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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ARTICLES
The arm is one of the most important parts of the body. Arms muscles are only 10-15% of the mass of all muscles in the body. Your arms are not only divided into biceps and triceps but into 20-25 different muscle groups. For example, the biceps is a double flexor muscle attached to the shoulder and elbow. The triceps is a triple extensor muscle that occupies the back of the arm.
In addition, pumping the arms implies an emphasis on the muscles of the forearm and shoulders. For example, when lifting dumbbells while standing, the load falls on the entire upper body - including the trapezoid. The situation is similar with triceps - extensions from behind the head involve the serrated muscles located in the armpit area.
The best arm exercise is the exercise that makes you feel the biceps or triceps work. In order to quickly build muscles, it is not enough to perform lifts of heavy dumbbells, arching the whole body - the workout requires moderate weights, slow speed, and complete muscle control.
For beginners and intermediate athletes, one arm workout per week is enough. On the rest of the training days, these muscles are involved in the work partly- the triceps are involved in push-ups, bench press, and other chest exercises, and the biceps are involved in pull-ups.
The secret to successful arm muscle training is using multi-joint exercises to develop upper body musculature (such as push-ups and pull-ups). In fact, it is impossible to build large arms without having the proper level of development of the back, chest, and shoulders. The frequency of the training also plays a role. Even professionals are not recommended to work with their arms more than twice a week, and the total duration of arms training should not be more than 20-25 minutes - otherwise, overtraining will occur, which negatively affects the growth of muscles. The development of neuromuscular communication - is important too. It is necessary to raise and lower the weight due to the conscious work of the biceps or triceps, and not simply due to inertia. This will help to build up the muscles of the arms as quickly as possible - in the end, they respond quite well to regular training.
Training
Pushup. Put your hands and toes on the mat. Keep your arms straight, but don't lock your elbows. Align your feet making the straight line with your arms and core. Inhaling, bend your elbows and lower your chest to the ground slowly. Straighten your arms to lift your core up, exhaling.
Half Handstand Variation. Begin with the downward-facing dog position. Walk your feet in closer to your hands. Keep your left foot on the ground, lifting onto the ball, and begin bending the knee. Lift the right leg and straighten it behind you. After taking a few hops, jump off the bent leg and lift the straight leg toward vertical. Keep flexing your lifted foot for engagement. Now, try to bring both heels to the wall. Keep breathing deeply while your head is down between your upper arms. Remember to engage your legs and reach up through your heels. Walk your legs down the wall. Then get back to the starting position with your feet on the ground. Make a deep squat and jump out.
Jumps with Dumbbells. Stand with your feet shoulder wide and knees slightly bend, dumbbells in both hands. Bend your knees and squat down engaging gluteus, quads, and hamstrings to push the body up and off the floor. Keep your hands with weights straight down.
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To work out the perfect buttocks, you need to know what functions they have. In this article, you may read everything about the structure and functions of the gluteus muscles. So, let’s start examining the glutes right now!
First things first, you need to know that glutes consist of three separate parts: large, medium, and small. Accordingly, the functions of the glutes reflect a combination of the functions of these three muscles, and if any of the muscles are not used, then we lack some of them, and, as a result, we do not get the desired look of the buttocks. Probably, it is time to have a closer look at every glute muscle.
The gluteus maximus is the largest of this group of muscles and can reach the thickness of 2-3 cm. It has a rhomboidal shape and almost completely o covers the middle and small gluteus maximus, being on top. In fact, it is this muscle that we usually associate with the considered area of the body that creates the main visible volume.
Here are the main functions of the gluteus maximus:
maintains the position of the torso when the person is standing
assists in extension of the torso after bending over
rotates the hip outward
acts in hip extension.
This muscle is very active during stair climbing and different types of stepping on an elevated surface. It is involved as soon as you change from stepping to running. It is active during upward jumps and various pushing movements of the legs. Besides, the gluteus maximus works together with other muscles in squats and all exercises involving the extension of the thigh and torso.
The middle gluteal muscle (lat. musculus gluteus medius) has a triangle-like shape. It is located under the gluteus maximus but is visible from behind and the side.
The main functions of the middle gluteus muscle are:
extends the hip to the side
participates in the inward and outward rotation of the hip
participates in the torso straightening
And the last, but no less important is the gluteus minimus. This muscle is not visible from the outside because it is the deepest of all three muscles and is completely overlapped by the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus. The shape of the small gluteus maximus resembles the middle gluteus maximus, but it is thinner.
In fact, the functions of this muscle are almost similar to that of the gluteus medius, and they usually work in tandem to create a beautiful shape of your buttocks.
If you are working out your entire body in one workout, do it at least three times a week. Choose one exercise for your gluteus and incorporate it into your program. To avoid stagnation, change exercises after 1-2 workouts.
If you prefer splits, choose 1-2 movements and do it on your leg workout day. Keep in mind that most glute exercises also load the muscles of the posterior surface of the thigh. So if you want to do a heavy deadlift or leg press in a machine, it is better to start with them. Otherwise, the muscles will get tired and you will not be able to work out fully.
We hope that you know more about your glutes right now and your workout will be more effective! Have a nice shape, dear friend.
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This time we suggest paying special attention to the chest muscles. It is this zone that many athletes want to pump, but it is not so easy to do and one classic chest press is not enough.
Chest muscles are one of the most complex and largest muscle groups.
Therefore, competent training must be a combination of basic and isolation exercises. Only in this way, it will be possible to load the muscles at different angles. Exercises with barbells are suitable for increasing muscle mass, and with dumbbells, on blocks and training machines - for improving the form and detailed elaboration. These exercises also activate the stabilizing muscles.
Imagine that the chest muscle is a rubber band that connects the shoulder, collarbone, and sternum. If you lift your arm to the side and then pull the elastic band, it will move your shoulder forward. You do this movement all the time in your normal life like when you close a door, push something away with force, or elbow your jaw.
Most pectoral muscle exercises repeat this movement. The only difference is that they also use a barbell, dumbbells, or crossover slings to create extra resistance.
The chest muscle has two heads: an upper head (clavicle) and a lower head. Their functions are slightly different, and this is important. In order to have a symmetrical chest, you need to pump both heads.
The fibers of the clavicular head are directed upward, so you need to move the shoulder forward from the bottom to the top for additional exercise.
Many people believe that the more they pump their chest, the faster their muscle mass will increase. In fact, this has a negative effect on muscle growth. The muscle gets bigger during rest when the tissues are recovering from an active workout. There are a few tips on how to properly pump your pecs and not overtrain:
Exercise no more than 2 times in 7 days. In between do physical exercises on other parts of the body;
Do not exercise for more than 45 minutes, as this may cause muscle size and strong growth to regress.
Exercises that help you to pump the chest muscles include:
push-ups.
bench presses.
triceps push-ups.
To pump your muscles evenly, alternate your exercises. The bench press is great, but you don't have to do it in every workout, because there are other good options.
Choose the weight so that the last reps in an attempt are difficult. If you find it easy and your muscles don't tire, they won't grow.
Avoid flying in the clouds during the workout: concentrate on the muscle work. It really helps you to pump it better.
Perform 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps. Do not use weights that are too heavy. Especially at the beginning if you do not have a good command of technique.
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One of the most important running muscles is the quadriceps - the large muscle at the front of the thigh. It has been scientifically proven that regular strength training improves workout performance and reduces the risk of injury, as well as strengthens your back, and leg muscles, making your running more productive.
The quads, also known as the quadriceps muscle, is a group of muscles located at the front of the leg above the knee. It is one of the largest and strongest muscles in your body that consists of four heads: fastus medialis (medial wide), vastus intermedius (intermediate wide), vastus lateralis (lateral), and rectus femoris (straight thigh muscle). Almost every action performed by the legs involves two or more heads of the quadriceps. The quadriceps muscle plays an important role at the beginning of the movement (quick start) and during ascent and descent in elevated positions - which is why you may experience painful sensations in this area of the leg after an intense uphill workout.
According to researchers at the University of Delaware, strong quadriceps act as cushioning and can protect the knees and the entire musculature of the hip from common running injuries. Often many runners are injured because they have weak and underdeveloped quadriceps, so it is especially important to strengthen them.
By training and strengthening the quads, you can get the following benefits when running:
Increased speed. Strong quadriceps help you tackle steep hills and climbs more easily and make pushing off the ground more powerful, resulting in increased speed.
Reduced injuries. According to research, poorly developed quadriceps are often associated with many running injuries. For example, a common injury such as the 'runner`s knee' results from weakness in these muscles, which are unable to stabilize the knee joint during the movement.
Increased endurance. Strengthening the quadriceps muscle will make your running more effortless and efficient, which contributes to increased running volume and endurance.
Training
The quadriceps occupy 70% of the muscle mass of the leg, so it is their development that is fundamental in leg training. The main exercise for developing the quadriceps is the squat. But, for beginners, at the first stages of training, it is better to start with leg curls sitting in an exercise machine, leg press, and hyperextensions to strengthen the lower back, to avoid injuries, in order to prepare the base for the heavy squats. It is a good idea to include squats in your training plan after about six months of training.
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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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