|
Muscle and fitness belongs together somehow
automatically, no muscle training no fitness and vice versa.
That doesn't mean you should amass a lot of muscle like they do
in bodybuilding, that's to much for the normal person. Just do
muscle fitness building within the frame already mentioned in
the first page in this website.
Never take any medication to build muscle,
like steroids etc. it will destroy you health and naturally your
body. Some creams are ok when you exaggerated your workout and
feel pain. If the pain persist consult your doctor.
If you are after muscle building on
a serious way It might be useful to buy some
muscle & fitness magazine to give you more directions.
If you are visiting a fitness and / bodybuilding
center ask the trainer he should be able to give some
guidance. Don't be shy to ask questions, even if you
think you shouldn't ask "such things" they
hear all kind of related questions every day and you are
the customer who pay for anyway.
When you think of
developing a strong, muscular physique what type of exercises do
you think of doing? To improve and develop strength most
individuals focus on lifting weights – exercises such as bench
press, push ups and flies – that focus on powerful pushing and
pulling movements.
Cardiovascular activity usually takes the
passenger seat, when it comes to developing strength - unless
you’re involved in a sport that requires a lot of endurance
training, or if you want to loose excess body fat on top of
improving your strength.
|
|
Stretching – unfortunately isn’t even put in the strength
development category, because most of us figure
that since it’s a low intensity movement it’s purely for cooling
down after our workouts. However stretching isn't merely a great
way to cool down – trust me it can actually help make you
stronger. That’s why I feature a great stretching diagram on my
website, FitnessGear101.com.
The benefits of stretching have numerous effects on your
weightlifting progress. Just remember when you stretch you
should feel slight tension in your muscles, but no pain!
Stretching is your key to the following fitness pluses:
Increased
Strength - Stretching actually helps to increase your muscular
strength because it expands your range of motion, and range of
motion literally applies to weightlifting. For example when you
lift in a wider range of motion compared to a smaller range,
you’re enlisting the help of more fibers, making your muscles
stronger.
Reduced Stress –
We all know that
stretching helps reduce the stress and tension in our exercised
muscles, but did you know that a quick 20-mintue session of
stretching can also release most of the tension that built up
throughout an entire workday?
Improved Posture –
Flexible muscles
are your key to good posture, because stretching promotes
balanced muscle tone in all the major joints in the body. This
affects your strength training because good posture reduces
stress and soreness in the muscles and joints, letting you get
back to the gym faster.
Improved Speed & Reaction Time – if you’re an athlete you’re
aware of how important agility is to top performance. Flexible
muscles make you quicker on your feet. This allows for you to
run faster in sports like soccer; react quicker by making saves
in hockey and by maneuvering around opponents in football.
Decreased Muscle Soreness - This means less time off from the
gym and your game, and more time to devote to developing those
muscles.
Ease of Movement –
If you’re not an
athlete, never fear, stretching does more than improve sports
performance. It makes simple daily tasks easier as well, by
lessening the general stiffness in joints so you can bend down,
reach up and lift things easily. Stretching will also affect the
future of your joints by making you less likely to develop joint
pain later in life.
Reduces Chances of Injury –
More flexible
muscles translate to less chance of injuring tight muscles
during exercise. Take for example your hamstrings, the muscles
that run down the back of your upper legs. I like to compare the
hamstrings to an elastic band – the flexible hamstring has a lot
of stretch; whereas the inflexible hamstring is that dried out
elastic that breaks when it’s stretch too far.
Author Anna Fleet
Transform your
triceps: 3 moves to get you superfirm and sculpted
Shape, by Stacy Whitman
For sexy, sculpted arms, do three tried-and-true exercises that
target the entire triceps muscle, each one with slight
variations to challenge the muscle.
Why this workout works
This workout from West Hollywood, Calif., trainer Mylene Dane
isolates all three parts, or "heads," of your triceps muscle for
fast, visible results. You'll do the first two exercises
stabilized on a bench, while in the last move, a balance tool
will increase the intensity. In the rotating dumbbell extension,
you'll place more emphasis on the long head. The prone triceps
kickback targets the medial and lateral heads. You'll finish
with the high-cable triceps press-down on a BOSU Balance Trainer
to emphasize the lateral head.
Muscle mechanics
All three "heads" of the triceps work to extend your elbow when
you straighten your arm. The lateral head originates on the back
of your upper arm; the medial head attaches at the lower part of
your upper arm; and the long head crosses your shoulder joint
and attaches on your shoulder blade.
Details
You'll need a flat bench, a set of 5- to 10-pound dumbbells, a
high-cable pulley with a rope attachment and a BOSU Balance
Trainer. Warm up with 5 minutes of cardio. Finish by stretching
your triceps, holding each stretch for at least 30 seconds
without bouncing.
rotating dumbbell extension
Strengthens triceps
* Hold dumbbells and lie on a flat bench, knees bent, heels on
bench edge.
* Extend arms in line with shoulders. Bend elbows, keeping arms
parallel and palms facing forehead.
* Stabilize torso by contracting abs [A]. (Don't arch your
back.)
* Maintaining shoulder, elbow and wrist positions, extend arms
without locking elbows, turning palms to face forward by the top
of the lift and squeezing triceps for a second [B].
* Control the weight as you lower it and repeat.
* Trainer's Tip As soon as you start the extension, begin
rotating arms to increase the workload on triceps.
prone triceps kickback
Strengthens triceps
* Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lie facedown on bench, legs
and feet together, chin just over the bench edge, neck long.
* Bend elbows to 90 degrees, upper arms parallel to back,
knuckles pointing down, palms in.
* Contract abs, lengthening tailbone to maintain a neutral
spine, keeping hips on bench [A].
* Maintain shoulder and arm position as you extend arms behind
you until they are straight and fully extended [B].
* Bend elbows back to starting position and repeat.
* Trainer's Tip Keep upper arms lightly touching at sides to
maintain alignment so the emphasis stays on triceps.
high-cable triceps press-down
Strengthens triceps
* Attach a rope to a high-cable pulley, then stand on a BOSU
Balance Trainer facing the weight stack with feet slightly
apart, knees slightly bent.
* Grasp one end of the rope in each hand, palms in, then bend
elbows.
* Contract abs so spine is in a neutral position [A].
* Maintain shoulder and arm positions as you squeeze shoulder
blades down and back, then straighten elbows, separating the
rope at the bottom of the move [B].
* Slowly bend to starting position and repeat.
* Trainer's Tip To really home in on your triceps, rotate arms
so thumbs are down on the final phase of the motion.
RELATED ARTICLE: SHAPE READER MODEL
Karena Dawn, 23, runs, skates, bikes or surfs 5 days a week and
weight trains for 30-60 minutes 3 times a week. "Don't fall
victim to the myth that women shouldn't weight train because it
will make them bulky," she says. "The more muscle you have, the
faster your body will burn calories."
RELATED ARTICLE: WHAT WORKS
When it comes to toning the triceps, less resistance can be
more, says Mylene Dane, co-owner of TRAIN West Hollywood in
California. "The triceps group is small and you may not be able
to use as much weight as you can with other body parts, such as
the chest or back," Dane says. [??] A good rule of thumb: Choose
a weight that allows you to work slowly and with control through
a full range of motion without locking the elbow joint; the
final repetition should be difficult, but not impossible.
RELATED ARTICLE: FINE-TUNING TIPS
* Extend your arms through a full range of motion.
* Keep your shoulders and elbows motionless as you perform each
repetition.
* Control the lowering of the weights; don't let gravity or
momentum do the work.
* To protect your elbows, never "bounce" at the bottom of a rep.
* Keep shoulder blades drawn down and together to stabilize your
torso.
RELATED ARTICLE: training guide
Beginner/Intermediate Do these moves twice a week, taking at
least 1 day off between workouts. You'll superset (see special
instructions) the first 2 exercises, repeat for sets then finish
with the third exercise. Progress to the advanced program after
4-6 weeks, or when you feel ready.
Advanced To increase the challenge, add reps, sets or
resistance, and follow the special instructions as noted.
Ketchum, Idaho-based writer STACY WHITMAN loves working her
triceps, because she can see the definition quickly.
basic program
exercise rotating dumbbell prone triceps high-cable
extension kickback triceps
press-down
sets 2-3 2-3 2-3
reps 12-15 12-15 12-15
weight range 5-8 pounds 5-8 pounds 30-40 pounds
special Do 1 set of none none
instructions extensions followed
by 1 set of
kickbacks.
|
