Category Archives: Exercise of the Month

Exercise of the Month – Incline Bench Two Arm Dumbbell Row

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For this exercise you will need Dumbbells and an Incline bench, alternatively you can prop up one end of a straight bench.

Set Up

  • Set dumbbells down at the high end of the bench
  • Lay face down on the bench so that your chest is at the end of the bench
  • Your feet can either hang off the end of the bench or be placed on the floor on either side of the bench for stability

Action

  • Grasp the dumbbells with an overhand grip (palms facing you) and raise the dumbbells off the floor slightly
  • Keep your head up and your eyes looking forward, and then slowly raise the dumbbells up as far as possible
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement, and then lower the dumbbells back to the starting position

Teaching points

  • Keep your eyes up
  • Increase the intensity and effectiveness of the exercise by pausing for a count of 1-2 at the top of the movement

Check out our brand new video as Personal Trainer Ben Wilson demonstrates this month’s Exercise of the Month – The Incline Bench Two Arm Dumbell Row.


EOTM written by Oli Greiner, Gym Instructor, Caversham Health & Fitness

Any questions, please ask an instructor. Happy training!

For more information call us on 0118 948 4849

Exercise of the Month – The Barbell Floor Press

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The Barbell Floor Press is a fantastic exercise to help improve bench press performance. Training the horizontal pushing motion this exercise puts considerably less strain on the shoulders due to the reduced range of motion.

Club CHF Exercise of the month - Barbell Floor Press Club CHF Exercise of the month - Barbell Floor Press

Set Up:

  • Adjust the hooks on the cage so that the bar sits just short of the lock out position
  • Form a supine position on the floor
  • Your hands should be slightly beyond shoulder width apart
  • Your knees should be bent and your feet should be flat on the floor
  • Lie underneath the bar so the barbell is just below eye level
  • Hold the barbell with an overhand grip

Action:

  • Unrack the bar
  • Slowly lower your elbows, allowing them to just graze the floor (try not to pause on the floor)
  • Press back up

Andy Knight, Personal Trainer, Caversham Health & Fitness

Any questions, please ask an instructor. Happy training!

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Exercise of the Month – The Clean and Press

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The Clean and Press is an effective weight training compound exercise that works in every routine. It is beneficial for both weight loss and weight gain because of the number of muscles recruited.

This exercise works the body’s entire vertical movement plane by working the legs, back, core, arms and shoulders. By involving the both upper and lower body equally, the core is trained to transmit force through your midriff safely.

Exercise of the month clean and pressThe Technique

  • Start with the bar on the floor
  • Keep your back flat and knees bent
  • Drive hard through the legs pulling up the bar tight into your body
  • In the same motion pushing the elbows upwards until the bar is on your chest.
  • From here with as strict form as possible, press the bar over your head.
  • Be sure to lean into the bar once it is over your head, it keeps the bar in a much more neutral position.

Remember these key points;

  • Drive your hips forwards at the same rate as you drive your shoulders upwards for a clean lift.
  • Keep the bar close to your body as you lift to avoid placing stress on your spine.
  • Drive up from your legs through your core and into your upper body to accelerate the bar above your head.

For safe lifting I would suggest practicing this exercise in 3 steps.

1. Deadlift

2. Clean

3. Standing military press (aka BB shoulder press)

Remember to ask a trainer for help if you’re struggling with technique.

Good luck and happy training!

Exercise of the Month – The Dead Bug

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Start Position:

Lie on your back with your legs bent so that there is a 90-degree bend in both your hips and your knees.

Your knees should be slightly wider than hip width with your feet slightly medial of your knees. Adjust your spinal position so that it is as neutral as possible.

Please place a cushion or a block behind your head if your head is tilting back onto the floor.

Lift your arms over your chest so that there is a slight circle in your arms.

Take a good diaphragmatic breath (feel your ribs expand in all directions) and as you exhale draw your rib cage downwards and hold it in place with your diaphragm.

Action:

Slowly extend one arm over your head and at the same time straighten the opposite leg away. The aim is to maintain inner unit activation and your perfect spinal alignment throughout this exercise.

Repeat, alternating from right to left.

When you feel you cannot maintain a perfect technique, please stop this exercise.

The Dead Bug

Benefits:

The Dead Bug is a wonderful exercise for activating and strengthening the inner abdominal muscles (diaphragm, transverse abdominals, pelvic floor and multifidus)

Any questions, please ask an instructor. Happy training!

Caroline Riddall, Personal Trainer, Caversham Health & Fitness

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Exercise of the Month – The Sumo Deadlift

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What is it?

A popular variation on the compound exercise, the sumo deadlift involves picking a dead weight off the floor as in a standard deadlift however your stance is different. Instead of starting with legs shoulder-width apart and arms hanging by your sides, as in the conventional deadlift, you need to start with legs wide apart and arms hanging down between your legs. It can be performed with a barbell, kettle bell or dumbbell turned on its side.

Why use it?

As a compound exercise the sumo deadlift works many muscles and can be used as part of a strength program. The main difference with sumo stance is that it involves the legs much more than the back and so it’s good to involve in your leg routine or just to add a bit of variety from the standard deadlift. Due to the wider stance you work the inside of your legs (adductors). An advantage of the sumo stance is that there is less distance for the bar to travel as you are already closer to the ground, it might suit you better depending on your body structure.

Set up

Foot position – find something that is comfortable for you, there is no ‘right’ way of doing things.

The two things you need to consider are:

How far apart are your feet – The wider you have your feet the better, but this can be uncomfortable on the hips, the most comfortable position will vary from person to person. Try a few different distances and see how they feel.

How far out to turn your feet – It is better to turn the foot out as close to 90 degrees as possible, the more your feet are turned out the easier it is on your knees and hips as your feet are more in line with your leg. However you may find it harder to balance.

  • Having positioned your feet in the way you want them under the bar, squat down and take hold of the bar.
  • Arms should be hanging straight down between your legs and should grip the bar where they naturally hang with an overhand or mixed grip.
  • Be careful not to bend at the elbows.
  • Shoulders should be back and down.
  • Your backside should be right down as close to parallel with the floor as you can get it.
  • Try to keep your knees in line with your toes as much as possible throughout the lift.
  • Take a deep breath in.

Action

  • As you start to lift the bar, the power is coming from your legs and your hips being driven forward. Really focus on pushing through your heels hard and then drive your hips forward.
  • Keep the bar as close to your body as you can.
  • Keep your knees in line with your feet.
  • Continue pushing through the legs until you reach the lock out position drive through the hips.
  • Lower the bar to the floor keeping a controlled movement (don’t drop it!) do the reverse of the starting movement. Keep you back flat and your shoulders back, with the bar close to your body.

Sumo deadliftTarget muscles

Main muscle – Erector Spinae (lower back)

Assisting muscles - Gluteus Maximus (backside); Adductor Magnus; (inside leg); Quadriceps (thigh); Soleus (calf).

Dynamic stabilizers – Hamstring (back of leg) ; Gastrocnemius (calf)

Stabilizers – Trapezius  (upper back); Levator Scapulae (neck); Rhomboids (upper middle back)

Please do not hesitate to ask one of the trainers to give you a demo if you are unsure about any part of the exercise.

Oli Alliston-Greinier, Personal Trainer, Caversham Health & Fitness

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