Reasons why your muscles stopped

Reasons why your muscles stopped

Training too hard - Every time when you train your muscles intensely, you are actually breaking down your muscles. So your muscles need to recover from the damages you inflicted on them. So train each muscle group only once or at most twice a week.


Training too long - Keep your workout intense but do not workout more than an hour each time. After 45 minutes of intensive training, your cortisol level will increase. This hormone is known to destroy muscle cells.


Sleeping too little - You need to sleep more for good muscle growth. Your muscles grow when you sleep. So sleep more than 8 hours a day and watch those muscles growing fast.


Using alcohol - Alcohol is known to break down muscle mass plus many other body destruction ability.


Do not change your workout routine - You must change your workout routine every 6-8 weeks. Your muscles adapt to your routine and stops growing.


Do not progressively overload your muscles - You must try to increase your reps or weight every time you next train a particular muscle group. Otherwise, there is no reason for your muscles to grow.


Do not eat sufficient protein - If you want to build bigger muscles, you must eat more protein. Protein is the building block for your muscles. It is recommended that you need 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight equivalent. If not enough protein is consumed with your normal diet, do supplement with protein shakes.


These are the reasons why your muscles stopped growing even though you are training hard. There are many more methods on how to grow your muscles bigger but these reasons are common and how to overcome them will be sufficient for an average bodybuilding beginner.

Stretching

Stretching

WARM-UPS, consisting of stretching and flexibility exercises should be performed for a minimum of 5-7 minutes before aerobic exercise. The purpose of warm-ups includes: keeping muscles supple, increasing range of motion of joints, enhancing flexibility, improving coordination, increasing body temperature and heart rate, increasing blood flow to muscles and preventing injuries.

The right way to stretch is slow and relaxed. DO NOT BOUNCE. This can actually cause you to pull the muscle you are trying to stretch. You should stretch to the point of "MILD TENSION". If you overstretch you will also cause damage. Back off if the stretch feels painful.

Hold the stretch for a minimum of 15 seconds each, without bouncing. BREATHE slowly and naturally. Do not hold your breathe while stretching. Relax the stretch. Stretch one or two more times with each stretch. Try to stretch a little further with each stretch. Again, only to the point of mild tension.

COOL-DOWNS, consisting of slow walking and stretching, are performed after aerobic exercise for duration of 5-7 minutes. The purpose of cool-downs is to gradually return your heart rate and blood pressure to resting or pre-exercise levels.

Lateral Neck Flexion Stretch

 This stretch can be very useful for people who suffer from tight, aching muscles in the upper back and neck, such as those who work at a computer.

Look straight forward and do not let the chin drop down

Move your ear towards the shoulder

Don't let your shoulder lift up

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

When stretching the right side, further the stretch by using the left hand to apply gentle pressure to the right side of the head

Forward Neck Flexion Stretch

Performing a stretch such as this on a regular basis can help to ease muscular aches and pains in the neck and upper back.

Start facing straight forwards and with your arms in front of you

Keep the elbows straight and clasp your hands together to stop your shoulders from elevating

Bring your chin down to meet your chest

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Perform sitting on a chair and gripping the chair between your legs to keep the shoulders down

Chest and Shoulder Stretches

Anterior Shoulder Stretch

Stretching the front part of the shoulder and chest muscles can help to improve posture

Stand upright with the back straight

Clasp your hands behind your back

Slowly lift your hands away from the back and up towards the ceiling

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Place the palms of your hands on your lower back

Try to bring your elbows together behind your back

Posterior Shoulder Stretch

Stretching the back of the shoulder can be effective in rotator cuff injuries and also when the muscles of the upper back and neck are tight.

Stand upright and cross one arm across your body

Using the opposite arm, pull the elbow of the arm being stretched towards the opposite shoulder

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Bend the elbow of the arm being stretched

Chest Stretch

Stretching the chest muscles, especially pectorals minor can be beneficial in improving posture of the upper back and shoulder girdle.

Stand in a doorway or next to a wall

Bend the arm being stretched and place the forearm flat against the wall or doorframe.

Step forwards and rotate your body away from your outstretched arm

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Arm Stretches

Wrist Flexor Stretch

Stretching the wrist flexor muscles can be difficult, but using a wall to apply pressure and increase the range of motion can be very effective. Make sure you keep the elbow straight.

Stand facing a wall with your arms outstretched and palms facing up

Place your fingers on the wall pointing downwards

Slowly try to place your whole hand flat on the wall by extending the wrist

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Perform on all fours so that your fingers point to your knees

To increase the stretch, sit further back onto your heels

Triceps Stretch

The muscles of the arm including the Triceps are often overlooked when it comes to a stretching routine. Stretching the Triceps especially after a weights workout.

Place your hand on your upper back with the elbow bend towards the ceiling

Use your other hand to pull the elbow towards your head

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Hold a towel in the hand of the arm being stretched and bring it into the position above so that the towel is hanging behind your back

Bring the other hand behind you at waist height and pull down on the towel

Back and Abdominal Stretches

Lower Back Stretch

Stretching the muscles of the lower back can provide a great deal of relief to back pain sufferers.

Lay on the floor on your back

Bring your knees up to your chest and use your arms to pull them in further

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Perform one leg at a time

Add internal rotation to further stretch gluteus medius

Latissimus Dorsi Stretch

The lats are regularly left out of stretching routines; however, all it takes is a simple stretch like this or kneeling on the floor.

Stand upright with your arms above your head

Reach up as high as possible

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Perform one arm at a time

Latissimus Dorsi Stretch II

This is a great stretch for the lats, which are often tight in people with poor upper back posture.

Kneel on the floor

Lean forwards with the arms outstretched as far as possible and hands on the floor

Push your buttocks down towards your feet keeping your hands still to increase the stretch

 Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Back Arch Stretch

These types of stretching exercises are similar to those used in yoga.

On all fours on the floor, arch your back up as high as possible

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds then relax.

This can also be done with the back slump stretch.

Abdominal Stretch

Lay on the floor on your stomach

Place your hands on the floor at shoulder level

Lift your upper body away from the floor, straightening your arms

Keep your hips flat on the floor

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Side Stretch

Stand up and reach above the head with one arm

Lean over to the opposite side

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Change sides

Use both arms above the head

Hip and Groin Stretches

Gluteus Maximus Stretch 

Stretching the buttocks can be great for reducing symptoms from sciatica.

Lay on the floor on your back

Pull your bent knee up towards the opposite shoulder

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Perform sitting and leaning back on the other hand

  

Hip Stretch

Stretching the muscles of the outer hip such as tensor fascia latae and also the Iliotibial band can be effective in treating runners knee.

Lay on the floor on your back

Cross the right foot over the left knee, keeping the right knee bent

Use your left hand to pull the right knee across your body

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Piriformis Stretch

 

The piriformis muscle can be very troublesome and cause symptoms of sciatica including pain radiating down the leg. Stretching this muscle will keep it supple and prevent it impinging on the sciatic nerve.

Lay on the floor on your back and cross the right ankle over the left knee

Grip the thigh of your left leg and pull the knee towards you, lifting the foot off the floor

Pull the knee further towards you to increase the stretch

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Perform in sitting with the back supported

Adductor Stretch

Stretching the adductor or groin muscles maintains the flexibility of the hip and can help you to prevent and recover form groin strains.

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet together

Place your hands on your ankles and push down gently on your knees with your elbows to increase the stretch

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Thigh Stretches

Standing Quadriceps stretch

This has to be one of the most recognized and commonly used stretches.

Stand on one leg and pull the other foot up behind your bottom

Keep your knees together and push your hips forwards to increase the stretch

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Laying Quadriceps Stretch

This is a variation of the more common standing quad stretch, which may be easier to perform for some people.

Lay on your front and pull one foot up to meet your buttocks

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Wrap a towel around the ankle and pull the ends to increase the stretch

Hamstring Stretch

The hamstrings are probably the most commonly tight muscles and this can contribute towards lower back pain.

Sit on the floor with both legs straight

Keep your back straight as you lean forwards through the hips

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Have the legs at a 45 degree angle

Gastrocnemius Stretch / Calf Stretch

Stretching the calf muscles can help to prevent a whole range of lower limb injuries.

Stand with one leg far in front of the other and lean forwards against a wall

Keep the back heel flat on the floor

Bend the front leg to lean forwards and keep the back leg straight

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Bending the back knee in the same position will stretch the Soleus muscle only

Soleus Stretch

The soleus muscle lies underneath the larger gastrocnemius muscle. Bending the knee takes the gastrocnemius out of the stretch.

Place the leg to be stretched in front with the toes raised up on a step or something similar

Bend the knee and lean forwards to increase the knee flexion

Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Legs

Legs

Quadriceps exercises are important in keeping your legs strong to allow for the highest level of flexibility, as well as to prevent injury. Developing your quadriceps not only helps to guard against muscle injuries, but can also help to support the knee joint and protect it from injury.

Barbell Full Squat

Leg press

Leg extension

Leg curl

Calf raise

Barbell Full Squat

  

This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for safety purposes. To begin, first set the bar on a rack just above shoulder level. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, step under the bar and place the back of your shoulders (slightly below the neck) across it.

Hold on to the bar using both arms at each side and lift it off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso. Step away from the rack and position your legs using a shoulder-width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Keep your head up at all times and maintain a straight back. This will be your starting position.

Begin to slowly lower the bar by bending the knees and sitting back with your hips as you maintain a straight posture with the head up. Continue down until your hamstrings are on your calves. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing the floor with the heel or middle of your foot as you straighten the legs and extend the hips to go back to the starting position. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Leg press

 

Setup for 45 degree leg press by loading the weight plates you want to use on the machine. Sit down on the leg press machine and position your feet at about shoulder width apart, in the middle of the foot plate. Extend your legs to take the weight off the racks, and release the safety. Your knees should be slightly bent at the start of the movement; this will ensure the weight is on your quads. Slowly lower the weight down until your legs are just past a 45 degree angle, pushing through your heels, extend your legs to move the weight back up to the starting position. Repeat movement for desired reps.

Your knees should not be locked out at the any point during this exercise. When moving the weight up, push through your heels. You can involve the gluteus more in this exercise by going deeper.

 Leg Extension

The leg extension is a great exercise for isolating the quads. Sit on the leg extension machine and adjust so that the leg pad sits on your ankles. Then adjust the back rest so that your knees are just off the end of the seat. Select the weight you want to use on the stack. Take the weight off the stack by extending your legs slightly. This is the starting position for the exercise. Holding onto the handles for stability, and bending at the knees only, extend your legs out as far as possible. Hold for a count of 1 while squeezing your quads, and then slowly lower back to the starting position. The weight should not touch the stack. Repeat for desired reps.

Use a slow and controlled movement, do not "kick" the weights up. Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your quads, this adds intensity to the leg extension. Leg extensions can be used as a pre-exhaust exercise for squats or other big compound movements, and also used for the second exercise in compound/isolation supersets.

Leg Curl

The lying leg curl is a great exercise to isolate the hamstrings. Setup for the leg curl by selecting the weight you want to use on the stack and adjusting the padding to suit your leg length. Lay face down on the machine. The padding should be positioned just above the back of your ankles. If it's higher than that, adjust the length. Tension the hamstrings by taking the weight slightly off the stack. This is the starting position for the exercise. Squeeze the hamstrings are curl the weight up as far as possible. Squeeze the hamstring hard, and then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. Repeat for desired reps.

Common mistakes with the leg curl are moving the weight up and down too fast and not using a full range of motion. Always control the weight throughout the set, don't use momentum to move the weight up, and don't allow it to drop back down quickly. And always use a full range of motion by curling the weight up as far as possible and lowering it as far as possible without the weight dropping on the stack.

Calf Raise

 Setup for the seated calf raise by loading up the machine with the weight you want to use. Sit on the machine with the padding on top of your thighs and the balls of your feet on the edge of the foot pad. Push up with your calves to take the weight off rack and slowly let your heels drop as far as possible. This is the starting position for the exercise. Slowly raise your heels up a high as possible. Pause and squeeze the calf muscles, then slowly lower back down as far as possible. Repeat for desired reps.

Use a full range of motion pushing your heels up as far as possible and letting the calves stretch out as far as possible on the way down. Pause a hold for a count of 1-3 at the top of the movement (heels up) for extra intensity.

Shoulders

Shoulders

The shoulder muscle anatomy includes the anterior deltoid, lateral deltoid, posterior deltoid, as well as the 4 rotator cuff muscles. All the parts of your shoulder muscles must be targeted to build well defined and big strong deltoids that threaten to burst through your shirt. Your should be careful when working on your shoulder muscle exercises as your shoulders joints are very susceptible to injuries and therefore proper form in executing the exercises is crucial. In order to get that V shaped upper body, then only have to develop big broad back muscles and lats.

Internal Band Shoulder Rotation

External Band Shoulder Rotation

Military Press, Barbell

Lateral Raise, Dumbbell

Front Raise, Dumbbell

Reverse Flyes, Dumbbell

Upright Rows, Barbell

Dumbbell Shrugs

Internal Band Shoulder Rotation

 The internal band shoulder rotation is a shoulder exercise very frequently used in rehabilitation as prescribed by therapists.

The shoulder exercise primarily targets the front deltoids and you can use a towel as a reminder to keep your upper arm pressed against your upper body throughout.

External Band Shoulder Rotation

The external band shoulder rotation is another popular exercise used in physical therapy.

Contrary to its brother above this shoulder exercise will primarily target your rear deltoid muscles.

Military Press, Barbell

The military press is an effective exercise for developing the deltoids, and is performed by pressing a bar overhead, extending the arms. Also known as the shoulder press, the overhead barbell press hits multiple muscles and will help develop big powerful shoulders.

Stand upright holding a barbell at shoulder height, palms facing out. Feet should be hip width apart, knees straight but not locked.

Maintain a straight back and look forwards. Press the barbell up above the head by extending the elbows.

Pause briefly and lower the barbell back to the start position. Keep the torso (The trunk of the human body) upright when pressing the bar. Leaning backwards will strain the lower back. Tense the core to help stabilize your spine.

Lateral Raise, Dumbbell

The lateral raise with dumbbells is an effective exercise for developing the deltoids, and is performed by extending the arm to the side of the body with the elbow extended. Start with a light weight to perfect the technique. Below you'll find a step by step instruction that describes the correct technique for the dumbbell lateral raise exercise.

Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest by your sides.

Adopt a neutral spine and brace the abdominals and back muscles. Elbows should have a slight bend which remains fixed throughout the movement.

Raise your arms out to your side until both are parallel to the floor. Pause briefly and lower back down to the starting position.

As an alternative to dumbbells you can use cables or resistance bands. To build size and tone, limit the movement to keep the muscle under constant tension throughout the full set

Front Raise, Dumbbell

 The Front Raise exercise is similar to the front deltoid raise with the difference that you stop raising the dumbbells when your arms reach the height where they are parallel to the floor.

As with many other shoulder exercises you'll need input from your upper back muscles as well to complete this exercise.

Reverse Flyes, Dumbbell

The dumbbell reverse flye targets the rear shoulder (posterior deltoid) muscles. Performing reverse flyes with dumbbells is quite a challenging exercise, so start with a relatively light weight to perfect the movement. Squeezing the shoulder blades together at the end of the movement will also work the upper and mid back. Below you'll find a step by step instructions that demonstrate the correct technique for the dumbbell reverse flye exercise.

Set up an adjustable gym bench to an incline of about 30 degrees. Take a pair of dumbbells and sit on the bench as though you are sitting the wrong way around on a dining chair.

Lean forwards so your chest is resting on the back of the bench (this is called the prone position). Position your feet flat on the floor, with your arms at your sides holding the dumbbells with an underhand grip.

With a slight bend in the elbows, inhale and raise the arms up from your sides. Pause at the top and squeeze the shoulder blades together.

Return to the start position. The dumbbell reverse flye can also be performed seated.

          

Upright Rows, Barbell

The upright row exercise works the upper, mid and rear shoulder muscles most intensely. It also works the front shoulders, biceps, forearms and back to lesser intensity. It's a great upper body exercise and will really help to broaden out the base of the neck and the shoulder line.

Grip the bar with an overhand grasp. Hands should be approximately 30cm apart.

With the bar resting on the thighs at the start position, gradually pull the bar upwards along the abdomen towards the chin. At the top the elbows should be higher than the wrists, above the shoulders and pointing out to the sides.

Slowly lower the bar back to the start position. To gauge the correct distance between your hands, extend your thumbs along the bar. So that they are just touching. A wider grip emphasizes more on the deltoids, a narrower grip more on the trapezius

Dumbbell Shrugs

Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Hold the dumbbells to your side with your palms facing inward.

EXHALE: Slowly lift your shoulders straight up, keeping your arms straight. Hold for 1-2 seconds.

INHALE: Slowly lower down to starting position. Try doing 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Do not roll your shoulders.

Chest

Chest

The pectoralis muscle is a large flat, fan shaped muscle that covers the entire upper rib cage. It originates from attachments along our bone, collarbones, ribs, and it inserts on each side of your body via a large tendon through your shoulder joint to your upper arm bone.

Push Ups

Barbell Bench Press

Incline Barbell Bench Press

Dumbbell Chest Press

Dumbbell Incline Chest Press

Dumbbell Fly

Cable Crossovers

Pec Deck Machine

Dumbbell Pullover

Push Ups

push up is an effective exercise for developing strength & power in the pectoral muscles, and is performed by lying prone and pressing your body up with your hands so that everything is off the floor but your toes and hands. This version of the push up breaks the whole movement down into several individual stages with a short pause at each stage to increase the time under tension of the muscles

Adopt the standard push up position with elbows extended. Gradually lower the body to the floor, hold for 5 seconds

Once the whole body reaches the floor, reverse the movement. Gradually return to the start position, hold for 5 seconds

Maintain a strict straight line body posture throughout the move. This is one repetition

 

Barbell Bench Press

The barbell bench press is probably one of the most well known gym exercises. It's a core exercise used by power lifters and body builders because it works the chest muscles and triceps hard. It's quite a difficult exercise to master if you are a beginner as it requires some balance and coordination to get it right.

Lie on your back on a bench with feet firmly on the floor. Grip the bar firmly with an overhand grasp ensuring the wrists are straight. Brace the abdominals to maintain a straight back and lift the bar of the rack by extending the elbows.

Position the bar over the chest, breathing in slowly, lower the bar to mid chest level, keeping the hands in line with the elbows. Lower the bar until the elbows are at right angles. Pause briefly, breath out and push the bar back upwards, by extending the arms at the elbows.

Raising the feet off the ground using a step keeps the knees above the hips which helps to keep the back in contact with the bench. When breathing, the correct way to do it is to breathe in when lowering and out when pushing up.

Incline Barbell Bench Press

The inclined barbell bench press targets the upper part of the chest muscle and also the triceps muscle. It's performed in a very similar way to the inclined dumbbell chest press but using a barbell instead. Using a barbell and the correct bench press equipment means that you can handle more weight with your bench press exercise.

Adjust a gym bench to a 45 deg incline. Sit back on the bench with feet firmly on the floor.

Lift the barbell from the rack. If you are using a heavy weight you may need a spotter to assist you. With the arms straight the bar should be positioned directly over the chest, in line with the elbows and palms facing forwards.

Brace the abdominals to maintain a straight back. Breathe in and slowly lower the bar back down to the chest in a controlled movement. Breathe out and press the bar up in a straight line by extending the elbows fully.

Dumbbell Chest Press

The dumbbell bench press is a great alternative to the barbell bench press and is probably easier and safer for newcomers to start with. However it does get more difficult as you progress with the weight as it can be harder to get the dumbbells into position. So for more advanced gym goers, they may find that they can lift more weight with the barbell bench press. The dumbbells however have an advantage because they help to develop equal balance and coordination in the chest and triceps without one side dominating the weaker side.

Take a dumbbell in each hand and lie on your back on a bench with feet firmly on the floor. Curl the dumbbells up from your sides so they are level with the chest.

Brace the abdominals to maintain a straight back and raise the dumbbells by straightening the arms so they are positioned above the chest. Breathing in slowly, lower the dumbbells to mid chest level, keeping the hands in line with the elbows.

Lower until the elbows are at right angles. Pause briefly, breathe out and push back upwards, by extending the arms at the elbows.

Dumbbell Incline Chest Press

The inclined dumbbell bench press targets the upper part of the chest muscle and also the triceps muscle. It's performed in a very similar way to the inclined barbell chest press but using dumbbells for an additional challenge. Using dumbbells works the additional smaller fixator muscles that help to balance the body whilst the main muscle is working.

Position an adjustable bench to a 45 deg incline. Sit at the end of the bench, dumbbells in each hand by your sides.

Lie on your back on a bench with feet firmly on the floor. Curl the dumbbells up from your sides to chest height. If you are using a heavy weight you may need a spotter to assist you.

The dumbbells should be positioned either side of the chest, directly over the top of the elbows, palms facing forwards. Brace the abdominals to maintain a straight back, breath out and press the dumbbells up in a straight line by extending the elbows fully. Pause briefly, breath in and lower the dumbbells back down to the chest.

Dumbbell Fly

Dumbbell flyes directly target the chest muscle and make an ideal exercise to superset or follow a bench press. The only movement is in the shoulders and therefore all the focus is on the chest pectoral muscles, which gives them an intense workout.

Take hold of a dumbbell in each hand and lie back on a bench with feet firmly placed on the floor. Brace the abdominals and back muscles to insure alignment of the spine.

Make sure the small of the back is in contact with the bench. Extend the arms and position the dumbbells together directly over the middle of the chest.

Fix the elbows, with a slight bend. Gently lower the arms to the horizontal position either side of the torso, whilst maintaining the fixed elbow position with the slight bend until the shoulders are fully extended.

Raise the arms back to the original position by horizontally flexing the shoulders whilst maintaining the fixed elbow position. The only movement occurring should be in the shoulders, as they move up and down. The elbows should be fixed with a slight bend. Inclining or declining the bench will target different areas of the chest muscle.

Cable Crossovers

Cable crossover exercises isolate the entire chest muscle. The cable crossover can be used as an alternative to the dumbbell fly or pec deck machine fly. They are also known as cable flies and can form part of a superset with other chest exercises to help fatigue the chest muscles for a more intense workout. Below you'll find a video guide and step by step instructions that describe the correct technique for the cable crossover exercise.

Position the cables at head height or above. Assume a split stance, with back to the cable machine.

Grip the handles and fix the elbows, with a slight bend. Brace the abdominals and back muscles to make sure you keep a straight back throughout the movement, bring the handles together to a position in line with the naval.

Breathe in slowly and return to the start position. Preserve a neutral spine throughout the movement

Pec Deck Machine

 The chest flye machine or pec deck machine as its sometimes known is a great way to isolate and stretch the chest muscles. It's a good way for beginners to work their chest and gain sufficient strength before moving on to more complex movements. There are many different makes and models of pectoral flye machines, but they all do the same job of isolating the chest muscles. Below you'll find a video guide and step by step instructions that describe the correct technique for the chest flye machine.

Adjust the seat height to a position so the handles or elbow pads are slightly lower than the shoulders. Sit in the seat, place your feet flat on the foot rests and back against the back rest.

Select an appropriate weight for the number of repetitions you wish to achieve. Take hold of the handles, or position the elbows onto the pads.

Inhale, and bring the hands or elbows together as exhaling. Breathe in and slowly return to the start position.

Dumbbell Pullover

 It's great for improving the strength of most of the muscles in the upper body through a full range of motion. Both anterior and posterior muscles of the upper body are worked through this exercise thus also boosting the mobility and strength of the shoulder muscle. It's a great exercise available to compliment bench, or lat pulldown.

You will be performing this exercise on a flat bench .Lie on your back with your head at the edge of the bench. Hold the weight in your hands, arms extended above your chest. Try to keep your wrists and arms from flexing. Do not lock your elbow.

This exercise can also be done with two dumbbells. One in each hand. You can position your feet on the bench or on the floor for more stability.