Mental Notes & Random Musings

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...

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: ...

Lunge (Barbell In Place) Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Gluteus Starting position: 1. Place a bar across the back of your shoulders or 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 t...

Lunge (Dumbbell Half) 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: Step...

Lunge (Dumbbell Bench Lift) Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Gluteus Starting position: 1. Place 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 up onto a bench with your right leg. 2. Follow you right leg with your left leg until you are standing upright on the bench. 3. Step back down in the reverse order that you had stepped up. 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.

Lunge (Barbell Reverse) Target Muscles: Gluteus, Hamstrings, Quadriceps. Starting Position: 1.Place a barbell across the back of your shoulders or 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.Drop your right leg behind your body, bending your left leg, lowering your hips and keeping your trunk upright. 2.Lower yourself into a one-legged squat position on your left leg until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Your left knee should be at an angle of 90°. Hold for a count of one. 3.Push hard through your left leg, strongly contracting the gluteus, quadriceps and hamstrings to return your right leg into position. Don't push through your right (back) leg 4.Complete the desired number of repetitions; then repeat with the left leg leading. Tips: •Keep your front knee positioned directly over your an...

Lunge (Dumbbell Forward) Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Gluteus Starting position: 1. Place a bar across the back of your shoulders or 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 t...