VIDEO

Step Up with Knee Raise
  • Core
  • Legs
  • Gluteus
  • Calves
Level:Intermediate
Trainer:Ann Summer
Equipment:Step
Step Up with Knee Raise
  • Core
  • Legs
  • Gluteus
  • Calves
Level:Intermediate
Trainer:Ann Summer
Equipment:Step

Put a chair in front of you or use a bench. Step up on it with your right and left legs one by one.

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Everyone wants to have beautiful hips. Unfortunately, it's not that easy to keep it in a nice shape. We have some exercises that will definitely help you work your hips out. Best Workouts for Hips Beautiful hips require some effort, so let’s take a look at some exercises for hips. CrossingsThis deep inner thigh stretch will improve your hips and give you a boost of energy. Spread your legs wide with your feet facing outward. Bend your knees and lower yourself into a squat. Put your hands on your hips just above the knees, deepening the squat and stretching even more. Jump up and place your right foot in front of your left one, while landing, you should straighten and cross your legs. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise with the other leg. Repeat the exercise, alternating legs, as many times as you can, for at least 40 seconds. Knee squatsSquats with knees together are much better than regular squats for strengthening the inner thighs, quads, and hamstring. And in order not to waste your time, you can work on your hands at the same time. Stand up straight with your feet together. Take dumbbells, bend your elbows and touch the shoulders with the dumbbells. Do a squat with your knees bent and your hips back as if you were about to sit in a chair. Keep your legs together during the entire exercise. The weight should be on your heels. Now stretch your arms up. Return to the starting position without putting your weight on your toes. Do 10 reps. Elbow plank with raising legsAdd leg raises to your regular elbow plank to improve the hips. Lie on your side, bend your right arm at the elbow and lean on it. Extend your legs so that your body becomes one straight line. Try to rest only on the outer edge of your right foot. Place your left hand on your thigh. Feel your spine stretch and your abs tighten, then lift your left leg just above your hip. Slowly lower it back down. Do not bend at the waist or lean on your shoulder, keep your weight on your elbow. Do about 15 reps for both sides. Swings with bent legsThis is one of the most popular exercises for strengthening the buttocks and hips. It is suitable for everyone, does not require additional equipment, and does not involve the spine. With the help of swings, the back, front, outer and inner thighs are worked out - combo. Start in plank, palms - under the shoulders, knees - under the pelvis, keep the position of the back. On the exhale, we swing our leg, pushing the heel up; we perform 20 repetitions on each leg and four sets total. Side lungesIf you are doing this exercise for the first time, you will not need dumbbells - first master the movements of the legs. Take a dumbbell in your right hand, lunge to the left, lowering your right hand to your right leg. Lower your hips as low as possible, resting on your heels. The toes are facing forward, the angle of the bent leg is 90 degrees. Pushing off with your left foot, go into a courtesy pose: the left leg goes back, and the right one goes forward. Raise your arm with the weight up. Both legs face forward. Keep your hips and legs taut. Repeat without returning to the starting position, but immediately moving from a squat to a side lunge. Do three sets of 10 reps, then switch sides. Final Word Beautiful hips are a reality if you know what to do, so why don’t you give these exercises a try and see everything yourself?
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The calf muscles are often neglected in the early training stages when people concentrate on working out the chest, arms, and back. As a result, exercises for building calves are postponed or performed extremely rarely, which leads to a lack of progress. The muscles of the lower legs, as well as the deep muscles of the back, practically do not rest during the day, as they have to bear the weight of the body, help maintain balance, and stabilize the joints when walking. This means that it is focused on a low level of development and the way of working with it should be different.Here are some exercises for calves. Calves 45Among all the exercises this one is aimed at developing the calf muscles, it is also one of the most difficult ones. It's all about changing the angle of the legs, which allows you to use not only the calves but also the soleus. To perform this exercise, you need Gakkenshmidt's Machine. Depending on the design, you will be facing it or not. Set a suitable operating weight. It is calculated as the arithmetic average between the working weights in the two previous exercises. Next, select the weights according to the loads. Then you need to lower the heels, trying to stretch the calf as much as possible. Perform a toe lift. Lock in the position of extreme tension for 1-2 seconds. Calf raises with dumbbellsThis exercise is designed for athletes of any level and is considered the main one for working out the calf muscles. Stand on a wooden block. You can perform a movement in Smith, getting a step platform under your feet, and put the barbell on your shoulders. Fix the body in a straight position. If additional weight is required, dumbbells or weights should be taken. Next, you need to lower your heels below the level of the bar, trying to stretch the ankle as much as possible. Rise on your toes with a powerful impulse movement. Stay in this position for 1-2 seconds and tighten the calves. Slowly lower and get back to the starting position. Seated calf raisesThis exercise is great for lazy training and will be a perfect option for beginners. Sit on the machine seat. Place the toes of the feet on the support step. Lower your heels to the floor as much as possible. Lower the lever with soft stops on your knees and lock. Leg pressLie on a leg press machine. This uncommonly effective device for working out the legs can be used for training the calf muscles. Look for the platform where the legs would be straight. Fix the speed. You only need to do two actions. Remove the platform from the stops and squeeze it out with your toes. Return the socks to their original position. It is important to know that the effect of posture on the development of the lower leg and calf muscles is much stronger than the effect of training. Flat feet, if not taken into account and not compensated, also interfere with bringing the shape of the lower leg. To improve your calves without exercising machines, you can simply choose the right shoes and adjust your gait. Wrapping Up Developed calves not only help you perform certain exercises better but also make your legs look simply gorgeous. Therefore, take another look at these exercises and make sure to at least give them a try while working out next time.
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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.
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The Kardashians set many beauty trends and one of those trends is gorgeous buttocks. So in this article, we will discuss how to build gluteus muscles and consequently look as hot as Kim, Kourtney, Khloé. Let’s start with the anatomy. The gluteus consists of three main parts: Gluteus maximus muscle, which is the largest muscle of the body. It helps to maintain balance while walking and running, allows the leg to move outward, and it is also responsible for the tightened (or not so) shape of the buttocks. The gluteus medius is partially overlapped by the gluteus maximus. It is located in the upper pelvis. It participates in the abduction of the leg to the side, lateral bending, and stabilization of the body during movement. Finally, the gluteus minimus is located under the medius muscle. Together they are responsible for abducting the leg and stabilizing the body, as well as for forming the hip line. Workouts for Gluteus It's not that easy to build gluteus muscles, especially if you are limited in time. But if you work out at least three times a week and never give up, you will quickly reach your goal. In order to help you achieve your goal, we prepared the best exercises for developing muscles of the gluteal region. So here they come: Barbell/dumbbell LungesThis exercise is ideal for those who are interested in pumping up the top of the buttocks and at the same time the back of the thigh. Begin the movement by bringing each leg one at a time forward. The thigh should be parallel to the floor and the knee should be at the right angle. Barbell SquatThis is one of the basic exercises that help effectively build this muscle. From the starting position - legs apart, lower the pelvis just below the knees. Do not bend your lower back and make sure your knees do not surpass your feet. The wider your legs are apart, the greater the load on the buttocks. Romanian deadliftsStand upright with your back slightly arched at the lower back. Holding the dumbbells in your hands, bend over, pulling your pelvis back. Once you reach the spot just below your knees, return to the starting position. Dumbbell Split SquatsThe exercise is performed with a straight back, with one leg taking a step forward and throwing the other one on a stand from behind. Squat and do the exercise for both legs. Back LungesStart in a standing position, take a wide step back and lower into a lunge. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise for the other leg. Do 20-30 repetitions for each leg, making sure that your knees are bent at right angles and do not protrude beyond your toes. It is important to take steps exactly backward while maintaining rhythm and balance. Wrapping Up Gorgeous buttocks are everyone’s dream come true and, luckily, it’s not that difficult to develop these muscles if you know the right workouts. So why don’t you use our guides and start moving toward your goal now?
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Core muscles are the abs, diaphragm, and pelvic floor muscles and it’s needless to say that these muscles are extremely important. In this article, we will figure out how to correctly train your core as well as discuss the benefits of these muscles for the back and joints. What Core Muscles Are? The muscles of the core are divided into two groups: central and peripheral. The central muscles of the cortex resemble a sac, in which the abdominal cavity and internal organs are located. These muscles are divided into several parts: Front - rectus abdominis or abs and other muscles Lateral parts - oblique muscles of the abdomen and the muscles around it Back - the muscle that straightens the spine and the muscles around it Upper wall - diaphragm Lower wall - pelvic floor muscles At the same time, the peripheral muscle group includes the latissimus dorsi muscle, the pectoralis muscle, the trapezius, the muscles of the shoulder girdle, and buttocks. As you can see, the core includes many muscle groups, which is why you cannot strengthen it by simply doing crunches. Exercises for Developing Core Muscles As we have already mentioned above, in order to train your core, you have to select the exercises that involve many different muscle groups, so let us take a brief look at these workouts together: High plank Hollowman Crunches Superman Leg lifts from lying position Bridge V-sit V-ups Plank knee crosses Plank shoulder taps Elbow plank twists There is a huge variety of exercises for strengthening your core so do not underestimate them and try them next time you work out. Final Thoughts Core is an extremely important group of muscles that influence your posture, balance, as well as the ability to do other exercises. So if you want to have a strong and healthy body, you have to start with strengthening your core.
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