Writer, Author at Muscle Motivation

Parallel Bar Dips

Hang from the parallel bars with arms extended and legs suspended:
• Inhale and bend the elbows to bring the chest level with the bars.

Return to the extended arm position.
Exhale at the end of the effort.

The more the chest is angled forward during the exercise, the more the inferior fibers of the pectorals are used. Conversely, the more vertical the chest, the more the triceps brachii will be used.

This exercise is excellent for stretching the pectoralis major and for working on the flexibility of the shoulder girdle. However, it is not recommended for beginners because it requires a certain amount of initial strength.
If you are a beginner, use a dips machine to familiarize yourself with the movement.
Sets of 10 to 20 repetitions provide the best results.
For developing more strength and also more size, athletes used to this movement may use a weight belt, or hang a weight from their legs.

Variations:

Standard Parallel Bar Dip: This variation involves placing your hands on the parallel bars, with your arms straight and your feet off the ground. Lower your body until your elbows are bent to about 90 degrees, then push back up.
Weighted Parallel Bar Dip: This variation involves adding weight to your dips by wearing a weighted vest or holding a weight plate between your legs. This is a great way to increase the intensity of the exercise and build more strength.
Narrow Grip Parallel Bar Dip: This variation involves placing your hands closer together on the parallel bars. This targets the triceps muscles more than the chest muscles.
Wide Grip Parallel Bar Dip: This variation involves placing your hands wider apart on the parallel bars. This targets the chest muscles more than the triceps.
Eccentric Parallel Bar Dip: This variation involves focusing on the lowering phase of the dip. Lower your body very slowly, taking at least 5-10 seconds to complete the movement. This can help to build strength and muscle mass.
Assisted Parallel Bar Dip: This variation involves using an assisted dip machine or resistance bands to help you perform the exercise. This is a good option for beginners or those who are not yet strong enough to perform the full exercise on their own.
Explosive Parallel Bar Dip: This variation involves exploding up off the parallel bars at the top of the movement, using your upper body strength to generate power. This can help to build explosive power and improve your athletic performance.

Push-Ups

Support yourself facedown on the ground, with arms extended, hands shoulder-width (or more) apart, and feet touching or slightly apart:

Inhale and bend the elbows to bring the rib cage close to the ground without arching the low back excessively.
Push back up to complete arm extension.
Exhale at the end of the movement.

This movement is excellent for the pectoralis major
and the triceps brachii.
Varying the tilt of the chest focuses the work on different parts of the pectorals:
• Feet higher isolates the the clavicular head of the pectoralis major.
• Chest higher isolates the inferior part of the pectoralis major.
Varying the width of the hands focuses the work on different parts of the pectorals:
• Hands wider isolates the lateral part of the pectoralis major.
• Hands closer together isolates the sternal head of the pectoralis major.

Variations:

Standard Push-Up: This variation involves placing your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your feet together and your body in a straight line. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the ground, then push back up.
Close-Grip Push-Up: This variation involves placing your hands close together, directly under your shoulders. This targets the triceps muscles more than the chest muscles.
Wide-Grip Push-Up: This variation involves placing your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. This targets the chest muscles more than the triceps.
Plyometric Push-Up: This variation involves exploding up off the ground at the top of the push-up, clapping your hands together in mid-air, and then landing back in the starting position. This is a great way to build explosive power in the chest and upper body.
Incline Push-Up: This variation involves placing your hands on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step. This reduces the amount of weight on your upper body, making the exercise easier. It also targets the upper chest muscles more than the lower chest.
Decline Push-Up: This variation involves placing your feet on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step, and your hands on the floor. This increases the amount of weight on your upper body, making the exercise more challenging. It also targets the lower chest muscles more than the upper chest.
One-Arm Push-Up: This variation involves performing the push-up with one arm. It is a very challenging exercise that requires a lot of upper body strength and stability.

Decline Press

Lie on a decline bench (between 20 and 40 degrees), with the head angled down and feet fixed to prevent sliding and grasp the barbell with an overhand grip shoulder width or more:

Inhale and lower the barbell to the lower pectorals with a controlled movement.
Extend the arms and exhale at the end of the movement.

This exercise contracts the pectoralis major (mainly its inferior fibers), triceps brachii, and the anterior deltoid.
This exercise is useful for outlining the inferior groove of the pectorals. Using light weights and lowering the bar to the neck stretches the pectoralis major correctly. The decline press may be performed at a frame that guides the bar.

Variations:

Decline Barbell Press: This variation involves performing the exercise with a barbell. It allows you to lift heavier weight and build overall chest strength.
Decline Dumbbell Press: This variation involves performing the exercise with dumbbells. It allows for a greater range of motion and helps to work each side of the body individually.
Decline Close-Grip Press: This variation involves performing the exercise with a closer grip on the barbell or dumbbells. It targets the triceps muscles more than the chest muscles.
Decline Flyes: This variation involves performing the exercise with dumbbells, but instead of pressing them up, you bring them out to the side in a fly motion. This targets the chest muscles more than the triceps.
Decline Push-ups: This variation involves performing the exercise with just your bodyweight. It can be a great way to work the chest muscles and build strength, especially for beginners or those who don’t have access to weights. You can also add weight by using a weighted vest or holding a weight plate on your back.

Close-Grip Bench Press

Lie on a horizontal bench with the buttocks on the bench and the feet on the ground, gripping the barbell with an overhand grip and wrists 4 to 15 inches apart, depending on the flexibility of the wrists: Inhale and lower the bar with a controlled movement to the chest, with the elbows out to the side. Extend and exhale at the end of the effort. This exercise develops the pectoral muscles at the sternal notch and the triceps brachii. (With this in mind, it may be included in a program for the arms.) By extending and keeping the elbows next to the body, a greater part of the work is performed by the anterior deltoid. This movement may be performed at a frame that guides the bar.

Attention: Depending on your physical structure, the narrow grip may cause wrist pain. In this case, use a wider grip.

Warning: Bench Presses and Elbow Pain. 
Elbow pain most often develops after bench pressing. This overuse injury is generally related to excessive training with long sets. In bench pressing, locking the extended arms at the end of the movement subjects the elbow to rubbing and microtrauma, which over time may lead to inflammation.

Comment: Occasionally, this condition can lead to intra-articular calcifications, which are particularly crippling. In this case, surgery is often the only solution for regaining complete arm extension.
At the first sign of elbow pain, avoid for several days exercises that involve arm extension in order to prevent serious injury.
When you resume exercises that include arm extension, avoid completely extending the forearms at the end of the movement until the pain has completely disappeared.

Bench Press

Lie faceup on a horizontal bench, with buttocks on the bench and feet flat on the ground:

Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip wider than shoulder width.
Inhale and lower the bar to the chest with a controlled movement.
Extend the arms and exhale at the end of the effort.

This exercise engages the complete pectoralis major muscle, pectoralis minor, anterior deltoid, serratus anterior, and coracobrachialis.

Variations:

1. This movement may be performed while arching the back power-lifter style. This position brings the more powerful lower part of the pectoral muscle into play, allowing you to lift heavier weights.

2. Executing the extension with the elbows next to the body concentrates the work onto the anterior deltoid.

3. Varying the width of the hands isolates different parts of the muscle:

Hands closer together isolates the central part of the pectorals.
Hands wider apart isolates the lateral part of the pectorals.

4. Varying the angle of the barbell isolates different parts of the muscle:

Lowering the bar to the chondrocostal border of the rib cage isolates the lower part of the pectorals.
Lowering the barbell onto the middle part of the pectorals isolates the midline fibers.
Lowering the bar onto the sternal notch isolates the clavicular head of the muscle.

5. If you have back problems or want to isolate the pectorals, perform the extension with the legs raised.

6. Perform the extension at a frame that guides the bar.

Incline Press

Sit on an incline bench angled at 45 to 60 degrees, grasp the barbell with an
overhand grip wider than shoulder width:
Inhale and lower the barbell to the
sternal notch.

Extend the arms.
Exhale at the end of the movement.

This exercise mainly solicits the clavicular head of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, triceps brachii, serratus anterior, and pectoralis minor. This exercise may be done at a frame that guides the bar.

Variations:

Incline barbell bench press: This is a classic variation of the incline press, where you use a barbell and an incline bench. It’s a great exercise for building overall upper body strength.
Incline dumbbell bench press: This variation is similar to the barbell bench press, but uses dumbbells instead. It’s a great exercise to help improve your upper body stability.
Incline machine press: This is a machine-based variation of the incline press that can be easier to perform for beginners. It’s also a good option if you want to focus on your chest muscles without using your triceps as much.
Close-grip incline press: This variation involves bringing your hands closer together on the bar or dumbbells. This places more emphasis on your triceps, making it a great exercise for building arm strength.
Single-arm incline press: This variation is performed using one arm at a time, either with dumbbells or a cable machine. This helps to improve balance and stability, as well as targeting each side of your body individually.
Plyometric incline press: This variation involves performing explosive, plyometric movements with the bar or dumbbells. It’s a great way to improve your power and explosiveness.

Pec Deck Rear Delt Laterals

Sit facing the machine, with the torso against the back pad, arms forward, gripping the handles:

Inhale and separate the arms, squeezing the shoulder blades together at the end of the movement.
Exhale.

This exercise mainly engages the posterior deltoid, infraspinatus, and teres minor and, at the end of the movement, when the shoulder blades squeeze together, the trapezius and rhomboids.

INFRASPINATUS AND TERES MINOR
Both of these muscles arise from the posterior surface of the scapula (shoulder blade), pass onto the scapulohumeral articulation, adhering to its articular capsule, and insert at the greater tubercle of the humerus.
They play an important role in external rotation of the arm and reinforce the action of the shoulder ligaments by actively reinforcing the attachment of the arm to the chest.
Comment: In some people, the teres minor and infraspinatus are fused, forming one muscle.

Variations:

Seated Rear Delt Fly Machine: Sit on a rear delt fly machine with your chest against the pad and grasp the handles with your hands. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and bring the handles back to your sides, keeping your arms straight. Lower the handles back down and repeat for the desired number of reps.
Bent-Over Rear Delt Fly with Dumbbells: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend forward at the waist until your torso is almost parallel to the ground, with your arms hanging straight down and your palms facing each other. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift the dumbbells out to the sides until they reach shoulder height. Lower the weights back down and repeat for the desired number of reps.
Standing Rear Delt Fly with Resistance Bands: Stand on a resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp the band with both hands, palms facing each other. Bend forward at the waist until your torso is almost parallel to the ground, with your arms hanging straight down. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift the band out to the sides until your hands reach shoulder height. Lower the band back down and repeat for the desired number of reps.
Incline Bench Rear Delt Fly with Dumbbells: Lie face down on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Lift the dumbbells out to the sides until they reach shoulder height, keeping your arms straight. Lower the weights back down and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Nautilus Lateral Raises

Sit at a machine, grasping the handles:

Inhale and raise the elbows to horizontal
Exhale at the end of the movement.

This exercise uses the deltoid (focusing most of the effort on the middle deltoid) and the supraspinatus, located under the deltoid. If raising the arm above horizontal, the upper portion of the trapezius also becomes involved.

Comment: This is an excellent beginning exercise because you don't have to worry about your form or positioning, and it allows long sets of repetitions.

Variations:

Cable Lateral Raises: Stand next to a cable machine with a D-handle attached to the low pulley. Grasp the handle with your outside hand and lift it up to shoulder height, keeping your arm straight and your palm facing down. Lower the handle back down and repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch to the other side.
Dumbbell Lateral Raises: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body. Lift the weights out to the side to shoulder height, keeping your arms straight and your palms facing down. Lower the weights back down and repeat for the desired number of reps.
Plate Lateral Raises: Hold a weight plate with both hands, with your palms facing each other and the plate held in front of your thighs. Lift the plate out to the side to shoulder height, keeping your arms straight and your palms facing down. Lower the plate back down and repeat for the desired number of reps.
Resistance Band Lateral Raises: Stand on a resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp the band with both hands, palms facing each other. Lift the band out to the side to shoulder height, keeping your arms straight and your palms facing down. Lower the band back down and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Upright Rows

Stand with the legs slightly apart and back straight. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width as it rests against the thighs:

Inhale and pull the barbell up along the body to the chin keeping the elbows as high as possible.
Lower the bar in a controlled manner without abrupt movements.
Exhale at the end of the effort.

This exercise mainly uses the deltoid, trapezius, and biceps, and to a lesser degree, the muscles of the forearms, the
gluteal muscles, the lumbosacral group, and the abdominal muscles.
This is a fundamental exercise that is comprehensive and helps develop a “Hercules” physique.

Variations:

Barbell Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Raise the bar to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
Dumbbell Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body. Lift the weights to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
Cable Upright Rows: Stand facing a cable machine with a straight bar attachment, with the cable at its lowest setting. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip and pull it up towards your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
Smith Machine Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the bar of the Smith machine in front of you. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lift the bar to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
Kettlebell Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a kettlebell in each hand with your palms facing your body. Lift the weights to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
Banded Upright Rows: Stand on a resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the band with an overhand grip. Pull the band up towards your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.

Barbell Front Raises

Stand with the legs slightly apart and the back straight, contracting the abdominal muscles. Hold the barbell with an overhand grip as it rests against the thighs:

Inhale and raise the barbell with extended arms to eye level.
Exhale at the end of the movement.

This exercise contracts the anterior deltoid, the clavicular head of the pectoralis major, the infraspinatus, and, to a lesser degree, the trapezius, serratus anterior, and short head of biceps.
If you continue raising the arms, the posterior deltoid contracts, reinforcing the work of the other muscles and allowing you to raise the arms to vertical.
The exercise may also be performed with your back to a low pulley and the cable passing between the legs.

Single-Arm Barbell Front Raise: This variation involves performing the exercise with one arm at a time. This allows you to focus on each side individually and can help to correct any muscle imbalances.
Alternating Barbell Front Raise: This variation involves performing the exercise by raising the barbell with one arm, lowering it, and then raising it with the other arm. This allows you to work both sides of the body and adds a coordination challenge to the exercise.
Barbell Upright Row: This variation involves raising the barbell from your waist to your chin, pulling your elbows up and back towards your body. This targets the front and side deltoids, as well as the upper back and trapezius muscles.
Barbell Clean and Press: This variation involves lifting the barbell from the floor to overhead, while simultaneously cleaning the bar to your shoulders. This targets the entire shoulder girdle, as well as the legs, back, and core.
Barbell Push Press: This variation involves performing a quarter-squat and then explosively lifting the barbell from your shoulders to overhead, using your legs to help drive the weight up. This is a great exercise for building explosive power in the shoulders and entire body.