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Auxiliary Lift Ideas and General Resources

General Resources and Interesting Links

Resources for Chest

Correct Form For Flat Bench

1. Straighten your arms and grip the bar directly where your hands hit the bar (most people grip the bar too wide)

2. Bring the bar down to just above the nipples

3. Keep your  elbows tucked in to where it takes the strain off your shoulders

4. Keep your butt on the bench

5. Breathe in on the way down and exhale as you push up

      ** Form is everything. Better to have a spotter help you get the weight up than writhe to twist and get the weight up yourself

This link provides a decent explanation of how to do various types of bench:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6I0z_d4xqY



Resources for Back

Correct Form For Deadlift

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder's width apart (as if you were a bouncer)

2. Grip the bar just outside your legs

3. Bring your shoulders back and your chest out

4. Lock your lower back

5. Drive through your heels and thrust your hips forward

6. Drop the weight and repeat

     **Once you are in position, your first movement should be driving through your heels and thrusting your hips forward. Most people do it wrong by jerking with the lower back and putting the strain on the lower back



This link provides a decent demonstration of the correct form:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xwJzLQTKYQ

      

          **This guy says you should always wear a belt. It certainly is safer. However, I will rep over 400 or 500 lbs without a belt and I like the way it strengthens my back. However, I know that if I do it wrong just once, it could cause serious problems.

Resources for Shoulders

Correct Form For Cleans

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder's width apart (as if you were a bouncer)

2. Grip the bar just outside your legs

3. Bring your shoulders back and your chest out

4. Lock your lower back

5. Drive up through your legs as if you were trying to jump as high as you can

6. Bring the weight up keeping it about 2-3 inches from your body during the entire movement of the lift. 

7. Snap under the weight by dropping into a squat position and allowing your hands to slide under the bar by throwing your elbows up (pointing out at 90 degrees in front of you)

     **If somebody were to take a picture of you right before you snap under the weight, you ought to be standing on your toes with a straight back and the bar about 2-3 inches directly in front of your shoulders (basically looking like a monkey with a barbell in your hands)

8. Stand up, drop the weight and repeat



This link provides a decent demonstration of the correct form:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46cCnuFPG8w

    

Shocking your Muscles

This links teaches some interesting things about what really builds muscle when doing your reps. I would apply this knowledge once you have learned the correct form for all of the lifts. Switching up your form/rep schedule stimulates growth: http://www.t-nation.com/training/break-3-rules-build-more-muscle

Resources for Triceps

Auxiliary Triceps Workouts

-Diamond Push-ups 

       (hands forming a diamond with your thumb and your pointer finger touching-come down and touch your chin to the ground so that your sternum lands in the middle of your diamond)

-Skull Crushers

   (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdqzYZmL2Bc)

-Hanging  extensions

       (go to a squat rack, put the bar about 3 feet above ground, get into position as if you were going to do a pushup from the bar, rather than do a pushup, let your head dip below the bar and push your elbows towards the wall in front of you. Keeping your elbows in, drive from your triceps to straighten your arm back up to a pushup position)

-Bent Over DB extensions

-Overhead Cable Extensions

-Rope Extensions

-Weighted Dips

-Bench Dips

   (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPXJMzFXFvc)

-Triceps Machines

-Overhead DB Extensions

-Overhead Bar Extensions

 

 



Resources for Biceps

Auxiliary Biceps Workouts

-Chin-Ups (assisted if necessary)​

-Barbell Curls  

-Infierno

   (using a curved bar and leaning with your back against the wall bring the bar half way up  (about level with your nipple) 8 times (or however many reps you are doing that day), then immediately bring the bar up to your neck and go half way down 8 times, and then immediately do 8 full reps...all of this counts as one set. Repeat 4 times)

-DB Hammer Curls

-Rope Curls

-DB or Bar Preacher Curls

-Biceps Machine

-DB or Bar Pyramid

    (doing one continuous exercise consisting of 4 sets with consecutive increases in weight and then 4 sets back down with consecutive decreases in weight-starting light and then getting heavier with each set and then getting lighter with each set)

-Reverse Preacher Curls

 

   ** note-a lot of guys do biceps curls (of all types) wrong by swinging to get the weight up. Imagine a rod has been driven through one elbow, through both sides of your torso, and then through the other elbow-basically your elbows should stay in the same place throughout the whole workout) and your back should be straight. Also, make sure you fully straighten your arm between each rep.

Resources for Legs

Correct Form for Squats

1. stand with your feet about shoulder width apart (like you would if you were a bouncer)

2. Grip the bar just a little wider than you would on bench

3. Come up under the bar with the bar resting on the muscles just behind your neck (those muscles pop up when you do the classic bicep flex and bring your elbows and wrists back-the bar should not be resting on your neck). Getting into squats will probably be a little uncomfortable on those muscles but within 2 or 3 weeks they will be used to it. You can use a pad if one is available

4. Keep your shoulders back as far as you can, your check foward, and your lower back locked and come down to 90 degress

5. Drive from your heels and through your legs to come back up to your original position

(do NOT lean forward to use your back to help you come back up-you can really injure your back this way). You will know you are doing it correctly if you are feeling it in your legs rather than your lower back). If you are unfamiliar with form,  remember that you should be able to lift your toes during any point in the exercise. Use a weight belt if necessary to protect your back while you learn the form.



This link provides a decent demonstration of the correct form: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy28eq2PjcM

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