When the muscles that horizontally adduct the shoulder are tight, they can cause pain in the front of the shoulder and chest and also restrict mobility, but stretching exercises can restore range of movement. The horizontal adductor muscles...
Skeletal muscles are the only voluntary muscles in the body. To contract, skeletal muscles must receive instructions from the nerves. If the nerve is damaged, muscles are unable to contract, and the result is atrophy. Muscles of the body are given...
The push-up exercise is a convenient and effective way to work the muscles of the upper body. Several major muscle groups are exercised with a simple motion. Push-ups can be done anywhere at anytime, using your own body weight as resistance. They...
The Total Gym exercise system uses your body weight and cable pulleys to provide an effective muscular strength and muscular endurance workout. This machine requires little storage space in your home, providing an alternative to using your local...
A dip is an exercise usually performed on "dip bars" found in gyms. Dip bars are v-shaped or parallel bars, about 3 feet off the ground and span the width of an average shoulder. As an upper body exercise, dips target the upper body...
Stretching is a vital part of a well-rounded exercise program. Following proper stretching techniques is equally important to prevent muscle aches, stiffness and injury, explains the American Council on Exercise. Excessive workouts on stretching...
The muscles originating on the scapula are small relative to other upper body muscles. These muscles include the rotator cuff, teres major and coracobrachialis. Because they are not as visible nor are they the primary movers, these muscles are...
Performing dips entails repeatedly lowering your body between two parallel bars by simultaneously extending your shoulders and flexing your elbows to approximately 90 degrees -- and then reversing to the starting position. The exercise requires a...
Pushups are a common calisthenic exercise that works out muscles throughout the entire body but primarily the chest, shoulders, triceps and abdominal muscles. It is best to perform at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise to burn fat before...
The skeletal system is composed of typically 206 bones in the adult human body. Bones serve a variety of functions, such as giving the body shape, assisting in movement, producing blood component cells from the bone marrow and even storing...
Your upper arms consist of the biceps brachii, triceps brachii, brachialis, coracobrachialis and deltoid muscles. To build these muscles, you must regularly perform strength-training exercises that target these muscles. The American College of...
Swimming involves all of the muscle groups in the body, especially the core muscles that help keep you afloat. The sidestroke is one of the least-intense swimming exercises, since you lie on your side, and can be useful for resting between more...
To complete pull-ups you need a significant amount of strength because they require you to utilize your own body weight as resistance. Both men and women can complete the exercise with consistent training. The pull-up is a compound exercise,...
The bench press and overhead press are two pushing exercises in separate planes of movement, such that when comparing them, it becomes much like comparing apples to oranges. They each have their benefits and work your body in different angles. The...
The arm supports the hand, which is the main way you manipulate your environment. There are three main bones of the arm: the humerus in the upper arm, and the radius and ulna in the forearm. The shoulder is where the humerus joins the torso; the...
There are three types of grips in weight lifting: the pronated grip, the supinated grip and the mixed grip. The pronated is the most frequently used and goes by the name the overhand grip. The palms face down on the grip. The supinated grip is...
Push-ups are one of the most common forms of calisthenic exercise. Push-ups have long been a popular form of punishment, and often serve as a measure of physical strength and endurance. Push-ups work muscles throughout the body and are thus a...
The pushup is a common exercise often included in calisthenics programs. It targets the upper body and can build muscle mass. Because it requires no equipment, it offers a convenient and effective way to increase strength. Variations on the...
The bench press engages several muscles---your pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, anterior deltoid, serratus anterior, triceps brachii and coracobrachialis. The bench press is a core fundamental exercise for developing upper body strength,...
Your biceps are made up of the biceps brachii, brachialis, coracobrachialis and brachioradialis. Stretches for these muscles will improve flexibility. They can also help prevent injury by ensuring the muscles can work through their full range of...
Out of the many thousands of exercises that trainees are able to perform in a gym, only a few involve as many muscles as the barbell bench press, squat, and deadlift. Those three movements, collectively known as "The Big Three," provide the best...
The pushup is a classic exercise and for good reason, it requires no equipment and can be done almost anywhere and anytime. This one exercise effectively works a broad range of muscles in the upper body and makes it an essential component of good...
One of the most commonly recognized weight-lifting exercises, the flat bench press, develops muscles primarily of the chest, arms and shoulders. The amount of weight a person can "bench" or "press" is used by some people as an indication of...
The bench press is an upper body strength exercise. It is typically completed by lying on a bench and pushing a barbell away from you. This is how the exercise gets its name. This exercise has many adaptations, including incline and decline bench...
Big, strong chest muscles and rounded, wide shoulder muscles are built with barbell bench presses and barbell shoulder presses. Increasing the size of these key upper body muscles enhances your appearance by creating the illusion of a smaller...
Pushups are a popular body-weight exercise that involves pushing yourself off the floor by extending your arms. A basic pushup is one where your hands and feet are positioned on the floor with your body forming a straight line between. You can...
Fat below your arm pit is often associated with excess fat throughout the rest of the body. A large amount of body fat can come with a host of health problems, including diabetes and heart disease. You can't reduce fat in only one place on the...
Closed-chain--or closed kinetic chain in its strictest definition--applies when there is no movement from either the proximal or distal segment and that movement at one segment produces a predicable movement at all other joints. The only true...
The term "elliptical" may refer to three different cardio machines. An elliptical trainer, elliptical glider and elliptical cross trainer are all sometimes lumped together as ellipticals. The elliptical cross trainer has one major difference that...
