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184. DUMBELL PRESSES - 90 DEGREES IS SAFEST
Ironically one of the primary advantages of dumbell presses is also one of the disadvantages. Dumbells allow you to lower the arm past the shoulders' natural range of movement. The barbell will come in contact with your chest before this happens. For safety considerations lower the dumbells only until your upper arms are parallel to the floor or just slightly below.
185. INCLINE DUMBELL PRESSES
Most everything we said about incline barbell and supine dumbell presses also applies here. Experiment with different angles and don't let the upper arm go far below shoulder height.
186. THE WEAKEST LINK
The primary disadvanteage of incline dumbell presses is that you will reach a point at which your chest and shoulders are capable of lifting more weight than you can hoist off the floor and into position. When this happens have two spotters pass the dumbells to you at arms' length. Lowering the dumbells to the floor at the conclusion of the exercise is not usually a problem.
187. YOU KNEES - A HELPING HAND
As we just stated in the previous tip, it don't be long before your chest is capable of lifting heavier dumbells than your arms are capable of hoisting into position on an incline press. When this happens and no one is around to help, try using your knees to position the dumbells. Hoist the dumbells from the floor and lay them on your knees in a vertical position. As you lean back towards the bench force one and then the other dumbell upwards by rapidly pushing upwards with you knees.
188. DIPS
Dips are another great exercise for packing muscle mass on the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The late Vince Gironda was the most vocal spokes person for dips, an excellent exercise for developing the clean line that separates the chest from the ribcage. Grab the bars with both hands and with the torso leaning forward and chin tucked down on your chest, slowly lower your body between the bars to a comfortable stretch (for most this will mean your shoulders are in line with or just slightly above the bars). Return to the starting point by straightening the arms. As with dumbell pressess, avoid bouncing at the bottom of the movement.
189. PARALLEL OR V?
Diping bars come in many shapes and sizes. In some, the bars are parallel to one another. Others start wide and join together at one end, forming a "V." If you're lucky enough to work out at a gym that has a couple of different styles of dipping bars, experiment. The advantage of the V-shaped bars is that they allow you to take a different grip widths. Generally you'll find the wider the grip the more the outer chest is worked, while narrow grips bring in more th triceps and shoulders.
190. DIPS: THICK OR THIN?
Besides shape, dipping bars may be thick or thin. Again, if your gym has an assortment of dipping bars to choose from, experiment to see which feels most comfortable and effective for your chest and shoulders. Most trainers prefer thicker bars for dips and thinner bars for chins.
191. ASSISTED DIPS
For those who have trouble lifting their bodyweight on regular dips, try the assisted macine. The macines works by providing an upward force as you perfrom the exercise. In simple terms the machine is making you ligther. Your goal on assisted dips is to use less and less weight (not more weight as with most exercises). With tiime you should be able to lift your full bodyweight and you'll be able to use the parallel bars. Eventually you may be strong enough to add weight with the use of a diping belt.
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192. CHIN-UPS
Chin-ups are one of the best exercises for adding width to the back. They'll give you that much sought-after V-shaped look. You will need access to your gym's overhead bar to perform this exercise. With a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip, pull yourself up until your eyes are in line with the bar. Slowly lower your body back down until your arms are just short of lockout.
193. HANGING AROUND FOR WIDTH
If you are still in your teens you have another method for increasing your back and shoulder width. Simply hanging from a shin-up a bar can spread the scapulae (shoulder blades). After you complete your regular chin-up sets, hang from the bar for as long as possible and let your shoulder blades stretch out as far as possible.
194. ASSISTED CHINS
Chins are great but unfortunately not everyone can do them. From day one you'll have to lift your entire bodyweight. If you can't lift your bodyweight, try an assisted chin-up machine. This apparatus is usually part of the same machine that allows assisted dips. You kneel or stand on a platform that provides upward pressure as you lift yourself up. Just as with the assisted dips, you use less and less weight (assistance) as you get stronger.
195. LAT PULLDOWNS
Can't do chin-ups and don't have access to an assisted chin-up machine? Lat pulldowns are a close second. Instead of having to pull your entire bodyweight up to a stationary bar, you pull the bar down toward you. We strongly urge you to pull the bar toward your collarbone or chin. Some people pull the bar down behind the head to their neck. Pulling behind the head puts extra pressure on the rotator cuff (the collection of small muscles and tendons that attach to the shoulder blade). Everytime you move the bar up and down there is repeated chafing of the rotator cuff. With time it could become inflamed or worse, torn. There is virtually no difference in terms of effectiveness. Pull the bar to the front.
196. THINK OF THEM AS HOOKS
When performing lat pulldowns, try to think of the hands as merely hooks. The more you squeze and grip with your hands the more biceps and forearm involvement you brng in. Since these smaller muscles fatigue before your larger back muscles, your back will not get enough work.
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197. BENT-OVER BARBELL ROWS
Another basic back exercise, barbell rows add strength and mass to the central back region. Bend forward and grab a barbell with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. The torso should be held at approximately 30 degrees to the floor. Pull the bar toward the lower rib cage. Lower the bar to just short of arm lockout.
198. KEEP THE NATURAL ARCH
Even though you'll routinely hear instructors say, "keep your back straight," the human spine is in fact not straight, but slightly curved. Try to keep the natural arch in the lower back when you perform barbell rows. If you let the back round (i.e. if you reduce the natural curve), the lower back muscles relax, placing most of yhe stress on the ligaments.
199. BENCH BARBELL ROWS
If you find standard rows stressful on the lower back, try performing the exercise on a flat bench. Simply lie face down on a high bench and have the bar placed directly underneath. If you have long arms you may need to bridge the bench up on blocks of wood or milk crates to get a good stretch.
200. REVERSE-GRIP BARBELL ROWS
To target the lower and central lats more, try reverse-grip barbell rows. The main differences from a regular row are that you use a narrower grip (about shoulder width) and you hold that bar with a revere grip (palms facing forward instead of backward). Because reverse-grip barbell rows bring more of the biceps into play, you'll find that you can use more weight. Former Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, would use over 400 pounds on this exercise!
201. T-BAR ROWS
A close variation of the barbell tow, the T-bar row is another great back-thickening exercise. Most gyms have a special T-shaped apparatus for this exercise, but a regular barbell (and the V-shaped attachment used on the seated row exercise) will suffice as long as you find a way to keep on end anchored to the floor (either have a training partner hold it down with his foot or stick the bar in a corner and place a few heavy dumbells or plates on top). Grab the handles or V-shaped apparatus and pull the bar towards the torso. As with barbell rows, try to keep the torso at about a 30-degree angle to the floor and the lower back slighltly arched. Return the bar to just short of a locked out position.
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202. T-BAR MACHINE ROWS
Even with perfect technique many people find T-bar rows stressful on the lower back. Equipment manufacturers have responded to this by offering a version of the T-bar that has an angled pad to rest the torso on. If you find regular T-bar rows stressful on the lower back and your gym has such a T-bar, try incorporating it into your workouts.
203. SEATED ROWS
Seated rows are like barbell and T-bar rows in that they are great for hitting the muscles in the center of the back. You will need a cable machine to perform this exercise. Grab the V-shaped pulley attachment and sit down on the floor or on the machine's seating pad. With your legs slightly bent, pull the handle into the lower ribcage. Slowly stretch forward until your arms are fully stretched. As you pull the handle towards the torso, try to squeeze the shoulder blades together. That will fully stretch the chest muscles and contract the back muscles. Don't let the torso go past 90 degrees as you pull the handles in.
204. ONE-ARM DUMBELL ROW
If your gym doesn't have a T-bar or seated row and you find barbell rows stressful on the lower back, one-arm dumbell rows are a good substitute. Place one knee and hand on a flat bench. Lean you weight onto your arm and keep your back arched. With the free hand, grab a dumbell and pull it upwards in a sawing motion. At the top of the exercise your upper arm should be parallel with the floor. One-arm rows place less stress on the lower back because you are braced on the bench. Be sure to reach right down to the floor each rep - stretch those lats.
205. USE THE MIRROR
If you find your coordination lacking while doing dumbell rows, try placing the bench parallel to the mirror. This allows you to adjust your torso and arm position as you excute the exercise. At the conclusion of a set, allow the arm to stretch down, stressing the lats. Hold this straight-arm position for 9 seconds and feel the burn.
206. ROTATIONS
One of the few disadvantages of repeated pressing movements is stress on the small rotator muscles located at the shoulder on the scapula. Most people start doing rotations only after they've incurred a rotator cuff problem. Try to strengthen the rotators from day one, and be sure to warm them up before doing any chest or shoulder pressing movements. Grab a light dumbell or weight plate. Hold your upper arm tight to the body and, with your elbows at a 90-degree angle, slowly rotate your lower arms in toward each other and out from the body.
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207. FRONT BARBELL PRESS
This exercise is one of the best for adding size to the shoulder muscles, particularly the front and side shoulders (anterior and medial deltoids). Sit down in the shoulder press rack (preferably one with a vertical back support). Reach back and grab the barbell with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Lift the bar up and out so that it's positioned above your head. Slowly lower the bar to your upper chest or collarbone and then press back up to arms' length. Don't bounce the bar off your collarbone at the bottom of the exercise.
208. TO THE FRONT ONLY
Although some bodybuilders prefer to lower the bar behind the head when doing barbell presses, we advise against dong this. As with behind-the-head pulldowns, there is considerable stress placed on the small rotator muscles when doing this.
209. DUMBELL PRESSES
As with flat barbell and dumbell presses for chest, you can substitute dumbells for a barbell when working shoulders. Sit down in a chair with some sort of back support and raise a pair of dumbells to shoulder height so that the palms are facing forward. Press the dumbells upwards and inwards so that they touch above the forehead. For variety you can alternate pressing the dumbells. As with front barbell presses, dumbell presses primarily target the front and side shoulders.
210. A SLIGHT TILT
To reduce the pressure on the rotator cuff when doing barbell presses, set the angle of the adjustable bench at about 80 degrees. If you don't have access to an adjustable bench, keep your butt slightly forward on the vertical bench and lean slightly backwards.
211. LATERAL RAISES (ALSO CALLED SIDE RAISES)
Side raises are probably the best exercise for widening the shoulders because they add size to the medial (side) shoulder. With both the elbows and knees slightly bent, raise a set of dumbells outwards and upwards, until the arms are parallel with the floor. Slowly lower the dumbells down so that they meet in front of the body. The palms should be facing together at the bottom of the exercise. Resist the urge to swing the body as you lift the dumbells. This adds stress to the lower back and lessens the effectiveness of the excercise.
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212. TRICEPS PUSHDOWN
Pushdowns are one of the best exercises for targeting the triceps muscles. You will need to use your gym's cable pushdown for this exercise. Grab the attachment with the palms facing downwards, hands about shoulder width apart. With the elbows held firmly against the torso, push downwards until the arms are locked out. Slowly raise the attachment back up to about chest level. For variety you can use different attachments. They probably won't make much difference to your triceps but they may make a big difference to your wrists.
213. FRENCH PRESSES
One of the best exercises for adding mass to the triceps, French presses have been performed successfully by bodybuilders for years. Although you can use just about my type of bar, most bodybuilders find the EZ-bar less stressful on the wrists and elbows . The key to this exercise is to keep the upper arms locked in position and elbows pointing at the ceiling. The only thing that should be moving is your forearms.
214. LYING EZ-BAR EXTENSION
This is another great one for adding mass to the triceps muscles. With an EZ-curl bar placed on the edge of a bench, lie back and grab the bar with a narrow (10 to 12 inches) grip. Raise the bar above your forehead, and with the upper arm locked vertical with the floor, lower the bar to the forehead by bending at the elbows. There should be little or no upper-arm movement. The popular nickname for this exercise is skullcrushers, but we strongly urge you to avoid actually crushing your skull.
215. INCLINE OR DECLINE EZ-BAR EXTENSIONS
For variety try doing your EZ-bar extensions on a decline or incline bench. You'll find that decline extensions target more of the upper triceps, while inclines bring in more of the lower triceps.
216. DUMBELL EXTENSIONS
While sitting on a flat bench (or better still, one that has some sort of vertical back support), grab a dumbell and lower it behind the head, trying to keep the elbow pointed at the ceiling. You may need to reach across the front of the body with the free hand for balance and supprt. Some bodybuilders prefer to do this exercise with both hands at once. In this case grab the dumbell as if you were about to volley a volleyball (i.e. the fingers pointing backwards and the palms facing the ceiling). The advantages of using two hands at once are that it saves time and it keeps you balanced (as oppsed to one-arm extensions, for which you hold a weight on one side).
217. BENCH DIPS
While dips are usually performed as a chest exercise, with modification they can be an excellent triceps exercise. Instead of performing the movement on dipping bars, arrange two benches so that they are about four feet apart and parallel to one another. Position yourself between the benches so that your heels are barely resting on one bench and your hands are resting on the other (fingers facing forward). With the knees slightly bent, slowly lower your body between the benches until your butt is about a foot off the floor (your upper arms will be approximately parallel with the floor at this point). Return to the starting position by straightening the arms. Resist the urge to bounce at the bottom of the exercise, as this places tremedous stress on the elbow, wrist, and shoulder joints. Need more weight? You can rest a plate or two on your lap, or hold a dumbells between you legs.
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218. DIP, NOT ROCK!
When performing bench dips, make sure the benches you are resting your feet and hands on are stable. Either use benches with a wide base, or place some weight plates or dumbells on the base ends. Even though it rarely happens, there is the risk of one of the benches tipping over in the middle of your set. You can probably guess the damage this will cause if you are dipping with two or three plates resting on your lap.
219. NARROW PRESSES
Narrow presses are another staple exercise for packing mass and strength onto the triceps. The exercise is performed much like standard barbell presses for the chest, with the exception that the grip is much narrower - only about 10 to 12 inches apart. As you press the bar upwards, concentrate on pushing with the triceps and not the chest and shoulders.
220. STRAIGHT OR EZ-BAR?
For variety, try experimenting with straigth and EZ-curl bars when doing narrow presses. Many bodybuilders find straight bars stressful on the wrists. On the other hand others hand discovered that straight bars seem to target triceps more effectively. See which one is least stressful and most effective for you.
221. STANDING BARBELL CURL
Considered one of, if not the best biceps exercises, barbell curls are also one of the easiest to perform. Grab a short straight bar with a shoulder-width or slightly wider grip. Slowly curl the bar up until the forearms are at about a 45-degree angle with the horizontal (about 8-10 inches from the shoulders). Lower the bar back down to within a couple of inches of your thighs. Don't swing the body in an attempt to lift a few extra pounds. The only thing moving should be your forearms. Experiment with the EZ-curl bar as well. You probably won't find much difference to your biceps but there may be a big difference in your wrists.
222. DO THE TWIST
The biceps perform three function. In addition to the familar raising of the forearm and as a secondary muscle in raising the arm from the shoulder, biceps also rotate the forearms. You can make alternate dumbells curls more effective by twisting the dumbells from an inward to outward position as you raise them. Twisting the dumbells as you lift and lower (called supination) stimulates the biceps over their full range of motion.
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Great stuff. Some really good advive in here. "Specialy about learning about what works for YOU personaly.
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223. STANDING DUMBELL CURLS
This exercise is virtually identical to #221 except you use two dumbells. Using dumbells gives you the option of raising them in alternate fashion (as one dumbell is rising the other is lowering). Curling with dumbells also assures that each arm is subjected to the same degree of resistance.
224. PREACHER CURLS
Preacher curls (also called Scott curls after bodybuilding's first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott) are another basic biceps builder. They are especially effective at working the lower biceps and filling in the gap between the upper forearms and lower biceps. Start by sitting on the stool or bench attached to the preacher board (a padded board angled at approximately 45 degrees). Raise or lower the seat so the preacher board fits snug under your armpits. Reach forward and lift the barbell off the rack (most preacher benches have an attached barbell rack) or have a training partner pass you the barbell. Curl the bar up until your forearms are parallel with the floor. Slowly lower back down until your arms are just short of locked out. Do not bounce at the bottom of the exercise. Many bodybuilders have torn their biceps tendon doing just that. Once you tear a biceps tendon you only option is surgery, and 100 percent correction is unlikely.
225. INCLINE CURLS
As far as the biceps are concerned, incline curls are the opposite of preacher curls. Instead of working the lower biceps to a greater degree, they target the upper biceps. As the name suggests, you perform this exercise on an incline bench. Grab two dumbells and sit down on the bench (between 45 and 60 degrees will work best). Curl the dumbells upward until your forearms are almost vertical with the floor. Slowly lower back down until your arms are just short of a lockout.
226. THUMBLESS?
As you try out the various biceps exercises, experiment with keeping the thumbs on the same side of the bar (or dumbell) as the fingers - this is called a thumbless grip or a false grip - or on the opposite side to the fingers. You may discover that one grip feels more comfortable than the other and may give you better biceps stimulation.
227. STANDING CALF RAISES
You will need access to a standing calf machine to do this exercise. Step up onto the machine's foot support and rest the pads atop the shoulders. With your legs locked, lift yourself up on your tiptoes as far as possible. Lower back down, trying to drop you heels as low as possible at the bottom. We have to warn you that out of all the muscles you will train, the calves hurt the most! A couple of sets will leave them burning with pain.
228. CALF-INDUCED SHOULDER RASH?
Don't be alarmed if you discover a slight rash on each shoulder the day after you do standing calf raises. In simple terms, the combination of pressure and thinness of the skin in the shoulder region causes the breakage of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. It will clear up within a day or two. Adding two sponge rubber pads under the pad may help you avoid this problem.
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229. TOE PRESSES ON LEG PRESS
This exercise is an example of using a machine for an exercise other than the one it was designed for. Sit down in the leg press machine and place your toes on the bottom edge of the pressing platform. Instead of moving the platform by bending at the knees and using your thighs, you flex at the ankle and use your calves. As with standing calf raises, go for the maximum stretch at the top and bottom of the exercise. The primary advantage of this exercise is that you don't have hundreds of pounds placed across your shoulders as you do with the standing calf raise.
230. EXPERIMENT WITH FOOT STANCE AND WIDTH
As you perform toe presses, try experimenting with different stances. Try both wider and narrower than shoulder width. Try toes turned in, forward, and out. Each different angle hits a different part of the calf. When the toes are pointing out at "ten to two" the inside of the calf is worked. The outside is stressed when the toes are pointing in.
231. CALF STRETCHING
Calf training is as much about stretching as it is about lifting weights. Perhaps no other muscle group relies as much on extending its range of motion as the calf. As you are resting between sets, stand on a high block of wood (or the calf machine's foot block) and practice stretching your heels as far down as possible. The more flexible your calf and associated Achilles' tendon, the greater your range of motion when you perform calf raises. The end result is greater calf development.
232. FOR ALL TO SEE
If your calves are weak and you need incentive to train them, try a tip from seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger. Early in his career Arnold had weak calves and a lazy attitude about training them. To kick himself in the ass, he cut the lower legs off his sweat pants so his calves were always on display. Because of negative comments from others and his own dissatisfaction with how they looked, Arnold made calf training a priority.
