OCR Text |
Show BODY LANGUAGE Upper Body Strength with them slightly wider than your shoulders and press them up over your chest. Your thumbs remain toward you with your pinkies on the outside. Return to start. Back By Abi Wright ifting weights to build strength has become one of America's top three most popular exercise routines and for good reason. Strength training with weights is a critical Chin-ups: (or use a simulation machine) ‘ hands are wider than shoulders, palms are facing away from you. Start all the way stretched down and then lift yourself so your chin goes above your hand level. Seated rows: Knees should be bent slightly. Start with a full stretch forward, then pull your hands back so they go to your upper abdominals and your elbows are behind you. Keep your back flat and don't lean back past your hips. Return. Deltoids Overhead press with dumbbells: with a dumbbell in each hand, slightly wider than your shoulders at shoulder level, press them together overhead and then return to start. training aspect for almost all sports and is also important for cross-training so that your musculature stays in balance. The benefits of weight lifting are many and varied: it helps to prevent injury; helps to prevent osteoporosis and build bone strength; makes you feel better; stronger and faster, just for starters. Even if your sports and activities are lower-body specific, it is beneficial to weight train for the upper body. Here are some bare basics to start a program for upper-body strength training. Abi Wright demonstrates the bench press. Getting started ° Always warm up for 10 to 15 minutes on a treadmill or other mild cardiovascular activity. e After warm up, stretch the muscles you are about to train. * Drink plenty of water before, during and after the work out. ° If you are unsure about an exercise, ask someone. All gyms have staff who should be able to answer questions. Arms * Listen to your body! Never do an exercise that hurts or feels uncomfortable. ° Always talk to your doctor before start- ¢ Work one muscle group to fatigue and then move on. Don't skip around. It's best to build a base by focusing on one group at ing a new exercise program. a time. Basics for upper-body training ¢ Within each muscle group, start with an exercise that recruits a majority of the muscle fiber and then isolate portions of the ¢ Start with your larger muscle groups, like back or chest. Proceed to smaller groups, like arms and deltoids. muscle group. For example, with the back, Biceps dumbbell curls: alternate with each dumbbell starting with your arms extended down and then lift one dumbbell to your shoulder, bending at the elbow. Return to start. Then, other arm. Triceps pressdown: on a cable machine or triceps pressdown machine, keep your elbows in tight and start with both hands on the bar start with chin-ups and then go on to a seated row. e Use an amount of weight that allows you to complete 10 to 12 repetitions of the motion but that will leave you too tired to continue without a rest. Posture Make sure you are using proper form and posture with each exercise. e Never lock your joints. e Use the muscle, not momentum to complete the motion. Never throw the weight into motion. *Focus on the muscle you are working Triceps pressdown. and use mirrors to help you get good form. Basic upper-body program e There are about a zillion different weight programs. This one is the basic one that usually gets the best results for someone who is just starting. : ¢ Train two to three times a week. (three is optimal) ¢ Never train the same muscles two days Super V900 Full Suspension Mountain Bike $1599.99 Front Suspension Mountain Bike in a row. Give them a day or two to recover and rebuild. ¢ For each of these exercises do three sets: $999.99 PAGE 14 « SEPTEMBER 1997 set 1- 12 reps; set 2-10 reps; set 3- 8 reps. Try 100 S$ ¢ Salt Lake City 801-359-9361 2.8 Series Mountain Bike $419.99 cannondale HANDMADE IN USA to increase the weight a small amount with each set. Chest Bench press: lying flat, have your hands on the bar so that they are above your elbows, which are out from your shoulders. Lower the bar toward your chest, about nipple-level, and push it back to start position without locking your elbows. Incline dumbbell press: using an incline bench with dumbbells, in ‘each hand, .start and press down until your arms are straight. Return so the bar comes to your chest. Abdominals Sit-ups: lying face up with your knees bent and hands loosely behind your head, slowly curl the upper half of your back off the floor, while pressing your low back against the floor. Do not use hand pressure on your head. Don't strain your neck. Keep your low back on the floor. Reverse curls: Lying face up on the floor, have your feet in the air above your hips (not your stomach). Your arms are out to the side. Keep your head down. Lift your buttocks about one inch off the floor. And return to start. Do not rock or use momentum. Do two sets of 20 reps. Remember to stretch when you are finished. _Next month, we'll discuss lower-body weight training, including the low back. _ ’ Have, fun and stay strong! @°~ ss estas |