There aren’t many bodyweight movements that mobilize as much upper-body muscle as the triceps dip exercise. Spanning two joints and four major muscles, classic bar dips are an incredibly simple and effective way to build muscle and strength in your triceps, chest, shoulders, and back — as long as they’re performed safely and correctly. Here’s how to make sure you do them right during your workouts.
If sculpted arms and shoulders top your “Most Wanted” list, we’ve got good news. You don’t need a biceps curl machine or cable rope to get a good arm workout at home — you can build sleeve-busting muscle with minimal equipment. “Just grab a set of dumbbells, equally weighted objects, or a set of resistance bands to get an effective arm workout at home,” says Katie Mumford, NASM-CPT. In some cases, you can even use just your body weight. Here are 10 effective arm exercises to get you started. Swap a few of them into your next upper body workout to fast track your results. Targets: Shoulders Step one foot on the center of a resistance band and step the other foot back. Grip one end of the resistance band in each hand next to your shoulders, palms facing forward. This is the starting position. Keeping your core engaged, back flat, and chest up, press your hands overhead until your arms are straight. Pause, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Targets: Shoulders Stand with your feet hip-width...
Whether your fitness goals are performance-related or more about how you look in a pair of jeans, get ready to meet your new favorite strength move: hamstring curls. Located south of your glutes, your hamstrings are a powerful (yet often overlooked) muscle group that helps bend your knees, extend (straighten) your hips, and rotate your legs. The hamstrings come into play during functional activities, like walking and climbing stairs, and can be strengthened with compound movements, like the squat and deadlift. But incorporating hamstring exercises into your resistance training can amplify your results and provide more targeted benefits related to lower-body strength and power, injury prevention, and aesthetics (read: a shapelier butt). Below are six different hamstring curl variations you can do without a machine, ranging from beginner-friendly banded leg curls to a more advanced bodyweight hamstring curl. To perform each isolation exercise correctly, you’ll need access to an exercise mat, resistance band, dumbbell, stability ball, bench or chair, and gliders.
Although this exercise may be called the hip thrust, you’re really going to appreciate what it does for your butt. In fact, hip thrusts can fire up your entire posterior chain, according to Holly Perkins, C.S.C.S., Los Angeles-based trainer and author of Lift to Get Lean. That can help reduce your risk of low back pain and also give you more power for everything from lunges and squats to sprinting and climbing. “It’s easy to love hip thrusts, because they’re so good at giving you results,” says Perkins. “They’re awesome for your glutes, but also improve the way your hamstrings and lower back function.”
Resistance bands are elastic bands that help to increase strength, flexibility, and range of motion. They come in different sizes and elasticities, allowing you to adjust the level of resistance based on your fitness level.Resistance bands require effort to stretch during concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases. They can help build strength and muscle mass by creating muscle tension. They can also assist with stretching, allowing you to increase your range of motion and improve flexibility. They can also be used for exercises that target specific muscle groups, such as hip flexors or hamstrings. Moreover, resistance bands can be used for various exercises, including squats, lunges, bicep curls, shoulder presses, and more. This variety can help keep your workouts interesting and challenging.In addition, resistance bands require you to engage your core and other stabilizing muscles to maintain proper form and control. Improving balance and stability reduces the risk of injury during activities. Also, resistance bands are lightweight and portable, making them easy to carry on the go or store in small spaces at home, the gym, or while traveling. Let’s find out how resistance band workouts can help...
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