Muscles involved MAIN MUSCLES: pectoralis major, triceps, deltoids (anterior) SECONDARY MUSCLES: coracobrachialis, serratus anterior, subscapularis ANTAGONISTS: latissimus dorsi, biceps, deltoids (posterior) EXECUTION Lie flat on the bench and support your head and back with your hands. Position yourself so that the bar is directly above your eyes, with a [...]
Chest muscles can be categorised into two categories, namely: Muscles with insertion to the humurus Muscles without insertion to the humurus MUSCLES WITH INSERTION TO THE HUMURUS PECTORALIS MAJOR (anterior, superficial) Origin: clavicle (clavicular head: arising from the anterior surface of the sternal half); ribs and sternal membrane (sternocostal head: [...]
Although lack of time is the most common excuse used to give up training, or not even to start, in reality, the real reason so many people drop out is the discomfort caused by breaking the three laws of biomechanics. [...]
Always be polite and friendly when working out with your peers. This code of conduct summarizes certain rules of etiquette that gym-goers should observe. [...]
Most women can continue training until the later stages of pregnancy under medical supervision. -Always check with your doctor before starting or continuing any type of exercise, especially if you are pregnant. -Wait at least four weeks after delivery before returning to full activity, and be sure to discuss your [...]
Many athletes use the feeling of “burning” in their muscles to set the rhythm of their workouts without really knowing why. The cause of this feeling is that the metabolism of energy produces cellular oxidation, which releases hydrogen ions from the nutritional substrate due to the action of enzymes. The [...]
To getrid of some old myths, free weights do not help to gain more muscle mass than machines, and machines do not provide any additional benefits in terms of “form and definition.” Let us look at the pros and cons. • Safety: no difference.Some machines, such as “cable pulldowns” for [...]
When the objective is to lose weight, people oftentimes erroneously choose workouts involvinga large number of repetitions. The idea is to “define” or “trim” their musculature locally (e.g., by doing the “biceps 21 curl”). There are two basic biological errors in this approach:1. You cannot lose weight locally by doing [...]
Numerous theories exist in this area, some of which are actually contradictory. In this section, we shall look briefly at the most modern and widely accepted of these. Muscle is made up basically of muscle cells or fibers, which contract when they receive an electrochemical stimulus. There are basically two [...]
Having looked at the three basic laws of physical training, let us now consider the foundations of muscle growth (hypertrophy), which may be summarized as follows: Good biomechanics • Appropriate rest• Proper diet• Sufficient hydration• Specific workouts• Appropriate frequency• Sufficient intensity• Exercise order• Progressive overload• Exercise variety We could also [...]