The Ultimate Upper Body
3 multimuscle moves to chisel your back and shoulders.
TRAINER'S STRATEGY
For better definition and beautiful posture, do multimuscle exercises that involve pulling motions to boost strength and stability in your upper back and shoulders.
WHY IT WORKS
These moves from trainer Jessica Perry zero in on your upper-back and shoulder muscles. Many everyday activities pull your upper body forward; these exercises help draw it back, increasing both muscle strength and endurance. You'll start with a modified pull-up on a Smith machine, which involves lifting your body weight against gravity. Next, the one-arm reverse cable fly will require you to stabilize your torso as you work each arm individually. By then, your muscles will be pre-fatigued, so you'll get deep into your upper back with the bent-over one-arm wide row.
MUSCLE MECHANICS
The main upper-back muscles are the trape- zius, rhomboids and levator scapulae. The trapezius attaches to the base of the skull, midback vertebrae and collarbone. The upper part is involved in overhead pushing actions. The middle part, along with the rhomboids, draws your shoulder blades back and down. The lower part pulls your shoulder blades down and helps draw your arms back toward your body. The levator scapulae, which attaches at the top of the cervical spine and inserts on the top edge of the scapula, helps lift your shoulders. The deltoids comprise three heads that have different origins but insert on your upper arm. The anterior head helps raise your arm up and forward, and rotates it in. The posterior head moves your arm to the rear and rotates it out. The lateral head lifts your arm to the side and assists the other heads in their movements. Your rotator-cuff muscles -- the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis -- stabilize the shoulder joint.
DETAILS
You'll need a Smith machine or a secure pull-up bar, a cable-pulley machine with a single-handle attachment, a set of 5- to 15-pound dumbbells and a flat bench. Warm up with 5 minutes of cardio on a rowing machine or dual-action elliptical trainer. Cool down by stretching your shoulders and back muscles, holding each stretch for at least 30 seconds without bouncing.
By Stacy Whitman
Ketchum, Idaho-based freelance writer Stacy Whitman hits the weight room twice a week to build upper-body strength for skate skiing, her new favorite winter sport.
Cheers,
Eve :-)
TRAINER'S STRATEGY
For better definition and beautiful posture, do multimuscle exercises that involve pulling motions to boost strength and stability in your upper back and shoulders.
WHY IT WORKS
These moves from trainer Jessica Perry zero in on your upper-back and shoulder muscles. Many everyday activities pull your upper body forward; these exercises help draw it back, increasing both muscle strength and endurance. You'll start with a modified pull-up on a Smith machine, which involves lifting your body weight against gravity. Next, the one-arm reverse cable fly will require you to stabilize your torso as you work each arm individually. By then, your muscles will be pre-fatigued, so you'll get deep into your upper back with the bent-over one-arm wide row.
MUSCLE MECHANICS
The main upper-back muscles are the trape- zius, rhomboids and levator scapulae. The trapezius attaches to the base of the skull, midback vertebrae and collarbone. The upper part is involved in overhead pushing actions. The middle part, along with the rhomboids, draws your shoulder blades back and down. The lower part pulls your shoulder blades down and helps draw your arms back toward your body. The levator scapulae, which attaches at the top of the cervical spine and inserts on the top edge of the scapula, helps lift your shoulders. The deltoids comprise three heads that have different origins but insert on your upper arm. The anterior head helps raise your arm up and forward, and rotates it in. The posterior head moves your arm to the rear and rotates it out. The lateral head lifts your arm to the side and assists the other heads in their movements. Your rotator-cuff muscles -- the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis -- stabilize the shoulder joint.
DETAILS
You'll need a Smith machine or a secure pull-up bar, a cable-pulley machine with a single-handle attachment, a set of 5- to 15-pound dumbbells and a flat bench. Warm up with 5 minutes of cardio on a rowing machine or dual-action elliptical trainer. Cool down by stretching your shoulders and back muscles, holding each stretch for at least 30 seconds without bouncing.
By Stacy Whitman
Ketchum, Idaho-based freelance writer Stacy Whitman hits the weight room twice a week to build upper-body strength for skate skiing, her new favorite winter sport.
Cheers,
Eve :-)
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