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Female's Training
Woman's Training
A Guide to Fitness, Figure, Bodybuilding
or just getting in Shape.
Women are different than men when it comes to training, nutrition and motivation.
The sections below can help you find out what you can do to get the best results, no matter what your fitness goal!
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Female body shape
Female body shape
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Female body shape has a bearing on a wide range of human activities, and widely different ideals of female body shape exist, and have existed, among different cultures over history. As with most physical traits, there is a wide range of normal female body shapes.
A plump female body shape, with large breasts and buttocks without being obese, is often described as voluptuous. "Rubenesque" (referring to the art of Peter Paul Rubens, known for portraying full-bodied women) is probably the closest synonym. "Full figured" has a more straightforward connotations, whereas "voluptuous" and "zaftig" usually connote ripeness, sensuality, ample bust and wide hips.
The above body shapes are unique for their femininity; their patterns of fat distribution are almost always exclusive to women (some endocrine diseases can produce them in men). It is important to note, however, that women's body types include muscular, pear-shaped, athletic, rounded, thin, stocky, and lanky, among others.
Shape
The female form is a combination of multiple attributes which cause many conflicting descriptions when taking as a whole. Breaking down the female form into separate attributes of basic structure and width before considering weight goes a long way to describing why some fit women may be considered fat and why some very thin women may be considered unhealthy.The Three (3) Inflection Points
The female body has three, key, physical points of inflection:- Chest, which is covered by the bust
- Waist, which includes the mid-to-lower stomach
- Hips, which includes the upper rear
A woman's "dimensions" are often presented by the circumference around these three (3) inflection points. For example, in Imperial Units, a common ideal (as noted in the pop song "Lady Marmalade") is "36-24-36" to represent a 36" chest, 24" waist and 36" hips.
Although the pair of Mammary Glands (breasts) as well as the Buttocks (rear) are key attributes in the female form, and vary widely, they do not define these inflection points. E.g., the chest measurement is done not around the breasts, possibly under them (although some sensationalistic measuresments might use otherwise). Although the buttock is rarely measured, it is common to measure the cup size of the Mammary Glands and append it to the chest dimension. For example, in the United States, a C cup bust on a woman with 36-24-36 dimensions may be written as 36C-24-36.
These underlying inflection points often do define the limits or expanse of those attributes, especially with width and/or weight gain.
The Four (4) Combinational Structures
Independent of fat percentage, weight or width, most women are of four (4) elementary geometries, ordered by their commonality in western society.- Rectangle, aka Straight
- Triangle (Upward), aka Pear, Spoon or Bell
- Triangle (Downward) or aka Apple
- Triangles (Opposing, facing inward), aka Hourglass
The pear shape has hips that are around 110% (10% larger) in circumference, possibly more, than the chest, while the waist is still no less than 75% (25% less) than the chest. Assuming a 36" chest, this would be hips around 39.5" (3.5" bigger), possibly more.
The apple shape has a chest that is at least 110% (10% larger) in circumference than the hips, while the waist is no less than 75% (25% less) than the chest. Assuming a 36" hips, this would be a chest least 39.5" (3.5" bigger), with a waist no less than 30" (10" less) than the chest.
The hourglass shape has a waist less than 75% (more than 25% less) in circumference than the the chest or hips, which are virtually the same. Assuming a 36" chest/hips, this would be a waist less than 27" (more than 9" smaller than the chest/hips). Newer research shows (Source: Curvier women 'will live longer') hourglass women may live longer while apple shaped females may live the least.
According to a recent British study of over 6,000 women (Source: The End of the Hourglass Figure), over 40% are Rectangle, over 20% Pear, well under 15% are Apple and well under 10% are Hourglass. These numbers may not be typical of other regions in the world, but do seem to reflect those of western society well.
Proportion and Width
The inflection points on the female form define a woman's combinational structure. But the combinational structure itself can be of larger or smaller proportions. Perfectly healthy women of larger proportions can have chest/hips dimensions over 40" with waists greater than 30" while smaller porportional women can have health issues with waists as little as 25".The proportion of a woman (regardless of weight) tends to be her first, immediately recognizable attribute noticed when she is clothed (hiding any, noticeable or lack of noticeable, fat distribution). Correspondingly, clothing of the single dress sizing tends to only address these proportions as a whole, and not the inflections and corresponding and combinational structures. It is important for women to note this fact about herself when choosing a dress, a particular dress size tells nothing about whether the dress is for rectangular, pear, apple or hourglass forms (which is why trying on the dress is almost mandatory).
In common American dress sizing:
- Petite women are 5'4 or less, regardless of dress size. Generally, though, it is size 0-12 See petite sizes
- Full Figured Women (FFW) are often considered sizes 14-20, although can include size 10 and even 24+
- Big Beautiful Woman (BBW) are often considered sizes 20-24+, although can include shorter, smaller full figured under size 20
It is not uncommon to find women who would be unhealthy under a dress size 8 or 10 because of the proportion of their structure. Likewise, many smaller women of size 12+ can be very unhealthy. That is assuming all women grow porportionally in height to their increased dimensions at inflection points.
When the proportion of woman grows wider, with increased dimension points than she is taller, there can be two reasons. One can be due to increased width (from the frontal). It is not uncommon for a woman to gain width (especially at her hips) in her base structure after having her first child, which is impossible to reverse. The other can be due to increased fat storage. A woman who gains width is more likely to be more slender and shapely than a woman of equivalent height and weight.
Weight and Fat Distribution
The last and most greatly debated attribute is actual weight. Despite belief to the contrary, weight is not a good indicator of whether someone is fat, because it completely ignores proportion as well as the inflectional dimensions. A woman of greater proportions will always weight more than someone of less, even if equally fit. Likewise, if the form of a woman is wider (from the frontal) for her height than average, she will be more slender (from the side) and have less protrusion than a woman of equal weight.This is one reason why Body Mass Index (BMI) is currently considered a poor metric for calculating whether a woman is overweight or not. Newer research is beginning to back this up (need to cite). A new metric that is working well is the protrusion of the stomach (visible from the side) (need to cite the scientific name for this metric). The more protrusion, the greater the health risk. The body considers the fat to be in great excess and locates it to the stomach.
The structure of a woman greatly defines where the body will distribute fat. There are many tendencies that result based on the four (4) body types -- almost a direct result of the magntitude of their body's varying inflections.
- Rectangle, aka Straight, women tend to gain weight like men. Their body may add width (and this varies), but at some point of excess, it concentrates into the protrusion of the stomach more than other parts of the body.
- Triangle (Upward), aka Pear, Spoon or Bell tend to gain weight in their hips, rear and thighs. The distribution varies, with some gain added significantly (if positively) to the buttock while others tending to distribute into the thighs, hips and, eventually, the waist and stomach more than other parts of the body.
- Triangle (Downward) or aka Apple tend to gain weight in their arms, shoulders, chest (not always the breasts themselves) and upper-stomach before other parts of the body. The distribution varies and it is not uncommon for an apple shape to have a very large chest (and not necessarily oversized breasts) that is more protuding than the stomach (even when it has visible fat on the waist and stomach).
- Trianges (Facing Inward), aka Hourglass tend to be the most ideal for weight gain. Their body typically enlarges the shoulders, chest, hips and rear before and more than any other part, including waist and stomach.
Other Description
In addition to those commonly associated with a range of dress sizes, there are a few other, common descriptions and terms used to describe women.- Bubble Butt (among countless slang) is often used to describe a woman who has an abundance of fat distributed into their rear, possibly with very wide wide, but not in the surrounding thighs (or at least not buldgingly so). They can be women of pear, hourglass and even a few rectangular forms.
- Busty aka well-built (among countless slang) if often used to describe a woman who has an abundance of fat distributed into their Mammary Glands or bust, often regardless of the actual circumference of their chest. Busty women can be of any form, although they are typically not of pear shape.
- Voluptuous is a term that has become more synonymous with the term busty, but has varied over centuries. Many centuries ago, it could mean a woman of child-bearing stature, such as a portionally large hourglass woman of large breasts and wide hips. Today it can be used to describe women of apple or pear shape, or of anyone with large mammary glands on any figure.
Society
Many societies vary on their constrasts, criticisms and praise of the female form.Fertility
Some cultures consider a voluptuous figure to be the ideal female body shape. Having significant amounts of stored fat, without being obese, has for most of human history been a sign in women of health and fertility. A low waist-to-hip ratio has often been seen as a sign of fertility, although recent research has suggested that this is less of an independent phenomenon than was previously supposed, and is likely to be a proxy for body mass index. [1]Sexual attractiveness
Voluptuous figures have been idealised at many times in history: depictions of fertility goddesses, such as the famous Venus of Willendorf, typically have a voluptuous figure. Marilyn Monroe was notable example of a woman with a voluptuous body shape who was considered to be a sex symbol, as is Tyra Banks in modern times who is considerably more zaftig and busty when compared to a modern supermodel.A voluptuous body shape is also more commonly seen in glamour models than in fashion models, perhaps more accurately expressing typical male sexual preferences than the thin female body shape promoted in the mass media. Indeed, whole categories of pornography exist that exclusively depict women of one particular body shape.
Feminism and body shape
Feminists, as well as decrying the excessive emphasis on body shape as part of women's self-image in Western society, contend that a voluptuous body shape is more typical of real women in the West than the anorexic ideal pushed by the Western media through depictions of extremely thin actresses and fashion models. Indeed the mass popularity of more hourglass American actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry and Jennifer Lopez (examples of popular white, African and Hispanic American actresses) tend to suggest men like women well away from the petite, rectangular shape that is common in Hollywood, but more common in glamour models.
Anorexia and media depictions of thinness in women
Although anorexia nervosa is usually associated with Western cultures, exposure to Western media is thought to have led to an increase in cases in non-Western counties. However, it is notable that other cultures may not display the same 'fat phobic' worries about becoming fat as those with the condition in the West, and instead may present with low appetite with the other common features. [5]
References
1. ^ Tovee MJ, Maisey DS, Emery JL, Cornelissen PL.Visual cues to female physical attractiveness. Proc Biol Sci. 1999 Jan 22;266(1415):211-8. PMID: 10097394 [1]
2. ^ Lindberg L, Hjern A. (2003) Risk factors for anorexia nervosa: a national cohort study. Int J Eat Disord, 34 (4), 397-408. PMID 14566927
3. ^ Garner DM, Garfinkel PE. (1980) Socio-cultural factors in the development of anorexia nervosa. Psychol Med, 10 (4), 647-56. PMID 7208724.
4. ^ Toro J, Salamero M, Martinez E. (1994) Assessment of sociocultural influences on the aesthetic body shape model in anorexia nervosa. Acta Psychiatr Scand, 89 (3), 147-51. PMID 8178671.
5. ^ Simpson KJ. (2002) Anorexia nervosa and culture. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs, 9 (1), 65-71. PMID 11896858.
2. ^ Lindberg L, Hjern A. (2003) Risk factors for anorexia nervosa: a national cohort study. Int J Eat Disord, 34 (4), 397-408. PMID 14566927
3. ^ Garner DM, Garfinkel PE. (1980) Socio-cultural factors in the development of anorexia nervosa. Psychol Med, 10 (4), 647-56. PMID 7208724.
4. ^ Toro J, Salamero M, Martinez E. (1994) Assessment of sociocultural influences on the aesthetic body shape model in anorexia nervosa. Acta Psychiatr Scand, 89 (3), 147-51. PMID 8178671.
5. ^ Simpson KJ. (2002) Anorexia nervosa and culture. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs, 9 (1), 65-71. PMID 11896858.
See also
- Anorexia
- Self-image
- Body image
- Body-type preferences among Whites and African Americans
- Big Beautiful Woman
- Hourglass figure
- Human height
- Male body shape
- Sexual dimorphism
- Human variability
- Body dysmorphic disorder
- Susie Orbach
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Physical exercise
- Physical exercise
- "Exercise" redirects here. For the financial term, see exercise (options).
Exercises are generally grouped into three types depending on the overall effect they have on the human body:
- Flexibility exercises such as stretching improve the range of motion of muscles and joints.
- Aerobic exercises such as walking and running focus on increasing cardiovascular endurance.
- Anaerobic exercises such as weight training, functional training or sprinting increase short-term muscle strength.
Physical exercise is considered important for maintaining physical fitness including healthy weight; building and maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints; promoting physiological well-being; reducing surgical risks; and strengthening the immune system.
Proper nutrition is at least as important to health as exercise. When exercising it becomes even more important to have good diet to ensure the body has the correct ratio of macronutrients whilst providing ample micronutrients, this is to aid the body with the recovery process following strenuous exercise.
Proper rest and recovery is also as important to health as exercise, otherwise the body exists in a permanently injured state and will not improve or adapt adequately to the exercise.
The above two factors can be compromised by psychological compulsions (eating disorders such as exercise bulimia, anorexia, and other bulimias), misinformation, a lack of organization, or a lack of motivation. These all lead to a decreased state of health.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness can occur after any kind of exercise, particularly if the body is in an unconditioned state relative to that exercise.
Exercise benefits
Frequent and regular exercise has been shown to help prevent or to cure major illnesses such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, insomnia, cancer [1] and depression, and many more diseases. However, the actual risk reduction may not be as large as one expects [2]. Researchers have shown that three 10 minute walks burn as many calories and exercise your heart as well as one 30 minute walk. Exercise can also increase energy and raise your threshold for pain. There is conflicting evidence as to whether vigorous exercise (more than 70% of VO2 max) is more or less beneficial than moderate exercise (40 to 70% of VO2 max). However studies have shown that vigorous exercise executed by healthy individuals can effectively increase opioid peptides (aka endorphins, a naturally occurring opiate that in conjunction with other neurotransmitters is responsible for exercise induced euphoria and has been shown to be addictive), positively influence hormone production (i.e., increase testosterone and growth hormone), and help prevent neuromuscular diseases. Some of these benefits can be realized by moderate exercise but to a much lesser degree.Common myths
Many common myths have arisen surrounding exercise, some of which have a basis in reality, and some which are completely false. Myths include:- That over exercise can cause death.
- That fat weighs more than muscle.
Spot reduction
It is a common belief that training a particular body part will preferentially shed the fat on that part; for example, that doing sit-ups is the most direct way to reduce subcutaneous belly fat. This is false: you cannot reduce fat from one area of the body to the exclusion of others. Most of the energy derived from fat gets to the muscle through the bloodstream and reduces stored fat in the entire body. Sit-ups may improve the size and shape of abdominal muscles but will not specifically target belly fat for loss. Instead, such exercise may help reduce overall body fat, affecting all parts of the body as determined by genetics. In fact, belly fat will often be the last fat removed from the body.Physician consultation
It is recommended that a physician be consulted before beginning an exercise program. Despite a common belief that only overweight people need a physical before beginning an exercise program, apparently healthy people can still have unknown medical conditions, such as a heart murmur, that can cause severe injury or death not only to themselves, but also to others that are dependent upon them, such as someone they are spotting.Muscle and fat tissue
Some people incorrectly believe that muscle tissue will turn into fat once a person stops exercising. In reality, fat tissue and muscle tissue are fundamentally different. However, the more common expression of this myth "muscle will turn to fat" has a grain of truth. Although a muscle cell will not become a fat cell, the material that makes up muscle can in fact turn to fat. The catabolism of muscle fibers releases protein, which can be converted to glucose that can be burned as fuel, and excesses of which can be stored as fat. Moreover, the composition of a body part can change toward less muscle and more fat, so that a cross-section of the upper-arm for example, will have a greater area corresponding to fat and a smaller area corresponding to muscle. This is not muscle "turning to fat" however, it is simply a combination of muscle atrophy and increased fat storage in a given body part. Another element of increased fatty deposits, is that of diet, as most trainees will not significantly reduce their diet in order to compensate for the lack of exercise/activity.Abdominal muscles
Abdominal muscles are like any other muscle tissue; they don’t necessarily respond to hundreds of repetitions. If an individual can easily do 15 reps of any abdominal exercise, they should consider switching exercises or adding resistance. Abdominal muscles can be over-trained like any other muscle. It is important that abdominal muscles have enough rest to recover from a bout of exercise. Over-training will result in diminished gains. Futhermore, men and women all have the same anatomy that responds the same way to exercise. Men and women must follow the same rules regarding diet, exercise and life-style to achieve aesthetic and health related goals.
Too much exercise
Too much exercise can be harmful. The body needs sufficient rest, which is why most health experts say one should exercise every other day or 3 times a week. Without proper rest, the chance of stroke or other circulation problems increases, and muscle tissue may develop slowly.Over-exercising does more harm than good. For many activities, especially running, there are also significant injuries that occur with poorly regimented exercise schedules. In extreme instances, over-exercising induces serious performance loss. Unaccustomed overexertion of muscles leads to rhabdomyolysis (damage to muscle) most often seen in new army recruits.
Stopping excessive exercise suddenly can also create a change in mood. Feelings of depression and agitation can occur when withdrawal from the natural endorphins produced by exercise occurs.
Physical exercise releases opioid peptides or endorphins, opiates that exhibit synergetic effects with other neurotransmitters, causing exercise euphoria, also known as "runners high", and causing addiction to physical exercise and possibly decreased sex drive. This usually leads to over-exercising and those suffering exercise addiction are often described as "gym rat", "gym addict", "exercise freak", etc.
Excess is unhealthy. Exercise should be controlled by each body's inherent limitations. While one set of joints and muscles may have the tolerance to withstand multiple marathons, another body may be damaged by 20 minutes of light jogging. This must be determined by each exerciser.
Exercise helps brain function
In the long term, exercise helps the brain by:- increasing the blood and oxygen flow to the brain
- increasing growth factors that help create new nerve cells
- increasing chemicals in the brain that help cognition
Activities used as physical exercises
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Categories of physical exercise
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Some activities can fall into more than one category of exercise. For instance: cycling can be used for endurance or high-intensity interval training; weightlifting is resistance training or functional training and can be high-density exercise with certain workout designs.
Sometimes the terms 'dynamic' and 'static' are used. 'Dynamic' exercises such as steady running, tend to produce a lowering of the diastolic blood pressure during exercise, due to the improved blood flow. Conversely, static exercise (such as weight-lifting) can cause the systolic pressure to rise significantly.
Breathing
Active exhalation during physical exercise helps the body to increase its maximum lung capacity, and oxygen uptake. This results in greater cardiac efficiency, since the heart has to do less work to oxygenate the muscles, and there is also increased muscular efficiency through greater blood flow. Consciously breathing deeply during aerobic exercise helps this development of the heart lung efficiency.
Inna
http://army-of-brides.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?id=24506&p=3
See also
External links
- Exercise Adherence
- Promoting Physical Activity and Exercise among Children
- Consumer Exercise Statistics Tool
- U.S. Marines Fitness Articles
- "Without the Hype" - what do actual medical studies say about exercise
- Fitness Information
- Physical Activity Health
- Instructional Exercise Videos
- Exercise guides for personal training
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EG
Weight trainers commonly divide the body's individual muscles into ten major muscle groups. These do not include the hip, neck and forearm muscles, which are rarely trained in isolation. The twenty most common exercises for these muscle groups are described below. (Videos of these and other exercises are available at exrx.net and the University of Wisconsin.)
The sequence shown below is one way to order the exercises. The large muscles of the lower body are normally trained before the smaller muscles of the upper body, because these exercises require more mental and physical energy. The core muscles of the torso are trained before the shoulder and arm muscles that assist them. Exercises often alternate between "pushing" and "pulling" movements to allow their specific supporting muscles time to recover. The stabilising muscles in the waist should be trained last.
The descriptions given here are sufficient to identify and discuss these exercises, but for reasons of space they omit numerous details that are crucial to performing them safely.
Knee Raise Lie on your back, hand under your buttocks (palm down), elbows out so that the small of your back is pressed against the floor. Keep your head up (chin to chest) and shoulder blades off the floor. Then extend your legs straight out (knees unlocked) and your heels on the floor. Use your lower ab muscles to draw your knees up to your chest. Then lower in a controlled motion, keeping a slight bend in the knees.),
Side Leg Raise Lie on your side, resting on your right hip, right leg bent under your body, and rest on your tricep for support. From this position extend your upper leg. Use your oblique muscles to raise the upper leg as high as it will go without moving your hips. Then lower it just short of the floor. Switch sides when you have completed your set.
Side Crunch Lying on your right hip, bend your knees so they are perpendicular to your body. Put your left hand behind your head and place your right hand on your side. In a crunching motion, use your obliques to lift your torso off the floor and up over your hip. Lower your body down so it lightly touches the floor.
The sequence shown below is one way to order the exercises. The large muscles of the lower body are normally trained before the smaller muscles of the upper body, because these exercises require more mental and physical energy. The core muscles of the torso are trained before the shoulder and arm muscles that assist them. Exercises often alternate between "pushing" and "pulling" movements to allow their specific supporting muscles time to recover. The stabilising muscles in the waist should be trained last.
The descriptions given here are sufficient to identify and discuss these exercises, but for reasons of space they omit numerous details that are crucial to performing them safely.
Lower body
Quadriceps (front of legs)
Hack squat machine
- The squat is performed by squatting down with a weight held across the upper back, and then standing up straight again. This is a compound exercise that also involves the glutes (buttocks) and, to a lesser extent, the hamstrings, calves and the lower back. Lifting belts are often used to help support the lower back.
- Equipment: bodyweight, barbell, Smith machine or hack squat machine.
- Major variants: front ~ (weight across the upper chest).
Leg press machine
- The leg press is performed while seated by pushing a weight away from the body with the feet. It is a compound exercise that also involves the glutes and, to a lesser extent, the hamstrings and the calves.
- Equipment: leg press machine.
Dumbbell deadlift
- The deadlift is performed by squatting down and lifting a weight off the floor with the hands until standing up straight again. This is a compound exercise that also involves the glutes, lower back, lats, trapezius (neck) and, to a lesser extent, the hamstrings and the calves. Lifting belts are often used to help support the lower back.
- Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, trapbar or Smith machine.
- Major variants: sumo ~ (wider stance to emphasise the inner thighs), stuff legged ~ (emphasises hamstrings).
Leg extension machine
- The leg extension is performed while seated by raising a weight out in front of the body with the feet. It is an isolation exercise for the quadriceps.
- Equipment: dumbbell, cable machine or leg extension machine.
Hamstrings (back of legs)
Leg curl machine.
- The leg curl is performed while lying face down on a bench, by raising a weight with the feet towards the buttocks. This is an isolation exercise for the hamstrings.
- Equipment: dumbbell, cable machine or leg curl machine.
- Major variants: seated ~ (using a leg curl machine variant), standing ~ (one leg at a time).
Calves
Dumbbell standing calf raise
- The standing calf raise is performed by flexing the feet to lift the body. If a weight is used, then it rests upon the shoulders, or is held in the hand(s). This is an isolation exercise for the calves, and particularly emphasises the gastrocnemius muscle.
- Equipment: bodyweight, dumbbell(s), barbell, Smith machine or standing calf raise machine.
- Major variants: one leg ~ (the other is held off the ground), donkey calf raise (bent over with a weight on the lower back).
Seated calf raise machine
- The seated calf raise is performed by flexing the feet to lift a weight held on the knees. This is an isolation exercise for the calves, and particularly emphasises the soleus muscle.
- Equipment: barbell or seated calf raise machine.
Upper body
Pectorals (chest)
Smith machine bench press
- The bench press is performed while lying face up on a bench, by pushing a weight away from the chest. This is a compound exercise that also involves the triceps and the front deltoids.
- Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, Smith machine or bench press machine.
- Major variants: incline ~ (more emphasis on the upper pectorals), decline ~ (more emphasis on the lower pectorals), narrow grip ~ (more emphasis on the triceps), push-up (face down using the bodyweight).
Dumbbell flye
- The flye is performed while lying face up on a bench, with arms outspread holding weights, by bringing the arms together above the chest. This is an isolation exercise for the pectorals.
- Equipment: dumbbells, cable machine or "pec deck" machine.
- Major variants: incline ~ (more emphasis on the upper pectorals), decline ~ (more emphasis on the lower pectorals), cable crossover.
Lats (upper back)
Pulldown machine
- The pulldown is performed while seated by pulling a wide bar down towards the upper chest. This is a compound exercise that also involves the biceps and the rear deltoids.
- Equipment: cable machine or pulldown machine.
- Major variants: chin-up or pullup (using the bodyweight while hanging from a high bar), close grip ~ (more emphasis on the lower lats), reverse grip ~ (more emphasis on the biceps).
Dumbbell bent-over row
- The bent-over row is performed while leaning over, holding a weight hanging down in one hand or both hands, by pulling it up towards the abdomen. This is a compound exercise that also involves the biceps and the rear deltoids. The torso is unsupported in some variants of this exercise, in which case lifting belts are often used to help support the lower back.
- Equipment: dumbbell, barbell, Smith machine or T-bar machine.
- Major variants: cable row (using a cable machine while seated).
Deltoids (shoulders)
Cable machine upright row
- The upright row is performed while standing, holding a weight hanging down in the hands, by lifting it straight up to the collarbone. This is a compound exercise that also involves the trapezius and the biceps.
- Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, Smith machine or cable machine.
Shoulder press machine
- The shoulder press (or military press) is performed while seated, by lowering a weight held above the head to just above the shoulders, and then raising it again. It can be performed with both arms, or one arm at a time. This is a compound exercise that also involves the trapezius and the triceps.
- Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, Smith machine or shoulder press machine.
Dumbbell lateral raise
- The lateral raise is performed while standing or seated, with hands hanging down holding weights, by lifting them out to the sides until just below the level of the shoulders. This is an isolation exercise for the deltoids. Seated variation, While sitting on a decline upright bench, slowly lift the weight with palms down, straight in front of you while maintaining a slow movement throughout the exercise.
- Equipment: dumbbells, cable machine or lateral raise machine.
- Major variants: front raise (lift weights out to the front; emphasis is on the front deltoids), bent-over ~ (emphasis is on the rear deltoids).
Triceps (back of arms)
Cable machine pushdown
- The pushdown is performed while standing by pushing down on a bar held at the level of the upper chest. This is an isolation exercise for the triceps.
- Equipment: cable machine or pulldown machine.
Lying dumbbell triceps extension
- The triceps extension is performed while standing or seated, by lowering a weight held above the head (keeping the upper arms motionless), and then raising it again. It can be performed with both arms, or one arm at a time. This is an isolation exercise for the triceps. It is also known as the french curl.
- Equipment: dumbbell(s), barbell, cable machine or triceps extension machine.
- Major variants: lying ~ (lying face up with the weights over the face), kickback (bent over with the upper arm parallel to the torso).
Biceps (front of arms)
Dumbbell biceps curl on the preacher bench
- The bicep curl is performed while standing or seated, with hands hanging down holding weights (palms facing forwards), by curling them up to the shoulders. It can be performed with both arms, or one arm at a time. This is an isolation exercise for the biceps.
- Equipment: dumbbell(s), barbell or cable machine.
- Major variants: hammer curl (palms turned inwards), preacher curl (upper arm(s) resting on a sloping bench), concentration curl (seated with one elbow held against the knee), reverse grip ~.
- In the reverse curl the bar is gripped from above.
Waist
Abdominals (belly)
Crunch
- The crunch is performed while lying face up on the floor with knees bent, by curling the shoulders up towards the pelvis. This is an isolation exercise for the abdominals.
- Equipment: bodyweight, dumbbell or crunch machine.
- Major variants: reverse ~ (curling the pelvis towards the shoulders), twisting ~ (lifting one shoulder at a time; emphasis is on the obliques), cable ~ (pulling down on a cable machine while kneeling).
Knee Raise Lie on your back, hand under your buttocks (palm down), elbows out so that the small of your back is pressed against the floor. Keep your head up (chin to chest) and shoulder blades off the floor. Then extend your legs straight out (knees unlocked) and your heels on the floor. Use your lower ab muscles to draw your knees up to your chest. Then lower in a controlled motion, keeping a slight bend in the knees.),
Side Leg Raise Lie on your side, resting on your right hip, right leg bent under your body, and rest on your tricep for support. From this position extend your upper leg. Use your oblique muscles to raise the upper leg as high as it will go without moving your hips. Then lower it just short of the floor. Switch sides when you have completed your set.
Side Crunch Lying on your right hip, bend your knees so they are perpendicular to your body. Put your left hand behind your head and place your right hand on your side. In a crunching motion, use your obliques to lift your torso off the floor and up over your hip. Lower your body down so it lightly touches the floor.
Seated leg raise
- The leg raise is performed while sitting on a bench by raising the knees towards the shoulders. This is a compound exercise that also involves the hip flexors.
- Equipment: bodyweight or dumbbell.
- Major variants: hanging ~ (hanging from a high bar).
Lower back
Back extension on the roman chair
- The back extension is performed while lying face down partway along a flat or angled bench, so that the hips are supported and the heels secured, by bending down at the waist and then straightening up again. This is a compound exercise that also involves the glutes.
- Equipment: bodyweight, dumbbell or back extension machine.
- Back Extension without bench
References
- Delavier, Frederic (2001). Strength Training Anatomy. Human Kinetics Publishers. ISBN 0736041850.
- Schwarzenegger, Arnold (1999). The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0684857219.
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weightlifting
Sport of lifting the heaviest possible weight above one's head to the satisfaction of judges. In international competitions there are two standard lifts: snatch and jerk.
In the snatch, the bar and weights are lifted from the floor to a position with the arms outstretched and above the head in one continuous movement. The arms must be locked for two seconds for the lift to be good. The jerk is a two-movement lift: from the floor to the chest, and from the chest to the outstretched position. The aggregate weight of the two lifts counts. The International Weightlifting Federation was formed in 1920, although a world championship was first held in 1891. The first women's world championship was held in 1987 in Florida, USA.
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