Weightlifting for teenagers has no more inherent risk than other teens' athletic activities. Weight training exercises like the deadlift can be particularly effective for the development of functional, total body strength due to the many different muscles involved in the motion. However, lifting too much weight, or lifting it incorrectly, can lead to injury. To reduce this risk, teens should learn to lift weights under the supervision of a qualified coach. Most coaches incorporate several different standards to gauge how much weight a teen...
The standing calf raise strengthens and tones the muscles in the back of your calf called the gastrocnemius and soleus. Other calf exercises also target and tone these muscles so you can easily replace the standing calf raise i...
If you want to blast your traps, and don't have access to an Olympic barbell, then suitcase shrugs are ideal. Likewise if you're on holiday or away from home, and want an extra exercise to put into your hotel room workout, suit...
The scorpion is a comprehensive exercise designed to improve speed, power and flexibility. It tones the muscles of your legs, hips, back and abdominals, improving overall endurance. If preformed regularly, the scorpion exercise...
Pulled back muscles can be another term for a strained back. Even though the injury results in painful movement, doing a variety of gentle stretching and strengthening exercises can help reduce symptoms and make performing ever...
When properly executed, the wrestler performing the throw never touches his head to the mat. While the execution of this throw is predicated upon speed and an appropriate shift of the weight, training for the strength and flexi...
Firming your thighs requires strengthening and toning your thigh muscles. The most efficient way to do this is to increase your muscles' workload by using strength training, with weights or your body weight, to make your thigh ...
The triceps pushdown with a rope is an effective exercise to work the triceps. The triceps muscles extend up the back of your upper arm and consist of three heads: the long head, lateral head and medial head. The triceps origin...
A pulled muscle in the inner thigh can be deeply painful and prevent people from performing simple daily activities, let alone exercising. To get back to working out after an adductor injury, rest the muscle, stretch it and ice...
Back squats -- or squats -- recruit many muscle groups. Your lower back, abdominals and legs all work heavily when you squat. Every muscle in each group needs strength to achieve your best performance when squatting. A strong c...
Done properly, situps strengthen your core without undue strain. Unless you pull on your head with your hands hard enough to strain your neck, or cervical spine, situps should never damage your back. Situps remain part of a wel...
A "chiseled" back refers to extremely defined muscles with little if any visible body fat. It's a look that takes dedicated effort both inside and outside of the gym. First off, know what muscles to target in the back. The lati...
A calf raise is an exercise that targets mainly your calf muscles in the back of your lower legs. Although this exercise increases the structural strength of your ankles and calves, it does little to improve how your calves mov...
The lats help extend your arms backward, pull them toward your sides from overhead and turn them inward, and the rhomboids elevate and retract, or pull back, the scapula bones in your upper back. Exercises for the lats and rhom...
Upper-body strength is important for sports and daily functional abilities. A strong back in particular is especially important for pulling motions. Picking up a heavy hay bale from the ground is a good example of this. The key...
Some are described as superficial, located just under your skin, while others are described as deep, located beneath the superficial muscles. While every muscle is vital in controlling movement, some muscles play a bigger roll ...
The back and lat muscles are crucial to the bodybuilder, for the stronger they are, the easier other workouts can be. Most weightlifters also want their bodies to take on the ideal V shape, which requires developed lats, or lat...
Stiff arm, or straight arm, pulldowns can add thickness and width to your back muscles. The movement is performed using either a rope or straight bar attachment connected to a cable station. Use a light weight to ensure your ba...
The isometric leg strength test measures the strength of your legs and back. The test requires a strength dynamometer and a cable tensiometer.
Muscle tightness is a common side effect of exercise. There are many different things that can cause muscles to tighten, including failure to stretch beforehand, muscular imbalances and poor posture. All of these causes can be ...
Chinups are an effective exercise for training your back, biceps, forearms and core muscles, and improving your overall upper-body strength. As with any exercise however, chinups do carry a certain risk of injury. Poor techniqu...
Back pain is one of the most common medical complaints among Americans, affecting eight out of 10 people, according to MedlinePlus. A stiff back is usually temporary, caused by inactivity or strenuous exercise and remedied by s...
The erector spinae is a group of long back muscles that run from the lower thoracic spine into the top of the thoracic spine. It consists of the iliocostalis, longissimus and spinalis, which work together with other back muscle...
The resistance provided by the water makes swimming an ideal environment for toning your muscles, especially your back muscles. In addition, swimming tones your core muscles -- the front and back of your torso, bottom and tops ...
However, an isometric contraction does not work this way. When you perform an isometric movement, neither your muscle nor your joint moves at all. While you would not typically perform isometric exercises in the gym, there are ...
You move from the first exercise to the next as quickly as possible. Leg extensions, which target your front thigh muscles, can be superset with not only other strength exercises, but also cardio activities.
A complete lat and back workout targets muscles that move your spine, shoulders and shoulder blades. The National Federation of Personal Trainers recommends performing exercises with enough weight to exhaust the target muscle g...
Your back muscles provide stability to your spine and keep your upper body aligned with your pelvis and lower body. Conditions such as back spasms, strains or sprains, or high-degree injuries or conditions, such as a shifted di...
With basketball, an important attribute is the ability to jump high, explosively. The back squat is a sport-specific exercise for basketball players because it incorporates the muscles and mechanics needed to jump with power. I...
Each exercise is slightly different and will stress your body in different ways. The common feature of all forms of deadlift is the training effect they place on the muscles at the back of your body --- the so-called posterior ...
The most hardcore workouts to get strong and ripped challenge your muscles with the heaviest loads they can move. The exercises that contribute to the most hardcore regimens also produce the most muscle activation. The National...
But when your day-to-day activities demand work from some muscles while others lie dormant, muscular imbalances can develop, which can lead to pain and injury. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, resistance t...
It's the exact opposite movement of a leg extension, which primarily works the quadriceps located on the front of your thighs. Reverse leg extensions work the muscles in the back of the legs, including the hamstrings and gluteu...
According to The Pilates Directory, nearly everyone will suffer from back pain at one point in their life. Not only does the back protect and support our spine, a strong back and core muscles help with better balance and postu...
If you have ever experienced muscle spasms in your back, you know it can be a debilitating experience. A muscle spasm is an involuntary contraction of muscle fibers. Spasms in the back can occur for various reasons, including t...
Each muscle in your body contains thousands of microscopic fibers that work together during movement. In fact, leg muscles contain over 1 million muscle fibers. During exercise, utilized fibers sustain damage that must repair t...
Weakness in these muscles can lead to poor posture. This causes joint pain, fatigue and musculoskeletal diseases, such as arthritis, herniated disk and degenerative disk disease, according to fitness professional Anthony Carey,...
Some back muscles also work to stabilize your spine. A firm grasp of the major back muscles allows you to better understand your own body mechanics and how to get the most benefit out of every back exercise.
These muscles are also known as the erector spinae, or erector spine muscles. They attach at the base of your skull and run on either side of your spinal column, attaching again in the pelvis. If these muscles are weak, you may...
Deadlifts are an ideal exercise for various muscle groups in your body. Your arms, legs, glutes, thighs and back will all get a workout when you add deadlifts to your routine. If you've never done deadlifts before, technique an...
Groin strains are also common amongst those who overexert themselves during exercise according to Aurora Health Care. A groin strain occurs when you tear one of the muscles on the inside of your thigh. These muscles are called ...
Among the main back muscles include the latissimus dorsi, trapezius and erector spinae. You can strengthen the upper and middle back muscles with pulldown and rowing exercises. Perform back extension exercises to strengthen the...
The erector spinae is comprised of a group of muscles and tendons that run the length of and support the spine. They work with abdominal muscles to help support the torso, and they should be strengthened in conjunction with ab ...
To build the upper and middle back, you need to perform pulling and rowing exercises with your arms. The lower back can be targeted by performing exercises that involve flexion and extension at the waist.
As you become older, collagen and elastin production slows down which in turn causes your skin to become less pliable. This is called intrinsic aging which leads to wrinkles and sagging skin. By building up your facial muscles,...
This muscle damage can affect the muscle fibers and the tendons attached to the muscle. Pain, swelling and inflammation can develop and may require medical attention. Minor muscle tears can be rehabilitated with rest, stretchin...
Most back pain is mechanical and not caused by serious conditions, such as arthritis or fracture. If not used often, your back muscles will lose strength with age. Therefore, you can take preventive measures against back pain a...
Cell-Tech is a creatine-derived product produced by Muscle-Tech. Muscle-Tech claims that it is one of the best selling creatine products of all time; however, there are no statistics to back up their statement. Cell-Tech is a s...
The instructions for the Roman chair vary depending on the exercise you do. All exercises work your core muscles which include the rectus abdominis, obliques and erector spinae. The obliques are on your sides and the erector sp...
Kegel exercises provide a convenient way for girls and women to strengthen pelvic floor muscles. Aging, childbirth, pregnancy and being overweight can weaken the muscles that support the bladder, uterus and bowel, according to ...
Pulling your back muscles can put a strain on your entire body and prevent you from performing an everyday movement or lifting things at work or home. There are a few exercises you can perform to speed up the healing process.
A 1999 article published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation reported that test subjects without back pain activated their deep core muscles before limb movement, whereas back pain sufferers had delayed core...
Muscle groups on which rowers should focus are the forearms for grip and the back and legs for strength and power in each stroke.
The human back is dotted with sensitive nerve endings and covered in a network of complex muscles, ligaments and tendons. This makes the human back especially sensitive to injury but also especially accessible to pressure point...
The back is one of the largest areas of the body, and it is home to over 30 different acupuncture points. For acupressure work, "Chinese Bodywork" recommends beginning with gentle pressure on the back and slowly progressing to ...
The lower back muscles are vitally important for a strong body, yet many people neglect to work these muscles. They are so important because they are a major part of the core musculature, which is critical for good posture. Add...
These muscles combine to provide most of the pulling actions of the upper body. Free weights, machines, and body weight can be used with a variety of exercises, in order to effectively train this muscles group.
Many exercises work upper, mid and lower back muscles. A strong back can enhance overall strength and improve posture, resulting in decreased neck tension and a slimmer appearance, according to Pam Mazzuca, personal trainer and...
The pecs are known anatomically as the pectoralis major and minor. When your humerus (a large bone in the upper arm) goes across the front of your body, you are using the major part of these muscles. When you shrug your shoulde...
Core strength goes a long way in helping to avoid back strain and other injuries. Core exercises that strengthen the stomach and back muscles typically are performed on the floor or a mat and do not require any special equipmen...
If you are trying to firm your arms, you need to perform specific exercises that target your triceps. Triceps are the three-part muscles that are at the back of your arms. To pull this off, you are going to need some weightlift...
The hamstrings are the muscles that run down the back of the leg. Their susceptibility to injury makes them particularly interesting to athletes, coaches, personal trainers and sports medicine experts. Hamstring weakness, infle...
If your hamstrings are too short, they will feel tight, so that prolonged movements, like walking or running can be painful, so much so that it can infringe on your life. However, there are exercises you can do to lengthen your...
Pull-ups are an easy way to tone back muscles with aquatic exercises. Position yourself in front of the side of the pool, in the water. Grip the edge of the pool, hands about shoulder-width apart. Lift yourself out of the wate...
A muscle rupture in the back is also called a muscle strain or tear. It is usually caused by a sudden movement or by trying to lift a heavy object. If you get a ruptured back muscle, you will probably feel a sharp pain in your...
The human back is an array of large and important muscles that are relatively uninterrupted by bones, joints and organs. Since the human musculature is something like a system of interlocked rubber bands, one damaged or weaken...
The muscles that support the spine are needed to give your physique the completely buff and healthy look. So many of us don't bother to look in a second mirror to see how we look from the back. However, flabby backs are very un...
