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Using a wall as support, balance your body in the handstand position with just your feet against a wall or non moving structure. Hands should be shoulder width apart. Lower your body by bending your arms in a fluid movement and then lifting yourself back up all the while using your feet against the wall (or car) to maintain your balance.
Due to the difficulty, you may want to begin training first by simply holding a handstand position, and then gradually doing the pushup with a reduced range of motion working your way up to the full range of motion of the pushup.
In my video, I have increased the range of motion of the exercise and the difficulty by performing the pushups using weights that raise my hands approximately 4 inches from the floor, thereby allowing a deeper pushup, (handle grips can be used also). The weights also allow me to change the position of my hands to be parallel with the wall, or at a 90 degree angle from the wall; working the muscles from every angle.
The best thing about this exercise is that it can be performed almost anywhere, without the need for weights, whenever you need that extra pump. Just make sure you have enough space away from the wall in case you do lose your balance!
The shoulder shrug is a fairly simple exercise used to develop the upper traps. However, it does allow for variations in resistance and grips.
The basics of the exercise are to stand erect, with your hands shoulder width apart, raise your shoulders as high as possible, hold the position for a few seconds and then lower them, while not bending the elbows, or moving the body at all.
Obviously, the more resistance (weight), the more effective the exercise is on developing the traps. You shouldn't, though, start with a weight that is more than you can handle, since the strength of your grip is also required; however there should be enough resistance to challenge yourself.
The use of dumbbells, one in each hand held to your sides with your palms facing in, is said to be the most effective position for the shoulder shrug. Using dumbbells makes the line of pull the most direct, which stimulates the growth of the trapezius the best. You should perform three (3) sets of ten (10) reps each, gradually increasing the weight in each set if you are able.
A barbell may be used instead of dumbbells which allows for overhand, inside, outside, underhand or mixed grips. The barbell can be held in front of the thighs, resting on the quadriceps, or behind, resting on the hamstrings.
The shoulder dumbbell fly, often called a lateral raise, works the Anterior and Lateral Deltoid muscles of the shoulder and the trapezius muscles. It is extremely important to work with dumbbell weights that challenge you but are not too heavy. Working with too much weight could affect your form, making the exercise less effective as well as causing the ever so common, shoulder injuries.
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