing the motion with straight arms in a semi-lock out position , this is done to decreace the levrage and isolate the latssimus dorsi more.


External links
ExRx description of doing this with a dumbbell
ExRx description of doing this with a barbell
Biceps curl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



The biceps curl is sometimes performed on the preacher bench, which helps to keep the upper arm motionless.



Standing barbell curls exercise for biceps

The biceps curl is a generic term that refers to a number of weight training exercises which target the biceps brachii muscle in order to develop one or more of the following attributes:

size
definition
strength
stamina
Biceps curls can be done using any of the following equipment:

Dumbbell(s)
Barbell
E-Z bar (also known as a “Bent bar”)
Cable machine
Biceps curling machine
Although the exercises differ, a common factor of each is a ‘curling’ motion, where a weight—attached to an item of equipment listed above—is moved through an arc, primarily using the strength of the biceps. The biceps is contracted to lift the weight upward through the arc, to a point where further movement is not possible. The biceps is then extended, lowering the weight back through the arc, to the start position. This contraction and extension together constitute a single repetition.

For example, when performing a biceps curl with a barbell, stand straight, with feet a few inches apart, grasping the bar with an underhanded grip and curling the bar upwards and inwards towards the upper part of the arms. Elbows should be kept close to the body. The biceps should be flexed when the bar has reached the top of its journey. Lower the bar slowly and with control.

The biceps curl can be done as a normal curl and a hammer curl.

The world record is 425 lbs (195.5 kg), held by Ronnie Coleman.


Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biceps_curl“

Clean and press
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The clean and press is a weight training exercise, and was part of the sport of weightlifting in the Olympics until 1972. It was removed from Olympic weightlifting due to difficulties in judging proper technique.

The clean and press technique consists of the two main movements of which it is named. The athlete first lifts the bar to his shoulders from a crouched position during the clean, and then presses it above his or her head while keeping the back straight. The difficulty in judging originated in how straight the back and neck had to remain while the bar was being pressed. Many enthusiasts consider the Russian team the originators of the slightly-bent back technique during the press.


External links
Olympic Press Techniques: The Way They Did It Before 1972
Deadlift
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Deadlift is a weight training exercise where one lifts a loaded barbell (or, in the case of the trapbar deadlift, a loaded trapbar) off the ground from a stabilized bent-over position. It is one of the three gauges of powerlifting, and is an excellent exercise for overall body development if done properly.

Contents
1 Overview
2 Muscles involved
3 Variations
4 Dangers
5 Technique
6 Trivia
7 References
8 External links


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Overview
The deadlift is a compound movement that works all of the major and most of the minor muscles in the abdomen and lower body, with emphasis on the Erector spinae, lower back and back, along with the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus. The remaining muscles are involved in stability control. The areas that garner the most benefit from this are primarily the Erector spinae, lower back and back along with the hips, thighs, buttocks, calves and to some extent, the trapezius, latissimus dorsi and forearms. It is, in a sense, the purest single event test of strength because it is one of the few lifts of dead weight (weight lying on the ground). In most other lifts the weight changes direction or starts in the air and several other athletic skills such as balance, coordination are emphasized. For example, both Olympic weightlifting events require a great deal of athletic skill in addition to strength. In addition, it is commonly believed to be the oldest test of strength dating back to cultures who competed at lifting the heaviest stones.


Muscles involved
Torso
Front
Abdomen
Rectus abdominis (under aponeurosis)
Obliques
Obliquus externus abdominalis
Back
Iliocostalis
Intertransversarii laterales lumborum
Latissimus dorsi
Levator scapulae
Longissimus
Quadratus lumborum
Rhomboideus major
Serratus posterior superior
Serratus posterior inferior
Splenius cervicis
Teres Major
Trapezius muscle
Legs
Quadriceps
Rectus femoris
Vastus lateralis
Vastus intermedius
Vastus medialis
Hamstrings
Biceps femoris muscle, long head
Biceps femoris muscle, short head
Semitendinosus
Semimembranosus
Hips
Gluteal muscles
Gluteus maximus
Gluteus minimus
Piriformis
Superior gemellus
Forearms
Flexor digitorum

Variations
The Romanian deadlift, in spite of its name, is not a true deadlift as the bar doesn’t touch the floor (except for initially picking the bar up) for the duration of the movement. If it does, it means proper form is not being executed. This variation places emphasis on the hamstrings and lower back. The method is to keep the knees almost straight through the motion, bending them very little, and bending mainly from the hips. This is the “almost straight leg” deadlift.

The Sumo deadlift is a variation of the deadlift whereby the legs are spread far apart to the sides, mimicking a sumo stance, hence the name. This variation changes the emphasis of the lift to the legs instead of the back, though it still plays a part to a lesser degree. The sumo deadlift is purported to be easier for those with large waists, and if done incorrectly, is capable of placing excessive stress on the hips and hamstrings, as well as the connective tissues of the pelvic bone and by extension, the lower back.

The archaic “dead weight lift”, or “dead weight lift with lifting bar” involved a T-bar with weight loaded on it while the lifter stood on sturdy chairs or other such platforms. An unbelievable amount of weight could be lifted in this manner due to its short range of motion; the main limitations are in the grip. This lift is similar to the modern day rack pulls, where a heavy amount of weight is lifted deadlift style a short distance in a power cage or squat rack.

There are three grips to use. Both overhand, both underhand, and a mixed overhand-underhand (sometimes called “offset,” “staggered,” “alternating”, or “mixed”) grip. Considering forearm strength, overhand and underhand grips still suffer from the bar potentially rolling about, which the mixed grip is capable of neutralizing, through the physics of reverse torsion. The mixed grip also allows more weight to be used for this reason.

In order to prevent the bar from rolling out of the hands, some lifters have been known to use an Olympic lifting technique known as the “hook” grip. This is similar to an overhand grip, but the thumbs are inside, allowing the lifter to “hook” onto them with the fingers. The hook grip can make it easier to hold heavier weights using less grip strength, and keeps both shoulders and elbows in a symmetrical position. While it theoretically takes much of the stress off of the joints which might be created by the twisting of a mixed grip it has the disadvantage of being extremely uncomfortable for the thumbs, something which those who advocate it says will pass once a lifter becomes accustomed to it. Another, but rarely used method is a combination of the mixed overhand-underhand grip and the hook grip, preferred by people who lift heavier weights than their grip can handle, but who don’t want to rely on lifting straps or other supportive gear.

The trapbar deadlift is a variation of the deadlift using a special U-shaped bar (a trapbar). This allows more clearance for the knees to pass “through” the bar.


Dangers
Improper form can precipitate new conditions, aggravate existing ones, and possibly cause injury, especially true the heavier one goes. Failure to keep the back straight during the movement causes undue stress to the spinal discs, by pinching the front and leaving a gap at the back, forcing the internal fluids to compress towards the back, and potentially causing at least one herniated disc. This is especially true of the lumbar region of the spine, which is designed to bear the bulk of the compressive forces on the upper body.

In addition, the compression can squeeze the spinal roots of the spinal cord, causing nerve-conditions like lumbago or sciatica.

Some weightlifters use special belts to keep their lower back stabilized. Whether or not these belts actually prevent injuries is debated.

Using an underhand grip is potentially hazardous on heavy deadlifts as a supinated grip shortens the biceps muscle and increases the load on it, possibly leading to a rupture of the muscle or connecting tendons. The risk is most notable in individuals without full flexibility in the elbow joint.


Technique
Start Position:

Feet shoulder width apart Symmetrical overhand grip* Bar against shins Shoulders vertically over the bar Back flat, pelvis and head aligned with spine Scapula retracted and depressed

Reverse the grip (over/under) when loading causes slippage. Use of straps should be minimized (for forearm size development in the bodybuilder, and grip strength in the athlete).
Get Set: (Immediately prior to take-off)

Extend the legs slightly to take up slack (tension on the bar). Inhale Brace the stomach muscles as if you are about to take a hit there. This creates a positive abdominal pressure to support the lift. Squeeze glutes. Raise tension in the upper back, where scapula position is to be held.

Take Off: (First pull from ground to just above the knees)

Extend the legs, imagining pushing the legs through the ground, using gluts as prime mover. As the legs extend, the trunk angle does not change (stays at the same angle as in start), i.e. the hips do not raise them faster than the shoulders?even slightly!). The upper back is maintained in a flat position (scapula retracted/depressed). Bar stays in contact with the skin at all times. Drive with legs?the back is a stabilizer!

Second Pull: (From just above the knees to standing)

Now you stand up, forcing the hips through with drive from the gluteals. Bar stays in contact with the skin at all times. Finish in an upright position (no need to hyperextend the trunk or roll the shoulders!). If the upper back position is held throughout, the shoulders will be down and back in the finish position automatically.

Lowering:

Unlike most exercises (including the squat), the eccentric phase of the deadlift is not a reverse mirror image of the concentric. Less importance is placed on the lowering phase unless there is a specific need; most lifters will lower the bar as quickly as possible while maintaining control.


Trivia
The All time world record is held by Andy Bolton (UK) with a conventional pull of 1003 lbs (455 kg, 2006), surpassing his previous record by 32 lbs. It was the first ever over 1000 lbs pull.

The all time sumo-style record currently belongs to Russian SHW (+125kg) Maxim Podtynny, who on 12th December 2001 lifted 412.5kg (909.4lbs).

The Romanian Deadlift was named by American lifters who saw a World Championship lifter from Romania performing it during the 1950’s.

In general (and without the use of supportive equipment), most people will be able to lift more weight with a deadlift than with a squat, owing to using supporting structures (which vary in strength just by their very nature) in a different manner, particularly the back and abdominal muscles. The deadlift makes more use of the back muscles, while the squat makes more use of the abdominal wall.


References
Exercise Prescription
Frédéric Delavier, Strength Training Anatomy, Human Kinetics, 2001, ISBN 0-7360-4185-0

External links
Standard deadlift, with animation
Romanian deadlift, with pictures
Sumo deadlift
Andy Bolton breaks the World Record

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadlift“

Forearm curl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The forearm curl is an exercise move. The exercise is performed by standing straight, with feet a few inches apart, or sitting down, with arm extended along the top of the thigh. Grasp the bar with an overhanded grip and curl the bar upwards and inwards towards the upper part of the arms. Elbows should be kept close to the body. Lower the bar slowly and with control.


Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forearm_curl“

French Curl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The French curl is a type of weight training exercise, primarily targeting the triceps muscles. It can be performed either with a barbell or two dumbbells.

1. In a supine position (laying on your back), hold the weight at arms length over your head. Keep your elbows just short of locked. 2. Slowly bend your elbow–moving your upper arm as little as possible–to lower the weight to just behind/above the head. 3. Extend your arms, raising the weight over your face.

Variation: Vertical French Curl In this variation, the exercise is performed while standing (or sitting on a device with a low backing–that allows your shoulders full range of movement). With respect to gravity, the weight is still lifted in the same manner. With respect to the body, the weight is instead held over the head rather than over the face.
As with all weight training movements, it is important to keep the weight under smooth control on both the way down and the way up. This exercise can be performed standing, sitting or lying on one’s back. As with most weight training exercises, it is recommended to start off with a lighter weight and then to gradually increase the weight as the muscles get stronger.

Note: This exercise is sometimes known as a skullcrusher or “nose-breaker”.

Good-morning
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




Variant of good morning exercise with dumbbell hung from arms rather than held behind the neck.

Good morning is a weight training exercise wherein a barbell is held on the shoulders, behind the head. The person bends forward bow at the hips and recovers to upright. The good morning is so called because the movement resembles bowing to greet someone. It involves the hamstrings but is primarily used to strengthen the lower back; the degree of knee bend used will change the focus — nearly straight-legged involving the hamstrings most.

It is important to note that the spine does not twist or round at any point during the movement. The lifter should rather concentrate on pushing the hips back while keeping the spine straight or arched.

To aid in preventing a rounded back, the lifter’s chin should remain upright. A common technique is to focus the eyes on a spot at about belt height during the lift, reversing direction after lowering when the eyes come in line with the spot. At the bottom of the range of motion, this keeps the chin up and the head tilted back, facilitating a flat or slightly arched spine.

The good morning is an essential exercise in the Westside Barbell method and is often trained to near limit maximums. Developing strength in the lift aids in the recovery of a “bad” squat, reducing the risk of injury. Properly applied, it can also strengthen an individual’s deadlift; for this reason, it is a key exercise in the conjugate method of training this lift.

In Olympic weightlifting, the good morning is used as an assistance exercise to train the second phase of the clean or snatch pull. In this variation, the lifter will descend, reverse direction, and accelerate the ascent, rising up onto the toes at the conclusion of the lift. This mimics the rapid hip extension and subsequent toe-rise during the clean and jerk or snatch.

The good morning is a controversial exercise as some will claim that it leads to lower back injuries. Famously, Bruce Lee seriously injured himself while performing the exercise after an inadequate warm-up and overconfidently selecting his working weight. On the other hand, the good morning can also strengthen the lower back and prevent injury when properly applied.


External links
ExRx’s description
J.V. Askem’s description
Video clip illustrating good morning exercise

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good-morning“

Leg press
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The leg press is a weight training exercise in which the individual pushes a weight away from them using their legs. The term leg press also refers to the apparatus used to perform this exercise. The leg press can be used to evaluate an athlete’s overall lower body strength.



Using the diagonal sled-type leg press machine.

There are two main types of leg press:

The diagonal or vertical ’sled’ type leg press. Cast iron weight disks (plates) are attached directly to the sled, which is mounted on rails. The user sits below the sled and pushes it upward with their feet. These machines normally include adjustable safety brackets that prevent the user from being trapped under the weight. A common mistake is to allow the sled to move all the way down, which may strain the knees and lower back. It should be lowered only until the knees are bent at a right angle (90 degrees).
The ‘cable’ type leg press, or ’seated leg press’, commonly found on multigyms. The user sits upright and pushes forward with their feet onto a plate that is attached to the weight stack by means of a long steel cable.
Contents
1 Muscle groups
2 Magnitude of Leg Press Lifts
3 See also
4 External links


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Muscle groups
The leg press works the following muscle groups:

Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Gluteus maximus
Varying the angle between the sled and the backrest and/or the position of the feet on the plate puts more emphasis on one or the other muscle group.

Being a compound exercise, the leg press is unquestionably more effective than isolation exercises like the leg extension or the leg curl. It is in turn less effective than the squat, which works the muscles of the lower back as well. Due to the safety concerns associated with the squat, however, the leg press is often used as the primary lower body exercise.


Magnitude of Leg Press Lifts
Since the leg press stabilizes the lifter while he presses with his legs, it is possible for strength trainers to press very heavy weights (compared to the weight used for other excercises). Television host Pat Robertson claims to have leg pressed 2,000 pounds (around 900 kg) and a later statement also claimed that his doctor was capable of a 2,700 pound (1225 kg) leg press. Bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman is featured in videos wherein he leg presses 2250 pounds (1020 kg). However, an AskMen.com article states that it is not uncommon for men to leg press over 2000 pounds, with some men going over 3000 pounds (1363 kg) using a limited-range of motion. Many teenagers are capable of 1000+ pounds also. Typically a person cannot do much more than double the weight of their standard 1-repetition, full-range leg-press when attempting limited-range strength straining (i.e., if they can do 500 pounds full-range they could do no more than 1,000 pounds for limited range training). To compare, the world record for the squat is 1220 pounds (553.4 kg), according to Monster Muscle Online.


See also
Health
Exercise
Kinesiology
Personal trainer
Sport psychology
Exercise physiology
Physical Fitness Badge
General Fitness Training
National Physical Fitness Award
Social influences on fitness behavior
President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

External links
AskMen.com - AskMen.com: leg presses over 3000 pounds not rare

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leg_press“

Lunge (exercise)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


For other uses, see lunge (disambiguation).

The lunge is a weight training exercise that is used to strengthen the quadriceps muscle, gluteal muscles and the muscles comprising the “hamstrings”, the semitendinosus, the semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris. It is usually made more difficult by holding dumbbells in each hand, but it can be performed without weights.

To perform the exercise, the individual stands with their feet shoulder-width apart, and then steps forward as far as they can. The motion is continued until the back knee is nearly touching the ground. Then they return to their starting position, and repeat the exercise by stepping forward with their other leg.

The lunge is sometimes performed on an incline to increase the difficulty even further.


Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunge_%28exercise%29“

Lying triceps extensions, also known as skull crushers, is one of the most stimulating exercises to the entire triceps muscle group in the upper arm. It works the triceps from your elbow all the way to your lats.


Execution
Lie on a flat bench with your feet on the ground and head just hanging off the top of it so the edge of the bench rests in the pit between your neck and head
Take your barbell (preferably an EZ Curl bar for optimal hand positioning) with an overhand grip (palms AWAY from you) and hold it out above your head so that your arms are supporting the weight but your arms are NOT straight over your face at 12:00, but more like 10 o’clock, with your feet at 3:00. All the weight should be on your triceps.
Now bend your arms at your elbow bringing the bar down close to the top of your forehead
Keep your elbows in the same position and don’t let them sway outward
Press back up to starting 10 o’clock position.

Important notes
make sure your elbows don’t move too much, try to keep them the same width apart during the whole movement
another variation is one done with dumbbells

External links
Tricep Workout Exercises

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lying_triceps_extensions“

Military press
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The military press is a weight training exercise that is often used for bodybuilding or powerlifting in which the lifter remains vertical and raises and lowers the bar directly above their shoulders. It is intended for the development of the shoulder, or deltoid muscles. This exercise can be performed either seated or standing. It can be either cleaned off the floor to the shoulders before pressing or done off of a rack.

Pulldown exercise
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Pulldown exercise or the Cable Lat Pulldown is a compound exercise designed to stress and develop the Latissimus dorsi (Lat). To feel this muscle in its motion, stand with your elbow in the air 45 deg from vertical above and in front of your shoulder. Rotate it through in a smooth arc down and back until it stops and is pointing down and back towards the floor at a 45 deg angle. The bunched up feeling in your back, where your arm hits, this is your Lat.

Pulldowns are a compound exercise because it does not completely isolate the Lat, the full range of the motion required by the exercise also works the biceps muscle in the arm and the muscles of the middle back. The exercise is useful when the weight to be used is larger or smaller than the bodyweight of the individual performing the exercise or, there are other mitigating factors that prevent the use of the chinup as effective for this muscle group. This is an excellent exercise for beginners to back work because it is a compound exercise. Ask your gym personnel or an experienced weight lifter for assistance in setting up and correct form.

Contents
1 Form
2 Other variations on this exercise
3 Notes
4 External links


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Form
Form is very important to weight training. Improper form will not stress the correct muscles, which will minimize the impact of performing the exercise and/or can result in injury if not performed safely. Try to concentrate on working the primary muscle involved when perfoming any exercise. If performing this exercise in the same workout as another that will stress the biceps, perform this one first (if the training of the Lat is your primary concern), in order to ensure full exhaustion of the Lat rather than failing due to the biceps, which can be more effectively isolated by other exercises such as biceps curls.

To properly accomplish this exercise the athlete sits on a bench as part of a Lat pulldown machine. The feet should be flat on the floor and knees tucked under a padded bar, to keep the athlete seated firmly. Depending on the desired width of the grasp (moving hands closer, or farther apart will stress different parts of the muscles) grasp the overhead bar in a pronated, sometimes called overhand grip (hands facing away from you towards the front, knuckles up and toward the rear) pull your shoulders straight down towards the floor and pull smoothly downwards on the bar. The move should be executed by concentrating on attempting to bring the shoulder blades together in the back and your elbows as far towards the floor as possible. Do not lean back and use your body weight to pull the bar down. Arch your back in the middle and complete the downward move by touching the center of the bar to the collarbone area or upper chest. Hold in this position briefly, concentrating on form and bringing the shoulderblades close and contracting the Lat. Slowly and in a controlled manner, return the bar upward until your arms are straight, then move your shoulder blades wide and shoulders up high as if you are shrugging and allow the pull of the bar to stretch the muscles in your back that were contracted performing the exercise. Relax for a second, pause and repeat the exercise until repetitions are complete or muscle is exhausted, according to your plan. The finish, at the top of the reach and the downward shoulder movement at the beginning, is very important in ensuring complete muscle involvement and maximizing benefits derived from performing the exercise. [1].


Other variations on this exercise
This exercise can be varied by changing two major positions involving the grip. Different widths of the hands from nearly twice as wide as shoulder width to as close as inside the shoulder, and changing the position of the hands from overhand, to supinated, to parallel will alter the path the elbows take and thus stress different portions of the muscle. In addition the use of multiple cables are used by advanced bodybuilders to escape the motion limitations imposed by the use of a single bar.


Notes
1. ^ The Weider System of Bodybuilding. Joe Weider, Bill Reynolds , Contemporary Books ; May 1983


External links
Additional Lat pulldown exercises and videos
Another nice discussion on the finer points of form

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulldown_exercise“

Shoulder shrug
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The shoulder shrug is an exercise in weight training. To execute the exercise, the lifter stands erect, hands about shoulder width apart, and raises the shoulders as high as possible, and then lowers them, while not bending the elbows, or moving the body at all. Shoulder shrugs are used to develop the upper trapezius muscle. Shoulder shrugs are generally vertical in relation to the body. Larger gains in strength, endurance and muscle hypertrophy are gained when the exercise is done with added resistance, although the lifter may not have as large a range of motion as in a normal shrug done for active flexibility. An overhand, inside, outside, underhand or mixed grip can be used.

A barbell or smith machine may be used for added resistance, held in front of the thighs, resting on the quadriceps, or behind, resting on the hamstrings. Using these excludes inside and outside grips. One or two dumbbells, kettlebells or resistance bands can be used, together or opposite one another. A trapbar can also be used, necessitating an inside grip. Calf raise machines can also be used to execute the shrugging movement, by resting the pads on the shoulders and trying to raise the shoulders as high as possible. Many weight trainers favour this method because it does not involve gripping any weight.

A variation is the “Hise shrug” wherein the weights are placed on a bar, the bar is placed across the shoulders, behind the neck, and the bar is “shrugged” upwards. This places undue stress on the upper body and does not develop the arms in a natural pulling motion, and may not be a functional exercise.

The shoulders can also be shrugged up and down (relatively) in a handstand, creating a unique stressor for the shoulder girdle.


External links
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/TrapeziusUpper/BBShrug.html
Squat (exercise)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The squat is a lower body exercise used in weight training. It is also a competitive lift in powerlifting and an essential movement in the sport of weightlifting. The exercise’s main emphasis is on the quadriceps and the glutes, but it also involves the hamstrings, the calves, and the lower back. The squat is often called “the king of exercises” because it “is capable of inducing more and faster muscle growth than any other exercise” (Dr. Fred Hatfield).

The squat is performed by bending the legs at the knees and hips, lowering the torso between the legs, and then reversing direction to stand up straight again. The torso remains relatively upright throughout the movement and acts as a supporting structure; this is unlike the deadlift. Proper technique is critical, otherwise serious injuries or weaker abdominals over a period of time can occur. The back must be kept straight and never rounded, otherwise excess strain can be placed on the spine and cause serious injury. Lifting belts can be used to help support the lower back.

Experts are divided on how squats can be done safely. Some believe the squat must not go too deep — beyond the point where the thighs are parallel to the floor — otherwise excess strain will be placed on the knees[1]. Others believe that thighs actually touching calves is acceptable, provided the knees do not travel farther forward than the toes. Still others believe that the knees may travel slightly past the toes. It does seem well agreed upon that the knees should not travel more than a few inches beyond the toes, and that they should stay in line with the toes, not buckling inwards or outwards.

The feet should be flat on the floor, with even distribution of weight between the heel and the ball of the foot during eccentric muscle action. In order to reach a range of motion beyond parallel, individuals without sufficient ankle flexibility may try putting a flat board beneath the heels to artificially improve their flexibility. Similarly, a wedge shaped board may be used, allowing the entire foot to remain in contact with a single surface, improving stability over the first technique. Both methods are short-term fixes and require that regular stretching and a full range of motion be employed to maintain and increase flexibility to the desired levels with the ultimate aim that the board’s use be eliminated. In the sport of weightlifting, a specifically designed squat shoe that has a heel elevated by an encased wooden block is commonly worn. Some experts discourage the use of a board or heel, however, because it may lead to a breakdown of proper form[2]. In any squat, even one performed without these depth-increasing aids, the lifter should take care to exert force from the heel of the foot and not from the toes during concentric muscle contraction in order to maintain balance and keep the focus on the muscles of the thigh.

Heavy barbell squats are best performed in the presence of one or more spotters, who can help to safely return the barbell to the squat rack at the end of the set if the lifter is unable to do so. The world record for the squat is 1220 lb (553.4 kg), performed by Mike Miller. [3]

The squat has a number of variants:

In the back squat, a barbell is held across the upper back.
In the hack squat, a barbell is held just behind the legs.
In the overhead squat, a barbell is held overhead at full extension in a wide-arm snatch grip.
In the front squat, the weight (usually a barbell) is held across the upper chest.
In the dumbbell squat, the weights are held hanging at the side.
In the dumbbell front squat, the weights are held resting on the shoulders.
In the box squat, the lifter sits back onto a short box, momentarily relaxing the hip flexors, before contracting them and rising off of the box[4]. The use of a box sets a consistent depth and emphasizes the posterior chain over the muscles of the quadriceps.
The pistol squat, a freestanding one-legged squat where the non-lifting leg is held in free space.
The split squat, an assisted one-legged squat where the non-lifting leg is placed, at the ankle, on a knee-high platform behind the lifter.
The hindu squat is a squat done without weight where the heels are raised and the weight is placed on the toes. The knees track far past the toes. This is a controversial exercise, and it criticized for being damaging, evidencing the knee problems historically experienced by Indian wrestlers who did hundreds daily.
The Smith machine squat.
The squat also has a number of commonly specified depths:

The quarter squat descends about half of the way down towards a half squat.
The hams-parallel squat descends until the bottom of the thighs, the hamstrings, reach an imaginary line drawn parallel to the floor.
The quads-parallel or powerlifting legal squat descends until the crease of the top of the thighs and hips are at the same level as the knees.
The half squat descends to a depth that is between hams-parallel and quads-parallel.
The full or ass to the grass (ATG) squat descends past quads-parallel to the maximum that a lifter’s flexibility allows.
Squatting below parallel qualifies a squat as deep while squatting above it qualifies as shallow.

Individuals who find that they cannot safely perform the squat are advised to try the leg press or the duck press on the leg press machine.


Notes
^ The Insider’s Tell-All Handbook on Weight-Lifting Technique. Stuart McRobert, CS Publishing; 2nd edition, September 1999
^ The Insider’s Tell-All Handbook on Weight-Lifting Technique. Stuart McRobert, CS Publishing; 2nd edition, September 1999
^ Monster Muscle Online
^ Louie Simmons’ (of Westside Barbell) Description

External links
EXRX.net Bodybuilding style squat
EXRX.net Weightlifting style full squat
Squat Analysis - Discussion of squat safety in favor of “deep” squats and knees slightly past toes.
Strongman’s guide to good squatting and bad squatting
Learning the Squat A guide to the parables faced in learning the squat movement.
Smith Machine squat is unsafe
Leg Exercises Comic animations showing the squat and other basic leg exercises.
Trapbar deadlift
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The trapbar deadlift is a weight training exercise using a specialty bar known as a trapbar. As the name suggests, it is derived from the deadlift.

To perform the trapbar deadlift (TBDL), one loads the bar, steps inside the hollow portion of the bar, bends down, grasps the handles, stands erect, then lowers the bar to the ground in the exact opposite path.

Proponents of trapbar deadlifts include Hardgainer Magazine, Bob Whelan, the Cyberpump website, and Dr Ken Leistner and iron-game writer Paul Kelso.


Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapbar_deadlift“

Wrist curl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The wrist curl is a weight training exercise for developing just the wrist flexor muscles of the forearm. It is therefore an isolation exercise. Ideally, they should be done in combination with reverse wrist curls to ensure equal development of both the wrist flexor and wrist extensor muscles of the forearm.

Wrist curls can be performed with a dumbbell or with both hands holding a barbell. To perform a seated wrist curl, the lifter should be seated on a bench with his knees bent and the forearm(s) resting on the thigh. The palm should be facing up and the hand should be free to move completely up and down. At the starting point, the wrist should be bent back so that the fingers are almost pointing down at the floor. In a steady motion, the lifter should raise the weight by using the forearm muscles to bring the hand up as far as possible. The forearm itself should remain resting on the thigh. Then the weight should be slowly lowered back down to the starting point.

To perform a standing wrist curl, a barbell can be held in both hands with the palms facing backward. The bar should be behind the lifter. The same motion should be performed as in the seated wrist curl. The range of motion will be smaller but the standing wrist curl offers the benefit of providing the most stress on the target muscles at their peak contraction. A lifter can and should alternate between the two exercises during the training year.