One Only
May 3rd 2007 13:48
Today I propose to limit my workout to one movement per bodypart. The question thus is: what is the one movement per bodypart that is the most effective for the muscle as a whole. Here is my selection:
Shoulders: Seated dumbbell press. This does the best job of working the deltoid as a whole.I would do my presses simultaneously,since alternates are easier and allow for more auxiliary muscles to participate in the movement. I would also limit my peak to about 6 inches below absolute top to keep triceps from participating.
Traps: This is pretty easy. I would use barbell shrugs in a squat or deadlift cage. I would pile on the weight and use an overhand grip. Strict form will do plenty to your traps.
Back: Again easy. The chinning bar or a machine that mimics chins. There is a choice of grips I could use,but any grip will suffice. By bringing chinups to failure and then adding as much cheating as I could I would work my whole back.
Chest: Dumbell flyes off a flat bench. This is the best chest builder of them all, because the pectoral is fully stretched at the bottom and must do almost all the work of bringing the weight to the top of the movement. I would stop my up movement about 6 inches before the dumbbells touch at the top to keep the burden on the chest and not transfer it to the triceps.
Quads: Squat and enough said. If you don't do squats, you are not really training to anywhere near the max.
Calves: I might opt for standing calf raises with while holding a dumbbell and doing one leg at a time. This is the forgotten calf movement,but probably cannot be excelled by a machine exercise.
Abs: Another easy one. The ab crunch machine offers that best stimulation of upper and lower abs at the same time.
Biceps: Seated dumbbell curls. These hit both the muscles of the biceps. I would do both arms at the same time and the work load is thus much greater than the popular alternate method.
Triceps: Full dips. Nothing is better.
Hamstrings: Here the leg curl is the only game in town, but I feel that this muscle more than any other needs to be treated like two separate muscles. The stretch provided by the stiff legged deadlift is just such a beneficial movement that I think it should be in every workout of hams. Your servant, as always.
The evolution of the number one
Traps: This is pretty easy. I would use barbell shrugs in a squat or deadlift cage. I would pile on the weight and use an overhand grip. Strict form will do plenty to your traps.
Back: Again easy. The chinning bar or a machine that mimics chins. There is a choice of grips I could use,but any grip will suffice. By bringing chinups to failure and then adding as much cheating as I could I would work my whole back.
Chest: Dumbell flyes off a flat bench. This is the best chest builder of them all, because the pectoral is fully stretched at the bottom and must do almost all the work of bringing the weight to the top of the movement. I would stop my up movement about 6 inches before the dumbbells touch at the top to keep the burden on the chest and not transfer it to the triceps.
Quads: Squat and enough said. If you don't do squats, you are not really training to anywhere near the max.
Calves: I might opt for standing calf raises with while holding a dumbbell and doing one leg at a time. This is the forgotten calf movement,but probably cannot be excelled by a machine exercise.
Abs: Another easy one. The ab crunch machine offers that best stimulation of upper and lower abs at the same time.
Biceps: Seated dumbbell curls. These hit both the muscles of the biceps. I would do both arms at the same time and the work load is thus much greater than the popular alternate method.
Triceps: Full dips. Nothing is better.
Hamstrings: Here the leg curl is the only game in town, but I feel that this muscle more than any other needs to be treated like two separate muscles. The stretch provided by the stiff legged deadlift is just such a beneficial movement that I think it should be in every workout of hams. Your servant, as always.
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