Category: Specific workouts (Page 11 of 14)

Round glutes, strong back, bigger hams, The Deadlift

April 9, 2009 / Mike Furci

Like the squat, the deadlift involves the largest muscle groups in the body: the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps and erector spinea. And like the squat, it is a very hard, taxing exercise to perform. Consequently, for this reason alone many people don’t use the deadlift in their routines.

The gluteus maximus is utilized most in the beginning of the movement when there is a large degree of hip flexion. The glutes work in unison with the hamstring to extend the hips. The hamstrings, located on the back of the upper thigh, become more involved as you begin to decrease the degree of hip flexion as you raise the weight. The erector spinea, which run the length of your spine on both sides, are statically contracted throughout most of the movement keeping the normal curvature of the spine. A static contraction of the rhomboids and the trapezius muscles help maintain the shoulders. The quadriceps muscles are involved with knee extension.

Extension of the body occurs when the upper body, torso and pelvis rotate up and back. In a properly performed deadlift, this will happen simultaneously with the hips moving forward and the knees extending. Two of the biggest mistakes I see when this movement is performed are locking the knees out before the upper body is extended or allowing the back to “round” and magnifying the kyphotic (upper back) curvature while de-emphasizing the lordotic (lower back) curvature. I need to add that a slight curve of the upper back will present no danger and will happen to most while using heavy weight, but if you look like the hunch back of Notre Dame while performing the exercise that’s a different story.

The main reason your lower back would round, which could cause devastating trauma to the lumbar area, is weak erector muscles. There are various exercises you can use to strengthen your lower back like good mornings, arched back good mornings, arched back stiff legged deadlifts, and reverse hyperextensions, but good mornings and its variation in my opinion are probably the best exercise for this purpose.??????

The Dead lift

Back, Bodybuilding, Legs, Power lifting, Weight training

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The Push-up. Switch it up.

March 30, 2009 / Mike Furci

Do you train at home and feel there is not enough variety? To help switch things up, change what muscles you stimulate during push-ups by changing hand and foot positions. A study conducted by scientists from the University of Athens compared standard push-ups (hands shoulder width apart, legs supported on toes) with modified push-ups (?women?s push-ups,? with legs supported on knees), hands wider than shoulder width, hands together, hands above the chest, and hands below the chest. Women?s push-ups decreased the overall load by about 15%. The wider hand position stimulated the pecs more, while the triceps were targeted more with a narrow hand position. Next time you do push-ups, decide which body parts you want to stimulate more and position your hands accordingly.
(J Strength Cond Res, 19:146-151, 2005)

If you want to increase the difficulty of the movement above that of a standard push-up, use a stability ball. Start with the ball just below your knees. To make the movement more difficult move the ball towards your feet making sure to keep your body rigid and straight throughout the movement.

Arms, Chest, General fitness, General training

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Q and A with Mike Furci

March 23, 2009 / Mike Furci

Q: Mike,
I was told to do dumbbell flys on an incline bench (35-40 degrees). wrong? better? worse?
A: Better? No. Different? Yes.
As the angel of the incline starts to go beyond 30% the only difference is the degree to which the deltoids are used. And while we’re on the subject of angled benches, don’t even bother with decline bench. It is a myth that it stimulates the bottom portion of the pec muscles more than the flat bench.
Also, if you’re performing different angles to change the shape of your pecs, it’s not going to happen. Your shape is genetically predetermined. Train with 100% intensity and stick with the basics.

Read the rest @ Q&A

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Test your strength with the Deadlift

March 16, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

Men?s Fitness.com put together a strength test using your one rep max for the deadlift exercise.

HOW IT’S DONE
Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, your toes facing straight ahead. Squat down and grab the bar with an outside-shoulder-width, palms-down grip [1]. Keep your lower back in its natural arch, and drive your heels into the fl oor and push your hips forward, lifting the bar as you rise until it’s in front of your thighs [2]. Reverse the motion and return the bar to the fl oor. That’s one rep.
THE TEST
Estimate your deadlift one-rep max?the most weight you can lift for one rep?and compare it to the calculations below.
Your 1RM (one-rep max) is…
? Less than your body weight = Damn, you’re weak
? 1.25 x your body weight = You’re average
? 1.5 x body weight = You’re pretty strong
? 2 x body weight = You’re a beast!
A 200-pound guy who can deadlift 300 pounds for one rep is pretty strong. If your number falls in the weak or average categories, see below for tips on how to bring it up.

Click here to see MF.com?s guide to deadlifting more weight.

Exercise, General fitness, General training, Legs, Men's Health and Wellness, Power lifting, Specific workouts, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

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Rolling Triceps Extension

March 11, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

Men’s Fitness.com breaks down the rolling tricpes extension and why it’s ideal for building arm size and strength.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lie back on a bench with your arms locked out above your chest [1]. Bend your elbows until the dumbbells touch your shoulders, then “roll” your shoulders back so that your elbows go beside your head and you feel a stretch in your triceps and your lats. Reverse the motion by contracting your lats and triceps simultaneously to pull your arms forward and lock out your elbows [2]. That’s one rep.

Why It Works Essentially a combination of the lying triceps extension and pullover, the rolling extension allows you to use more weight as a result of the involvement of the lats. Perform the exercise for 10-12 reps, as going too heavy for low reps can be stressful on the elbow joint. Do not explosively lock out your elbows. “This is best used at the end of your workout,” says Ferruggia, “as a finisher after dips or bench presses.”

Arms, Bodybuilding, Exercise, General training, Specific workouts, Weight training, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

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