Home » Health-fitness
Category:

Health-fitness

HealthHealth-fitness

Violet Gems: Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Relationship, and Biography

by Jackson
written by Jackson

In this comprehensive article, we delve into the fascinating life of Violet Gems, a renowned figure whose accomplishments and personal details have captured public interest. From net worth to age, height, weight, and relationship status, we uncover the details that define public persona at Violet Gems: Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Relationship, and Biography.

Violet Gems age

Violet Gems is currently 22 years old, embodying a blend of experience and youthful vigor that continues to define her career and personal pursuits. Her age underscores a lifetime of accomplishments, reflecting her ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence in Actress & Model.

Violet Height

Violet Gems stands at a height of 4 feet and 10 inches, a characteristic that complements her presence and charisma in various public engagements and professional endeavors. Her stature adds to her distinctive persona, reflecting her dedication to maintaining a well-rounded image in the public eye at Violet Gems: Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Relationship, and Biography.

Violet Weight

Violet Gems weight approximately 60 kg, maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle that aligns with her commitment to personal well-being and professional excellence. Her weight complements her overall appearance and underscores her dedication to maintaining physical fitness.

Gems Relationship

Violet maintains a private stance regarding her relationship status, choosing to keep details about her personal life out of the public eye at Violet Gems: Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Relationship, and Biography. This discretion reflects her focus on her career and professional endeavors, allowing her admirers to appreciate her accomplishments and talents without distraction at Violet Gems: Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Relationship, and Biography.

Violet net worth

Violet’s estimated $107,000 net worth is a result of her wise investments and prosperous profession. Her diverse range of entertainment interests and excellent business abilities are highlighted by her financial holdings. Violet Gems’s considerable net worth establishes her as a successful businesswoman with an astute sense of profitable chances in addition to making her a well-known figure in her industry. Her ability to successfully leverage her skills and market trends at Violet Gems, as well as her commitment, hard work, and determination, are the reasons behind her financial success: Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Relationship, and Biography.

Conclusion

Violet Gems emerges as a captivating figure whose journey unfolds with each facet of her life and career. At 22 years old, she embodies a rare blend of youthful energy and seasoned experience, propelling her forward in the realms of acting and modeling. Standing at 4 feet 10 inches, her stature enhances her charismatic presence in both public appearances and professional endeavors, reflecting her commitment to maintaining a well-rounded image at Violet Gems: Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Relationship, and Biography. Weighing approximately 60 kg, Violet’s dedication to physical fitness complements her overall persona of health and vitality. Maintaining a discreet stance on her relationship status, she prioritizes her career and achievements, which are further underscored by her impressive net worth of $107,000. Violet Gems stands as an inspiration, not only for her accomplishments but also for her resilience and dedication to excellence in the entertainment industry at Violet Gems: Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Relationship, and Biography.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Tricep Pushdowns
Health-fitness

Tricep Pushdowns: Are You Doing Them Properly?

by Jackson
written by Jackson

The tricep pushdown is one of the best exercises for triceps development. While the versatile upper-body workout is usually done on a cable machine (a fixture at most gyms), you can also perform a version of the move at home or on the go using a resistance band.

How to Do Tricep Pushdowns

Face the tricep pushdown cable machine and grasp the horizontal cable bar or rope attachment (depending on the machine at your gym) with an overhand grip. Adapt the rope or bar grips to about chest level.  Tricep Pushdowns: Are You Doing Them Properly?

To start, apply the pin-and-place modality and set a low weight. Different versions of the machine may include other weighting mechanisms.

  1. Brace your abdominals.
  2. Tuck your elbows at your sides and position your feet slightly apart.
  3. Push down until your elbows are fully extended but not yet in the straight, locked position. Keep your elbows close to your body and bend your knees slightly on the pushdown. Resist bending forward. Try to keep your back as straight as possible as you push down.
  4. As you exhale, return to the starting point using a controlled movement. Try not to crash the weights.

For beginners, aim to complete 4 sets of 8 reps. As you gain fitness, increase the number of reps you complete and the amount of weight you use as resistance. Tricep Pushdowns: Are You Doing Them Properly?

Benefits of Tricep Pushdowns

The brachii triceps muscle is located at the rear of the upper arm and has three components: the long, lateral, and medial heads. If you want to build up your arms, utilizing all three heads of your triceps is key, and the triceps pulldown does just that.

Increases Strength

Tricep pushdowns also benefit your overall strength and endurance by engaging your core, back, and shoulders. The move is adaptable to your strength and level, as you can increase the weight as you go. Tricep Pushdowns: Are You Doing Them Properly?

Prevents Injury

The muscles that make up the triceps are vulnerable to overuse injury from repetitive activities like throwing, swimming, and hammering motions. Repetitive stress injuries of the triceps can be prevented by training the triceps, including with tricep pushdowns.

Improves Functional Fitness

Tricep strength is important in any movement that involves extending your forearms from the elbow.

Consider shutting the trunk of your vehicle, throwing a ball for your dog, planting in your garden, or trying to crush one last paper bag into an over-filled recycling bin. These everyday tasks could not performed without help from your triceps. Keeping them strong helps you perform a wide variety of activities of daily living. Tricep Pushdowns: Are You Doing Them Properly?

Tones Arms

Strengthening the tricep muscles is one way to achieve a toned appearance in your arms. Because the triceps are located along the backside of the upper arm, toning these muscles is visible. This can be important to some people, especially bodybuilders.

Other Variations of Tricep Pushdowns

There are ways to increase the difficulty of tricep pulldowns as your fitness level increases. In addition, you can do alternatives at home, which are helpful for between-gym workouts or those who don’t have easy access to exercise equipment.

Resistance Band Tricep Pulldowns

If you aren’t part of a gym or if your gym doesn’t have a pushdown machine, try using a resistance band to do the workout at home or while traveling. You’ll also need something sturdy above your head, like a metal bar, rod, or hook. Tricep Pushdowns: Are You Doing Them Properly?

Place the band around the secure point (at least at chin height, if not over your head). Grip the ends of the band and perform the pushdown exercise using the same form you would on a cable machine.

One-Armed Tricep Pulldowns

Tricep pushdowns can be done one-handed or with both hands. A two-handed modification will work whether you’re on a machine or using a resistance band. Doing one arm at a time allows you to slow down and focus on correcting poor form. It can also be useful if one arm is recovering from an injury or you have one side that is generally weaker than the other.

Grip Bar Modifications

If your gym has the cable and pulley machine used in this exercise, it probably also has a selection of grip attachments. You may see a straight bar, or ones with bends, such as the E-Z bar and V-angled bar. These are used in the same way, but you may find one more comfortable to use than another. Tricep Pushdowns: Are You Doing Them Properly?

Rope Pushdowns

You can vary the way you perform tricep pushdowns exercise by using the rope attachment. It introduces more exertion on the triceps if you pause at the bottom of the move.

Barbell Skull Crushers

Skull crushers, also known as triceps extensions, engage the same muscles as tricep pushdowns, however, they employ dumbbells instead of a cable pulley system.

Tricep Pushdowns: Common Mistakes

While tricep pushdowns are effective, you must ensure you do them correctly to prevent injury and benefit most from the exercise. Here are some common mistakes people make and how to avoid them. Tricep Pushdowns: Are You Doing Them Properly?

Your Elbows Flare Out

Don’t allow your elbows to flare outward on the downward push. This negates the work on your triceps and places unwanted stress on your shoulders. Make sure your elbows stay close to your sides during the entire movement.

You’re Not Using Both Sides Equally

Check in to be sure you push down smoothly and evenly with both arms. If this is difficult, you might have some strength imbalance between your two sides. Do some one-armed tricep pushdowns on your weaker side to help equalize your abilities on both sides. Tricep Pushdowns: Are You Doing Them Properly?

You’re Using Your Back Too Much

You don’t want to bend over at the back and shoulders to force the weight down. That being said, to ensure your triceps are getting fully worked, it can be helpful to lean forward slightly and allow your knees to bend slightly as you push down. This position ensures you’re engaging all muscle components equally.

Safety and Precautions

Be cautious with tricep pushdowns if you have an elbow injury or develop persistent elbow soreness. If you have certain medical conditions or are recovering from surgery, illness, or injury, check in with a healthcare professional before starting or changing your exercise routine.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Weight Loss
Health-fitness

Should You Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day for Weight Loss?

by Jackson
written by Jackson

You’ve probably heard that you should walk 10,000 steps per day for fitness and weight loss — but how many miles is 10,000 steps, and why is that number important? Initially, this concept of walking approximately 5 miles originated as a way to get people to move more. But now, scholars are examining whether it’s a useful goal.

So far, studies show that 10,000 steps per day isn’t a magic number, but it is a good indicator of how much activity a person is achieving in a day. In fact, one study of steps per day and weight showed that people who took more steps per day weighed less, on average. Should You Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day for Weight Loss?

Getting 10,000 steps burns about 340 calories for a 170-pound person walking at a brisk pace, which helps contribute to weight balance. If getting 10,000 steps per day is your goal, This is what you require to know concerning completing such actions.

How to Get Your 10,000 Steps

How many miles is 10,000 steps? This distance is equal to walking approximately 5 miles. Unless you have an active job, such as a waiter or nurse, it is difficult to log 10,000 steps with daily activity only. An inactive person takes 3,000 steps or less in their daily activity of moving around the house. Should You Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day for Weight Loss?

Most people achieve 10,000 steps by taking one or more sustained walks or runs, the equivalent of 30 to 60 minutes of walking. That is the recommended daily workout recommendation from most health authorities to reduce health risks.

If you’d like to take more daily steps for health and fitness, start by determining your baseline. Track your steps for a week or so using an activity tracker or smartphone app (many phones have a built-in step counter). You don’t have to jump from 3,000 steps a day to 10,000 overnight. Should You Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day for Weight Loss?

Once you have a sense of your daily average, aim to add 2,000 to 2,500 steps a day to begin (about a mile). Walking a mile burns about 80 calories for a 150-pound person. As you get comfortable with this additional exercise, lengthen your walks, or take more short walks, so you get closer to 10,000 daily steps. In adding steps, you may find it helpful to think about donning ankle support footwear..

How Many Calories Does 10,000 Steps Burn?

Depending on your weight, walking 10,000 steps burns between 250 and 600 calories. You can use a steps to calories converter chart to estimate this for yourself. You will need to know your approximate steps per mile. Should You Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day for Weight Loss?

Most weight loss programs recommend burning 200 to 300 calories per day in moderate to vigorous exercise. The number of calories you burn by walking depends primarily on how much you weigh, followed by your speed of movement.

Everyone burns calories just sitting and breathing, which you can estimate with this calories per day calculator. You burn more calories per minute when you get up and walk, and even more if you run. Should You Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day for Weight Loss?

Many activity trackers, for instance, an Apple Watch or Fitbit, estimate calorie burn based on your step count. These devices also take into account how fast you are walking or calculating how many calories you burn when running.

How to Add Steps and Intensity

Walking 10,000 steps per day, with 3,000 of those steps at a brisk walking to jogging pace, should help you burn enough calories to lose weight. If you are already logging 10,000 steps a day and not losing weight or maintaining your weight, then the key is to add another 2,000 more steps per day while eating the same amount or less. Should You Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day for Weight Loss?

You can boost intensity by taking more of your steps at a brisk walking or running pace, or adding intervals such as hills or stairs. Also try to set aside time for dedicated moderate-to-vigorous-intensity exercise, whether that is walking, resistance training, or some other form of exercise that you enjoy. Many fitness trackers and smartwatches detect whether or not your movement is enough to be considered moderate or vigorous exercise. Should You Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day for Weight Loss?

For weight loss, additionally focus on removing unnecessary calories and getting good nutrition from everything you eat. A food and exercise diary can help you spot where to make improvements. Some online programs or phone apps let you track all your data in one place (fitness, nutrition, sleep, water intake, and so on).

A Word From Verywell

If your goal is to increase your steps in a day, start by getting a good handle on how many steps you are already taking in a day’s time. From there, you can set goals for gradually increasing your steps. Moving in manageable chunks toward your goal is more effective than trying to do everything at once. Plus, there is less chance of getting injured or feeling overwhelmed along the way. Should You Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day for Weight Loss?

Additionally, if you are hoping to achieve your weight management goals by adding more steps, it can help to talk to a healthcare provider first or even a registered dietitian. They can help you put together a plan that works for you.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Hammer Curls: Learn Proper Form to Maximize Your Results
Health-fitness

Hammer Curls: Learn Proper Form to Maximize Your Results

by Jackson
written by Jackson

A hammer curl is a variation of the biceps curl and targets muscles in the upper and lower arm. While this exercise is almost always performed with a dumbbell, you can use bands or cords for it. Hammer curls are a great addition to your upper-body strength routine.

How to Do Hammer Curls

Stand with your legs straight (but not stiff or locked) and knees aligned under the hips. Your arms are at your side with a dumbbell in each hand, the weights resting next to the outer thigh. With your hands facing the thighs, thumbs facing forward, and shoulders relaxed.

  1. Bend at the elbow, lifting the lower arms to pull the weights toward the shoulders. Your upper arms are stationary and the wrists are in line with the forearms.
  2. Hold for a little moment at the top of the movement. Your thumbs will be close to the shoulders and palms facing in, toward the midline of your body.
  3. Lower the weights to return to the starting position.

Benefits of Hammer Curls

Hammer curls work the biceps brachii, considered a “vanity muscle” because it is easily visible on the front of your body. People looking to get a muscular appearance often target the biceps for a more athletic look. Hammer Curls: Learn Proper Form to Maximize Your Results

Inside the body, biceps brachii is an elbow flexor because it is responsible for the bending movement at the elbow joint. It also helps to rotate (supinate) the forearm.

In everyday movements, strong biceps help you lift and carry heavy objects. These muscles provide additional arm-based motions, like closing a door or pulling objects toward or across your body. Hammer Curls: Learn Proper Form to Maximize Your Results

Hammer curls are one way to build stronger biceps muscles and provide greater definition and increased strength. Including it in your exercise program may also help increase wrist stability and grip strength.

Other Variations of Hammer Curls

You can modify hammer curls to better align with your fitness level and goals.

Alternating Hammer Curls

When attempting hammer curls and find they’re too challenging to maintain proper form, try alternating. Instead of lifting both arms simultaneously, lift the right arm and lower, then lift the left and lower. Continue to alternate sides. Hammer Curls: Learn Proper Form to Maximize Your Results

Incline Hammer Curls

Another variation is to use a seated incline bench to perform hammer curls. When seated, the starting position places the arms behind your hips and helps to reduce shoulder involvement. Otherwise, the same movements apply. Lift the weights to the shoulders before lowering them again.

Preacher Hammer Curls

Preacher benches are used by some exercisers to perform hammer curls. A preacher bench is an angled, padded armrest that allows you to hold the upper arm in an isolated position so you can lift more weight and better target the biceps. Hammer Curls: Learn Proper Form to Maximize Your Results

Adjust the padded armrest so its top is just touching your armpits. Rest your upper arms against the padding, extend your elbows, and hold the weights so your palms face each other. Lift the weights to your shoulders, then lower them back down.

Hammer Curls Power Squat

Add a squat to hammer curls to make them more difficult. This helps you work your legs and glutes while also working your arms. After lifting the weights to the shoulders, drop into a squat position. Hold briefly, stand back up, and return the weights to your side. Hammer Curls: Learn Proper Form to Maximize Your Results

Hammer Curls: Common Mistakes

Avoid these common errors to keep hammer curls safe while maximizing their effectiveness.

Using Momentum

Using momentum decreases your ability to build strength during hammer curls. Swinging motions may also put you at higher risk for injury because you lose control when momentum takes over. Hammer Curls: Learn Proper Form to Maximize Your Results

You can tell if you’re using momentum if you start hammer curls by leaning forward slightly and bringing the weights behind your hips. This body position helps you to wind up for the workload.

Using momentum is often a sign that you are lifting too much weight. If you notice yourself winding up before each repetition, decrease the weight and focus on form. Hammer Curls: Learn Proper Form to Maximize Your Results

Curling Too Fast

Hammer curls employ a relatively small range of motion, so it’s easy to rush through this exercise and use quick movements, particularly in the descending stage.

Taking your time on the way up and down allows you to control the movements and focus on form. Slowing your movements also adds more challenge because you must engage your muscles for a longer time. Hammer Curls: Learn Proper Form to Maximize Your Results

Floating Elbows

It’s easy to allow the elbows to float away from the body during hammer curls. While this engages other muscles in the lift, such as the deltoids (shoulders), the more you engage other muscles the less you target the biceps.

Keep your elbows in a stable, fixed position and concentrate on moving only the lower arm during hammer curls. If you can’t lift weight without moving your elbow, the weight is too heavy. Hammer Curls: Learn Proper Form to Maximize Your Results

Safety and Precautions

While hammer curls are appropriate for most exercisers, those with lower arm injuries (such as carpal tunnel syndrome) may need an alternate exercise or modification.

Tension in the biceps indicates that the movement is working and effectively targeting your upper-arm muscles. However, stop if you feel pain when performing hammer curls.

When first starting, try two sets of 7 to 10 repetitions each. As you get stronger and more flexible, add repetitions first. Then add more weight.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
How to Count and Track Calories Burned Walking
Health-fitness

How to Count and Track Calories Burned Walking

by Jackson
written by Jackson

Walking is an excellent form of exercise to build strong legs and healthy joints while also burning calories. Many people who start a walking program like to track their progress as they build mileage and increase their fitness levels.

Understanding your distance and calories burned while walking can help you achieve your goals. Read on to learn how to best track your efforts with calorie guides and calculators.How to Track Calories Burned While Walking

You can measure calories burned while walking using different types of data. For example, you might use your distance, workout duration, or pace to determine how many calories you burned and how hard you worked. These are a few methods you can track your walking calories.

Calories Per Mile While Walking

Use a calculator to determine calories burned while walking by entering your weight, approximate pace, and distance walked. How to Count and Track Calories Burned Walking

Calories Per Minute While Walking

To determine the number of calories you burn based on time, you’ll see the number varies based on factors including your weight and the pace at which you walk. For example, a 140-pound person burns about 4 calories per minute while walking 3 miles per hour. Therefore, in about 30 minutes, this person would burn roughly 112 calories. But a 200-pound person burns about 5 calories per minute or about 159 calories per 30-minute interval.

A pace calculator is an additional option to enter your weight, pace, and minutes to calculate the distance walked and walking calories burned. Remember that these numbers are estimates and do not consider gender, incline, or wind resistance factors. How to Count and Track Calories Burned Walking

Calories Based on Step Count

View how many calories you burn based on your step count using a fitness tracker on your walking workouts. This calculation considers your weight and height to get an estimate of stride length.

For example, a 160-pound person who is 5′ 4″ tall would burn about 181 calories walking 5,000 steps. But a taller person (5′ 10 tall) who weighs the same amount would burn 198 calories walking the same number of steps.

Using Pace to Determine Calories Burned Walking

Numerous fitness professionals advise walking at a moderate pace.1 You might wonder whether your walking pace is fast, moderate, or easy. There are different ways to measure your pace based on miles or kilometers traveled.

Considering how hard you’re walking, you can estimate how long it will take for you to walk different distances. This information can help you to plan routes and walking workouts. How to Count and Track Calories Burned Walking

There are a variety of charts available that help you determine how long it will take to walk that distance at three different paces. You can see conversions from miles to kilometers and kilometers to miles. How to Count and Track Calories Burned Walking

How to Use a Fitness Tracker

A lot of fitness trackers will calculate your calories burned by exercise and total calories burned. For instance, if you wear a Fitbit, you will see its reading of your total calorie burn, including your basic metabolic rate and exercise calories. This enables you to balance the calories you eat against the calories burned.

Diet-friendly fitness trackers such as Fitbit and Garmin include or link to a food log app where you can track what you eat to balance those calories with what you burn. How to Count and Track Calories Burned Walking

One common app that links to many fitness trackers is MyFitnessPal. The best apps allow you to save common foods and meals and analyze recipes for calories and nutrition per serving. Many allow you to scan barcodes on the food you eat and include items from fast food and chain restaurants.

However, there are always problems with accuracy with any calorie figure from fitness trackers. Calories shown on treadmills and other exercise machines may also overestimate or underestimate calories burned while walking. Be sure to input your correct weight as they often base the burn on that figure. How to Count and Track Calories Burned Walking

A Word From Verywell

Remember that the best exercise plan is the one that works for you. If you are just starting, you may want to choose one simple metric to track, such as the amount of time you walk each day and week. As you see changes and progress toward your goal, you can consider other metrics and track calories burned while walking.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Do a Lat Pulldown
Health-fitness

How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

by Jackson
written by Jackson

The pulldown exercise works the back muscles and is carried out at a workstation with adjustable resistance, usually plates.

While seated, you pull a hanging bar toward you to reach chin level, then let it go once more with control for one repetition. This exercise can be done as part of an upper-body strength workout.

How to Do a Lat Pulldown

Sit comfortably on the pulldown seat, with your feet flat on the floor. Check the height of the bar. You may need to adjust the bar height by shortening or lengthening the chain or cable that supports the bar or your seat height. Get a gym trainer to help with this if necessary. How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

The height of the bar should be that your outstretched arms can comfortably grasp the bar without having to stand up entirely, but you should also be able to still extend your arms to achieve a full range of motion. If the station has a thigh pad, adjust it so that the upper thighs are tucked firmly under the pad. This will assist you when you apply effort to the bar.

  1. Grasp the bar with a wide grip with an overhand, knuckles-up grip. Other positions and grips are possible but start with this standard position.
  2. Pull the bar down until it’s approximately at eye level with the chin. Exhale on the downward motion. While shifting slightly backward is OK, aim to keep your upper torso stationary. Keep your feet flat on the floor and engage your abs as you pull. The bottom of the motion should be where your elbows can’t move downward anymore without moving backward. Be sure to stop at that point and do not go lower. How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes
  3. Squeeze the shoulder blades together while maintaining square shoulders.
  4. From the bottom position, with the bar close to your chin, slowly return the bar to the starting position while controlling its gradual ascent. Don’t let it crash into the weight plates.
  5. Continue until you complete eight to 12 repetitions in a set. Rest, then continue to complete your program of sets. How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Benefits of Lat Pulldowns

It’s essential to target your back muscles to help with proper posture and to ease pulling movements, like opening a door, starting a lawnmower, swimming, or even performing a pull-up. Having in some cases, having strong lats may even help with back pain relief.

Muscles Worked During Lat Pulldowns

The primary goals of this practice are the latissimus dorsi, more commonly referred to as the “lats,” which is a muscle just under the armpits that spreads across and down the back. Lat pulldowns also work teres major, a muscle located near the bottom of the shoulder blade. How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

By isolating the back muscles with this exercise, you can focus specifically on them without tiring out the biceps or triceps.

Other Variations of Lat Pulldowns

You can perform this exercise in different ways to meet your skill level and goals.

Light Weights or Bands for Beginners

Novices might wish to begin with light weights or a band to ensure they use the correct form. You can also try performing the exercise standing, with one leg forward as if walking. How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Alternative Grips

Try wider, narrow, under- or overhand grips to target specific muscle groups. Using a middle-distance grip, with forearms upright and hands about shoulder-width apart, work the biceps and middle back. A wider grip recruits more back muscles, and a close grip pulldown emphasizes the forearm muscles.

Straight Arm Pulldown

The straight-arm pulldown, which requires keeping your elbows nearly fully extended the entire time (usually done standing), hits the muscles on the back of the upper arm, known as the triceps. How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Reversing Your Grip

Switching to an underhanded grip with knuckles facing downward and palms up puts more work on the muscles on the front of your upper arm, known as the biceps.

Common Mistakes

Avoid these errors so you can get the most from this exercise and prevent strain or injury.

Arching Your Back

Sit upright and keep your chest lifted as you pull the bar down. Maintaining a neutral spine can help protect your lower back from injury. How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Using Your Forearms

Make sure your wrists are not doing the work of pulling the bar down—you want it to come from your back. Activate your lats by pulling down from your armpits.

Holding the Bar Too Wide

Grab the bar just outside your shoulders, but not too wide, especially if you’re a beginner. Keep your elbows pointed down as you lower the bar and not out to the sides. How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Pulling Down Too Far

Stop at the point where your elbows would need to go backward to continue pulling the cable down. If the elbows go backward, it will put excessive stress on the shoulder joint. You should only lower the bar to your chin or just below.

Using Momentum

Like the majority of weighted workouts, perform the pulldown slowly and with control. Doing it fast uses momentum and reduces the use of the targeted muscles. How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Safety and Precautions

The pulldown behind the neck is not recommended for safety reasons, as the rotation of the shoulder joint and possible spine contact with the bar could lead to injuries.

If you have any wrist, elbow, or shoulder problems, talk to your doctor or physical therapist to see if this exercise is appropriate. Stop this exercise if you feel any pain or too much stress on your shoulder joints. How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

The number of reps you do in one workout will depend on the weight used, your experience level, and strength.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations
Health-fitness

How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

by Jackson
written by Jackson

The incline dumbbell press is a free weight exercise designed to target the chest, shoulders, and triceps, independently hitting each side of the body. This activity is an excellent method to focus on and define your upper-chest muscles.

Unlike the more traditional flat bench press, the incline press shifts the movement’s focus to the upper portion of the pectoral muscle groups and the front of the shoulder. This allows for more significant hypertrophy (muscle growth) of the upper chest when the exercise is performed regularly.1

The incline dumbbell press is designed to bolster the size and strength of your chest, so it’s typically included in a well-rounded, intermediate strength training program. If you split up your weekly workouts by body part, include this chest exercise on your upper body or chest day, after exercises like pushups or the flat bench press. How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

How To Do an Incline Dumbbell Press

All you have to do is the incline dumbbell press is an incline bench or adjustable bench, and a set of dumbbells. You won’t need much more space beyond the space required for the bench itself.

Should your bench be movable, set the incline to between 30- to 45-degrees. The bigger the angle, the more the exercise will engage the shoulders.

You’ll want to select dumbbells that are lighter than you’d use for a flat dumbbell bench press and when performing a barbell incline press. If you’re unsure of the right weight, start light and work your way up until you feel challenged but can still do an entire set using proper form. How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

  1. Take a seat and recline. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with hands positioned at your shoulders, elbows bent and angled down below your ribs. Relax your neck against the bench. Keep your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Brace your core and press both dumbbells straight over your chest as you exhale. Keep your wrists straight (don’t let them “cock” backward). At the top of the movement, the dumbbells should almost touch each other, and your arms should be perpendicular to the floor.
  3. Reverse the movement and slowly lower the dumbbells to the top of your chest as you inhale. As you lower the dumbbells, your elbows should come down at roughly a 45-degree angle to your torso. They must not spread out to the edges, pointing toward the side of the room. Instead, keep your elbows pointing to the floor.
  4. Aim to complete sets of 8 to 12 reps. Start with one set and work up to two to three sets over time as you build strength. When you finish your set, safely exit the exercise by sitting up and placing the dumbbells on your knees before you stand up. Avoid dropping the dumbbells while you’re lying on the incline bench.

Benefits of The Incline Dumbbell Press

The dumbbell incline press targets the upper portion of the chest—specifically, the clavicular head of the pectoralis major—an area of the chest almost completely unengaged during other common chest exercises, like the traditional bench press, incline pushups, and chest fly. The incline press also hits the anterior head of the deltoid muscle of the shoulders or the front part of your shoulder. How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

Functionally, The transfer dumbbell incline press naturally to a range of pushing and pressing motions, such as pushing open a heavy door or putting groceries away on elevated shelves.

The dumbbell version of the incline press is especially beneficial for correcting strength imbalances between each side of your body. It’s common for one arm to be stronger than the other. By using dumbbells to perform this exercise, each arm works independently, which prevents the dominant arm from “taking over” to complete the lift, improving strength and stability on both sides of the body. How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

Other Variations of The Incline Dumbbell Press

The incline dumbbell press can be modified in various ways or made more challenging to suit individual needs and fitness goals.

Barbell Incline Press

If isolating each shoulder independently doesn’t work for you, you can modify the exercise and still get similar results. Instead of the dumbbell incline press, opt for the barbell incline press. The barbell exercise targets the same muscle groups in the same way but doesn’t require the unilateral control that the dumbbell press requires.

This practice will assist you in creating the baseline strength required for the movement while also starting to engage the stabilizing muscles of the shoulders without isolating each shoulder independently. How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

Perform the exercise in the exact same way as the dumbbell press, except using a barbell gripped with both arms instead of individual dumbbells. Set the bench at a 30 to 45-degree incline under a rack with the bar loaded. Grip the bar wider than shoulder width.

  1. Unrack the weighted bar and slowly lower it to your chest.
  2. Touch the bar to your chest, then lift the bar by extending your arms. Avoid locking out to maintain tension on your chest muscles.
  3. Repeat for desired repetitions before re-racking.

Kettlebell Incline Press

Make the exercise harder by switching out your dumbbells for a set of kettlebells. Due to the uneven weight distribution of kettlebells (the “bell” portion weighs more than the handle of the equipment), it requires more stability and control to perform the exercise correctly.

Other than that, this activity is done in the same way as the incline dumbbell press, but you’re pressing kettlebells with each hand, rather than dumbbells. How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

Single Arm Incline Press

You can also substantially engage your core by performing the exercise as a single-arm kettlebell incline press.

  1. Use only one kettlebell at a time, performing a complete set with your right arm before switching to your left arm. This single-sided exercise requires your core to engage to prevent your non-working side from rotating toward the side you’re working.
  2. Engage your core to prevent your left shoulder and hip from rotating to the right as you perform the movement.

Common Mistakes During An Incline Dumbbell Press

This exercise can seem deceptively simple, making it easy to overlook possible mistakes. Read on to learn about potential issues as well as how to avoid them.

Using Too Much Weight

If you’ve been doing dumbbell bench press or incline barbell press for a while, you probably have a good idea of how much weight you can handle for these exercises. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to lift the same amount when trying the dumbbell incline press.

The inclined press, as a whole, uses smaller muscle groups than the flat bench press, so you’ll need to decrease your weight a bit for the incline press. Even if you’re familiar with the incline barbell press, you may still need to reduce your weight for the dumbbell version of the exercise. How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

This is because the dumbbell press requires each arm to lift its dumbbell independently, which requires more strength. This action is more challenging to control and ends up using more of the stabilizing muscles of the shoulder. Selecting a lighter weight helps ensure you can complete the exercise safely.

Cocking Your Wrists

Cocking your wrists backward while holding the dumbbells—forming a 90-degree angle between the back of your hand and forearm—may not seem like a big issue, but holding the dumbbells this way puts a lot of strain on your wrists. Focus on keeping your wrists straight so that they’re perpendicular to the ground throughout the exercise to prevent wrist injury.

Choosing the Wrong Angle For Your Bench

Doing a chest press on a flat bench positioned at 0-degrees targets the middle of your pecs. Likewise, doing a press on an upright bench positioned at 90-degrees targets your shoulders. To effectively target the upper portion of your chest, you must choose an angle anywhere between those two angles. How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

The trick, though, is selecting the right angle to work the muscles you want to strengthen. Generally speaking, you should set your bench between 30- and 45-degrees. The 45-degree angle will hit more of your shoulders, while the 30-degree angle will target the pecs to a greater degree.

Bouncing the Dumbbells Off Your Chest

Lowering the weights quickly and “bouncing” them up off the top of your chest is ineffective. If you find yourself doing this (or if you are tempted to do so), that’s a good indication that you’re lifting more weight than you should be. How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

When you accelerate via such a movement, you end up losing the target focus for the exercise, allowing other muscle groups and momentum to help you complete the move. This may not seem like a big deal, but it ends up reducing the effectiveness of your workout, making it harder to see the improvements you want to see.

Over-Arching Your Back While Pressing

When you are fatigued toward the end of a set or if you’re trying to lift more weight than you should, you may find yourself straining and over-arching your back to try to force the dumbbells upward. This can open you up to the possibility of a back strain. Also, your efforts will be shortchanged.

You’ll end up recruiting muscle groups other than the specific muscles intended to be targeted by the exercise. There is a natural arch in your back that should be there while performing this press exercise. You don’t want to eliminate this natural curve. When you try hard to push your back into the bench, your shoulders will naturally roll forward. Try to maintain the natural arch without increasing it.

If you find yourself straining toward the end of a set, ask a friend to spot you as you lift. This will allow you to finish your set without altering the movement. If you find yourself over-arching your back from the get-go, choose a lighter set of dumbbells. How to Incline Dumbbell Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

How to Safely Do an Incline Dumbbell Press

When performing the incline dumbbell press, the most important thing is to select an appropriate weight for your strength level, which is probably less than you think. You should be able to complete between 8 and 12 repetitions with the weight you select for a typical workout routine.

The dumbbell incline press is generally a safe exercise, however it necessitates a certain amount of strength, and it shouldn’t be attempted if you’re new to strength training. In that case, start with machine weights or a barbell incline press to grow accustomed to the movement, then move on to the incline dumbbell press once you’re ready.

The incline press can be problematic for those who experience shoulder pain. If you have ongoing shoulder pain, attempt the exercise on a machine or with a barbell before trying it with dumbbells. If you experience sharp or shooting pain at any point during the exercise, stop and opt for exercises that don’t cause pain.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Bulgarian Split Squat
Health-fitness

How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

by Jackson
written by Jackson

The Bulgarian split squat is a version of a single-leg squat where the back leg is elevated on a bench or a sturdy chair. As a unilateral squat, the exercise focuses more on the quadriceps than similar lower-body compound movements. It also requires a lot of balance and coordination, enhancing the engagement of the upper and core muscles required to maintain proper form.

The Bulgarian split squat is a great movement to add to a lower-body strength or total-body workout routine. Due to the compound, balance-focused nature of the movement, it’s a good idea to include it toward the beginning of a workout, perhaps after a solid warmup including traditional squats, Romanian deadlifts, or barbell snatches.  How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

If you’re ready to fire up your quads and grow your glutes, continue reading for ideas on how to the highly-effective exercise.

Bulgarian Split Squat Muscles Worked

As a complex exercise for the lower body, Bulgarian split squats work many muscles of the legs at the same time. Bulgarian split squats primarily work the quadriceps along the front of the thighs. Other muscles include the hamstrings along the back of thighs, glutes of the buttocks and hips, and calves along the back of the lower legs. How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Bulgarian split squats also include a balance challenge to keep you steady on one leg. This keeps core muscles, including the abdominal muscles and spinal erectors (run along the spine), engaged throughout the movement.

How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat

The main thing to remember about the Bulgarian split squat is that it takes some trial-and-error to find proper foot placement to carry out the workout in a comfortable manner. You’ll place one of your feet on a bench behind you, but you may need to hop your front foot around a little bit to help you find the exact position that feels best. It’s okay to try a few practice repetitions before starting your actual set to make sure you’re set up appropriately. How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

All you need for the most basic version of the Bulgarian split squat is a bench or a sturdy chair. As you become comfortable with the exercise, you may want to add dumbbells or kettlebells for increased resistance.

  1. Stand roughly two feet in front of a sturdy bench or chair, your feet hip-distance apart, your core engaged, your shoulders back, and your chest and eyes pointing straight ahead.
  2. Pick up your right foot and place it on the bench behind you. You can do this in one of two ways. One option is to place the top of your foot on the bench so that your ankle joint is roughly aligned with the edge of the bench. The other option is to flex your ankle and find your balance with the ball of your foot and your toes, more like during a traditional lunge exercise.
  3. Ensure your feet are still roughly hip distance apart, if not slightly wider. You don’t want your elevated foot directly behind your front, making balancing much more difficult.
  4. Remember, your back foot is just there to help you stay balanced—the engagement and movement of the exercise are focused on the front leg.
  5. Engage your core with your chest high and eyes looking straight ahead, and bend your left knee, allowing your right knee and ankle to naturally bend as you move through the downward phase of the exercise without taking on the load with your back leg.
  6. Keep the load balanced evenly across your left foot as you lower. Hinge slightly forward at the hips, ensuring your left knee remains aligned with your left toes (that it doesn’t cave inward or bow outward). You may find that your left knee starts to protrude slightly over your left toes toward the bottom of the exercise. This isn’t necessarily bad or wrong and only depends on your level of comfort and the flexibility you have at your ankles.
  7. Inhale through this downward phase, lowering down until your left quadriceps is roughly parallel to the ground.
  8. Press back to standing by pushing through your left foot and using your left quad and glute to power the upward phase of the exercise. Exhale as you press to standing.
  9. Step your right foot off the bench or chair after completing a full set to one side. Ensure you keep things even by performing the same repetitions and sets to each side.

Benefits of Bulgarian Split Squats

The Bulgarian split squat is an excellent way to take your taking lower body exercise to a new level. This movement targets all the same muscle groups you see targeted during squats and lunges—quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, abdominals, and spinal erectors—but places greater focus on the quadriceps and core due to the single-leg, balance challenge that the exercise provides. How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Any time you can work your body unilaterally—meaning that you target one side of your body independently from the other—you have the opportunity to improve side-to-side muscle imbalances.

By improving these imbalances, you’re less likely for one side to “take over” when bending, lifting, or moving through life, making it easier for you to maintain proper alignment and avoid injuries over time.

These exercises may also improve your agility, and core strength, making it less likely that you’ll experience a fall when knocked off balance. Maintaining your balance as you age could mean that you experience fewer falls are more likely to avoid life-altering injuries like hip or wrist fractures. How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Bulgarian Split Squat Variations

Below are variations for doing a split squat without a bench or increasing the challenge by adding weight, a resistance band, or a fitness ball.

Split Squat

While “split squat” and “Bulgarian split squat” are often used interchangeably, they’re two different variations of the exercise. The Bulgarian split squat refers to the version where the back leg is elevated on a bench or a sturdy chair, while the split squat is the version performed without the rear leg elevated.

Remember, this isn’t the same as a lunge where the back leg is also engaged in the exercise.

  1. Perform the exercise in the same manner, but with your back foot on the floor.
  2. Use your back leg to help with balance, but the front leg should support the entire movement.

Weighted Bulgarian Split Squat

Once you’ve mastered the proper form, make things harder by adding weights.

  1. Hold a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells in your hands to ramp up the difficulty of the exercise.
  2. For an even more challenging variation, place an unloaded or loaded barbell across your shoulders before performing the Bulgarian split squat.

Bulgarian Split Squat with Resistance Bands

Another variation that adds a challenge is to use a resistance band. The band adds resistance as you lift out of the squat.

  • Place the resistance band under your front foot.
  • Bend your arms to bring the resistance band in line with your shoulders as you perform the Bulgarian split squats.

Bulgarian Split Squat with an Exercise Ball

If you want to add more of a challenge for your core muscles, you can use an exercise ball.

  • Elevate your back leg onto an exercise ball instead of a bench or chair.
  • Move slowly to keep proper Bulgarian split squat form even though your core is working harder to maintain your balance through the exercise.

Common Bulgarian Split Squat Mistakes

There are a few common mistakes made when performing Bulgarian split squats. Here’s what to watch for.

Placing the Back Leg Directly Behind the Front

If you align your back foot directly behind your front foot, you’ll have a tough time balancing throughout the exercise. Because your front leg powers the motion, this is already a unilateral balance challenge, forcing you to maintain balance as you move through a squat supported mostly using your front foot. How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

When you place your back foot on the bench behind you, make sure it’s roughly hip distance apart from your front foot or even slightly wider. Even though you’re not powering the exercise with your back foot or leg, having this wider “kickstand” for support will help you complete the Bulgarian split squat effectively.

Leaning Too Far Forward From the Hips

It’s tempting and common to lose focus on your core—particularly your abdominals and spinal erectors—as you move through the downward phase of the Bulgarian split squat. Not only does this forward lean limit the core benefits of the exercise, but it makes you more likely to place too much stress on your front knee, shifting your weight too far forward. (A slight lean is fine.)

Additionally, if you progress to a Bulgarian split squat with a barbell balanced across your shoulders, a forward lean as you squat will likely lead to injury. Before starting the exercise’s downward phase, re-engage your core muscles and roll your shoulders back. Try to keep this same posture and alignment throughout each repetition. How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Rising Onto the Toes

A bad habit that sometimes occurs when your alignment and form are otherwise poor is to rise onto the ball and toes of your front foot as you squat down. This usually indicates one of two things: 1) your front foot is too close to the bench, and you need to move it forward to maintain better balance and alignment, or 2) you’re leaning forward at your hips as you perform the squat, and you need to rise onto your toes to support the forward shift in your weight to remain balanced.

Should you ever discover yourself ascending onto the ball or toes of your front foot, stop the exercise and reset. Check the placement of your front foot—you may need to shift it forward—and ensure you’re keeping your torso upright and tall as you perform the exercise.

Supporting the Movement With the Back Leg

Remember, the Bulgarian split squat is a form of single-leg squat. While the back leg is intended to help with balance, it’s not supposed to be engaged to perform the exercise, making it more of a lunge. At any given point of the movement, you should be able to “shake” your back leg to ensure it’s still loose and not engaged in supporting your weight. How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Allowing the Front Knee to Lose Alignment

As with all squat and lunge variations, one standard and significant mistake during the Bulgarian split squat are to allow the front knee to shift inward or outward, losing alignment with the same-side toes. This places way too much stress on the knee, especially during single-leg exercises, where the weight and resistance are all being supported by one leg.

Safety and Precautions

Setup correctly and core engagement that works are hands-down the best ways to ensure the Bulgarian split squat remains safe. Take your time to find appropriate foot alignment and placement, so you’re not tempted to lean forward from the hips and throw your center of gravity in front of your front knee. This places too much stress on the knee and could lead to injury. How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

If you’re brand-new to strength training, or if you struggle to remain balanced while performing traditional lunges, you probably aren’t ready to try the Bulgarian split squat yet. Likewise, if you have knee or ankle pain or injuries, the flexibility and mobility required to perform this movement correctly may not be comfortable for you.

If you feel any pain or discomfort, discontinue the movement and try the split squat variation with your back foot balanced on the floor.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
7 Best Glute Exercises for a Stronger Butt
Health-fitness

7 Best Glute Exercises for a Stronger Butt

by Jackson
written by Jackson

If you want to build stronger glutes, you’ll want to do exercises and activities that target those muscles. The “glutes” are actually three different muscles—the gluteus maximus (the largest muscle), the gluteus medius, the gluteus minimus, as well. Read on for 7 moves to try that will build your butt.

What Are Glutes?

The location of the glute muscles under the fatty tissue of your buttocks. They consist of three muscles including the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. Your glutes are large, powerful muscles that help you walk, run, sit, stand, and many other movements. You can increase the size of your glutes with strength training and proper nutrition. 7 Best Glute Exercises for a Stronger Butt

You can’t always change the shape of your glutes, but you can make them firmer and stronger with the right exercises. The key is working all the muscles from different angles with different exercises and cardiovascular activities. Try any of the exercises below to target and strengthen your glutes.

Squats are one of the best exercises to target the gluteus maximus—the largest muscle in the lower body. They also work your hips, thighs, calves, and core. 7 Best Glute Exercises for a Stronger Butt

How to Do Squats

  1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. For added intensity, hold weights at shoulder level or at your sides.
  2. Bend your knees and lower into a squat. Keep your knees behind your toes (imagine that you’re sticking your butt out behind you, but keep your torso upright and contracted).
  3. Press into your heels to stand.
  4. Repeat for 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 16 reps

If you’re up for a challenge, try the Bulgarian split squat. The move requires you to balance on one leg while elevating the other on a bench or sturdy chair. The move shifts the workload onto the quads of the front leg, however, the glutes are also engaged. 7 Best Glute Exercises for a Stronger Butt

Lunges

Lunges are a favorite butt exercise. In a staggered stance, you really have to use your glutes to stabilize your body. The position also strains the glutes on the front of your legs to work even harder.

Lunges also work other muscles including your hamstrings, quads, and calves.

How to Do Lunges

  1. Stand with your feet staggered, one foot forward and one foot back (about 3 feet apart).
  2. Bend both knees and lunge straight down, sending your back knee toward the floor.
  3. Try not to lunge forward over your front toes. Keep your front heel on the ground.
  4. Press into your heel to stand.
  5. Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 12 to 16 reps. For added intensity, hold some weights.

One of the best things about lunges is that there are many varieties. You can easily mix it up to target your muscles in different ways. For example, elevate your back foot on a step or platform to really challenge both legs. 7 Best Glute Exercises for a Stronger Butt

Step-Ups

Step-ups are another great exercise to work your butt. To get started, make sure that you choose a platform high enough that your knee is at a 90-degree angle when bent. If that’s a little too much, use the second stair on a staircase and hold onto the rail for balance.

How to Do Step-Ups

  1. Stand in front of the step or platform. Place your right foot on the step.
  2. Pressing into your heel, step up, touching your left toes to the step.
  3. Keeping your right foot on the step, bring your left foot down to the floor. Bend your knee into a lunge for more intensity.
  4. Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 12 to 16 reps on each side. For more intensity, try holding weights or a resistance band under your standing foot.
  5. Push into your heel to lift the body and concentrate all your weight on your stepping leg.
  6. Lower down gently, barely touching the toes of your other leg to the ground. If you take it slow and concentrate on the working leg, you’ll really feel this move.

Sidestep Squats With Resistance Bands

While the previous exercises primarily focus on the gluteus maximus, this move targets the smaller gluteus medius and minimus. Don’t worry, though, the gluteus maximus is still involved because you’re squatting. 7 Best Glute Exercises for a Stronger Butt

How to Do Sidestep Squats

  1. Use a band with medium-light tension. Stand on it, holding both handles.
  2. Take a wide step out to the right into a squat, keeping tension on the band.
  3. Step your left foot in. Continue stepping out and squatting to the right, all the way across the room (or as far as you can).
  4. Repeat the other way or for about 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 16 steps.

Hip Thrust / Glute Squeeze on Ball

The hip thrust on a ball is another great choice for working your glutes. The ball adds some instability and forces your entire lower body to work. Holding weights on the upper thighs adds more intensity to the exercise. 7 Best Glute Exercises for a Stronger Butt

How to Do Hip Thrusts

  • Begin in a bridge position with your head resting on the ball and your butt lifted. If you want, place weights on your thighs for added intensity.
  • Lower your hips to the ground. Try not to let the ball roll around.
  • Squeeze your glutes to lift back to your starting position.
  • Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 16 reps. Try lifting your toes for a more intense move.

Hip Extensions

Although the prior complex exercises are the go-to choice for working multiple muscles at the same time, hips extensions are perfect for targeting the glutes in a more focused way. You’ll also benefit from some core and shoulder activation. 7 Best Glute Exercises for a Stronger Butt

How to Do Hip Extensions

  1. Get on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
  2. Keeping the right knee bent, lift your right leg up until it is level with your glutes.
  3. Lower your leg.
  4. Repeat for 12 to 16 reps on each side.
  5. To add intensity, squeeze a weight in the back of your knee or use ankle weights.

One-Legged Deadlifts

Deadlifts are great for your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, but this one-legged version is an especially good butt workout. Doing anything on one leg adds intensity and it also involves your stabilizer muscles to keep your body balanced.

How to Do Deadlifts

  1. Holding weights, take your left leg back behind you (about a foot or so) and lightly rest on your toe.
  2. Tip from your hips and slowly lower the weights to the floor as far as your flexibility allows.
  3. Keep your back flat (or with a natural arch). Make sure you keep your abs contracted to protect your back.
  4. Squeeze the glutes of your working leg to bring it back up.
  5. Do 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 16 reps on each side.

Other Activities to Improve Strength in Your Glutes

The previous strength exercises aren’t the only moves for the glutes—cardio activities can also be an effective way to engage your backside. Try out any of these workout programs activities to improve your glute strength.

  • Walking up an inclineautomatically gets your glutes more involved. If you’re wearing a backpack, you’re getting even more of a workout.
  • Kickboxinginvolves complex combinations that target your upper and lower body and abs to make them stronger. For instance, a 140-pound woman can burn up to 500 calories with 45 minutes of kickboxing.
  • Hiking works the glutes and also burns a ton of calories. Not only do you work harder if you are hiking uphill, but you’ll expend even more energy if there’s a change in altitude. A 140-pound person burns about 390 calories in about an hour while hiking. If you live in a flat area, try raising the incline on your treadmill to mimic trekking up a hill.
  • Biking is another great way to engage the glutes. If there are no hiking trails in your area, consider cycling (indoors or out).

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
How to Do a Plank: Proper Form
Health-fitness

How to Do a Plank: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

by Jackson
written by Jackson

There are many benefits of doing a plank, as planks are an excellent abdominal and core exercise. To ensure you keep your core strong and stable, add the move to your ab workout program. Keep reading to find out plank exercise benefits and distinct iterations in addition to guidelines.

What Is a Plank?

A plank involves balancing on toes and forearms as you hold the rest of your body off the ground. Your spine is kept in a neutral position and your head, torso, and legs are aligned. Planking is an isometric exercise since keep your core muscles contracted in one position. How to Do a Plank: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

How to Do a Plank

Choose a spot where you can extend your whole body length. Using a yoga mat or exercise mat will give you enough padding to be comfortable on all fours. You can choose whether to perform a plank on your palms or your forearms, as shown in the video. An assortment of wrist bands are available to provide joint support.

  • Step 1: Begin in the plank position, face down with your forearms and toes on the floor. Your elbows are directly under your shoulders and your forearms are facing forward. Your head is relaxed and you should be looking at the floor.
  • Step 2: Engage your abdominal muscles, drawing your navel toward your spine. Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from your ears to your toes with no sagging or bending. This is the neutral spine position. Ensure your shoulders are down, not creeping up toward your ears. Your heels should be over the balls of your feet.
  • Step 3: Hold this position for 10 seconds. Release to floor.
  • Step 4: Over time work up to 30, 45, or 60 seconds.

Plank Benefits

Planking has numerous health advantages. Strengthening the core is an important aspect of any workout regimen. A strong and solid core looks and feels good. But more importantly, it helps to stabilize, balance, and power the body during just about every other activity. How to Do a Plank: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Core strength is the basis for all coordinated and powerful athletic movements. A strong core can reduce stress on the joints and allow you to achieve better posture.

The plank exercise can also be used as the basis for a core muscle strength and stability test. The plank is more of a strength-building exercise than a cardio exercise, but by engaging a range of muscles it can also help to boost your calorie burn. How to Do a Plank: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Plank Modifications and Variations

There are several variations of the plank that further work the core muscles to build strength and stability. There are also ways to modify it if you are a beginner.

Need a Modification?

If the plank seems challenging to you at first, try these two variations as you build up strength. How to Do a Plank: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Tabletop Plank

Practice plank from a tabletop position by actively pressing into your hands and pulling your abs in, which will help you learn how to keep your spine neutral, as pictured. You can also tuck your toes under and practice lifting your knees slightly off of the floor. Doing a plank with your knees bent and lifted can help take some of the pressure off of your feet as you build core strength. How to Do a Plank: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Incline Plank

You can also do an incline plank with your forearms or palms resting on a bench or step. Place your forearms or palms on a flat, elevated surface with your elbows directly under your shoulders. Walk your feet back until your body forms a straight line on a diagonal. Pull your abs in as you tuck your tailbone slightly and actively press into your forearms or palms. How to Do a Plank: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Up for a Challenge?

Try these variations to change up your plank and challenge your core strength even more.

Plank With Leg Lift

In order to perform a plank with a leg lift, start in plank position with your forearms and toes on the floor. To make this exercise a bit easier, you can perform the movement on your hands rather than your forearms.

  1. Slowly raise one leg 5 to 8 inches off the floor
  2. Count to two and slowly lower your leg to the floor.
  3. Switch legs and repeat.
  4. Do two to three sets of 10 reps.

Plank With Arm Lift

An other method to increase diversity to the basic plank is to add an arm lift, either by pressing into the opposite forearm or palm. To perform a plank with an arm lift, follow these steps:

  1. Start in plank position.
  2. Carefully shift your weight to your right forearm (or palm).
  3. Extend your left arm straight out in front of you.
  4. Hold for three seconds while keeping your core tight.
  5. Slowly bring your arm back to starting position.
  6. Switch arms and repeat.
  7. Do two to three sets of 10 reps.

Sets of Shorter Planks

Rather than doing a single plank for 30 seconds or more, some exercise routines say there are good benefits for doing a 10- to 15-second plank, resting for 30 seconds, and doing three to five sets. Your total time spent in the plank in an exercise session should be 60 seconds or less. How to Do a Plank: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Common Mistakes

Avoid these errors to get the most out of this exercise and to avoid strain or injury.

  • Arching your back: If you arch your back, you are not engaging your abdominals sufficiently and you are putting more of the weight onto your arms. Check to be sure you are keeping your shoulders down and wide.
  • Sagging your hips: Your hips will start sinking once your abs have reached their fatigue limit. That’s a sign it’s time to end your plank. If it seems your hips are sagging from the beginning, try separating your feet a bit wider and focus on engaging your abs.
  • Tilting your head up: Your neck should be in line with your body, not tilted up, which could strain the neck. Keep your gaze down at the floor.

Plank Safety and Precautions

Don’t try doing planks if you have a shoulder injury. If you feel shoulder pain, end the exercise. In pregnancy, planks are considered safe for most people though there may be a concern for placing stress on the abdominal wall. It may be best to modify the plank and do a side plank exercise or an incline plank. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist to see if this is an appropriate exercise. How to Do a Plank: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do planks work?

The plank exercise works the entire core, including the abdominal muscles that run from the pelvis along the spine and up to the shoulder girdle.

Muscles worked during planks include:

  • Rectus abdominis, or top layer of core muscles at front of the pelvis
  • Transverse abdominis, or the deepest layer of core muscles that run horizontal like a corset
  • Obliques, which are core muscles that run along your sides of your abdomen
  • Erector spinae, which run along the length of your back
  • Shoulder stabilizers, which support the shoulders
  • Gluteus maximus, or the largest muscle of the buttocks and hips
  • Quadriceps,which run along the front of the thighs

How many calories does planking burn?

How many calories burned depends on your weight and length of time you hold the board. Typically, a 150-pound individual will burn about 3 to 4 calories a minute holding a plank.

What do planks help with?

Planks are great for building core strength and stability, which helps improve balance and coordination during everyday activities. A strong core can also support you during other forms of athletic or physical activity and can even help protect your lower back from injury

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts