VIDEO
Step Up with Knee Raise
- Core
- Legs
- Gluteus
- Calves
Level:Intermediate
Trainer:Zoey Flores
Equipment:Step
Step Up with Knee Raise
- Core
- Legs
- Gluteus
- Calves
Level:Intermediate
Trainer:Zoey Flores
Equipment:Step
Put a chair in front of you or use a bench. Step up on it with your right and left legs one by one.
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The oblique abdominal muscles are several groups of abdominal muscles on the sides of the core. The external oblique muscle lies on top and the internal oblique muscle - below it. Functional exercises for training them are bending, turning to the sides, and other rotating movements.
However, in order to work your obliques properly, you must remember that most exercises for the oblique muscles involve the other abdominal muscles, the inner transverse muscles, in particular. That's why you need to be able to consciously engage certain areas of the abs during the workout.
The oblique muscles represent the lateral part of the abdominal area. They act as the main rotators of the body. They are represented by two separate muscles, depending on depth and layer:
The outer oblique abdominal muscle forms the superficial layer. It is usually the target of training. It anatomically begins from ribs 5-12.
The internal muscle originates from the lumbosacral fascia, iliac crest, and inguinal ligament. It is attached to the area of the white line, cartilages of ribs 9-12, and pubic crest.
The main task of the oblique abs is to rotate the torso. Although, in addition to the main one, the muscle performs a number of functions:
Tilting of the torso.
Flexion.
Lowering the ribs.
The tension of the anterior abdominal chest wall.
Bilateral contraction.
In general, in order to work your abs properly, it is necessary to follow simple recommendations:
Eat lightly 2-2.5 hours before the exercise. If you train with an empty stomach, you will not work out to your full potential, which means that the workout will be ineffective. An overfilled stomach can also leave negative consequences, such as nausea and severe dizziness.
Warm up your muscles by doing light exercises. Jump, run on the spot or on a machine, do simple tricks like turns, twists, and turns.
Do not overdo it! You don't need to exhaust yourself every day. Try 2-4 times a week - that will be enough for a nice and shapely belly.
Each exercise should stretch your muscles. You should feel how they are tensed. If this is not there, then you are doing something wrong.
Do not eat immediately after the workout. If you feel very hungry, snack on an apple or drink a glass of water. Do not eat after one hour at the earliest.
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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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Our feet and ankles are one of the most important elements of the locomotor system: without them we can neither stand, walk, run, nor kick someone in the face. Unfortunately, their condition is very often neglected.
Strong and flexible legs provide the basis for stable movement and are of primary importance for performing our daily activities without pain or strain.
The ankle is a block-shaped joint formed by the articular surfaces of the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the articular surface of the Talus block. Both tibia bones are connected by ligaments and form a kind of fork covering the upper and lateral surfaces of the talus body. The articular sac is reinforced by ligaments.
Many of them connect the bones to each other to provide stability, along with various muscles from the calf to the small tendons that move your toes.
The posterior aspect of the ankle is reinforced by the Achilles tendon, the strongest and most powerful muscle in the human body, which originates at the fusion of the calf and the cambal muscles and is connected to the calcaneus tuberosity.
The ankle joint has to support the weight of the human body and ensure that it is properly distributed when you walk. Therefore, the strength of the ligamentous apparatus, cartilage, and bone tissue is important.
Often people complain of tightness in the muscles of the legs and especially the lower leg. If the small muscles are too weak to keep the foot in the right position, the body responds by increasing tension, elsewhere, in the larger muscles. This leads to tightness in the shin and ankle. Stretching can help for a while, but in the long run, only strengthening the foot is the optimal solution.
Surely everyone who knows about running firsthand knows the importance of strengthening the ligaments of the foot and ankle. Another thing is that sometimes it's hard to spare even 5-10 minutes of training for foot exercises: we get dressed, tie our shoelaces - and run out into the street. That's a pity. After all, good elastic ligaments reduce the risk of foot pain.
Properly fitting shoes is a necessary but not sufficient condition for proper body alignment during running and after training. The ligaments and muscles of the foot can only be strengthened by special exercises.
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The core is a series of muscles that start under the pectoral and extend to the pelvis. It also includes several groups in the back and other groups throughout the torso. A 'strong back' means a good physique and a healthy body. If you want to learn how to do this, learn to exercise at home or at the gym. Once you have achieved this strength, you can also learn to maintain it.
The midsection is the area of the body often referred to as the core and it involves everything in that area including the front, back and sides. It includes:
lower back.
the traverse abdominis (TVA);
erector spinae;
obliques;
If they are week it could cause lower back and waist pain. However, taking care of them can keep your posture healthy and make you stronger in other exercises like running and walking.
Training. One of the best core exercises is a plank. It provides minimal movement but maximal effort, demanding you to support your body on your hands and toes during holding your body in a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Also, you can rest on your knees If you need it or make it more difficult by extending your arms so you’re supported by your hands.
Bridge. Lie down on the floor. Put your arms straight down on the floor near your hips. Bend your knees. Lift your hips up and down.
Superman. Do a little push-up. Lie with your face down and stretch and arms forward and your legs backward.
V-Jumps. Sit on a bench or chair, lift your legs, tilt the core slightly forward so that your body forms a 45-degree angle. From this position jump up extending your hands above your head.
Pushup Variation. 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. Inhaling, lower your chest to the ground slowly. Straighten your arms to lift your core up, exhaling.
Inchworm Variation. Put your hands on the ground and your feet - on the elevated surface (a bench). Start walking your hands out, as far as you can keeping your legs straight throughout the movement. Make a pause. Walk your hands back up to the starting position.
Reverse Crunches Variation. Bend your legs at the knees and brace your abs to slowly raise your legs so that your knees are directly over your hips. Brace abs and hold the neutral spine position with a slight neutral curve in the lower back. Exhale as you contract the abs Your head should be kept straight and relaxed on the mat. Inhale and slowly return to the starting position.
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Since ancient times, developed muscles have been one of the hallmarks of a harmoniously developed, athletic body. There is no such thing as 'abs' in anatomy. This is a conditional abdominal muscle. There are four of them:
rectus;
internal oblique;
external oblique and transversus.
The rectus abdominis muscle is the largest in area. It’s a popular fallacy that there is a 'lower' and 'upper' press, but the rectus muscle does not have such a division. The notorious 'six-pack' stands out because of the tendon bridges on the rectus abdominis muscle. The muscle bundles of the external abdominal muscle begin from the lower eight ribs and extend radially downward. The transverse muscle is located deeper than the other abdominal muscles. In this case, the tendon extension in the upper two-thirds passes behind the rectus muscle, and in the lower third - in front. Partly because of this, the lower abs are less workable than the upper ones. The abdominal muscles are referred to as the core muscles, the muscle complex responsible for stabilizing the spine, pelvis, and hips. Each of the abdominal muscles is responsible for its own functions. One of the most common fallacies in abdominal training is that the more reps we do in a set, the stronger and bigger the abs will be. In fact, the muscles of the abs are no different in terms of training from the biceps. To increase the biceps, you will do one hundred reps per set. However, you will reduce the number of sets and reps, but increase the load. By increasing the number of repetitions in the set, you will develop strength endurance, but the muscle will not get thicker from this. It is much more effective to increase the load, do sets with weights and reduce the number of repetitions in the set. Three factors affect the appearance of your abs: posture, body fat percentage, and muscle development.
Posture.If a person pumps muscles but slouches, and he has excess fat, then the abs will not be visible. If a person does not pump the abs, but he has a good posture and a small percentage of body fat, then his belly will look flatter. That is why it makes no sense to start with the question of how to properly pump the abs. You need to start by working on your posture. The good news is that your core muscles are also responsible for correct posture. And they are usually used in workouts with an emphasis on the abs.
Fat percentage.Measuring body composition on an analyzer scale will show the percentage of body fat, which explains why the abs are invisible. If the fat is more than 15-20%, then it’s hard to see your six-pack. At 15% or less, the abs begin to be seen. 8% is abs athletes have. But do not try to completely get rid of fat for beautiful abs. Fat is necessary for the proper functioning of the endocrine system and other processes in the body. To achieve tangible results, it is important to monitor the factors that affect the percentage of body fat like food, sleep, stress levels, and the amount of daily physical activity.
Muscle development.You mustn’t focus only on abs exercises, you need to develop the body complexly and do a variety of activities. Strength training will strengthen your muscles, burn calories and build endurance with interval training. Recovery activities help with posture, flexibility, and muscle balance. The optimal training program can be selected after fitness testing, which takes into account how a person moves, what restrictions he has.
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