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misc.fitness FAQ (part 3) |
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Archive-name: misc-fitness/part3
MISC.FITNESS FAQ and a little more..
Revision: 1.0.5
Created By
Jeff Gleixner (glex@cray.com)
with various contributions from people
on misc.fitness.
A big thanks to Katie Henry who
created the home equipment section, and
to Kyle Wilson for HTMLing this.
This is the FAQ for misc.fitness. I'd like to thank everyone on
misc.fitness for sharing their advice and experiences. I tried to keep
names and addresses of articles that I included, but a few were lost.
I'm sure this will grow over time. If you notice anything that's incorrect
or if you'd like to add your point of view, please send some nice e-mail
to glex@cray.com. I'll correct, or add it, to this document.
This is available via anonymous ftp from ftp.cray.com in the /pub/misc.fitness
directory. I have also placed a supplemental document in there which is
a collection of various posts from people on misc.fitness about protein,
carbohydrates, muscle, supplements, etc. called "supplemental.doc"
(see question #19). The URL for the HTML version is
ftp://ftp.cray.com/pub/misc.fitness/misc.fitness.faq.html.
This document actually consists of 5 parts.
Part 1: The FAQ.
Part 2: Exercise Equipment information.
Part 3: Listing of 2-4 exercises per body part and the areas they work.
part 4: Listing of recommended books and magazines.
Part 5: Glossary of Basic Definitions of fitness terms.
Because of the size they will be posted as
Part 1: FAQ
Part 2: FAQ continued & Exercise Equipment Information
Part 3: Exercises, Books & Magazines, Glossary
This is part 3.
--------------- Part 3: Weight Training Exercises. -----------------
EXERCISES FOR EACH BODY PART
First, locations of basic muscle groups from the feet up to the hands:
Calves: Back of leg, between the knee and ankle. The two main
muscles in this area are the Soleus, lower area, and the
Gastrocnemius, the "meat" of the calves.
Quadriceps (Quads): Front leg between the waist and knee. (Thigh)
Hamstrings (Hams): Back leg between the butt and the knee.
Gluteus Maximus: Butt.
Abdominals: Front of body between chest and groin. Also consist
of the Obliques, which are on the middle and outer walls
of the abdomen.
Latissimus Dorsi (Lats): Between the Spine and the sides of the
ribs starting near the from the armpit and going down to
the last rib. Gives people the "V-Shape", along with a
small waist.
Trapezius (Traps), Between the back of the neck and the shoulders
tapering to the middle back area.
Pectorals (Pecs): Chest.
Deltoids (Shoulders): Made up of 3 muscles.
Front:Anterior Deltoid
Middle: Medial Deltoid
Back: Posterior Deltoid
Triceps (Tris): Back of the upper arm, making up about 2/3 of the
upper arm.
Biceps (Bis): Front of the upper arm, accounting for the other 1/3
of the upper arm.
Forearms: Between the elbow and wrist.
-----------
QUADRICEPS: Upper front leg. (Thigh)
-----------
General Advice:
- Keep back as as vertical as possible.
- Go slow, no bouncing.
- Inhale at the top of the motion. Exhale from the bottom of
the motion to the top.
- DON'T lock knees or bounce at the top or bottom.
SQUATS:
Set-up: Standing upright. Stance is a comfortable shoulder width
apart, toes pointed slightly outward.
Movement: Very similar to sitting down on a chair. Focus your
vision on something in the room slightly higher than the level
of your eyes. Start by moving the butt back and downward.
Don't start by bending the knees. Continue downward, by
bending the knees, DON'T allow your knees to move forward,
this will cause undo stress on the knees. When the thighs
reach parallel begin exhaling and return to the starting
position. There should be no lateral movement, especially in
the knee or hip area.
Adding Resistance: Place a barbell across traps or hold dumbbells
throughout exercise.
Additional notes: Use a spotter. Start out light. Although this
is exactly like sitting down, NEVER do squats above a chair or
bench. Going to parallel is a must! Place bar on traps NOT on
back of neck.
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps (Thighs), Hamstrings (Back of leg),
Gluteus Maximus (butt)
LEG EXTENSIONS:
Set-up: Sitting on the edge of a bench or leg extension machine,
with knee at ~90-degree angle.
Movement: Extend and straighten lower leg.
Adding Resistance: There are many Leg Extension machines
available. Sit on the machine with the padded end against
the front area of the ankle.
Variations: Working the inner Quad can be done by point the
toes toward each other at ~20-degree angle. The outer Quad
can be worked by pointing the toes out at ~20-degree angle.
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps
LUNGES:
Set-up: Standing upright with feet shoulder width apart.
Movement: Take a 2-3' step forward. Once the step is taken the
upper body and the front knee should not move forward during
the lowering and raising of the body. Keeping the upper body
vertical, lower body straight down until back knee comes close
to the ground. Raise body straight up and return to starting
position.
Adding Resistance: Barbell may be placed across traps or dumbbells
held in hands or barbell placed between legs (straddled) (Obviously
the last variation must be used in this case).
Variations:
-Work 1 leg at a time or switch for every rep.
-Step onto a 6"-1' platform for an added stretch.
-Step backwards or sideways.
-Instead of returning to the starting position just go up/down
for the required reps, then return to the starting position
and do the same for the other leg.
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, the Glutes
LEG PRESS:
Set-up: Performed on a machine where the legs usually press a
platform. Once in the machine place feet shoulder width
apart with toes pointed slightly out.
Movement: Lower platform until knee is at a 90-degree angle.
Press platform up until legs are almost straight. DON'T
lock knees or bounce at the top or bottom.
Adding Resistance: The machine should have a place to add
weight. Most large platforms are ~150 pounds.
Variations: The inner and outer Quads can be worked by
changing the stance. Wide stance will work the outer
Quad, narrow stance will work the inner area.
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, the Glutes
-----
BACK:
-----
Basic Form: Don't swing the weight by using the lower back.
Concentrate on squeezing the shoulder blades together. Use
a thumbless grip.
PULL-UP
Set-up: Hang from a pull-up bar with a wider than shoulder, palms
facing away from the body, using a thumbless grip.
Movement: Pull the body up, concentrating on the back doing the
work. Lean back slightly and touch mid chest to bar, or to
height of hands. Slowly lower down to the starting (hanging)
position.
Adding Resistance: Weight belt or a weight held by the feet.
Variations:
grip: The wider the grip the more work the Lats will do. A
narrow grip makes the biceps, forearms, and middle back
do more work.
Pronated: Moves the stress to the Back.
Supinated: Moves the stress to the Biceps.
Pull-downs: Same movement except the bar is being pulled down
instead of the body being pulled up.
- A close, palms up, grip hits the middle of the back.
Muscles Worked: Back "V-shape" (Latissimus Dorsi) and biceps
BENT-OVER ROWS
Set-up: Bend at the hips, keeping the trunk straight and firm with no
bending of the spine at the waist. Knees slightly bent, feet
shoulder width apart. Weight being held using a pronated,
thumbless grip (palms facing the legs).
Movement: Pull the weight to the chest, keeping the elbows out and
away from the body. Slowly lower weight, keeping the back
straight and horizontal throughout the movement. Squeeze
shoulder blades together at the top of the lift.
Keeping elbows in changes the stress to the Lats.
Variations:
T-bar rows: A device with one end attached to the floor as a
pivot.
One-arm dumbbell rows: Use one dumbbell with the same grip.
Opposite knee resting on bench, along with the opposite
hand. Pull dumbbell up without rotating upper body.
Seated cable rows: Done using a low pulley. Sit on floor with
feet secure, knees slightly bent. Pull handle to chest,
keep upright and avoid bending forward or backward to reduce
stress on lower back.
Muscles Worked: Back/sides of neck out to shoulders and tappering
down to mid back(Trapezius), Rear shoulder (Posterior deltoid)
DEADLIFTS
CAUTION: These could cause lower back pain. Please start out
with very light weight and do them slow. If there is any
pain, stop!
Set-up: Knees bent at about 90-degrees, shoulder width pronated
grip.
Movement: Slowly stand up, keeping back straight, head up and
the bar close to/touching the body. Return back to starting
position (watch the knees).
Adding Resistance: Dumbbells held in each hand or a barbell held
with an overhand grip. It is much safer to start with the
barbell already off the floor and at waist height. Don't
pick up or set down the weight with your legs straight.
Variations:
Sumo: feet very wide, grip very narrow.
Stiff legged: see hamstrings.
Muscles Worked: Back (Lats), Deltoids, Quads
SHRUGS
Set-up: Hands at waist level, shoulder width stance.
Movement: Raise shoulders straight up, try to touch ears. The
"I don't know" movement. Keep the head up and bring the shoulders
to the ears, don't bring the head down to the shoulders.
Don't roll the shoulders.
Adding Resistance:
Dumbbells: Let them slide along the sides of the waist.
Barbell: Pronated grip, keep bar against body.
Muscles Worked: Trapezius "Traps"
------
CHEST:
------
BENCH
Set-up: Lying on a bench, feet firmly on floor, butt, back,
shoulders, and head on bench. Roll shoulders back and down so
the shoulder blades are firmly pressed against the bench and
the chest is sticking up (high). Arms straight and above
shoulders, palms facing the feet.
Movement: Bend arms so the elbows move away from the rib cage and
the hands move down in a slight arc, until they are about even
with the sternum (nipple) and your elbow is at about a 90-degree
angle. Push up and back to the starting position, again in
a slight arc. To keep the deltoids from doing too much work,
don't allow the rear deltoids to come off the bench, especially
the last few inches when pushing the weight up. They should
remain in the same position throughout the movement.
Adding Resistance: Dumbbells give a wider range of motion.
Barbells and a good bench are usually used.
Variations:
Grip - The wider the grip the more the outer area of the
chest is worked. (Nearer the deltoids). A narrow
grip works the middle of the chest and triceps. A 2-6"
wider than shoulder grip is common and will work most of
the chest.
Flat bench - Works the middle and to some degree the upper
and lower part of the chest.
Incline bench - Works the upper area of the chest and the front
deltoids are worked more than the flat bench. A 30-degree
bench is all that's needed, more than that and the deltoids
begin to take the brunt of the load.
Decline bench - Works the lower area of the chest and reduces
the load on the front deltoid.
Muscles Worked: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders (Posterior Deltoids)
DIPS
Set-up: Hands supporting full body weight on a Dip bar, hands
facing each other. Knees bent so they're ahead of the body,
chin on, or near, chest. Body should form a crescent shape
and it should be keep during the exercise.
Movement: Lower body until chin is near the height of the bar.
Let elbows flare out, keeping them parallel to each other
will turn this into a tricep exercise. Concentrate on the
chest pulling the elbows/deltoids together and press the
body upward back to the starting position.
Adding Resistance: Weight belt or a dumbbell/weight held by
crossing the feet or placed on the calves by another person.
Variations:
- Can be done by using 2 benches, bar stools, parallel bars, etc.
- If the Dip bar makes a V-shape use the wider end.
- Reverse the grip so the palms are facing away from each
other.
Muscles Worked: Chest (outer), Triceps
FLYES
Set-up: Lying on a bench, feet firmly on floor, butt, back,
shoulders, and head on bench. Arms slightly bent and slightly
wider than shoulders, palms facing each other.
Movement: Keeping a slight bend in the arms slowly move them in
an arc away from the body. Lower them until a comfortable
stretch is felt in the chest/deltoid area. Raise them along
the same arc back to the starting position. To keep stress
on the chest keep the hands just wider than the shoulders at
the top (start) of the movement.
Adding Resistance: Dumbbells are usually used, can also use
a low pully machine, or a Pec Deck machine.
Variations:
Pec Deck - Place elbows and hands on pad. Keep head up and
chest up (out) throughout exercise. Push with the elbows
not the hands.
Incline Flyes - Works the upper outside of chest.
Decline Flyes - Works the lower outside of chest.
Muscles Worked: Chest, Shoulders (Posterior Deltoids)
----------
SHOULDERS:
----------
MILITARY PRESS
Set-up: Seated with hands at shoulder height, palms forward, arms
in the same plane as the upper body.
Movement: Press up until arms are straight above the head. Lower
back to starting position.
Adding Resistance: Dumbbells or a barbell may be used.
Variations:
Can be done standing.
Behind the neck press: Same movement except the bar travels
behind the head. This should be done by the shoulders
moving the bar back, not the head moving forward or the
chin down.
Arnold Press: Start with palms facing each other, instead of
facing forward, and using dumbbells. Rotate hand forward
while pressing, rotate the hands toward each other while
lowering the weight.
Muscles Worked: Front & Rear Deltoids (Anterior and Posterior
Deltoid), Back of upper arms (Triceps)
LATERAL RAISES
Set-up: Standing with a shoulder wide stance knees slightly bent.
Arms, slightly bent, hanging in front of body, palms facing
each other.
Movement: Lift arms out and away from body, using the shoulders,
until the hands are at shoulder height. In the top position
the arms and body would resemble the letter "T". Lower arms,
using the shoulders, back to the starting position.
Adding Resistance: Usually done with dumbbells or by using a
Lateral Raises machine.
Variations:
At the top of the movement turn the hand in a "Tea pouring"
motion.
Lateral Raise machine: Seated with arms resting on the pads.
Push out and up on the pads, with the forearms/elbows, to
shoulder height.
Palms up Lateral raises: The same as normal raises except the
palms are facing away from each other at the beginning
and face the ceiling at the top and the starting position
has the arms out away from the sides of the body.
Front Raises: The arms are lifted and lowered in front of the
body.
Muscles Worked: Middle of shoulder (Medial Deltoid), Posterior
Deltoid, forearms.
BENT-OVER RAISES
Set-up: Seated, or standing, bent over so the upper body is
parallel with the ground. Shoulder wide stance with the
knees slightly bent. Arms, slightly bent, hanging in front
of body, palms facing each other. Head up.
Movement: Lift arms out and away from body, using the shoulders,
until the hands/elbows are at shoulder height (trying to fly).
Keep the rest of the body motionless. Hands face the floor at
the top of the movement. Lower arms, using the shoulders, back
to the starting position.
Adding Resistance: Usually done with dumbbells or by using
a low pulley.
Variations:
Seated: Sit on the end of a bench, extend legs so there's
enough room for the dumbbells. Bend forward until the
chest is almost on the thighs, hands hanging down under
the knees. Movement is the same.
Muscles Worked: Back of shoulder (Posterior Deltoid)
---------------------------------------
ROTATOR CUFF & SHOULDER REHABILITATION: also check FAQ #29
---------------------------------------
Short explanation of various exercises to strengthen the shoulder and
Rotator Cuff:
SHOULDER ABDUCTION: Stand with elbow straight and hand rotated
outward as far as possible, raise involved arm to the side of
body as high as possible, Hold for 2 seconds, then lower.
SUPRASPINATURS-"Empty Can": Stand with elbow straight and hand
rotated inward as far as possible, raise arm to eye level at
30-degree angle to body. Hold for 2 seconds, then lower.
PRONE HORIZONTAL ABDUCTION: Lie on table on stomach with involved
arm hanging straight to the floor. With had rotated outward as
far as possible, raise arm out to the side, parallel to the floor.
Hold for 2 seconds, then lower.
SHOULDER EXTENSION: Lie on table on stomach with involved arm
hanging straight to the floor. With hand rotated outward as far
as possible, raise arm straight back into extension as far as
possible. Hold for 2 seconds, then lower.
90/90 EXTERNAL ROTATION: Lie on table on stomach with shoulder
abducted at 90-degrees and arm supported on table with elbow bent
at 90-degrees. Keeping shoulder and elbow fixed, raise arm into
external rotation. Hold for 2 seconds, then lower.
SIDE-LYING EXTERNAL Rotation: Lie on uninvolved side, with involved
arm at side of body and elbow bent at 90-degree angle. Keeping
elbow of involved arm fixed to side, raise arm into external
rotation. Hold for 2 seconds, then lower. -- The therapist I saw
suggest folding and rolling up a towel into a short cylindrical shape
about 4"-6" in diameter 8"-12" long and placing it between your elbow
and your ribs of the involved side.
SITTING DIP: Sit on edge of chair. Gripping sides of chair with
hands, straighten arms, lifting buttocks off chair seat. Hold
isometric contraction for 5 seconds then lower. -- Can be done
using a dip bar. Keep body straight and only go down 3"-4". Try
to use the shoulders to do the whole movement.
Additional Rotator Cuff exercises:
Using rubber tubing or Thera-Bands attach one end to a pole,
door knob, etc. about waist to chest high. A low pulley
machine can also be used, sit or kneel if using a pulley.
Same position as Side-Lying External Rotation except that you're
standing with the secured end, or pulley, to the uninvolved side of
the body. Involved arm is at 90-degrees in front of body (broken arm
position), the handle or tubing held securely in your hand. Keeping
the elbow against ribs, or towel as suggested above, pull and rotate
outward about 135-degrees from chest. Upper body is motionless all
that's moving is your forearm. Hold for 2 seconds, then return to
starting position.
Same as above only the attached end is to the involved side of the
body and it's a pulling and rotating toward the chest.
To help the throwing muscles:
Again using rubber tubing or Thera-Bands attached about chest
high to something.
Facing away from the attached end with arm in a throwing position
(90-degree angle between upper arm and ribs and 90-degree angle
at elbow, forearm at a slight angle backwards.) Hand facing
forward and holding the rubber tubing. Rotate forearm forward
about 30-degrees, hold for 2 seconds, then return to starting
position. The hand only goes through a 6"-12" arc. The only
thing moving should be your forearms.
Same as above except you face the attached end and you pull
back to the starting position of the above exercise.
-----------
HAMSTRINGS: Back of upper leg.
-----------
LEG CURLS
Set-up: Laying on stomach legs straight or standing.
Movement: Lift heel up as close as possible to the butt, keep the
knee, and the rest of the body, still. Contract Hamstring at
the top of the movement. Lower foot back to starting position.
Adding Resistance: Ankle weights or use a Leg Curl machine.
Variations:
- Lying Leg Curl machine: Place Achillies tendon/heel under
the pad the knee should be comfortably over the edge of
the bench. Raise weight, keeping thighs, hips, stomach,
and chest on the bench throughout the movement.
- Standing Leg Curl machine: Similar to above except it is
done one leg at a time and the upper body should be
straight.
- Seated Leg Curl machine: Similar to above except the
heel/tendon is placed on the pad and the foot is pushed
down in an arc under the knees.
One Leg or both legs at the same time.
Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, Glutes
STIFF LEGGED DEAD LIFTS
CAUTION: These could cause lower back pain. Please start out
with very light weight and do them slow. If there is any
pain, stop!
Set-up: Standing with a narrow stance, legs and upper body
straight.
Movement: Slowly bend over, keeping the legs straight and the
upper body straight. Go until a comfortable stretch is
felt and slowly stand back up. Keep the head up, look ahead
not at the floor.
Adding Resistance: Dumbbells held in each hand or a barbell held
with an overhand grip. It is much safer to start with the
barbell already off the floor and at waist height. Try not
to pick up or set down the weight with your legs straight.
Variations: For a greater stretch SLDLs can be done on a pedestal
(bench, sturdy block, etc..).
Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, Glutes
-------
CALVES: Back of leg between knee and ankle.
-------
Basic Form: Many different beliefs about how to hit the inner and
outer parts of the Calves. Try one of the following:
-Inner: Try doing one of these to find what works.
Point toes out at ~30-45-degree angle throughout
movement. (May stress knees & ankles).
Use a narrow stance, feet almost touching.
Roll up/down on the middle to outside of foot.
-Outer:
Point toes in at ~30-45-degree angle throughout
movement. (May stress knees & ankles).
Use a comfortable stance just wider than your shoulders.
Roll up/down on the middle to inside of foot.
Also, bending knees slightly at the top of the motion will
increase the stretch on the calves.
Go as high and a low as possible.
Don't bounce, hold the contraction and stretch for at least
a second.
STANDING CALF RAISES
Set-up: Standing erect, knees locked or close to locked. Place
feet, toes to ball of foot supported, arch to heel sticking
out over the edge of a 4-6" block (stair/block of wood/etc.)
Movement: Lower heel as far as possible, use a higher block if
the heel's range of motion is impeded. Raise heel and
stand as tall as possible. Repeat. Really focus on your
calves doing all the work and hold the contraction for a few seconds.
Don't bounce. Keep leg straight and the knee and hip locked.
Adding Resistance : Dumbbells may be held in hand(s), a barbell
supported on traps (similar to the beginning of a squat), or
one leg may be worked at a time. There are also many
squat/calf machines that support the weight so balance isn't
a problem.
Muscles Worked: Calves (upper/mass part - Gastrocnemius & Peroneous group)
SEATED CALF RAISES
Set-up: Seated with weight supported on lap, near knees, which
are bent ~90-degrees. The feet, toes to ball of foot
supported, arch to heel sticking out over the edge of a 4-6"
block (stair/block of wood/etc.) Usually the block is a
piece of metal at ~60-degree angle and is part of the machine.
Movement:Lower heel as far as possible, use a higher block if
the heel's range of motion is impeded. Raise heel and
as high as possible. Hold for 1 second. Repeat. Really
focus on your calves doing all the work. Try not to lean
back or bounce the weight.
Adding Resistance : This is usually done on a machine with pads
for your lap and an adjustable weight stack or place to
add weights. Can also be done by placing dumbbbells/barbell/or
virtually any weight on lap.
Muscles Worked: Calves (lower area - Soleus)
LEG PRESS CALF RAISES
Set-up: Using the Leg press machine, place toes to ball of foot
on edge of platform, so the heels are in mid air.
Movement: Push platform by extending foot (toes higher than
heels, calves contracted). Lower platform by contracting foot
(toes lower than heels, calves stretched). Don't bounce.
Knees locked.
Adding Resistance : This is usually done on a machine with a
place to add more weight.
Muscles Worked: Calves (Tibialis, Gastrocnemius, and Peroneous group)
DONKEY CALF RAISES
Set-up: Usually done with a partner. Feet are placed on a
secure block, as described above. The block is placed
~2' from a stable horizontal structure that is ~3' tall
(Usually one end of a Roman Chair or a tall bench.)
With feet placed on block, knees straight, bend at the
waist and use the structure for balance. The partner, using
a chair or bench to make it easier, sits on your back/butt
facing your back (if they were riding a horse they'd be just
in front of the tail), their weight should be directly above
the block and NOT on your lower back.
Movement: Lower heel as far as possible, use a higher block if
the heel's range of motion is impeded. Raise heel as far
as possible. Repeat. Really focus on your calves doing
all the work. 4 seconds down 2 seconds up, pause for ~1
second on each end of movement. Partner should remain
motionless throughout exercise.
Adding Resistance: Use a heavier partner. Have partner hold
additional weight.
Muscles Worked: Gastrocnemius
-------
TRICEP: Back of upper arm.
-------
Basic Form: Work triceps with slow movements to reduce the stress on
the elbows. Try to keep your biceps slightly flexed.
CLOSE GRIP BENCH
Set-up: Assume a stable position on a flat bench. Feet flat on
the floor, butt, back, rear deltoids and head on bench. Grasp
barbell with a narrow (6 inch) grip.
Movement: Lower barbell to sternum, keeping elbows near rib cage.
Press bar upward using the triceps. Make it feel as if the
weight is pressed slightly toward the feet.
Variations: Can be done using dumbbells and/or on a decline bench.
Using a Reverse grip (palms facing biceps instead of triceps.
Underhand), with a shoulder width grip. will also hit the Triceps.
Muscles Worked: Triceps (Medial head), Shoulders (front delts),
Pectorals (inner chest)
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