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Triceps might seem a little bit important but if you train other muscles and skip triceps exercises, eventually your body will look odd. The thing is you have to gradually develop all the muscles in your body, which is why skipping triceps workouts in favor of biceps exercises is something you want to avoid. So let’s talk about triceps and how to grow it. Peculiarities of Training Triceps The triceps are the key muscles in the arms. They account for up to 70% of the mass of the upper limbs, while biceps do about 30%. Moreover, if the biceps is a flexor muscle, which means that it is necessary for lifting weight, the triceps is an extensor. On the one hand, it is easier to develop triceps than other arm muscles due to some anatomical peculiarities. At the same time, the triceps can be easily overloaded, which will have a negative impact on any other exercises that involve the arms, for example, pull-ups and bench press. In other words, when training triceps, it is necessary to separate basic and isolation exercises. For example, you want to work on the pectoral muscles first and do 2-3 targeting exercises for triceps with dumbbells at the end of your workout. How to Train Triceps? Despite the fact that some exercises involve a certain part of the triceps to a greater or lesser extent, in the end, the entire triceps works in harmony. Thus, when training the triceps, you have to pay attention to the magnitude of the arm's range of motion as well as avoid trying to engage a specific part of the muscle. In this case, the mobility of the shoulder joint is very important, in fact, it has an impact on how much the muscle is loaded during the exercise. How Often Should You Exercise? If you want to build gorgeous triceps, you have to train at least twice a week. The total number of sets in triceps exercises should consist of 4-6 workouts, in other words, 2 exercises in 2-3 sets or 3 exercises in 1-2 sets. The number of repetitions should be about 8-15 repetitions in each set. To increase the efficiency of triceps training, we recommend alternating the load. You might want to start with an easy week and do functional exercises with light weight and high repetitions. Then you can move on to a medium one, then to a hard one, followed by one week of rest. Workouts for Building Triceps Finally, let’s have a brief look at some useful exercises that will help you build gorgeous triceps. So here they come: Close-grip bench press Lying triceps extension Cable rope tricep pushdown Diamond push-ups One-arm overhead extension Bench dip Push-up 45-degree incline dumbbell chest press Final Thoughts The triceps is a very important muscle of our arms and, fortunately, it is relatively easy to build. Therefore, if you are dreaming of having gorgeous arms, make sure to start training your triceps muscles.

A lot of people want to know how to build shoulders at home without dumbbells and other sports equipment at hand. Everything is very simple. Building the muscles of the shoulders, and especially the deltas are easily done with pull-ups and push-ups, which will help to get the shape of your dream. Workouts for Building Shoulders Push-upsFor the most part, this exercise will work with the pectoral muscles, but the shoulders will also be involved. A narrow position of the hands will involve the triceps and the middle delta in the work, and if you put your arms wider, then in addition to the middle part, you can also use the front delt muscles. In order to maximize the use of the muscles of the shoulders in the exercise, try to do push-ups a little higher, so that only the deltas work. One-hand push-upsThis exercise is good for toning the shoulder girdle. It is important to take into account one point: the wider the legs are, the easier it is to perform the exercise, but the less the pressure on the muscles. So choose the best position for yourself. Dumbbell ShrugsThis exercise is perfect for the shoulders muscles as well as the trapezius muscle. And your posture after doing this exercise regularly will be improved! Stand up keeping your body straight. Hands with dumbbells are lowered. Lift dumbbells, not with your hands, try to include only the shoulders muscles during it, lifting your shoulders as high as possible. Sideways dumbbellsAlthough the exercise is basic, it is more suitable for athletes with a more advanced level. Doing dumbbells or swinging them is supposed to improve the work of the shoulders. So first of all, you need to stand up slightly leaning forward. In the initial position, the dumbbells are at the bottom. Let’s take a breath and spread them apart, trying to raise them as much as possible. When you get them at shoulder level, pause and gently lower your arms. Barbell pressIt’s the most effective exercise for building up your shoulders. It is also called a standing barbell press. It is easy to do, firstly you need to put your feet shoulder-width apart, take the barbell with a straight grip and raise it to the chest. After that, you need to exhale and raise the barbell up. After that, you need to stay in this position for a second and slowly lower the barbell to the starting position, while inhaling deeply. Wrapping Up In order to quickly build perfect shoulders, you need a nice set of exercises, with which you will achieve maximum results. You can't just exhaust them with working hours in a gym. Follow the advice we gave you and you will get great results as soon as possible.

While working out most people pay lots of attention to their legs, arms, and abs and quite often they forget about the muscles of their spine, in particular, the lower back. Today, we are going to talk about the health of your lower back as well as how to strengthen these muscles. Anatomy of Lower Back Muscles The deep muscles of the back are some of the smallest but strongest muscles that support the spine. Most people mistakenly believe that small is insignificant, but when it comes to these muscles, this is completely wrong. The deep muscles of the back represent a set of muscles that attach to the spine. These muscles are composed of many thick, sinewy bundles that fill the grooves on either side of the spinous processes of the vertebrae and extend from the sacrum to the second cervical vertebra. These muscles spread over 2-4 vertebrae and stabilize the joints at all segmental levels, which allows each vertebra to work more efficiently and reduces the risk of degeneration of the articular structures. The origin of the deep muscles of the back is the posterior surface of the sacrum, the posterior iliac spines, the mastoid processes of the lumbar vertebrae, and the transverse processes of the thoracic vertebrae. These muscles are attached to the spinous processes of the vertebrae 2-4 segments above the beginning of the muscle. Exercises for the Lower Back Muscles In order to keep your lower back strong and healthy, you need to do some simple exercises for this muscle group. So let us take a brief look at those. Harvesting Apples Starting in the mountain pose. Raise your hands up and begin to stretch your left hand even higher as if you are trying to reach an apple from a branch above your head. Bend your right knee, pull up your right thigh. Inhale and try to feel the tension in the left square muscle of the lower back. Exhale and relax. Repeat this on the other side. Do 10 repetitions on each side. Side Stretching Sit on the floor, resting on your knees, with your hands resting on the floor just below your shoulders. Bring your knees and inner thighs together. Move your hips to the left until you feel comfortable, the left hip is on the bottom, the right is on the top. In this position, look over your right shoulder. Inhale and stretch out along the left lower back and thigh. Exhale, return to the starting position and do the same on the right side. Alternate sides, each time going through the starting position. After doing a few repetitions on each side, you can do the child's pose and rest a little. Belly Roll Place a pillow or bolster against your left thigh, then swing your torso towards the pillow. Continuing to stretch in the spine, place your hands on the sides of the pillow and bend over until you touch the pillow with your ribs and chest. Turn your head to the side that is most comfortable for you. Bend your hips and knees until you find a position with a pleasant, light pull on your right side, allowing your right hip to stretch in the opposite direction from your lower ribs. Relax in this position for a few minutes. Then take a few deep breaths and change sides. Final Word Developed lower back muscles will help you maintain your back health, which is why you definitely want to work on these muscles. So why don’t you do some of the exercises we mentioned in this article right now?

Many athletes as well as sports enthusiasts focus on the workouts for the middle and lower back and ignore upper back exercises, which can lead to a number of negative consequences such as a slower rate of progression or even curvature of posture and muscle imbalance. Correctly selected load and good upper back exercises will help you effectively work out the desired area and, as a result, have a gorgeous body. So let’s talk about building upper back muscles. Anatomy and Function of the Muscles of the Upper Back Anatomically, the muscles of the upper back are represented by the two large areas, which are the trapezius and latissimus muscles. In addition to that, the back bundles of deltas are often referred to as the upper back, as they are involved in most exercises. But from the anatomical point of view, it is incorrect. The trapezius muscles are responsible for the movement of the shoulder blades. They are attached to the back of the head at the top and to the spine at the bottom. These muscles are extremely important for posture and keeping the back straight. The latissimus muscles occupy almost the entire back area and are located on both sides of the spine. Latissimus muscles resemble wings in shape. It is important to understand that the upper back refers only to the part of the lats, which is located under the trapezium. The main function of these muscles is to bring the shoulder to the body and pull the arm back. Peculiarities of Training Even if your upper back is slightly undeveloped, you should not try to build this area by increasing the volume of loads. Such training will rather lead to hypertonicity of the trapezium and problems with the cervical spine than to beneficial muscle strengthening. Try to use no more than 2-3 upper body exercises per workout or put the same load on each part of the back, this will help “tighten” the lagging top without muscle imbalance. It is also recommended to alternate power and repetition modes (in micro-cycles or cycles). This will help to create the most versatile load, as well as balance the ratio of fast and slow muscle fibers, which is genetically set for each person. Finally, while training in the gym, make sure your exercises are diverse as well as focus on different parts of the upper back. If you prefer to exercise at home, do various exercises with dumbbells. You might also want to try rubber band workouts. Workouts for Upper Back Last, but not least, let’s have a quick look at some useful exercises for the upper back: Reverse Fly Barbell High Rows T-Pulls Upright Row Y-Pulls Seated Row Renegade Row Final Thoughts Upper back muscles are very important for the right posture and general back health, which is why you should include some exercises for this muscle group in your workout routine. Find out lots of beneficial upper back exercises in our video tutorials.

Chest muscles are among the hardest ones to train yet strengthening these muscles is totally possible. In this article, we are going to talk about chest muscles and how to train them. How to Develop Chest Muscles Developed chest muscles are a vivid indicator of hard work on the body. This muscle group is one of the largest and most complex in the human body. Complete training demands to combine basic and isolating exercises. This is the only way to build the muscles in perfect shape. Barbell exercises are more suitable for increasing muscle mass, and with dumbbells and equipment - for improving the shape and detailed work. It is a bad idea to use really heavyweights in the beginning. It’s much better to learn how to feel the work of the necessary muscles during working out your chest, your arms and shoulders. For example, classic push-ups from the floor will help you feel your chest muscles and understand how they work. For a proper workout, you need to use a variety of dumbbell chest exercises to work the muscles at different angles. Workouts for Chest Dumbbell bench pressPlace the dumbbells near your hands. Start by taking the correct position. The back of the head, back and pelvis are pressed to the bench. The heels are pressed into the floor, the legs are separated by 60 degrees. Memorize the position, sit down, grab the dumbbells, and put them on your knees. Lie down while getting the dumbbells to your chest. Extend your arms, leaving a slight angle at the elbow joint, keeping the dumbbells in parallel. Start the chest exercise with a smooth lowering of the weight, moving your elbows to the up and down. When you feel a stretch in your pectoral muscles, return your arms to their original position. HammerStart it with the right position. Sit on the edge of a bench with the dumbbells on your knees. Lie down tightly pressing the back of your head, back, and lower back to the bench. At the same time, shift your weight from your hips to your chest. Raise your arms in front of you, keeping a 90-degree angle. The palms are turned towards each other, the elbows are slightly bent. Bend your arms as you inhale, bringing the dumbbells to your chest. During the exhalation, unbend focusing on the tension of the pectoral muscles. Repeat it. The Hammer adds extra tension to the triceps, so it's important to focus on your chest muscles. The exercise must be done slowly, and it requires concentrated work. It is great for beginners and athletes recovering from chest, shoulder, or elbow injuries. Dumbbell PulloverLying on a bench, the back of the head, shoulders and buttocks are kept to the surface, the feet stand firmly on the floor, the hands hold the dumbbells on the chest line with one hand on the other. Fix it and raise the dumbbell over your head, doing a slight bend of the elbow. Exhaling, gently lower the dumbbell behind your head, focusing on stretching the pectoral muscles. Only the shoulders work in the process. Having reached the maximum tension in the lower amplitude, return your arms back along the same trajectory. This exercise with dumbbells on the chest is optional, therefore it is more logical to use it in the mix with basic exercises. It helps to stretch the chest muscles, as well as increase the shape of the chest. Make sure that the head is supported in this position. Otherwise, the risk of straining the cervical muscles or pinching the nerve becomes critical. Work the dumbbell smoothly, avoiding sudden jerks and extreme weights.Also don’t forget that some pre-workout warm-ups are great for increasing your stamina and recovery, but don't rely on them all the time. Getting the right amount of sleep and proper nutrition are two of the most important factors in increasing your gym performance. Final Thoughts Exercises for your chest will help you improve your relief as well as general health, so make sure to train these muscles at least a little bit while working out.