VIDEO
Wide Squat Jump
- Arms
- Legs
- Calves
Level:Intermediate
Trainer:Zoey Flores
Equipment:No Equipment
Stand with your feet hip-width appart making a wide squad position. Jump without stopping for a certain period of time.
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Building up the calf muscles and make your legs beautiful is quite difficult, but possible. It is difficult because the legs are used to constant strain (usually people walk a lot). And it becomes possible thanks to the proven exercises, which can effectively train this group of muscles. In this article, we will take a detailed look at the anatomy of calves, their functions, and exercises that you can do to help make them stronger.
The calf muscle is the most superficially located muscle of the lower leg that crosses two joints: the knee and ankle. Like the biceps of the shoulder, it consists of two heads: medial (located closer to the inside of the tibia) and lateral (located closer to the outside of the tibia). It is interesting to note, that about 5.5% of Japanese and about 3% of people of other nationalities may have the 3rd head of the calf muscle, which attaches from above between the fixation sites of the medial and lateral heads, and may connect from below either to the lateral head (less often) or to the medial head (more often).
The primary function of the calf muscle is to lift the supporting leg, which causes a person to move forward along with flexion of the knee and ankle joints. Running causes a lot of stress on the calf muscles that is why many sprinters face the problem of calf pain.
There are also other functions of the calf muscle.
The calf muscle is involved in the plantar flexion of the foot, which occurs during walking, running, or cycling;
It is also activated during flexion of the leg at the knee joint;
It participates in the supination of the foot (its outward rotation);
The calf muscle takes part in the stabilization of the knee and ankle joints and also helps to keep the balance in the upright position of the body.
There are many reasons that can cause calf pain. And to prevent this unpleasant situation, the following rules should be followed:
running at a comfortable pace;
warming up before running and stretching after training;
comfortable shoes suitable for running;
a smooth transition from running to stopping after a step;
drinking plenty of water after the workout;
a warm shower/bath and a massage to relax the muscles.
The reasons why the calf muscles are not as developed as you would like them to be could be the following:
too much training aimed at working out this muscle group;
not enough exercise;
the wrong set of exercises.
It is necessary to choose the right exercises for the calf muscles. It must be noted that the surface muscle is worked out in a standing position, and the cambalic muscle in a sitting position. To train as effectively as possible, it is necessary to load both muscles.
And the last, but not the least advice: do not try to achieve serious results by performing endless repetitions, such as deadlifts. The main secret of how to pump up the calf muscles is heavy training with weights. It is recommended to train your calves no more than 2 times a week.
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In bodybuilding and fitness, the deltoid muscles play a special part. Despite the fact that the muscle area belongs to small groups, it is second only to the biceps in terms of training frequency. The reason lies not only in the importance of the deltoid muscles in the anatomy but also in improving the aesthetics of the figure. Understanding the functions and features of the deltoid bands allows you to maximize the effectiveness of the training process and significantly reduce the injury risk.
The deltoid muscles consist of three heads (bundles):
The anterior head (anterior bundle) attaches to the humerus and is responsible for lifting the arm forward.
The middle head (lateral bundle) is attached to the acromion of the scapula and allows the arm to be lifted sideways.
The posterior head (posterior bundle) is attached to the scapula and allows the arm to be moved backward.
The deltoid muscle covers the shoulder joint. The muscle is thick, triangular in shape, with the base up and the apex down. It consists of large muscle bundles, which fan-like converge at the apex. It starts from the clavicle and scapula and attaches to the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus.
In training the deltoid muscles, it is very important to pump all three bundles equally. This will protect the shoulder joint from injuries.
The deltoid muscle bundles have different functions, so you cannot work them all with just one exercise: you must include at least three movements in your workout.
You must correctly select exercises for pumping the front, middle and rear bundles. Choose one exercise from each category and add them to your workouts.
Shoulders should be trained no more than twice a week (once is enough for beginners), this will allow the muscles to fully recover for the next workout.
Here is some basic exercises for deltoids:
The army bench press or barbell/dumbbell press in standing or sitting position (middle, front).
Bench press from behind the head while seated (middle, front).
Chin-up or 'broach' barbell pull (middle, front).
Lee Heini pulls (back, middle).
Arnold press (front, middle).
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Biceps is the most famous muscle in the human muscular system, it is approximately one-third of the mass of the shoulder. It is a part of a group of three in the upper arm that works together with each other to lift the arm toward the shoulder. As one of the most visible and impressive parts of the body, “two-headed muscles” are often the gym’s focus.
It is responsible for two main movements of the arm. The first is raising your hand. Those who carry something using their arm are likely to engage them in the process, as some upward force must be applied during the process of carrying and lifting. The second movement, for which they are responsible, is called supination, which rotates the arm from the natural position of the palm down to the palm up.
Biceps are built as a result of injury, which is often achieved through lifting weights such as curls or other types of exercises. As the curls or other exercises are done, the muscles in the arm get minor injuries. These injuries must be repaired naturally. The recovery process, as a natural byproduct, usually leads to growth and strength gains, although this process can take several weeks or months before noticeable results are seen.
Very few exercises work for it without affecting the other parts of the shoulder. Therefore, there is no reason to worry that others in the upper arm might be neglected by focusing on them. Some may focus only on the arm and almost completely forget about the legs or the core.
As one of the most commonly used muscles in the body, the biceps can certainly be damaged. Biceps injuries are not as common as some other types of injuries, there is always a risk, especially among weightlifters. The most common type of injury is damage to the tendon. In this type of injury, It is pulled away from the tendon that attaches it to the arm in a bone also known as the radius. Such injuries occur when they are used suddenly or to a level that they cannot handle.
Training.
Dumbbell Bicep Curls. Stand straight with the dumbbell in each hand and with your feet shoulder-width apart. Once the dumbbells are at your shoulder level, start slowly lower your arms to the starting position. Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions.
Incline Pushup. Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on a bench, chair, or couch. And assume a high plank position with your feet together and your body straight from head to heels. Keeping your feet flat and core engaged lower your chest to the bench or chair. Pause. And then push yourself back up to the starting position.
Diamond Knee Pushup. With your knees on the ground place your hands on the ground with your fingers and thumbs touching together creating the diamond shape. This action will engage more your tricep muscle. Then complete a push-up and get back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pike Pushup. Assume a shorter push-up position, get on your toes and put your butt up, shifting your weights to the front. Bending your arms slowly lower your head, be sure not to bump your head on the ground.
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The anatomy of the human foot is complex. This is a part of the leg with many muscular compartments that perform functions such as balancing, maintaining stability, softening the impact of steps, creating solid support. Its structure allows us to see how evolution has adapted our body to an efficient way of movement - upright walking. Anatomically, it is similar to the hand.
The anatomical structure of the foot is quite complex, due to the need for a small support area to support the weight of the human body. There are two parts distinguished in the foot: a plantar surface (which is in direct contact with the ground) and an opposite - dorsiflexion.
All parts of this very complex mechanism work together to provide us with balance when we walk and exercise.
The lower part of the limb is built from bones of different sizes connected into a single structure. It allows the weight of the body to be supported when moving and is capable of bearing enormous loads.
The bones of the fingers include fourteen phalanges and their connecting articulations. Each finger is formed of three phalanges, except for the thumb, which contains two. They are connected with the parts of the skeleton forming the metatarsus through the articular cartilage. The function of the toes is to distribute the weight of the body equally and to improve balance.
The foot includes sesamoid bones. These are small formations of rounded shape, their number is individual. And there are people who do not have these bones. Their option is to increase the curvature of the transverse arch.
The muscles on the dorsal side are responsible for extending the toes and foot.
The plantar side muscles are responsible for their flexion.
They play an important role in the formation of the correct arch and take on a huge load when moving and jumping.
Everyone needs to take care of their feet, not just people who like to run. Problems can arise from a sedentary lifestyle, excessive weight, or constant work 'on your feet'. The most common problem is flat feet. It can be not only congenital but also acquired at any age. Because of changes in the arch of the foot loses cushioning, while walking, shock load is transferred to other joints, causing problems in the knees and lower back.
You can avoid ankle pathologies and injuries if you do special exercises. We have collected the best, in our opinion, sets of exercises to strengthen the foot, its muscles, ligaments, and joints. You do not have to do everything just choose exercises that you like, make your own complexes. Training your feet even 1-2 times a week will help prevent injuries, become more athletic and run faster.
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The shoulder muscles are divided into two groups. The anterior group consists of flexors: the coracohumeral, the brachialis, and the biceps brachii. The posterior group includes the extensors: the triceps brachii and ulnar.
The coracohumerals start from the coracoid process of the scapula fuses with the short head of the biceps brachii and pectoralis minor and attaches to the humerus at the level of the upper edge of the brachial.
The brachials start from the lower half of the anterior surface of the humerus and the intermuscular septa of the shoulder and attach to the tuberosity of the ulna and its coronal process.
The biceps brachii has two heads starting on the scapula from the supra-articular tubercle (long head) and the coracoid process (short head). It attaches to the forearm to the tuberosity of the radius and the fascia of the forearm. It belongs to the bicarticular part. Concerning the shoulder joint, the biceps of the shoulder is the flexor of the shoulder, and the elbow is the flexor and instep support of the forearm.
The triceps brachii is located on the back of the shoulder, has three heads, and is a bicarticular. It participates in the movements of both the shoulder and the forearm, causing extension and adduction in the shoulder joint and extension in the elbow.
The ulnar starts from the lateral epicondyle of the humerus and radial collateral ligament and the fascia; it is attached to the upper part of the posterior surface and partly to the olecranon of the ulna in its upper quarter. The function of this is to extend the forearm.
The bundles of the deltoid muscle perform different functions, so it will not work to load them all with one exercise: you will have to include at least three movements in the training. All exercises are divided into three parts: for pumping the front, middle and back beams. Pick exercises from our list below and add them to your workouts. The weight is necessary so that the last repetitions in the approach are given not easily, but without compromising the technique. You can train your shoulder straps both at home and in the gym. But it is necessary to have a bar and a gantry. Weight must be chosen in such a way that in every set it was possible to raise the average 8-10 times. This is how you can increase the volume and mass. If the same goal is set - to increase the strength, to train in the face of more severe conditions. In this case, the number of repeats will be 5-8. The number of reps is 4-5.
Barbell bench press. Take the shell on your chest, bring your elbows forward, tighten your abs, buttocks, legs. Squeeze the bar up, lower it back and repeat. When the bar passes your face, do not lift your chin, but squeeze it in yourself: this way the bar will go along the optimal trajectory. If the projectile remains in front of the body at the top point, and not above it, the load on the lower back increases. Therefore, try to take the barbell behind your head.
Standing dumbbell press. Raise your arms with the selected weight to shoulder level, turn your palms forward with your fingers. Squeeze the dumbbells up and take them slightly behind your head, and then lower them to the starting position and repeat. Do three to five approaches 10-12 times.
Seated Bent-Over Dumbbell Routing. Sit on a bench, tilt your body with a straight back, as far as flexibility allows, hold the dumbbells in your lowered hands. Without changing the position of the body, spread your arms with the taken weight on the sides to shoulder level. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position and repeat.
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