Parallel Bar Dips

Parallel Bar Dips

Support yourself with your arms straight and your torso hanging down from your shoulders:

- Inhale and bend your elbows to allow your body to sing as far down between the bars as possible

- Reverse the motion and return to the starting point, exhaling as you complete the movement

The more you bend forward, the more your work the pectorals. Conversely, the more you straighten your torso, the more you involve the triceps.

This exercise is excellent for stretching the pectoralis major and increasing the flexibility of the pectoral girdle. However, it is not recommended to beginner because it requires sufficient strength. To that purpose, use the machine to master the technique.

Sets of 10 to 20 reps give the best results. To gain more power and size, experienced athletes can hand a dumbbell between their legs or place barbell plates around their waist.

Note: always perform the dips carefully to avoid traumatizing the shoulder joint.

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Push-Ups

Push-Ups

Lie prone with your arms straight, your palms flat on the floor, and your hands shoulder-width apart (or wider). Hold your feet together or very slightly spread:

- Inhale and bend your elbows to bring your torso near the floor, avoiding extreme hyperextension of your spine

- Push yourself back to an arms-extened position, exhaling as you complete the movement

This exercise is excellent for developing the pectoralis major and the triceps. You can do it anywhere.

Vary the torso angle to isolate the work:

- Elevate the feet to focus on the upper pectorals

- Elevate the torso to focus on the lower pectorals

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Decline Press

Decline Press

Lie on a decline bench set at an angle between 20 and 40 degrees with your feet anchored to prevent them from slipping. Take an overhand grip on the bar with your hands at least shoulder-width apart:

- Inhale and slowly lower the bar until it reaches the lower edge of your pectorals

- Press the bar back up, exhaling as you complete the movement

This exercise works the pectoralis major (particularly the lower part), triceps, and anterior deltoids. It places secondary emphasis on the lower fold of the pectorals. In addition, lowering the bar to neck level helps stretch the pectoralis major, increasing its flexiblility.

You can also use a Smith-machine.

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Incline Press

Incline Press

Lie on an incline bench set at an angle ranging between 45 and 60 degrees. Take an overhand grip on the barbell with your hands more than shoulder-width apart:

- Inhale and lower the barbell until it reaches your jugular notch (upper chest at the base of your neck)

- Press the bar back up to straight arms length, exhaling as you complete the movement

This exercise works the upper pectorals, anterior deltoids, triceps, and serratus anterior.

You can use a weight rack to perform this movement.

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Close-Grip Bench Press

Close-Grip Bench Press

Lie on your back on a flat bench, keeping your buttocks in contact with the bench and your feet flat on the floor. Take an overhand grip on the barbell with your hands from 4 to 15 inches apart, depending on your wrist flexibility:

- Inhale and slowly lower the barbell until it reaches your chest, allowing your elbows to extend away from your torso

- Pres the barbell upward, exhaling as you complete the movement

This exercise is excellent for developing the pectorals and the triceps (for this reason, you can include this exercise in arm-specific program).

Keep your elbows in if you want to shift the emphasis to the anterior delotids. You can perform this movement with a Smith-machine.

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Bench Press

Lie on your back on a flat bench. Keep your buttocks in contact with the bench and your feet flat on the floor:

- Take an overhand grip on the barbell with your hands more than shoulder-width apart

- Inhale and slowly lower the barbell until it reaches your chest

- Press the weight back up, exhaling as you complete the movement

This exercise focuses on the pectorals and places secondary emphasis on the triceps, anterior deltoids, serratus, and coracobrachialis.

Variations:

1. Arch your back to work the more powerful lower pectorals and lift heavier loads. However, perform this variation carefully to reduce the likelihood of injury to your back.

2. Press the barbell with your elbows at your sides to focus more on the anterior delotids.

3. Vary the width of your grip:

- A narrow grip shifts the focus to the inner pectorals

- A very wide grip shifts the focus to the outer pectorals

4. Lower the bar

- to the lower chest (near the edge of the rib cage) to work the lower pectorals;

- to the middle of the chest to work the medial pectorals; and

- to the upper chest/lower neck area to work the upper pectorals.

5. Raise your feet from the floor by curling your legs over your abdominals if you have back problems or if your want to place more emphasis on the pectorals.

6. Use a Smith-machine.

Variation with a machine:

Stand or sit, depending on the machine, and grasp the bar or the handles:

- Inhale and press

- Exhale at the end of the movement

This safe exercise is excellent for beginners. It focuses on the pectorals and keeps your body set in the prescribed movement pattern. Beginners can gain strength this way before trying the free weight bench press.

Depending on the type of machine, this exercise allows advanced bodybuilders to isolate the work on the upper, medial, or lower pectorals, helping them develop muscles balance.

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Pec Deck Rear Delt Laterals

Pec Deck Rear Delt Laterals

Sit in a pec deck machine facing toward its back support with your arms stretched out grasping the handles:

- Inhale and force your elbows to the rear, pressing your scapulae together at the end of the movement

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise works

- the delotids, particularly the posterior part;

- the infraspinatus; and

- the teres mino

At the end of the movement, when you pinch your scapulae together, it also works

- the trapezius and

- the rhomboids

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Nautilus Lateral Raises

Nautilus Lateral Raises

Sit on the machine's seat and grasp the handles:

- Inhale and raise your elbows to shoulder level

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise isolates your medial deltoids. It places secondary emphasis on the supraspinatus (situated deep under the delotid) and the upper trapezius if you raise arms above the horizontal place.

This is an excellent movement for beginners because it requires little effort to correctly position yourself.

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Upright Rows

Upright Rows

Stand with your feet slightly spread. Keep your back straight. Take an overhand grip on the barbell with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart and resting on your thighs:

- Inhale and pull the barbell upward close to your body until it reaches your chin, raising your elbows as high as possible

- Slowly return to the arms-extended position, avoiding any jerky movements

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise directly works the deltoids, trapezius, and biceps, and places secondary emphasis on the forearm, sacrospinalis, and abdominal muscles.

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Barbell Front Raises

Barbell Front Raises

Stand with your legs slightly spread. Take an overhand grip on the barbell and rest the barbell on your thighs. Keep your back straight and your abdominals contracted:

- Inhale and raise the barbell forward with your arms straight until it reaches eye level

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise works the anterior deltoids, upper pectorals, infra-spinatus and, to a lesser extent, the trapezius, serratus anterior, and short head of the biceps. If you raise the barbell higher, you also stress the posterior delotids. Doing so intensifies the work of the other muscles. The same exercise can be performed with a low pulley machine while facing away from the machine with the cable running between your legs.

Note: every front raise arm exercise places secondary emphasis on the biceps.

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One-Dumbbell Front Raises

One-Dumbbell Front Raises

Stand with your feet slightly spread. Keep your back straight and your abdominals contracted. Hold the dumbbell, palms facing in, with your hands overlapping each other. Rest the dumbbell on your thighs with your arms straight:

- Inhale and raise the dumbbell forward until it reaches shoulder level

- Slowly lower the dumbbell, making sure to avoid any jerky movements

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise works the anterior deltoids as well as the upper pectorals an the short head of the biceps.

All the muscles that stabilize the scapulae use isometric action, allowing the humerus to pivot on a stable support.

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Low Pulley Bent-Over Lateral Raises

Low Pulley Bent-Over Lateral Raises

Stand with your feet spread and your knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your arms hanging down. Hold a handle in each hand with the cables crossing each other:

- Inhale and raise your arms to the sides until your hand are slightly above the level of your shoulders

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise works the deltoids, especially the posterior delotids. At the end of the movement, when you pinch your scapulae together, you emphasize the trapezius (medial and inferior portions) and the rhomboids.

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Low Pulley Front Raises

Low Pulley Front Raises

Stand with your feet slightly spread. Hold the handle with an overhand grip, keeping your arms at your sides:

- Inhale and raise your arm forward to shoulder height

- Exhale as you complete movement

This exercise work the deltoids (particularly the anterior deltoids) as well as the upper pectorals ad, to a lesser extent, the short head of the biceps.

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Low Pulley Lateral Raises

Low Pulley Lateral Raises

Grasp the handle with your arm at your side:

- Inhale and raise your arm to shoulder height

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise develops the deltoid, particularly the multipenniform medial head. You should vary the angle of work to stress all the deltoid parts.

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Side-Lying Lateral Raises

Side-Lying Lateral Raises

Lie on your side on the floor or a bench, holding a dumbbell with an overhand grip:

- Inhale and raise your arm

- Exhale as you complete the movement

Unlike standing raises, which gradually work the muscle to maximum intensity at the end of the movement (when you bring your arms to a horizontal position), this exercise involves the deltoids differently, concentrating the effort at the beginning of the movement

Note: this movement emphasizes the supraspinatus, mainly working at the beginning of the movement. Vary the starting position (dumbbell placed forward, on the thigh, or toward the rear) to place the emphasis on all of the deltoid heads.

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Front Raises

Front Raises

Stand with your feet slightly apart. Hold the dumbbells with your palms down (overhand grip), resting the dumbbells on your thighs or slightly to your sides:

- Inhale and alternate sides, raising the dumbbells forward to shoulder height

- Exhale as you complete movement

This exercise places primary emphasis on the anterior deltoids and upper pectorals and, to a lesser extent, on the middle deltoids. Every arm raise exercise also involves the muscles that attach the scapulae (shoulder blades) to the rib cage, such as the seratus anterior and rhomboids (which stabilize the humerus in its movements).

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Bent-Over Lateral Raises

Bent-Over Lateral Raises

Stand with your feet spread apart and your knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the waist and keep your back straight. Hold the dumbbells with your elbows slightly bent:

- Inhale and raise the dumbbells to your sides

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise works the entire shoulder area, particularly the posterior deltoids. Pinc your scapulae (shoulder blades) together at the end of the movement to involve the middle and lower part of the rapezius, the rhomboids, teres minor, and infraspinutus.

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Lateral Raises

Lateral Raises

Stand with your feet slightly spread. Keep your back straight, your arms hanging at your sides, holding one dumbbell in each hand:

- Raise the dumbbells to shoulder level, keeping your elbows slightly bent

- Return to the starting position

This exercise isolates, almost exclusively, the medial deltoids, which are composed of several pennate heads converging on the humerus. They are involved when you holds relatively heavy weight and enable you to move your arms with precision in every plane. It is more effective to train this muscle by starting at different positions (hands to the sides, behind the buttocks, or in front of the thighs) to involve the medial deltoids completely.

This exercise also works the supraspinatus, located beneath the deltoid muscle in the supraspinatus fossa of the scapula and inserted into the humeral large tuberosity.
Because body types vary, you must find an optimal angle of work that meets the needs of your physique.
You can stress the upper part of the trapezius by raising the arms above the horizontal plane. However, many bodybuilders avoid doing this to place primary emphasis on the medial deltoid.
This exercise is never performed with heavy weight. Sets of 10 to 25 reps give the best results if you vary the angle of work, spend little time recovering, and train to the point of feeling the burning sensation.

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One-Arm Dumbbell Press

One-Arm Dumbbell Press

Sit on a bench, grasp the dumbbells with an underhand grip, and lift them to your shoulders:

- Inhale and alternately press your arms to an extended vertical position, rotating your wrist so your palm faces forward

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise focuses on the deltoids, particularly the anterior deltoids, and the upper pectorals, upper trapezius, serratus anterior, and triceps.

You can also do this movement

- sitting agains the back of a seat to avoid extreme hyperextension of the spine,

- standign erect, or

- pressing the dumbbells simultaneously

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Dumbbell Press

Dumbbell Press

Sit on a bench with your back straight. Grasp two dumbbells with an overhand grip and lift them to your shoulder, palms facing forward:
- Inhale and press your arms to an extended vertical position
- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise uses the deltoids, particularly the medial deltoids, and the upper trapezius, serratus anteriro, and triceps.
This movement can also be executed standing and/or with alternating arms. However, the seated version is often used to prevent hyperextension on the spine.

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Front Press

Front Press

Sit with your back straight. Take an overhand grip on the barbell and rest it on your upper chest:

- Inhale and press the barbell straight up

- Exhale at the top of the movement

This basic exercise works the following muscles:

- Anterior and medial deltoids

- Upper pectorals

- Upper trapezius

- Triceps

- Serratus anterior

You can perform this exercise while standing, but you must avoid hyperextension of the spine. Place you elbows slightly forward from more work on the anterior deltoids. To involve the medial deltoids more intensely, flare out your elbows. Many machines and racks allow you to perform this movement with less concentration on the correct position, which helps you focus on the delotids.

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Back Press

Back Press

Sit on a bench with your back straight. Grasp a barbell with an overhand grip and rest the barbell across your shoulders behind your neck:

- Inhale and press the barbell directly above your head without arching your back

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise works the deltoids, particularly the medial part, and the upper trapezius, triceps, and serratus anterior. It also works the rhomboids, infraspinats, teres minor, and supraspinatus.

You can also perform this movement while standing or by setting the bar on a rack. There are many machines that allow you to do this exercise with less concentration on form and safety.

Note: to avoid traumatizing the shoulder joint, which is particularly delicate, rest the bar higher or lower behind your neck according to your body type and flexibility. This exercise can be strenuous on the rotator cuff muscles and should be performed with caution.

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Triceps Dips

Triceps Dips

Place your hands on the edge of a flat bench and rest your feet on another bench. Assume a torso-leg angle of about 90 degrees:

- Inhale and bend your arms

- Straighten your arms to return to the starting point, exhaling as you complete the movement

This exercise works the triceps, pectorals, an anterior deltoids.

Placing a weight on your thighs increases the difficulty and intensifies the effort.

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Triceps Kickbacks

Triceps Kickbacks

Stand with your knees slightly flexed, bending forward at the waist, and keeping your back straight. Press your upper arm against your side. Bend your arm at a 90-degree angle:

- Inhale and straighten your arm

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise is excellent for pumping the entire triceps group.

For a better result, your can do this movement until you feel the burning sensation in your muscles.

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Seated EZ-Bar Triceps Extensions

Seated EZ-Bar Triceps Extensions

Stand or sit, taking an overhand grip on the bar with your arms extended upward:

- Inhale and bend your elbows to lower the bar behind your neck

- Return to the starting position, exhaling as you complete the extension

The vertical position of the arms intensely stretches the triceps long head allowing you to work it extensively. The overhand grip helps to work the lateral head of the triceps.

For safety reasons, do not arch your back. If possible, use a bench with a short back for support.

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Seated Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

Seated Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

Sit holding the dumbbell in both hands behinds your neck:

- Inhale and extend your arms straight until they are above your head

- Exhale as you complete the movement

The vertical position of the arms greatly stretches the long head, which helps work this region.

It is important to contract your abdominal muscles to avoid arching your back. If possible, use a bench with a short back for support.

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One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

Stand or sit holding a dumbbell in on hand with your arms extended upward:

- Inhale and bend your elbow to lower the dumbbell behind your neck

- Return to the starting position, exhaling as you complete the movement

Note the upright position of the arm stretches the long head of the triceps, favoring its contraction in the movement.

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Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

Lie on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms extended straight up from your shoulders:

- Inhale and slowly bend your arms

- Return to the starting position, exhaling as you complete the movement

This exercise equally works all three heads of the triceps.

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Triceps Extensions

Triceps Extensions

Lie on a flat bench and take an overhand grip on the bar with your arms extended:

- Inhale and bend your elbows, making sure you don't allow them to flare to the sides

- Return to the starting position, exhaling as you complete the movement

This fundamental movement is excellent for developing large triceps.

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One-Arm Reverse Pushdowns

One-Arm Reverse Pushdowns

Stand facing the machine and grasp the handle with an underhand grip:

- Inhale and straighten your arm

- Exhale as you complete movement

This exercise works the triceps.

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Reverse Pushdowns

Reverse Pushdowns

Stand facing the machine with your hand on the bar and elbows flexed against your sides:

- Inhale and straighten your arms; don't separate your elbows from your sides

- Exhale as you complete the movement

The underhand grip doesn't allow you to work with a heavy weight. Perform the exercise with a light weight in order to work the triceps and focus on the medial head. The forearm extension also works the anconeus and the wrist extensors. The wrist extensors an fingers stabilize the wrist by contracting isometrically during the action.

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Pushdowns

Pushdowns

Stand facing the machine with your hand on the bar and your elbows against your side:

- Inhale and straighten your arms, but don't separate your elbows from your sides.

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This isolation exercise works the triceps and the anconeus. You can perform and effective variation of this movement with a rope instead of the bar to work the lateral head of the triceps more intensely. Use an uderhand grip to place emphasis on the medial head of the triceps. 

At the end of the movement, hold an isometric contraction for one or two seconds to feel the effort more intensely.

If you use a heavy weight, lean slightly forward at the waist for more stability.

This exercise is very easy to perform and can be done by beginners to help develop strength before moving to more difficult exercises.

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Wrist Curls

Wrist Curls

Sit with your forearms resting on your thighs or on a bench. Take an underhand grip on the bar with your wrists passively extended:

- Inhale and curl your wrists up

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise works the felxors of the wrist and fingers. The flexors of the fingers, although deeply situeated, are the largest of the flexor muscles.

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Reverse Wrist Curls

Reverse Wrist Curls

Sit with your forearms resting on your thighs or on a bench. Take an overhand grip on the bar with your wrists passively flexed:

- Curl your wrists back toward you

- Return to the starting position

This exercise works the wrist and finger extensors.

Note: this is an excellent movement for strengthening the wrist, which is often weak because of a lack of strength in the extensor muscles.

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Reverse Curls

Reverse Curls

Stand with your feet slightly apart and your arms straight, using an overhand grip (thumbs toward each other):

- Inhale and curl the bar

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise work the extensors of the wrist and fingers. It works the brachioradialis, brachialis, and, to a lesser degree, the biceps.

Note: this is an excellent movement for strengthening the wrist joint. The predominance of the wrist flexors over the wrist extensors often causes imbalance and weakens the wrist. For this reasons, this exercise has been integrated into many boxers' training programs. Many bench press champions use it to prevent their wrists from shaking when using heavy weight.

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Preacher Curls

Preacher Curls

Stand or sit with your arms resting on the bench:

- Inhale and curl the bar

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This is one of the best isolation exercises for the biceps.

Warning: the angle of the bench creates significant tension in your arms when they are fully extended. Remember to warm up your muscles correctly and to begin with moderate weight.

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Machine Curls

Machine Curls

Sit and take an underhand grip on the bar with your arms straight and your elbows resting on the padded and angled surface of the table:

- Inhale and curl the bar

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This is one of the best exercises to feel the action of the biceps. This movement also works the brachialis and, to a lesser extent, the brachioradialis and pronator teres. It is impossible to cheat because your arms ar firmly held on the table. The muscular tension is intense at the beginning, so warm up by using light loads. Avoid tendinitis by keeping your arms from extending completely.

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Barbell Curls

Barbell Curls

Stand. Keep your back straight and take an underhand grip on the bar with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart:

- Inhale, then curl the barbell

- Contract the gluteal, abdominal and back muscles isometrically to avoid torso swing

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise mainly works the biceps, brachialis, and, to a lesser degree, the brachioradialis, pronator teres, and all the flexors of the wrist and fingers.

Variations:

1. Try using various grips widths to more intensely work

- The biceps short head (wide grip) or

- The biceps long head (narrow grip)

2. Lift your elbows at the end of the curl to get better biceps contraction and to involve the anterior deltoids

3. To make this movement more rigorous and controlled, place your back against a wall and keep your scapulae (shoulder blades) pressed against the wall.

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High Pulley Curls

High Pulley Curls

Stand between the pulleys, spread your arms, and grasp the high pulley handles with an underhand grip:

- Inhale and curl the handles toward your head

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This exercise is mostly used to complete a workout focusing on arm development. It works mainly the biceps - paricularly the long head, wich is first stretched and tensed while your arms are spread. This exercise also works the brachialis.

Never use heavy weight with this exercise. Concentrate on feeling the proper contraction along the medial part of the biceps.

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Low Pulley Curls

Low Pulley Curls

Stand facing the machine and grasp the handle with an underhand grip:

- Inhale and curl the pulley handle

- Exhale as you complete the movement

This is a good exercise for isolating and pumping the biceps.

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Hammer Curls

Hammer Curls

Stand or sit. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward:
- Inhale and curl the dumbbells to your shoulders, either simultaneously or alternately
- Exhale as you complete the movement

This is the best exercise for the brachiradialls. It also works the biceps and develops the brachialis.

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Arms - Concentration Curls

Concentration Curls

Sit on a bench. Hold a dumbbell with an underhand grip and rest your elbow on the inner side of your thigh:
- Inhale and curl the dumbbell
- Exhale as you complete the movement

This isolation exercise allows you to control the range, speed, and alignment of the movement. It works mainly the biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis.

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Arms - Curls

CURLS

Sit on a bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward:
- Inhale and raise one arm at a time, turning the palm up
- Raise your elbow to continue curling the dumbbell

This exercise involves the brachioradialis, bracialis, biceps, anterior deltoids, and, to a lesser extent, the coracobrachialis and upper pectorals.

Note: biomechanically, this exercise is excellent for emphasizing the biceps in all its actions (flexion and protraction of the arm and supination).

THREE WAYS TO CURL DUMBBELLS:
1. work both the biceps and brachialis
2. mainly work the brachioradialis
3. mainly work the biceps

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