Back stretching.
For this stretching you should hold yourself of a bar, a knob or any other object you could use as a grip and that is approximately at your waist height. Imitate any of the pictures paying attention to the following details:
⦁ Stand up with your legs slightly opened and with the grip in between them.
⦁ If you’re going to grab a grip that is not that solid, as for example, a knob, try not to pull it with all of your weight but just enough to provoke a stretch in the back. And try to grab the grip from the most fixed and solid part.
⦁ If the object of which you are holding is well fixed and solid, proceed to pull yourself with strength, hold the position for 10 to 15 seconds, just once.
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| Closed grip of fixed object |
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| Opened grip of fixed object. (Optional) |
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| Closed grip of a not so fixed object |
Biceps stretching.
Imitate the picture paying attention to the next details:
⦁ Perform the stretching for 10 to 15 seconds, just once per arm.
⦁ Stand up straight with your arms extended and with your index fingers knuckles touching the external part of your legs.
⦁ After pull your arms backwards, without quitting the extension and move even more inwards your knuckles as you are pulling your arms backwards as well and try to touch your wrist with the index and middle finger of the same side extremity.
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| Biceps stretching |
Forearm stretching.
Imitate the pictures paying attention to the following details:
⦁ Perform the stretching from 10 to 15 seconds, once per arm and position.
⦁ For both stretchings perform them with your arms thoroughly stretched.
⦁ For stretching the lower part of the forearm, pull your hand fingers backwards while these are extended.
⦁ For stretching the upper part of the forearm, push the palm your hand inwards, touching it by the knuckles.
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| Stretching the lower part of the forearm. |
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| Stretching the upper part of the forearm. |
Back training
15th Chin-ups (Back).
This exercise is for the “fins”, is very good, even if you do not resist much at the beginning, it is important that you strive to performs as many repetitions as you can, little by little you will resist more and more; besides, in this version of the exercise you assist yourself with your legs. Watch the videos and pictures paying attention to the next details:
⦁ Preferably if you make it on a hand rail or a bar that is approximately 20 centimeters (8 inches) above your head.
⦁ When you’re down bend your knees so your body can stretch thoroughly, be careful of not hyper-extending your arm too boldly once you are in this position because you can injure your elbows.
⦁ Right afterwards jump a little bit with both or just one of your legs, at your own will, better if you alternate them, so you can help yourself to get into the final position explosively, this is when your chin is at the bar height approximately.
⦁ Go down slowly so you won’t injure your elbows as it is mentioned formerly.
⦁ If you have access to both shown sort of chin-ups; perform 3 sets of each one, of 10 repetitions the 3 of them if possible; if not, at least perform 4 to 5, but only if literally your physical condition does not allow you to get to 10. You can allow yourself pauses of about 3 seconds in between repetitions, in this exercise it is important that you strive to perform the 10 repetitions mentioned.
⦁ If you only have access to one of the sorts (usually it’ll be the opened one), perform 5 sets of 10 repetitions of each (with the same indications as in the previous tab). For this exercise in particular place a stool underneath that coincides with the range of natural movement of the exercise and which allows that when you’re stood up on it, the bar is at approximately 20 centimeters (8 inches) above your head. Provoke the full trunk stretching each time you descend and alternate the legs you take impulse upwards with.
⦁ Pay special attention to the hand grip, mostly in the opened chin-ups, this grip is called “prone”.
The links for the videos are:
With opened grip:
With opened grip in door frame:
With closed grip:
AT THIS POINT YOU MUST REPEAT THE BACK STRETCHING
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| Opened grip chin-ups |
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| Opened grip chin-ups |
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| Closed grip chin-ups |
16.a th Row in hand rails (Rear back), (Optional).
Perform this exercise if you actually have access to the hand rails or an equivalent. Perform this exercise following the pictures hints paying attention to the following details:
⦁ You can use the “Prone” grip.
⦁ Hold yourself tightly, focus on that, because if you fall you hurt yourself badly, of which we are not making us responsible. But don’t worry, I’ve done it plenty of times and nothing ever happened, not even a scare.
⦁ You can support of the plant of your feet only, there is no need to support the heel, it is just a pivot, the strength of the exercise shall not come out from the legs in this exercise.
⦁ The distance you should place yourself is that one that is comfortable with your legs slightly bent once you are in the compression stage.
⦁ The hands should be placed at the height of your ribs when you are in the compression stage as well. This point of maximum compression is reached when you go up all that you can while you keep having your lower back straight, taking out your chest and your head up. Hold this position for 1 or 2 seconds.
⦁ Go down slowly for this exercise as well since you can injure both your elbows and shoulders. Stretch thoroughly when going down.
⦁ Perform 4 sets of 6 to 15 repetitions, according to your resistance.
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| Initial position, stretching |
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| Final position, compressing |
16.b th Unilateral row with dumbbells (Rear back), (Optional).
Perform this exercise if you do NOT have Access to a handrail or equivalent. Perform the exercise as shown in the picture, paying attention to the following details:
⦁ Note the order and opening of the legs, adapt them according to your height, I am 1.80 meters tall (5’11).
⦁ Lower back goes straight, neck and head up, the back goes straight as well so the imaginary line that joins the shoulders must be parallel to the exercise. Hold this position all along the whole exercise.
⦁ The only thing that you move is the arm. Start with the arm that holds the dumbbell completely extended and in a comfortable position.
⦁ Raise the dumbbell with the arm next to your body all that you can without sacrificing at all the body posture aforementioned. Hold the final position for 1 or 2 seconds.
⦁ I use dumbbells of 25 pounds (11.4 kg) to perform 4 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions. You must asses yourself, always with the objective to perform the whole exercise as strict as possible.
⦁ Remember to descend slowly to avoid injuring yourself.
⦁ Perform 5 sets of 6 to 15 repetitions according to your resistance. For each arm, pay attention to the changed legs posture you are going to need to adopt. When finished repeat the stretch for the back.
⦁ Remember to not rest because one extremity is resting while you are working with the other one.
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| Unilateral row with dumbbells. Final position |
Biceps / arm training
17 th Concentrated Hammer Curl for biceps.
Perform this exercise sat on a chair or bench, just as it's shown in the picture, try to imitate it taking care of the next details:
⦁ Sit in the shore of the chair or bench with both feet well placed on the floor.
⦁ Wide open your legs.
⦁ Place the elbow that holds the dumbbell on the inner part of the leg slightly above the inferior board of the leg and right next to the “hole” that it is done in the leg when seated that way, if you have any doubts just look at the picture.
⦁ The other hand put it over the other leg as shown.
⦁ Try not to curve yourself much and keep the lower back straight.
⦁ This exercise differs a little bit of others that you probably know. Mostly in the hand position, you must hold the dumbbell in a hammer way, the same way you would hold a hammer when ready to nail, just as shown in the pictures.
⦁ In the initial position your arm should be semi-stretched, as much as you feel comfortable.
⦁ You must ascend until there is an angle of about 80°or 75° in between your arm and your forearm (a little over the squad). Hold this final position for 1 second.
⦁ Perform 3 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions according to your resistance, I perform it with 15 pounds (6.8 Kg), you asses yourself as long as you respect the posture and the defined movement.
- Remember to not rest because one extremity is resting while you are working with the other one.
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| Initial position |
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| Final position |
18 th Biceps circuit.
This is made of 4 exercises that you should do in a row, with no rest in between them; perform a set of the exercise 1, followed with one of the exercise 2, one of the 3rd and one of the 4th; until this point you take a break (30-90 secs according to your resistance (less is better)), this is one set. Perform 3 sets of 6 to 15 repetitions of each exercise. It is important that you respect the order, perform the exercises imitating the pictures and paying attention to the particular details for each exercise.
General details for all of the circuit exercises:
⦁ There is only one exercise that you will perform when stood up, for all the rest: Stand up straight, lower back straight, feet separated at a normal and comfortable distance, approximately at the same separation in between both your shoulders bones. Legs must be aligned, NOT a feet before the other one.
⦁ Stand up with your arms normally extended and relaxed, not hyper-extended, stick them to the body and do NOT twist them, the dumbbells go besides the legs, the hand knuckles must be heading completely outside.
⦁ It is important that you keep yourself straight all along the exercise so you won’t get hurt and keep the exercise intensity at the same time, do not rattle your body, you must move only the arms in this exercise. If you cannot do it is probably due to the overweight that you are using, meaning that you’ll need to reduce it.
⦁ Pull your arms slightly forward and do NOT move them from there, it is key to maximize the work, the tiredness may unconsciously tell you to pull your arms back again, but focus on do not doing it.
⦁ Raise your arms at the same time until the arm and forearm are in an angle of about 70°, meaning, a little over the squad, hold this position for 1 to 2 seconds.
⦁ I perform it with dumbbells of 25 pounds (11.4 kg) when I have the energy and with dumbbells of 15 pounds (6.8 kg) when I no longer have it.
⦁ Tip: If you no longer can keep doing the exercise with both your hands or if you do not have a weight that will allow you to perform it properly and intensively, then you can also do it alternating your arms; this is, first you raise an arm, you put it back to the starting position and then you raise the other one and put it back to the starting position as well and so on. You will continue with the alternation until you perform the complete required number of repetitions per each arm.
18.1 Open, stood up Curl.
⦁ This exercise is a Little bit different than the other that you already probably know and that you are going to have to make it anyway, so pay attention to the details.
⦁ The difference in this exercise is that you must raise your arms in a way your arm is NOT aligned with your forearm. The forearm must be pulled more outwards than your arm and this must be twisted outwards as well, together with your wrist so the imaginary line that joins the knuckles must be completely in parallel with the horizon line in front of you. The other exercise you probably already know does require that you have the arm aligned with the forearm when raising it.
⦁ In this exercise you also work well the inner part of the biceps.
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| Starting position for all of the bíceps exercises performed when standing up |
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| Final position for Opened stood up curl. |
18.2 Hammer, stood up Curl
⦁ In this exercise you must align the arm and the forearm as if you were holding a hammer; this is in fact the starting position, when both dumbbells are down.
⦁ Pay attention that the forearm in fact is aligned with the arm and that your wrist is placed in a natural and comfortable position.
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Hammer, stood up Curl. Final position |
18.3 Stood up Curl
⦁ This is the exercise we were talking about, this is a lot more known that the previous one. So, here you actually will raise your arms in a way the forearm is aligned with your arm and do not twist your wrist, instead, this should be aligned with the forearm.
⦁ The picture is illustrated for the exercise to be performed unilaterally (alternating arms), but you can perform it too with both arms together, I actually I recommend that you do it that way unless you cannot take it anymore at half the exercise, then you should start performing it unilaterally. This way you will not have to have plenty of dumbbells of different weights and you will also work faster, which is key for you to be able to finish the whole routine in a proper time.
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Stood up Curl Final position in an unilateral way |
18.4 Hammer Sat down Curl of type “Preacher” or “Scott bench”
This exercise might be actually one of my creations because I have never seen anyone before performing it and proudly I can say that it DOES work.
⦁ If you decide to perform it on a chair, sit down on the edge, do not curve much your back, open your legs enough so that your arms when extended all the way down they are straight and not opened or closed.
⦁ Place your elbows on the inner side of your legs, just as is shown in the picture.
⦁ Remember that since this exercise is in hammer also, you must hold the dumbbells as such and perform it as you did with the “Hammer, stood up Curl”, with the difference that now you are sat down and in the previous described position.
⦁ You can do it also with no chair, but YES crouched as if you actually were, resisting some tension in your quadriceps, too; in fact, this way you can perform the exercise quicker, you have to “play” with the balance of weights and you should always care of not curving too much, since this will help you not getting hurt and to keep the body balance.
⦁ Here you canNOT aternate your arms if you get tired, you should change the weight or rest for a few seconds if so.
⦁ IN THIS POINT YOU SHOULD STRETCH AGAIN YOUR BICEPS AND FOREARMS -
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| Starting position |
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| Final position |
Forearms / arms training
(Some of them were already trained with various of the biceps exercises)
19 th Frontal forearm. Dumbbells beside the legs. Stood up
This exercise is for the lower part of the forearm, imitate the picture paying attention to the next details:
⦁ The initial position is the same as the one of the biceps exercises performed when standing up.
⦁ For the final position you should roll your wrist inwards, this is, try to take your wrist until your lower part of the forearm moving only your wrist, hold the position for 1 or 2 seconds.
⦁ Perform 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions according to your resistance.
⦁ I perform it comfortably with 25 pounds (11.4 kg) dumbbells, you asses yourself as long as you are capable of performing the exercise in a strict manner.
Frontal forearm. Dumbbells beside the legs. Stood up
Final position .
20 th Frontal forearm. Arms on legs, sat down.
This exercise is for the lower part of the forearm, imitate the picture paying attention to the next details:
⦁ Open your legs at a normal and comfortable position.
⦁ Support your elbows on your legs with your hand palms facing upwards.
⦁ Pull out your arm until your wrist has a solid and flexible pivot point, this is, until the moment it begins to “be in the air”, it is important that you calibrate properly this measure to avoid injuring and to be able to perform properly all the exercise locomotion.
⦁ Do not raise your forearm at all during all the exercise locomotion, your wrist is the only that moves.
⦁ For the initial position take your wrist as low as you can, in the range of what is comfortable for the joints. If you dare, this is more designed for people with more experience, but slightly roll the dumbbell until the last finger phalanges, this will increase the exercise intensity.
⦁ For the final position bring the dumbbell as high as you can, hold the position for 1 or 2 seconds.
⦁ You can use the “Prone” grip here.
⦁ Perform 4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions according to your resistance. I perform it comfortably with dumbbells of 15 to 25 pounds (6.8 to 11.4 kg), you asses yourself.
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| Starting position |
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| Starting position |
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| Final position |
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| Final position |
21 th Frontal forearm. Dumbbells in front, stood up.
Everything in this exercise, the way of performing it, the weight, the series and the repetitions is the same as its version with the dumbbells on the sides, the difference is that in this case this are in front. Do not curve yourself too much in order to protect your back. Rely on the pictures, as always.
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Frontal forearm. Dumbbells in front, stood up. Final position |
⦁ IN THIS POINT YOU MUST STRETCH AGAIN THE FOREARMS –
Stretching of the ligaments in between the fingers
Also in this point I recommend you to stretch the ligaments in between the fingers to avoid problems with the tunnel of the metacarpus, mostly if you are already in the mature age. This stretch is not in pictures, but basically it’s about putting your hand’s fingers as if you were a feline and with the fingers of the other hand you must stretch the ligaments one by one, open the fingers and gently push them backwards. The thumb, though, you must stretch it while extended. Hold each position from 5 to 10 seconds.
This stretching is not usually included in the gym’s routines, but it has even helped out some relatives of mine with this problem of the tunnel of the metacarpus to control cramps and numbness.
Similar you could do with your feet when you finish cardiovascular workout, calves training or inclusive after a long day of work. Pull gently backwards all your fingers together and then the foot ball as well, you can do it with your hands or with your feet supported on a surface.
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