serratus

Dumbbell Pullovers

dumbbell pullovers

I read a Frederic Delavier’s book « Strength Training Anatomy » and I learned good stuff.

Lying on a bench with your feet on the ground. You take a dumbbell with both hands and your arms outstretched. The dumbbell is on your palms and your thumbs and forefingers encircling the handle:

  • Inhale and lower the dumbbell behind your head by slightly bending your elbows

  • Exhale returning to the starting position

This exercise work pectoralis major, triceps long head, teres major, lats and a little bit serratus anterior, rhomboids and pectoralis minor. The serratus anterior, rhomboids and pectoralis minor have the function to stabilize the scapulae (shoulder blades) and to allow the humerus to tilt over a stable support.

It’s possible to do this exercise only to open the rib cage. To do this, work with lightweights and be careful to not bend your elbows too much. And it’s necessary to use a bench in a transverse position so that your pelvis is lower than your shoulder girdles. It’s important to inhale as much as possible at the beginning of the movement and to exhale only at the end of the movement.

dumbbell pullovers

Share this article if you think it can help someone you know. Thank you.

-Steph

Bench Press

bench press

I read a Frederic Delavier’s book « Strength Training Anatomy » and there is good stuff.

Lying on a horizonzal bench with your butt glued to the bench and your feet on the ground :

  • Takes the barbell with a pronated grip. The distance of your hands is wider than the width of your shoulder.

  • Inhale and lower the barbell by controlling the movement to your torso.

  • Press and exhale at the end of the movement.

This exercice work mainly the pectorals and a little bit triceps, anterior deltoids, serratus and coracobrachialis.

Variants

  1. You can do this exercise by arching you back like powerlifters, This allows you to use your lower chest which are more powerful for lifting heavier weights. But you have to pay attention to your back if you want to avoid injury, caution.

  2. You ca do this exercise by making the press with your elbows along your body to work more your anterior deltoids.

  3. You can do this exercie by changing the gap between your hands :

    your hands closer => inner chest

    your hands wider => outer chest

  4. You can do this exercise by changing the trajectory of the barbell :

    By lowering the barbell to the lower chest (near the edge of the rib cage) to work the lower pectorals

    By lowering the barbell to the middle of the chest to work the medial pectorals

    By lowering the barbell to the upper chest/lower nech area to work the upper pectorals

  5. If you have pain in the back or you want a better isolation of the pectoral work, you can do the « press » with your legs raised.

  6. You can do this exercise with a Smith machine.

Share this article if you think it can help someone you know. Thank you.

-Steph

Incline Press

incline press

I read a Frederic Delavier’s book « Strength Training Anatomy » and there is good stuff.

Sitting on a bench inclined between 45° and 60° and takes the barbell with a pronated grip. The grip is wider than your shoulders :

  • Inhale and lower the barbell until it reaches your jugular notch (upper chest at the base of your neck).

  • Press the barbell back up to straight arms length, exhalting at the end of the movement.

This exercises works the upper pectorals, anterior deltoids, triceps and serratus anterior.

Note : Incline press doesn’t firm the women’s breasts. It’s a myth, incline press doesn’t slow down the fall of the women’s breasts. The breasts composed of fat containing mamarry glands. The whole held on a web of connective tissue and it’s placed on pectoralis major muscle.

Share this article if you think it can help someone you know. Thank you.

-Steph

Barbell Front Raises

barbell front raises

I read a Frederic Delavier’s book « Strength Training Anatomy » and there is good stuff.

Standing with legs slightly apart. Your back straight with your abs contracted. Place a barball on your thinghs with a pronated grip and you have arms outstrechted :

  • Inhale and raises the barbell until the level of your eyes

  • Back to the start position slowly by avoiding shaking

  • Exhale at the end of the movement

This exercice mainly works your anterior deltoids, your upper pectorals, infraspinatus and a little bit your trapezius, serratus anterior and your short head of your biceps.

If you raise higher up, your posterior deltoids also work to help raise your arms vertically.

This exercice can also be done at the low pulley. Put your back against the machine with the cable passing between your legs.

Note : Your brachial biceps works a little bit in alll anterior elevation of your arm.

Share this article if you think it can help someone you know. Thank you.

-Steph

Front Raise

front raises anatomy dumbbell shoulder

I read a Frederic Delavier’s book « Strength Training Anatomy » and there is good stuff.

front raises anatomy dumbbell shoulder

Standing with your legs slightly apart. Take a dumbbell in each hand in pronation. You can keep dumbbells on your thighs or on the side :

  • Inhale and make an alternate raise of your arms forward (or antepulsion) until your eyes level.

  • Exhale at the end of movement

front raises anatomy dumbbell shoulder

This exercise work mainly deltoid’s anterior beams, clavicular beam of the pectoralis major and a little less the rest of deltoid. In all arm raise movements, scapula fixators (shoulder blades) on rib cage such as anterior serratus and rhomboids, are also used allowing humerus to tilt on a stable support.

front raises anatomy dumbbell shoulder

Subscribe to my newsletter and share this article if you think it can help someone you know. Thank you.

-Steph

One Arm Dumbbell Press

one arm dumbbell press

I read a Frederic Delavier’s book « Strength Training Anatomy » and there is good stuff.

Sitting on a bench with your back straight. Your arms bend with your elbows forward. A dumbbell in each hand in supinated grip (thumbs inwards) and at the level of shoulders :

  • Inhale and press your arm vertically by rotating your wrists at 90° to have your hands in pronation (thumbs outwards).

  • Exhale at the end of the movement

This exercise work deltoid muscles, mainly the anterior bundles and the clavicular bundle of the pectoralis major, triceps brachial, trapezius and anterior serratus.

chest shoulder muscles

Variant

We can do this exercise :

  • Sitting with a backrest to prevent excessive arching of the back

  • Standing

  • Alternatively, one arm after other

Note

Train with elbows forward, we limit excessive friction at the elbows joint, which can trigger inflammations than can lead to severe pathologies. This movement is recommended to people with fragile shoulders. This is to replace traumatic exercises like back press or dumbbell press.

-Steph

Dumbbell Press

dumbbell press shouler

I read a Frederic Delavier’s book « Strength Training Anatomy » and there is good stuff.

Sitting on a bench with your back straight. Take dumbells in pronation (thumbs inwards) at shoulders height :

  • Inhale and press to have dumbells over your head

  • Exhale at the end of the movement

This exercice works deltoids (mainly medial deltoids), trapezius, serratus anterior muscle and triceps.

This movement can be done standing or alternating arms. The seated version helps to prevent excessive arching of the back.

Subscribe to my newsletter and share this article if you think it can help someone you know.

-Steph