While the anterior deltoid is just one of the muscles that make up the shoulder girdle, it should not be forgotten.
The anterior deltoid muscle is one in which you should focus on developing as it is responsible for a wide range of shoulder movements, including keeping the shoulder girdle strong to prevent shoulder injuries.
Shoulder injuries are a common occurrence, especially among athletes so preventing this is going to be well worth your time and effort.
Location
The anterior deltoid muscle is located directly in front of the arm, making up the shoulder muscle that you see when looking directly in the mirror. It is going to aide in abduction movements (moving the arm away to the side of the body), flexion, transverse flexion as well as rotating the arm in the internal direction.
Since this is a smaller muscle, it is not able to handle extremely heavy loads and can become sore relatively easily. When starting any strength training exercise for this muscle group you will want to start on the conservative side. It is much smarter to work your way up to a heavier weight than risking overdoing it right from the beginning.
Exercises
A popular isolated exercise for this muscle group is a frontal raise. This can be performed with a dumbbell, barbell or a cable pulley. Basically you will stand with the weight down in front of you, arms straight and hands shoulder width apart. Next slowly begin to raise this weight up so that it moves into alignment, forming a 90-degree angle with the rest of your body. Hold briefly and then lower back down once again.
The next exercise, the military or shoulder press, is commonly used to target this muscle and is more compound in nature. It will also work the remaining shoulder muscles as well as your tricep muscle. To perform it, either hold a pair of dumbbells or a barbell at shoulder height, bending at the elbow. Then using your shoulder muscles, drive the weight directly over your head. Make sure you do not hyperextend your elbows or lock them into place as this will put additional stress on the joints and increase the risk for injury.
After you have reached the top of the movement, slowly lower the weight back down once again. Note should be made that this exercise can also be performed by moving the weight so it is directly behind the head and upwards, rather than in front of the head and upwards. Additionally, you can perform a similar action in a military press or shoulder press machine at the gym (simple sit in the bench and push the handles in the upwards direction).
The military press exercise is a very important movement and should be included in all workout programs as it is compound in nature and you will get the most bang for your buck from it. The addition of the frontal raise is up to you, those who are looking to do specialization shoulder routines will likely include it while those performing full body workouts may choose to leave it out to make room for other more compound lifts.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Exercise Injuries And Safety
Don't Let Reckless Weight Training Ruin Your Fitness Goals
Many injuries sustained while working out could be eliminated when exercisers realize that long term success in the gym begins with safe weight lifting practices.
Weight training 101
Weight training using free weights or machines shape and strengthen through gravitational forces acting on the body. A trainee can literally change his or her appearance through weight lifting! However, precautions must always be taken when lifting because safety is the most important aspect of any successful weight training program. Be safe first, then effective.
Overall, weight training is safe for most folks. There are few inherently dangerous exercises when lifting is done correctly within the abilities of the trainee. Weight training becomes dangerous when trainees fail to adhere to safety principles relative to focus, body condition and angle, form, technique, etc.
Safety is critical because trainees who injure themselves will not reap rewards associated to weight lifting. Some of the more obvious rewards might include a toned body, better-fitting clothes, enhanced strength and self-image. Less obvious is increased calorie burn while resting, greater confidence and cognitive ability.
The benefits achieved through training are collectively known as the “training effect,” which is defined as an increase in the functional capacity of muscle and other bodily tissues resulting from stress (overload) placed on them. Ignoring safety can halt the training effect that trainees strive for while stifling both short and long term progress.
High risk exercises?
Although weight lifting is generally safe, there are some exercises that demand extra attention due to the stress-type and irregular angles placed on the musculoskeletal system. Below is a brief description of potentially hazardous lifts as discussed by Professor Emeritus, Dr. Michael Yessis in the article Dangerous Exercises?:
• Sissy squats because of the awkward forward position the knees are placed in during the eccentric portion of the lift.
• The pec dec due to the extreme position of arm placement creating pressure on anterior shoulder tissue when beginning the motion.
• Leg or knee extensions using heavy weights with thighs resting immobile on a bench.
• The leg press using moderately heavy weights puts excessive pressure on spinal discs when knees come too close to chest.
• The leg abduction motion on machines or using a low cable pulley. This exercise is potentially dangerous when the leg crosses the body to assume starting position. In this case the hips rotate and drop, twisting and laterally flexing the spine.
• Leg adduction with machines or a low pulley. Danger increases when you pull the leg down and instead of stopping alongside the support leg, the leg in motion crosses over the body. This motion flexes and rotates the lumbar spine which can create injurious force if the weight is too heavy.
• Crunches or sit-ups while twisting the torso can rupture discs in the back due to shearing forces on spine in a rounded position.
• The eccentric phase of deadlifts while rounding the back increases gravitational forces on the spine.
• Performing bent over laterals while seated puts pressure on spinal discs and if the back becomes rounded during the lift spinal ligaments could damage.
• The squat and hack squat, excellent overall lifts for the entire body, become potentially hazardous when an incline is placed under the heels. The incline moves the knees too far forward creating forces that could wreck the knees.
In summary, before trainees run off alarmed about starting or continuing weight training programs, it is important to remember that weight lifting is generally safe. Any exercise can cause injury if haphazardly performed, but a degree in biomechanics or exercise kinesiology is not necessary (although helpful) to enjoy the benefits of weight training. Common sense is important! Effective weight training delivers huge dividends---especially when the primary emphasis is on safety.
Always consult with your medical professional before starting a weight training program
Many injuries sustained while working out could be eliminated when exercisers realize that long term success in the gym begins with safe weight lifting practices.
Weight training 101
Weight training using free weights or machines shape and strengthen through gravitational forces acting on the body. A trainee can literally change his or her appearance through weight lifting! However, precautions must always be taken when lifting because safety is the most important aspect of any successful weight training program. Be safe first, then effective.
Overall, weight training is safe for most folks. There are few inherently dangerous exercises when lifting is done correctly within the abilities of the trainee. Weight training becomes dangerous when trainees fail to adhere to safety principles relative to focus, body condition and angle, form, technique, etc.
Safety is critical because trainees who injure themselves will not reap rewards associated to weight lifting. Some of the more obvious rewards might include a toned body, better-fitting clothes, enhanced strength and self-image. Less obvious is increased calorie burn while resting, greater confidence and cognitive ability.
The benefits achieved through training are collectively known as the “training effect,” which is defined as an increase in the functional capacity of muscle and other bodily tissues resulting from stress (overload) placed on them. Ignoring safety can halt the training effect that trainees strive for while stifling both short and long term progress.
High risk exercises?
Although weight lifting is generally safe, there are some exercises that demand extra attention due to the stress-type and irregular angles placed on the musculoskeletal system. Below is a brief description of potentially hazardous lifts as discussed by Professor Emeritus, Dr. Michael Yessis in the article Dangerous Exercises?:
• Sissy squats because of the awkward forward position the knees are placed in during the eccentric portion of the lift.
• The pec dec due to the extreme position of arm placement creating pressure on anterior shoulder tissue when beginning the motion.
• Leg or knee extensions using heavy weights with thighs resting immobile on a bench.
• The leg press using moderately heavy weights puts excessive pressure on spinal discs when knees come too close to chest.
• The leg abduction motion on machines or using a low cable pulley. This exercise is potentially dangerous when the leg crosses the body to assume starting position. In this case the hips rotate and drop, twisting and laterally flexing the spine.
• Leg adduction with machines or a low pulley. Danger increases when you pull the leg down and instead of stopping alongside the support leg, the leg in motion crosses over the body. This motion flexes and rotates the lumbar spine which can create injurious force if the weight is too heavy.
• Crunches or sit-ups while twisting the torso can rupture discs in the back due to shearing forces on spine in a rounded position.
• The eccentric phase of deadlifts while rounding the back increases gravitational forces on the spine.
• Performing bent over laterals while seated puts pressure on spinal discs and if the back becomes rounded during the lift spinal ligaments could damage.
• The squat and hack squat, excellent overall lifts for the entire body, become potentially hazardous when an incline is placed under the heels. The incline moves the knees too far forward creating forces that could wreck the knees.
In summary, before trainees run off alarmed about starting or continuing weight training programs, it is important to remember that weight lifting is generally safe. Any exercise can cause injury if haphazardly performed, but a degree in biomechanics or exercise kinesiology is not necessary (although helpful) to enjoy the benefits of weight training. Common sense is important! Effective weight training delivers huge dividends---especially when the primary emphasis is on safety.
Always consult with your medical professional before starting a weight training program
Effective Strength Training
When creating a strength training program you must be sure you are using the most effective exercises possible.
When you are creating a strength training program it is very important that you include effective strength training exercises. If you don't then you are going to spend far more time in the gym than you have to and will receive fewer results from your training.
Squats
One of the most effective strength training exercises is the squat. The reason why this is so beneficial is because it utilizes so many muscles at once it is almost a full body workout in itself. You will use the quads, the hamstrings, the glutes as well as your entire core muscles to help stabilize yourself during the movement. Because these are such large muscles performing this effective strength training exercise will also cause a large rise in testosterone in the body that will stimulate muscle growth. Testosterone is one of the most anabolic hormones in the body so having high levels of this is extremely helpful to you.
The Bench Press
The next effective strength training exercise is the bench press. Again this one is going to use many different muscle groups so it is a key lift that you should perform in any upper body workout. You will target your chest (pectoral muscles), your tricep's, your front deltoid muscle as well as some of your biceps. Remember to always use a spotter when you are doing this though since if you are not able to successfully get the weight back up onto the support arms it could become very dangerous.
The bent over row is another extremely effective exercise that should be included in any workout as it is a compound lift and will give you great strength gains. This one will target your back muscles as well as your biceps and is very good for those who are looking to widen their back's appearance. Compliment this exercise with a lat pull-down and you are well on your way to seeing amazing back development.
Deadlifts
Finally, making sure to include some deadlifts in your lower body workout will help to round out the list of effective strength training exercises. One thing to keep in mind with this however is that you want your back to remain as flat as possible and not take on a hunched appearance. If it does you could set yourself up for back pain and will also not see the benefits of the exercise that you could be seeing. It may help to think of looking straightforward rather than down to maintain the proper position. You will mostly hit your lower back and hamstring muscles with this lift.
Ensuring all of these effective strength training exercises are included in your workout is the best way to make sure you receive the progress you are looking for! Don't short-change yourself by missing out on them.
When you are creating a strength training program it is very important that you include effective strength training exercises. If you don't then you are going to spend far more time in the gym than you have to and will receive fewer results from your training.
Squats
One of the most effective strength training exercises is the squat. The reason why this is so beneficial is because it utilizes so many muscles at once it is almost a full body workout in itself. You will use the quads, the hamstrings, the glutes as well as your entire core muscles to help stabilize yourself during the movement. Because these are such large muscles performing this effective strength training exercise will also cause a large rise in testosterone in the body that will stimulate muscle growth. Testosterone is one of the most anabolic hormones in the body so having high levels of this is extremely helpful to you.
The Bench Press
The next effective strength training exercise is the bench press. Again this one is going to use many different muscle groups so it is a key lift that you should perform in any upper body workout. You will target your chest (pectoral muscles), your tricep's, your front deltoid muscle as well as some of your biceps. Remember to always use a spotter when you are doing this though since if you are not able to successfully get the weight back up onto the support arms it could become very dangerous.
The bent over row is another extremely effective exercise that should be included in any workout as it is a compound lift and will give you great strength gains. This one will target your back muscles as well as your biceps and is very good for those who are looking to widen their back's appearance. Compliment this exercise with a lat pull-down and you are well on your way to seeing amazing back development.
Deadlifts
Finally, making sure to include some deadlifts in your lower body workout will help to round out the list of effective strength training exercises. One thing to keep in mind with this however is that you want your back to remain as flat as possible and not take on a hunched appearance. If it does you could set yourself up for back pain and will also not see the benefits of the exercise that you could be seeing. It may help to think of looking straightforward rather than down to maintain the proper position. You will mostly hit your lower back and hamstring muscles with this lift.
Ensuring all of these effective strength training exercises are included in your workout is the best way to make sure you receive the progress you are looking for! Don't short-change yourself by missing out on them.
Building Better Biceps
Building your bicep muscles will not only increase the amount you are able to lift on compound upper body exercises but it will also help with the appearance of your arms
Almost every male who goes to the gym is going to be concerned with building better biceps. It's a muscle group that is coveted by many as it's one of the more significant aesthetic muscles on the body.
When you have larger biceps you may feel stronger, simply because they will make your arms look bigger and fuller. Truth be told however, in all reality your triceps makes up the larger portion of your arm so if you really wanted to improve size wise, that is what you should focus on.
Going back to the biceps though, they are also helper muscles in a variety of exercises therefore ensuring you do some strength training work on them is going to be important.
The bicep muscle itself is composed of the long and short head and is located on the inner side of the arm, between the elbow and the shoulder joint. Its main action is elbow flexion, however it is also used to help with forearm supination and shoulder flexion.
Generally you do not need to dedicate a whole day's workout to your arm muscles since they are smaller and will be worked on many of the more major compound upper body lifts. For example, when you perform a bent over row your bicep muscles are going to assist the action, with your back muscles predominately performing the movement.
Throwing in a few isolated bicep exercises at the end of one of your upper body workouts would be a perfect way to ensure they get some undivided attention without risking overtraining them.
Exercises that you could perform would be simple straight dumbbell or barbell curls, hammer curls (where the dumbbells are turned and palms are facing inward), incline curls or a one arm curl (working each arm individually).
Choose one or two of these exercises to perform a workout for a total of 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps to get started. More advanced lifters may want to use a different protocol in terms of set number and rep ranges depending on what their individual goals are.
One important thing to mention is that you must try to remain in a neutral spine alignment position while performing this exercise. The most common mistake a weight lifter will make doing this movement is using their upper body momentum to help them hoist the weights up. Not only does this not utilize their bicep muscle in the manner it should, but it also puts them at a high risk of developing back pain.
So if you are looking to improve your bicep muscles, look at your training and make sure you are doing enough, but not too much isolated work for this muscle group. Remember that muscles grow while at rest so going to the gym and annihilating them with sets upon sets until they are so tired a one pound weight looks heavy, is likely not your best option.
Almost every male who goes to the gym is going to be concerned with building better biceps. It's a muscle group that is coveted by many as it's one of the more significant aesthetic muscles on the body.
When you have larger biceps you may feel stronger, simply because they will make your arms look bigger and fuller. Truth be told however, in all reality your triceps makes up the larger portion of your arm so if you really wanted to improve size wise, that is what you should focus on.
Going back to the biceps though, they are also helper muscles in a variety of exercises therefore ensuring you do some strength training work on them is going to be important.
The bicep muscle itself is composed of the long and short head and is located on the inner side of the arm, between the elbow and the shoulder joint. Its main action is elbow flexion, however it is also used to help with forearm supination and shoulder flexion.
Generally you do not need to dedicate a whole day's workout to your arm muscles since they are smaller and will be worked on many of the more major compound upper body lifts. For example, when you perform a bent over row your bicep muscles are going to assist the action, with your back muscles predominately performing the movement.
Throwing in a few isolated bicep exercises at the end of one of your upper body workouts would be a perfect way to ensure they get some undivided attention without risking overtraining them.
Exercises that you could perform would be simple straight dumbbell or barbell curls, hammer curls (where the dumbbells are turned and palms are facing inward), incline curls or a one arm curl (working each arm individually).
Choose one or two of these exercises to perform a workout for a total of 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps to get started. More advanced lifters may want to use a different protocol in terms of set number and rep ranges depending on what their individual goals are.
One important thing to mention is that you must try to remain in a neutral spine alignment position while performing this exercise. The most common mistake a weight lifter will make doing this movement is using their upper body momentum to help them hoist the weights up. Not only does this not utilize their bicep muscle in the manner it should, but it also puts them at a high risk of developing back pain.
So if you are looking to improve your bicep muscles, look at your training and make sure you are doing enough, but not too much isolated work for this muscle group. Remember that muscles grow while at rest so going to the gym and annihilating them with sets upon sets until they are so tired a one pound weight looks heavy, is likely not your best option.
A Body Builder’s Outline to Post-Workout Nutrition
Post-workout nutrition is a short, but crucial, window of opportunity that only comes immediately following a brutal bout of training.
This is one opening that you do not want to compromise on even one percent. Doing so will not only hinder previously hard earned gains, but will undermine any potential gains you would have made from your training programs.
What happens within the body during this window in time establishes whether you will gain muscle in response to the workout you just completed, or simply return to your pre-existing state.
Post-workout recovery is the primary factor of the outcome of this short-term muscle recovery process. This is the one time of the day that can literally “make you” or “break you” as a body builder.
It is the intention of this article to give you an understanding how to get the maximum potential from your maximum efforts, via post-workout nutrition!
This is one opening that you do not want to compromise on even one percent. Doing so will not only hinder previously hard earned gains, but will undermine any potential gains you would have made from your training programs.
What happens within the body during this window in time establishes whether you will gain muscle in response to the workout you just completed, or simply return to your pre-existing state.
Post-workout recovery is the primary factor of the outcome of this short-term muscle recovery process. This is the one time of the day that can literally “make you” or “break you” as a body builder.
It is the intention of this article to give you an understanding how to get the maximum potential from your maximum efforts, via post-workout nutrition!
Gain Weight And Muscle Mass While Minimizing Fat
While most of us who practice bodybuilding are trying to lose fat as we gain muscle, there are some people who are interested in just bulking up; which in simple terms means eating more and training heavier in order to gain muscle weight.
There could be many reasons for this:
1. A bodybuilder whose metabolism is so great that requires a plan just suited for exclusive muscle gain; the so called hardgainer.
2. A person who practices a sport, such as football, that may require a certain weight.
3. A bodybuilder who simply wants to go up a weight class (if he or she competes) or who simply wants to go on an exclusive muscle gain phase (like most bodybuilders do during Winter).
There could be many reasons for this:
1. A bodybuilder whose metabolism is so great that requires a plan just suited for exclusive muscle gain; the so called hardgainer.
2. A person who practices a sport, such as football, that may require a certain weight.
3. A bodybuilder who simply wants to go up a weight class (if he or she competes) or who simply wants to go on an exclusive muscle gain phase (like most bodybuilders do during Winter).
Bodybuilding Tip - How To Gain Weight
While most of us who practice bodybuilding are trying to lose fat as we gain muscle, there are some people who are interested in just gaining weight. There could be many reasons for this:
1. A bodybuilder whose metabolism is so great that requires a plan just suited for exclusive muscle gain; the so called hardgainer.
2. A person who practices a sport, such as football, that may require a certain weight.
3. A bodybuilder who simply wants to go up a weight class (if he or she competes) or who simply wants to go on an exclusive muscle gain phase.
Like everything, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. I see many people who in an attempt to gain weight just start eating everything in sight, and thus, either overtax their digestive systems, thus not being able to eat several times a day, and/or simply start gaining too much body fat, as the case is for those without a hardgainer metabolism.
In order to gain quality weight, the nutrients taken in have to be of a high quality nature. While some hardgainers have such a fast metabolism that they could benefit from also adding cheat meals to their nutrition plan, the best way to gain weight is through a planned and controlled increase in macronutrient intake. By ensuring that the quality of the nutrients is high (such as low glycemic carbohydrates, low fat proteins and high quality fats) muscle weight gain is optimized and fat weight is minimized.
1. A bodybuilder whose metabolism is so great that requires a plan just suited for exclusive muscle gain; the so called hardgainer.
2. A person who practices a sport, such as football, that may require a certain weight.
3. A bodybuilder who simply wants to go up a weight class (if he or she competes) or who simply wants to go on an exclusive muscle gain phase.
Like everything, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. I see many people who in an attempt to gain weight just start eating everything in sight, and thus, either overtax their digestive systems, thus not being able to eat several times a day, and/or simply start gaining too much body fat, as the case is for those without a hardgainer metabolism.
In order to gain quality weight, the nutrients taken in have to be of a high quality nature. While some hardgainers have such a fast metabolism that they could benefit from also adding cheat meals to their nutrition plan, the best way to gain weight is through a planned and controlled increase in macronutrient intake. By ensuring that the quality of the nutrients is high (such as low glycemic carbohydrates, low fat proteins and high quality fats) muscle weight gain is optimized and fat weight is minimized.
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