Saturday - Chest, Back, Shoulders

barbell bench press

Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, held at chest level with palms facing forward. Keep your feet flat on the ground and engage your core. Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended, ensuring the weights stay in line with your chest. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout. Keep your elbows at about a 75-degree angle during the movement to reduce shoulder strain. Maintain a neutral spine and avoid arching your back excessively.

To perform cable crossovers, start by adjusting the pulleys on a cable machine to the highest position. Stand in the center of the machine with a handle in each hand. Step forward slightly to create tension in the cables. With a slight bend in your elbows, pull the handles down and across your body in a wide arc until your hands meet in front of you at about waist height. Squeeze your chest muscles at the peak of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the motion. Ensure your core is engaged and avoid leaning forward or backward during the exercise.

Sit at a lat pulldown station and grasp the handle with one hand using a supinated grip (palms facing you). Keep your torso upright and engage your core. Pull the handle down towards your chest by driving your elbow down and back, focusing on squeezing your back muscles. Keep your shoulder blades retracted and avoid using momentum. Slowly return the handle to the starting position with control, maintaining tension in the back muscles throughout. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions before switching arms.

Sit at a lat pulldown machine and grasp the wide bar with a narrow, shoulder-width grip, palms facing forward. Keep your torso upright and core engaged. Pull the bar down towards your upper chest, squeezing your back muscles as you bring the bar down. Control the movement on the way up, allowing your arms to extend fully without locking out the elbows. Maintain a slight lean back if necessary, but avoid using momentum. Keep your shoulders down and back throughout the movement to prevent shrugging. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sit at a pulldown machine and grasp the wide bar with a grip wider than shoulder-width. Keep your chest up and back straight. Pull the bar down towards your upper chest, squeezing your back muscles as you bring the bar down. Control the movement as you return the bar to the starting position with arms fully extended. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout the movement. Focus on engaging your back muscles rather than using momentum or leaning back excessively. For a partial variation, perform the pulldown with a limited range of motion, focusing on the top portion of the movement for increased tension on the upper back.

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing your torso). Bend slightly at the hips, keeping your back flat and core engaged. With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells outward and upward to shoulder height, focusing on squeezing the rear deltoids. Keep your elbows high and lead with your elbows rather than your hands. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position in a controlled manner. Maintain a slight bend in your knees and avoid swinging the weights for proper form.

To perform the Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise, start by standing upright with a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and maintain a slight bend in your elbows. Engage your core and ensure your back is straight. Slowly raise the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are parallel to the ground, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Hold for a moment at the top of the movement, then lower the weights back to the starting position in a controlled manner. Avoid swinging the weights and focus on using your shoulder muscles to lift.