There are multiple exercises to choose from once you walk into a gym. You will find free weights such as dumbbells and barbells, weight machines and various pieces of balance equipment. Pick a muscle group and choose equipment that you want to use based off your current fitness and experience levels.
Machine Bench Press
The machine bench press works your chest and is performed from a seated position. After adjusting the seat to get the handles at chest height, sit on the seat and press your back against the backrest. Grasp a handle in each hand and push straight out until your arms are fully extended. Slowly return to the start and repeat. When pushing out, do not lock your elbows. To increase your resistance, slide the pin through the weight stack at your desired weight.
Clean and Press
A majority of gyms have an area called a power lifting station. This comes equipped with a padded floor, barbell and weight plates. A clean and press is a full-body integrated exercise that develops power and strength, targeting the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, deltoids, shoulders and triceps. After placing weights on the bar, rest it on the floor and stand behind it with your feet about shoulders-width apart. Slowly bend your knees and hips to lower your body and grasp the bar with an overhand, shoulders-width grip. In a fast motion, lift the bar off the floor, swing it around toward your body and quickly move your arms underneath it. When doing this, hop in the air slightly and rest the bar on the front of your shoulders. Push it straight above your head, slowly lower it back to the floor and repeat.
Lat Pulldowns
Lat pulldowns work your back muscles: latissimus dorsi, the rhomboids and lower trapezius. After attaching a straight bar to the pulley, sit on the seat and clamp the padded support down on your thighs. Reach up and grab the bar with a wide grip, lean back slightly and pull straight down. Once the bar is close to your chest, raise it back up and repeat. For a variation, reverse your grip or use a close-grip attachment.
Chin-Ups
Chin-ups work your back muscles as well as your biceps. Pull-up bars at gyms are often in between the weight stacks on cable machines. To do chin-ups, jump up and grab the bar with a shoulders-width underhand grip. Pull yourself up until your chest meets the bar and slowly lower yourself back down. When doing chin-ups, keep your back straight and core tight. Do not allow your body to sway back and forth to gain momentum.
Leg Extensions
Leg extensions isolate the large muscles on the front of the thighs known as the quadriceps. They are performed from a seated position on a leg extension machine. After hooking your feet under the padded lever arm, lean back on the seat, grasp the support handles and bend your knees to lift the arm. Once your legs are straight, lower the lever arm and repeat. Do not lock out your knees when straightening your legs.
Abdominal Pull-In
Abdominal pull-ins work the upper and lower abs; these are also known as knee tucks. They require the use of a stability ball. After placing your hands shoulders-width apart on the floor, place your lower shins on the ball, and move your body into a push-up position with your back straight. Carefully roll the ball as you pull your knees into your chest. After squeezing your abs forcefully, extend your legs back out and repeat. To increase the challenge, do these one foot at a time.
Member Comments