Monday, June 28, 2010

Great Chest Workouts: How To Do Skullcrushers

An exercise for strength

by healthy_blogging

Today I'm going to talk about a very important exercise for the triceps. Throughout this series of articles I have emphasized the need to keep all of your upper body muscles strong because this is the only way that you will ever be able to develop your chest. The skullcrusher exercise is designed to strengthen your triceps. It can also be a very dangerous exercise if done incorrectly so proper form is crucial to this workout.

Performing Skullcrushers


You will need a light weight barbell and a flat bench. Lie down on your back. Grip the bar at shoulder width distance and hold the bar above your chest. Now bend your elbows and slowly lower the bar to just beyond your head. Some people may opt to lower the bar to their temple, but I wouldn't recommend doing so because of the danger of the bar hitting your head. After you have lowered the bar to just beyond your head, straighten your arms bringing the weight back up to the starting position above your chest. Repeat the process for a total of 10 - 15 reps. If you have weak wrist muscles or grip strength you may want to use lighter weights or skip the skullcrusher exercise until you have strengthened those muscles. After you have learned to use proper form and become stronger, you can increase the amount of weight that you lift. And this will transfer over to better numbers on your bench presses.

Okay, that is all for this article. Look forward to more articles on my Great Chest Workouts website. Thanks for reading.

"For A Great Chest Do Skullcrusher Workouts: An Exercise For Strength" copyright 2010 Great Chest Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Read This! Do Smith Machine Benches For A Great Chest Workout

Must Have Information For Those Times That You Don't Have A Spotter




by

healthy_blogging



Okay. So you're all motivated to get in some benching exercises at the gym. You've been making progress and lifting more and more weight. The guys at the gym have been good enough to spot you and this has helped you make good progress. So you get to the gym, set up the bench press but there's nobody who is willing or able to spot you. What then? No worries if your gym is equipped with a Smith Machine.

What Is a Smith Machine?

The Smith Machine is a weight lifting apparatus with a fixed barbell and has a series of slots into which the barbell can be secured (1). This type of machine is good for those who do not train with a spotter. Depending on the type of bench or seat that the lifter uses, inclined, declined and flat bench presses can be performed with the Smith Machine. The hooks are attached to the bar so all the lifter has to do is twist the bar toward the slots to secure it after a lift. Although the Smith Machine was designed to make weight lifting safer, always sue common sense when using any exercise equipment. You still need to be mindful of proper form and not lift beyond what your body is ready to do.

So the next time you want to hit those chest muscles but can't find a spotter, try the Smith Machine. If used properly it just might become one of your favorite machines.

This finishes the Smith Machine article. Look forward to more articles on my Great Chest Workouts website. Thanks for reading.

Smith Machine Benches For A Great Chest Workout - For Those Times That You Don't Have A Spotter" copyright 2010 Great Chest Workouts. All Rights Reserved.



Reference

1. wikipedia Smith Machine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_machine





Monday, June 14, 2010

Great Chest Workouts: How To Do The Isometric Chest Hand Press

A Chest Exercise That You Can Do Anywhere


by

healthy_blogging


Okay. Your goal is to develop a powerful and toned chest. You know the importance of regular workouts such as the bench press, flyes, dips, etc. to give your muscles the exercise they need to grow stronger and more toned. But what if you're pressed for time and can't get to the gym? Or what about those times when the gym maybe closed or you otherwise don't have access to a fitness center? What then? How do you keep in shape? Well, in this article I'm going to discuss a simple yet effective chest exercise that you can do just about anywhere and anytime. This exercise is called the isometric hand press.

Performing the Isometric Chest Hand Press

The only equipment you'll need for this exercise is your body. You can either sit or stand when performing the isometric chest hand press. Raise your arms in front of you at chest level. Place your palms together. Now, use your chest muscles to push your palms together as hard as you can. Squeeze your chest muscles while you do this. Hold this position for twenty seconds then release. Rest about ten seconds then repeat the action for a total of fifteen reps. I recommend getting in at least four sets of this exercise. The isometric chest hand press emphasizes exertion on the chest so it is very convenient for hitting that target area. Since they're easy to perform and can be done virtually anywhere or anytime, the isometric chest hand press is definitely an exercise that you will want to add to your routine.

That's all for this article. Look forward to more articles on my Great Chest Workouts website. Thanks for reading.

"Great Chest Workouts- Isometric Chest Hand Press: A Chest Exercise That You Can Do Anywhere" copyright 2010 Great Chest Workouts. All Rights Reserved.














Monday, June 7, 2010

Great Chest Workouts: How To Do Tricep Extensions

Tricep Extensions Are Important For Developing A Strong Chest



by


healthy_blogging


Are you one of those people who is just not progressing on the bench press? If so, your arms might be part of the problem. Some people think that the surest way to developing a strong chest is to bench, bench, bench continuously. They don't realize that in order for the chest to grow in size and strength, all of the muscles in the upper body have to be trained. And that includes the triceps. In this article, I'm going to discuss an exercise that will strengthen your arms which will then have a huge impact on your benching ability.





Performing the Tricep Extensions Exercise

There are a couple of ways to perform the tricep extension, either sitting or standing. I prefer exercises that provide a full body workout so I'm going to discuss standing tricep extensions. You'll need a dumbbell for this exercise. If you're a complete novice to weight training or if your tricep muscles are particularly weak, start off with light weights. Learning proper form and safety are the most important components of your workouts. Grip the dumbbell bar with both hands. Stand up straight and tighten your abdominal muscles. This is to avoid swaying and potential injury. Extend your arms overhead. Slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head until your elbows are at about 90 degrees. Now slowly raise the dumbbell overhead again. You've just completed one repetition. Perform 10 reps then take a short break before starting again. I recommend performing at least three sets of this exercise. The tricep extension works many muscles - in particular the triceps and wrists. Because you must stand straight in order to maintain proper balance and form, this exercise also helps the abdominals, and even leg muscles. As you become stronger, increasing the weights on this exercise, you will understand what I mean.

I recommend performing the tricep extension exercise as part of your regular chest strengthening routine. You can add them in during arm day or chest day. Over time, you'll see how beneficial they are to your weight training success. Click on the link to read my article "Great Chest Workouts: How To Do Skullcrushers" for another article on developing your triceps.

That's all for the tricep extensions article. Look forward to more articles on my Great Chest Workouts website. Thanks for reading.

"Great Chest Workout: Tricep Extensions - Tricep Extensions Are Important For Developing A Strong Chest" copyright 2010 Great Chest Workouts. All Rights Reserved.