Mental Notes & Random Musings

Deltoid Row (Machine Wide Grip Seated) Target Muscles: Latissimus dorsi, Rhomboids, Teres major and minor, Erector spinae, Biceps, Fore-arms, Pectoralis major Starting Position: 1. Sit facing the row machine and place your chest against the pad. Grasp the handles palms facing down in a wide grip. 2. Maintain a normal, slightly curved spinal position. 3. Pull back a little way until your torso is nearly upright and your arms are fully extended. The Movement: 1. Pull the handles towards you until it grips are beside your chest. You should be pulling your elbows and shoulders directly backwards as far as possible. 2. Hold for a count of two; then slowly return to the starting position, maintaining a near ­upright position. Tips: • To achieve maximum rear deltoid development, keep your torso nearly upright during the entire movement - it should not move forwards or backwards more than 10°. • Maintain a normal curve in your back - do not arch your back excessively. • Inhale at the start of ...

Squat (Machine Hack) Target Muscles: Gluteus, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Lower back, Adductors, Hip flexors. Starting Position: 1. Position yourself in a hack squat machine. 2. Place your feet firmly on the platform with your heels at least six inches above the bottom edge. Your legs should be fully extended and feet hip-width apart. Release the safety catch. The Movements: 1. Press the platform away from you as far as possible. 2. Bring your knees down as far as possible. In a perfect world they would make it into your armpits. Tips: • Do not hurry the reps or bounce up from the bottom. • Stretch your hamstrings fully at the bottom of the movement - your heels should be lower than your toes. • Keep your legs slightly bent at the top of the movement.

Pullover (Dumbbell Straight Arm) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (lower chest), Anterior deltoids, Triceps, Pectoralis major Starting Position: 1. Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench. Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench (torso across it as in forming a cross) with only your shoulders lying on the surface. Hips should be below the bench and legs bent with feet firmly on the floor. The head will be off the bench as well. 2. Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest at arms length. Both palms should be pressing against the underside one of the sides of the dumbbell. This will be your starting position. The Movement: 1. While keeping your arms straight, lower the weight slowly in an arc behind your head while breathing in until you feel a stretch on the chest. 2. At that point, bring the dumbbell back to the starting position using the arc through which the weight was lowered and ex...

Pushup (Incline) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (mid chest), Anterior deltoids, Triceps Starting Position: 1. Place your feet on a bench or chair and face the floor with your upper body. 2. Place your hands directly out to your sides, fingers facing forward. The Movement: 1. Slowly push your body upwards until you are parallel with the floor. 2. Slowly bring your body back to the starting position with your nose inches from the floor. Tips: • Keep your hips perfectly straight. If you lift your hips to generate leverage, you will risk lower-back strain. • Do not arch your back as you push yourself upwards or you will reduce the amount of work done by the chest. • Do not bounce yourself off the floor. Again, this reduces the amount of chest work and risks injury to the chest muscles. • Keep your palms facing forwards and your wrists straight. Variations: Wide grip: Using an arm spacing one and a half times shoulder width apart places more emphasis on the pectorals (especially the outer...

Pushup (Standard) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (mid chest), Anterior deltoids, Triceps Starting Position: 1. Place your feet on the floor straight out behind you and face the floor with your upper body. 2. Place your hands directly out to your sides, fingers facing forward. The Movement: 1. Slowly push your body upwards until you are parallel with the floor. 2. Slowly bring your body back to the starting position with your nose inches from the floor. Tips: • Keep your hips perfectly straight. If you lift your hips to generate leverage, you will risk lower-back strain. • Do not arch your back as you push yourself upwards or you will reduce the amount of work done by the chest. • Do not bounce yourself off the floor. Again, this reduces the amount of chest work and risks injury to the chest muscles. • Keep your palms facing forwards and your wrists straight. Variations: Wide grip: Using an arm spacing one and a half times shoulder width apart places more emphasis on the pectorals (es...

Shoulder Press (Machine Seated) Target Muscles: Anterior and medial deltoids, Upper Pectoralis major, Triceps, Shoulder girdle muscles (Trapezius, Supraspinatus) Starting Position: 1. Sit at a shoulder press machine 2. Place your hands on the handles with a shoulder width grip. The Movement: 1. Press the handles upwards, straightening your arms but do not lock out your elbows. Hold momentarily. 2. Lower the handles slowly back to the starting position. Tips: • Keep your torso upright - don't lean backwards or arch your spine as you press the cables upwards as this will strain your lower back. • Hold your abdominal muscles taut to help stabilize your spine or, if you are using a very heavy weight, wear a weightlifting belt. • Don't shorten the movement.

Squat (Machine Hack) Target Muscles: Gluteus, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Lower back, Adductors, Hip flexors. Starting Position: 1. Position yourself in a hack squat machine. 2. Place your feet firmly on the platform with your heels at least six inches above the bottom edge. Your legs should be fully extended and feet hip-width apart. Release the safety catch. The Movements: 1. Press the platform away from you as far as possible. 2. Bring your knees down as far as possible. In a perfect world they would make it into your armpits. Tips: • Do not hurry the reps or bounce up from the bottom. • Stretch your hamstrings fully at the bottom of the movement - your heels should be lower than your toes. • Keep your legs slightly bent at the top of the movement.

Dip (Machine) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (lower chest), Anterior deltoids, Triceps, Pectoralis major Starting Position: 1. Sit down at a parallel press machine. 2. Place a hand on each bar, and then press the handles downward to get into the starting position with your arms locked out. The Movement: 1. Begin by flexing the elbow, lowering the handles until your arms straighten out. 2. Reverse the motion by extending braking the elbow 90 degrees. Tips: • Avoid swinging, and maintain good posture throughout the descent. • Do not overextend yourself.

Dip (Bench) Target Muscles: Triceps (Especially the outer and medial heads) Starting Position: 1. You will need to place two benches, about the length of your legs,  apart. 2. Place your hands shoulder-width apart, fingers facing forwards, on the  edge of one bench. 3. Place your heels on the other bench so that your legs form a straight  bridge between the two benches. The Movement: 1. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your elbows make an  angle of 90°. 2. Hold for a count of two; then straighten your arms to bring you back to  the starting position. Tips: • Keep your back close to the bench. • Do not lock or snap out your elbows at the top of the movement. • Keep your elbows directed backwards during both the lowering and  raising phases. • Do not shorten the downwards phase. . Keep the movement slow - do  not rush the reps. Variations: Easier Place your feet flat on the floor instead of on a bench. Advanced Place a weight disc across your l...

Dip (Parallel Bar) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (lower chest), Anterior deltoids, Triceps, Pectoralis major Starting Position: 1. Stand between a set of parallel bars. 2. Place a hand on each bar, and then take a small jump to help you get into the starting position with your arms locked out. The Movement: 1. Begin by flexing the elbow, lowering your body until your arms break 90 degrees. 2. Reverse the motion by extending the elbow, pushing yourself back up into the starting position. Tips: • Avoid swinging, and maintain good posture throughout the descent. • Do not overextend yourself.

Press (Cable Lower Chest) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (lower chest), Anterior deltoids, Triceps, Pectoralis major Starting Position: 1. Stand between two parallel cable towers. 2. Hold a pair of cables, with your palms facing upwards and your elbows back under your armpits. The Movement: 1. Slowly press the cables forward until they are directly out in front of you. 2. Hold the position for a count of two; then bring the cable handles back to the starting position. Tips: • Keep your hips firmly in the same position throughout the movement. • Bring the cables back as far as you can, aiming for a maximum but comfortable stretch. • Keep the cables directly in front of your chest area­ do not let them travel outward.

Press (Cable Upper Chest) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (upper chest), Anterior deltoids, Triceps, Pectoralis major Starting Position: 1. Stand between two parallel cable towers. 2. Hold a pair of cables, with your palms facing upwards and your elbows back under your armpits. The Movement: 1. Slowly press the cables forward until they are directly out in front of you. 2. Hold the position for a count of two; then bring the cable handles back to the starting position. Tips: • Keep your hips firmly in the same position throughout the movement. • Bring the cables back as far as you can, aiming for a maximum but comfortable stretch. • Keep the cables directly in front of your chest area­ do not let them travel outward.

Press (Cable Standard) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (mid chest), Anterior deltoids, Triceps Starting Position: 1. Stand between two parallel cable towers. 2. Hold a pair of cables, with your palms facing upwards and your elbows back under your armpits. The Movement: 1. Slowly press the cables forward until they are directly out in front of you. 2. Hold the position for a count of two; then bring the cable handles back to the starting position. Tips: • Keep your hips firmly in the same position throughout the movement. • Bring the cables back as far as you can, aiming for a maximum but comfortable stretch. • Keep the cables directly in front of your chest area­ do not let them travel outward.

Fly (Cable Cross-Over) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (mid chest), Anterior deltoids Starting Position: 1. Attach the handles to two overhead pulley machines. 2. Hold the handles, palms facing down, and stand midway between the machines with your feet hip-width apart or with one foot in front of the other for balance. Your arms should be fully extended so you achieve a good stretch in your pectorals. 3. Bend forwards slightly from the waist and maintain this position throughout the exercise. The Movement: 1. Draw the handles towards each other in an arcing motion, aiming for a point approxi­mately 30 cm in front of your hips. 2. When the handles meet, squeeze your pectorals hard and hold for a count of two. 3. Slowly return the handles to the starting position. Tips: • Keep your back erect and elbows slightly bent (at 10-15°) throughout the movement. • Focus on using your chest muscles to perform the movement - do not curl your shoulders forwards as you bring the handles together. • ...

Fly (Cable Upper Chest) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (mid chest), Anterior deltoids Starting Position: 1. Attach the handles to two low pulley machines. 2. Hold the handles, palms facing down, and stand midway between the machines with your feet hip-width apart or with one foot in front of the other for balance. Your arms should be fully extended so you achieve a good stretch in your pectorals. 3. Bend forwards slightly from the waist and maintain this position throughout the exercise. The Movement: 1. Draw the handles towards each other in an arcing motion, aiming for a point approxi­mately 30 cm in front of your face. 2. When the handles meet, squeeze your pectorals hard and hold for a count of two. 3. Slowly return the handles to the starting position. Tips: • Keep your back erect and elbows slightly bent (at 10-15°) throughout the movement. • Focus on using your chest muscles to perform the movement - do not curl your shoulders forwards as you bring the handles together. • You ...

Leg Curl (Machine Seated) Targets muscles: Hamstrings, Gastrocnemius Starting Position: 1. Lie face down on the leg curl or sit upright in an upright machine and hook your heels under the roller pads. Adjust the machine if necessary so that your knees are just off the end of the bench and your thighs are fully supported. 2. Hold on to the hand grips or the edge of the bench for support. The Movement: 1. Bend your knees, bringing your heels towards your backside. 2. Hold this fully contracted position for a count of two then slowly lower your heels back to the starting position. Tips: • Keep your hips and thighs in contact with the bench throughout the movement - do not allow your hips to rise. • Control the movement on both the upwards and downwards phase - avoid kicking your heels back fast. Variations: Toes pointed: Performing the movement with your toes pointed intensifies the work performed by the hamstrings. Single leg curl: You can do leg curls with one leg at a time. This allows...

Crunch (Machine Standard) Target Muscles: Rectus abdominis (mainly the upper part) Starting Position: 1. Lie flat on your back either on an abdominal bench with  your knees bent over your hips and your ankles touching. 2. Place your hands on the handles beside your head 3. Press your lower back to the pad and make sure your head is directly between the handles. The Movement: 1. Use your abdominal strength to raise your head and shoulders from the bench. You should only come up about 10 cm and your  lower back should remain on the bench. 2. Hold in this contracted position for a count of two. 3. Let your body uncurl slowly back to the starting position. Tips: • Focus on moving your ribs towards your hips. • Do not pull your head with your hands ­ keep your elbows out and  relaxed. • Exhale as you contract your abdominals.

Fly (Cable Lower Chest) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (mid chest), Anterior deltoids Starting Position: 1. Attach the handles to two overhead pulley machines. 2. Hold the handles, palms facing down, and stand midway between the machines with your feet hip-width apart or with one foot in front of the other for balance. Your arms should be fully extended so you achieve a good stretch in your pectorals. 3. Bend forwards slightly from the waist and maintain this position throughout the exercise. The Movement: 1. Draw the handles towards each other in an arcing motion, aiming for a point approxi­mately 30 cm in front of your hips. 2. When the handles meet, squeeze your pectorals hard and hold for a count of two. 3. Slowly return the handles to the starting position. Tips: • Keep your back erect and elbows slightly bent (at 10-15°) throughout the movement. • Focus on using your chest muscles to perform the movement - do not curl your shoulders forwards as you bring the handles together. •...

Lunge (Dumbbell In Place) Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Gluteus Starting position: 1. Hold a pair of dumbbells at the sides of your body with arms fully extended (palms facing your body). 2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forwards. Lift your chest up and look straight ahead. The Movement: 1. Take an exaggerated step forwards with your right leg, bending the knee and lowering your hips. 2. Lower yourself until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your knee is at an angle of 90°. Your left leg should be about 3 to 6 inches above the floor. Hold for a count of one. 3. Push hard with your right leg to return to the starting position. 4. Complete the desired number of repetitions; then repeat with the left leg leading. Tips: • Keep your front knee positioned directly over your ankle - do not allow it to extend further forwards as this can cause strain to the knee. • Keep your body erect throughout the movement - do not lean forwards. Variations: ...

Fly (Cable Standard) Target Muscles: Pectoralis major (mid chest), Anterior deltoids Starting Position: 1. Attach the handles to two mid level pulley machines. 2. Hold the handles, palms facing down, and stand midway between the machines with your feet hip-width apart or with one foot in front of the other for balance. Your arms should be fully extended so you achieve a good stretch in your pectorals. 3. Bend forwards slightly from the waist and maintain this position throughout the exercise. The Movement: 1. Draw the handles towards each other in an arcing motion, aiming for a point approxi­mately 30 cm in front of your chest. 2. When the handles meet, squeeze your pectorals hard and hold for a count of two. 3. Slowly return the handles to the starting position. Tips: • Keep your back erect and elbows slightly bent (at 10-15°) throughout the movement. • Focus on using your chest muscles to perform the movement - do not curl your shoulders forwards as you bring the handles together. • ...