Tag Archives: gym

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!

We have some fantastic offers on personal training at Club CHF with our in-house personal trainers. Try our new PT Taster – 3 personal training sessions for £60

For more information call us on 0118 948 4849

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!

Get Fitter & Stronger – Spartan Training

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Personal Trainer Andy KnightWhen I started Spartan training I believed it was something that the gym had been missing and a chance to give certain members the chance to indulge in the more rigorous aspects of training in a group scenario.

Having a keen interest in boxing, I’ve always loved the gritty blood, sweat and tears atmosphere found throughout the boxing gyms across the world. It’s no mistake that those who spend time perfecting the sweet science of boxing are supremely conditioned athletes who have learned that extra bit of steel through putting in 110% effort.

As well as focus pad work, I share a few of the secrets that have been taught to me over the years that go into creating supremely fit athletes.

There are no bells and whistles to go with some cheesy music, just a strong work ethic and desire to better yourself that keeps everybody getting fitter, stronger and conditioned further than they had ever thought was possible.

Make no mistake; the first few weeks will be hellishly difficult. As you persist however, you’ll find that your endurance and work capacity will sky-rocket. Whether you’re a casual runner, gym goer, sports person or martial artist, you are guaranteed progress.

Andy Knight, Personal Trainer, Caversham Health & Fitness

Join Andy for Spartan Training every Tuesday, 19:30 at Caversham Health and Fitness.

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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Enjoy all the benefits of the gym until the end of the year and your first direct debit payment won’t be taken until 1st January 2013*

Join online or call us on 0118 948 4849 to get started

Advanced Lifting

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Advanced Lifting at Club CHFThe Advanced Lifting class is a weights session for those looking for new weight routines and exercises for different muscle groups. The class will also improve weight lifters knowledge on how to get the most out of a weights session.

Many gym goers who begin to weight train don’t understand the technique and will often start too heavy. Instructor Ben will teach you to train correctly before you pick up the bad habits.

Each week Ben will focus on a different part of the body and provide technique corrections and routine recommendations along with an explanation to the training method and what the benefits are for each exercise.

Come and try… Advanced Lifting every Wednesday at 19:30

Sessions are limited to just 3 participants to allow time for individual attention.
Free for members or £7.50 for non-members. To book please call reception on 0118 948 4849