Hindu push-ups. A set of simple exercises for the waist. Target Muscles: Thighs

Fitness or bodybuilding. Each athlete is individual, so new exercises borrowed from other sports appear in the industry. One of these exercises was Indian push-ups.

Who needs to do the exercise and why?

What are Indian push-ups and why are they so important for an athlete? This is a basic exercise that is used more by beginner athletes. Its main benefit is to engage the back muscles and increase the load on the abdominal muscles compared to simple push-ups. They will be a good option for practicing at home, or while traveling, when you have access to sports equipment does not seem possible.

Benefit

Indian push-ups came from oriental medicine and are general strengthening exercise. However, their mechanics, with a big stretch, can be equated to basic movements. From the point of view of benefits for the athlete, this complex is capable of:

  • Significantly increase testosterone production in the body;
  • Neutralize the main catabolic processes;
  • Strengthen ligaments, thanks to very specific load;
  • Replace the main basic complexes in the absence of sports equipment.

Well, the most important advantage of Indian push-ups is their high efficiency. Thanks to the non-standard angle of working out the pectoral pectoral muscles, you can shock them and overcome a strength plateau, which is important for athletes who have difficulty further increasing their athletic performance. Another important feature of this eastern exercise is the extensive involvement of the spinal muscles. This is especially useful for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not yet strive to visit Gym, but wants to prevent osteochondrosis, osteoporosis and other vertebral diseases.

Contraindications and harm

Unlike the axial loads that occur during lower and upper back exercises, Indian push-ups are memorable for their ability to help recover from injury. And most importantly, they do not have any specific contraindications, except:

  1. The presence of severe muscular dystrophy;
  2. The presence of a prolapsed hernia;
  3. Kyphotic curvature of the spine;
  4. Diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract;
  5. Postoperative periods when working with abdominal muscles;
  6. Hypertension.

The only harm these push-ups can do is increase the pressure. And then, this is only possible if you seriously violate breathing technique while performing the exercise.

What muscles work?

During Indian push-ups, significantly more different muscle groups are involved than with classical push-ups. However, the load on them is distributed more evenly, which somewhat reduces the effectiveness of this exercise as a basic one.

Muscle group Load type Accent
Breasts Main active Significant
Pectoral bundles Additional active Small
Triceps extensor Main active Significant
Psoas muscles Additional active Small
Core muscles Additional active Small
Abdominal muscles Main active Significant
Front delts Main active Significant
Upper deltas Main active Significant
Rear delts Additional active Absent
Biceps flexor arm stabilizing Absent
Forearm muscles Main active Significant
Psoas muscles Stabilizing Absent
Trapezoidal Stabilizing Absent
Quadriceps Main active Significant
Calf Main active Significant

Features of the technology

Main feature Indian push-ups are a very specific exercise technique. For many athletes, it will seem very distorted and incorrect. But let's take a closer look.

  • First you need to stand upright while lying down;
  • After taking the position, place your hands slightly narrower than shoulder width (something between a grasshopper and classic push-ups);
  • Next you need to do reverse deflection in back. Those. raise the gluteal region while maintaining a general deflection in the lower back;
  • At the moment you begin to bend your arms, you need to move your body, pressing your buttocks, and shifting your body slightly forward in relation to your arms;
  • In the lower phase of the movement you need to linger a little (for 1-2 seconds);
  • Next, when exiting the push-up, you need to increase the arch in your back, imitating the “cat” movement.

Breathing deserves special mention. An important feature of the exercise is the fact that it is highly not recommended to use a full breath when performing it. Everything is done on a half-inhalation with tension in the diaphragm muscles to hold the air. Exhale when exiting the push-up. This exercise should be performed at a moderate pace.

Conclusion

Indian push-ups- this is not a panacea, in addition, they have a large limitation regarding progression. If available weak ligaments, you will not be able to progress in this exercise. In addition, the mechanics of the exercise bind the athlete, preventing the use of additional weights. At the same time, this complex is able to support the body in the postoperative period, get into shape faster, and most importantly, helps both men and women. And the low intensity of the load reduces the risk of injury to virtually zero.

Hindu push-ups, dandas or as they are also called Indian presses are unique exercise, which develops not only strength in the upper body, but also helps improve the flexibility of the spine. It is believed that the movement in its current form was borrowed from the training arsenal of Indian wrestlers. People who are interested in yoga will clearly perceive in it a similarity to the pose of a dog, which first looks down and then up.

Benefits of exercise

Indian push-ups, proven over centuries, when performed regularly, will allow you to experience a number of positive effects:

  • Strengthening the muscles of the shoulders, arms and chest. Development muscle strength and endurance.
  • Improving spinal flexibility, training the back and core muscles.
  • Changing the position of the body from the usual to an inverted one stimulates the functioning of the circulatory system, improves the condition of the vessels of the head and prevents congestion in the pelvis.
  • Stretching the pectoral muscles and abs in the second phase of the exercise allows you to increase the work performed by these muscles, and therefore increase the effectiveness of the training.

Contraindications to performing the exercise are high blood pressure, headache, vascular diseases of the head, injuries shoulder joints, in women - menstruation.

Load distribution

In general, the load during the exercise is distributed in a similar way to regular push-ups. The main work is performed by the triceps, pectoralis major muscles and, unlike traditional push-ups, this exercise forces the front deltoid muscles to actively work.

Additionally, spinal extensors, abs, and small core muscles are involved. In other words, the load map is quite extensive and you can safely include this exercise in your upper body training program.

Execution technique

The exercise can be roughly divided into two phases, when you move forward and go back. Let's look at them in detail.

Starting position: take a lying position, placing your palms slightly wider than your shoulders. Then move your feet closer to your hands so that your pelvis rises up. The pelvis must be raised so that the arms are in line with the body and neck. At the same time, the lower back is slightly arched, the legs remain as straight as possible. If you do yoga, it's simple: get into downward-facing dog pose.


Initial position

Performing push-ups:

  1. Raise your head so you can look ahead. Bend your elbows and lower your chest almost to the floor, arching your back. Try not to bend your legs. It's like you're ducking under an obstacle. At the same time, the body moves forward.
  2. Once past the bottom point, push yourself up and forward, fully extending your arms. At the same time, the pelvis goes down, the back is arched as much as possible. Yogis take an upward-facing dog pose, with only their feet resting on their toes.
  3. Now you need to perform the entire movement in reverse order and return to the starting position. Push your pelvis back and bend your arms. We move our chest above the floor, extend our arms and lift our pelvis.
  4. Repeat the movement the required number of times.

During the exercise, your chest moves in an arc. The movement is done smoothly without jerking. First you need to do several bends, waves and twists, thus stretching your back and stretching your spine. You can use it on triceps and chest days.

Execution technique.

Indian push-ups can also be performed as morning exercises. Exercise perfectly invigorates, accelerates metabolism and tones the cardiovascular system.

Regularly performing Hindu push-ups will significantly strengthen your arms, chest and shoulders, as well as your back and abdominal muscles.

Hindu push-ups, dandas, or as they are also called the Indian press, are a unique exercise that develops not only the strength and endurance of the muscles of the upper body, but also helps improve the flexibility of the spine.

It is believed that the movement in its current form was borrowed from the training arsenal of Indian wrestlers. People who are interested in yoga will clearly perceive in it a similarity to the pose of a dog, which first looks down and then up.

Benefits of exercise

Indian push-ups, proven over centuries, when performed regularly, will allow you to experience a number of positive effects:

Contraindications to perform the exercise are high blood pressure, headache, vascular diseases of the head, injuries to the shoulder joints, and in women - menstruation.

Load distribution

In general, the load during the exercise is distributed in a similar way to regular push-ups. The main work is performed by the triceps, pectoralis major muscles and, unlike traditional push-ups, this exercise forces the anterior deltoid muscles to actively work.

Additionally, spinal extensors, abs, and small core muscles are involved. In other words, the load map is quite extensive and you can safely include this exercise in your upper body training program.

Execution technique

The exercise can be roughly divided into two phases, when you move forward and go back. Let's look at them in detail.

Starting position: take a lying position, placing your palms slightly wider than your shoulders. Then move your feet closer to your hands so that your pelvis rises up. The pelvis must be raised so that the arms are in line with the body and neck. At the same time, the lower back is slightly arched, the legs remain as straight as possible. If you do yoga, it's simple: get into downward-facing dog pose.

Performing push-ups:

  • 1. Raise your head so that you can look ahead. Bend your elbows and lower your chest almost to the floor, arching your back. Try not to bend your legs. It's like you're ducking under an obstacle. At the same time, the body moves forward.
  • 2.After passing the bottom point, push yourself up and forward, fully extending your arms. At the same time, the pelvis goes down, the back is arched as much as possible. Yogis take an upward-facing dog pose, with only their feet resting on their toes.
  • 3.Now you need to perform the entire movement in reverse order and return to the starting position. Push your pelvis back and bend your arms. We move our chest above the floor, extend our arms and lift our pelvis.
  • 4.Repeat the movement the required number of times.

During the exercise, your chest moves in an arc. The movement is done smoothly without jerking. First you need to do several bends, waves and twists, thus stretching your back and stretching your spine. You can use it on triceps and chest days.

Indian push-ups can also be performed as a morning exercise. Exercise perfectly invigorates, accelerates metabolism and tones the cardiovascular system.

Regularly performing Hindu push-ups will significantly strengthen your arms, chest and shoulders, as well as your back and abdominal muscles.

Hindu push-ups, also known as Hindu push-ups, are basic exercise, designed to develop flexibility of the spinal column and strengthen the muscles of the thoracic region, arms and core. To perform an Indian press, no special equipment or equipment is required. high level physical training. The exercise is suitable for both beginner athletes and professionals.

Benefits of exercise

These push-ups are an example of a classic multi-joint exercise. The more joints and muscle groups involved during a workout, the more effective it will be.

Hindu push-ups, due to the specifics of their implementation, have additional positive effects:
  • changing body position makes the spinal column more flexible and also stimulates the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
  • specific load helps strengthen ligaments;
  • performing Hindu on a regular basis increases the strength and endurance of the pectoral muscles, back, abs, legs and arms;
  • Indian bench press increases the production of the hormone testosterone, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of training and neutralizing catabolic processes.

Contraindications and harm

Hindu push-ups, unlike axial load exercises, have minimal restrictions.

Performing Hindu is contraindicated only in the following cases:

  • hypertension;
  • muscular dystrophy;
  • curvature of the thoracic spine;
  • gastrointestinal diseases;
  • prolapsed hernia;
  • rehabilitation period after abdominal surgery.

Load distribution

Hindu push-ups work more muscle groups than classic version this exercise.

The main burden is borne by:

  • pectoral muscles;
  • shoulders;
  • muscles of the forearm;
  • triceps;
  • press;
  • quadriceps;
  • caviar.

The muscles of the lower back, biceps and trapezius act as stabilizers.

Correct technique

The technique of performing the Indian press may seem distorted, but it allows you to place more emphasis on strength indicators.

Important! Watch your breathing while doing the exercise. Inhale when moving forward and arching your back, and exhale when you return to the starting position, before a new approach.

The exercise is performed as follows:
  1. Starting position - lying down, arms slightly wider than shoulders.
  2. Lift your pelvis up, forming a reverse arch in your back. For those familiar with yoga, get into Downward-Facing Dog pose. Raise your head, bend your elbows and lower your chest as low as possible to the floor. Move your body forward, arching your back, as if ducking under an obstacle. Try not to bend your legs.
  3. From the bottom point, push up, fully extending your arms. Create a maximum arch in your back, stretch your pelvis towards the floor. Get into Upward-Facing Dog pose.
  4. After this, bend your elbows and push your pelvis back. Thoracic department walk low to the floor, straighten your arms and push your buttocks up.

Video: Hindu push-up technique Try to make movements smoothly, without rushing. Avoid jerking. Choose the optimal number of approaches for yourself.

You want. Old school strongmen do this all the time. Simply grab dumbbells and hold them close to your chest, or place a barbell on your back (see photo below). By training this way, Bert Assirati was able to squat two hundred pounds. American shot put champion Connie Price-Smith used a weight of two hundred forty-five pounds in the exercise.

Big numbers look impressive, but in reality they are often associated with injuries. All serious powerlifters suffer from knee and back pain all the time. Most of them go under the knife sooner or later, and become crippled in old age because they have ruined their knee joints and vertebrae in an irrepressible search for weight.

There is no need to be obsessed with the idea that strength is everything. For a prisoner, functionality is everything. Where the legs are involved, mobility is more important than strength. Once the strength to perform unilateral squats has been developed, your legs will feel like pistons and your joints will be full of power. Further strength work will give you huge, lumpy thighs, but not necessarily athleticism. The next step, if you haven't already started, is to learn how to use your lower body strength. Try running up stairs, jumping, pushing cars, etc. (see section Varieties of Exercises). This will add general development, speed, agility and leg endurance, which are already amazing. Don't be blinded by big numbers when traveling.

PRISONER TRAINING

Varieties of exercise

In bodybuilding, a lot of emphasis is placed on different leg and foot positions during squats and leg deadlifts, with the belief that different positions develop different parts of the muscles. They think that a wide stance develops internal muscles, while the close position works the external muscles; The toes work together with the knee ligaments. Raised heels work the rectus femoris and so on. In reality, the four heads of the quadriceps tend to work as a group - working in different positions or leg positions differs little. Unnatural positions and angles put the knees and hips in unnatural positions and quickly injure the body. When performing squats, find a position that is strong and comfortable for you and stick with it. If you're looking for variety, don't be biased by the squat formula; Try the completely different moves below.

Lunges are a classic replacement for squats. Stand with your feet together and take a long lunge forward. Bend at both knees, keeping your spine straight, until your front knee is bent at a right angle and your back knee almost touches the floor. Return by pushing with your feet to a straight leg position. At this point, you can either continue the movement by stepping back to the starting position and repeat, or lunge forward with your back leg, switching legs.

Obviously, in a confined chamber, we don't have much space, so we step back to the starting position and alternate legs, lunge forward with the right, step back, lunge forward with the left, and so on. But if you have a long stretch of space in front of you, you don't need to do the return to the starting position. You can simply step forward with the opposite foot. If your legs are in good shape, you can lunge long distances. I once met a kickboxer who swore by this method. He didn't even count the reps in his workout at his local soccer field!

Low lunges

This a good option lunge, which focuses on one leg at a time. Place one leg at the top of something at knee height. A bunk bed works fine for me, but using a ladder can help you find the best height for you. Experiment with different steps. Raising the leg should be forward, with slight bending at the knee. Now under

PRISONER TRAINING

keeping your back straight, bend at the knees and hip joints, until your hamstring presses into your calves. On this moment The thigh should be in the chest area. You can bend the back knee slightly for safety, but the main movement should come from the front leg. Pause for a minute, then return the extended leg back to its original position. This movement feels like a punch, but much slower and smoother. Complete all repetitions and switch legs. A few hundred repetitions will produce a pleasant pain in your quadriceps.

Baby squat

Grab onto something strong with one hand for support. Place your legs straight together or almost, slightly bend at the knees, keeping your hips straight. This will require you to sit up on your toes and bend your torso slightly back. It will be difficult at first because you will want to bend forward at the waist, but eventually you will get the hang of it. Most of the force is transmitted through the knees, so never bend them more than 90 degrees. At first, even this may seem impossible, meaning the angle should be up to 90 degrees. Pause before returning back to the starting position and repeat from the beginning.

This is an unusual technique, and by simply adding repetition, it is difficult to make progress. But this - useful exercise to have squats in your training arsenal that do not require significant bending at the hips, so this is - good way maintain the quadriceps while the lower back is recovering from damage. There seems to have been some controversy as to how this exercise got its name. Most sources seem to think that this is because the levers work against the muscles, forcing even strong man feel like a sissy, but my mentor Joe Hartigan swore the exercise was named after the Greek king, Sisyphus. According to mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a huge boulder up a mountain every day for all eternity, and watch as it rolled back down at dusk, unfortunate. I bet he had big thighs.

Indian squat

This exercise has been used by Indian wrestlers for centuries. Place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider and squat down, lifting your heels. Immediately, without any pause, return back, using the strength of your legs, rocking on your heels, as if walking. This rocking motion back and forth on your heels creates a sort of see-saw rhythm, and your center of gravity moves forward and back, up and down. This rhythm, in turn, is produced at a faster speed, more explosive than in regular squats. Unlike regular squats, this

PRISONER TRAINING

the ballistic property is actually the main element of the Indian squat. Find a way to gently pump your arms with the movement to help develop and maintain rhythm.

Don't stop at the bottom or top, moving to the right, you need constant movement. There are good and bad sides to the Hindu squat. The bad part is, Hindu squats won't replace repetitive squats because that's the only way you can make them progressive, adding reps. This develops endurance, but not strength. Additionally, propulsion used during a natural rhythm can cause damage to the knees of some athletes. On the positive side The rhythmic nature of the Hindu squat makes it an excellent choice for tall athletes who want to develop lower body endurance but require larger areas. They also provide great benefits for the heart. If you decide to use them, work your program gradually so that your knee tendons become accustomed to the exercise.

Plyometric jumps

Squats develop muscle size and strength. But in order to develop that strength quickly, it's helpful to incorporate some plyometric leg workouts. Luckily, explosive leg training comes naturally while running, jumping, kicking, etc. Jumping may be the most targeted form of plyometric training. Jumping is natural, safe and can be done almost anywhere.

Plyometric training in gyms They often use secure boxes to jump onto the box from a fixed position. You don't actually need any equipment to do plyometric jumps. At San Quentin, my first cellmate taught me a technique he had learned in the military called dead jumps. Simply place your feet together and lower yourself quickly before jumping forward as far as you can. Keep your feet together when landing and try to fall forward or the jump will not count. This is actually more difficult than it seems, as people usually take at least a step or two before jumping anywhere. When jumping for impulsiveness, you work on strength, not the number of repetitions.

Warm up, and repeat jumping for two or three sets of four to six reps, that's all you need. As you progress, you naturally jump further. We marked the cages on the floor with chalk and tried to beat our own notes each week. If you don't have free space(easy to do in prison), start doing jumping jacks with only one leg. Stand on one leg and lower yourself down as far as you can before jumping. You should land on the same foot you used to push off the ground.

PRISONER TRAINING

and under no circumstances should you fall. If you like unilateral work, you can also experiment with single-leg box jumps. This advanced exercise involves single-leg jumps and a box squat (see photo below), but don't even try this if you have super-healthy knees. Regular high jumps and long jumps are also good sports training but for me, dead races are the best technology jumping exercises because they also teach balance and control and benefit explosiveness.

Running up the stairs, uphill

We never had this type of exercise in prison, but I've talked to guys who are dedicated to incline running. Find yourself a large, steep flight of stairs. In a one-story house, a staircase will not work, preferably in a large residential building, or, better yet, a staircase in a stadium, between sporting events. The more scolding, the better. If you live out in the open and can't find stairs, a good steep hill will do the job just as well

PRISONER TRAINING

Fine. Start from the bottom, run. Well, is it easy? Everyone's answer to this question is not simple. Running up stairs or hills while carrying your weight quickly up is incredibly demanding on your energy systems. In a few seconds you will begin to choke, and I know in advance that your legs will be full of lactic acid. By the time you get to the top of the stairs (if you make it), your legs will feel like jelly and you'll feel lucky to be alive.

Whatever you do, don't run back down, fatigue will reduce your coordination and control, making a nasty fall possible. Take a walk instead. Over time, you can improve your system's performance by improving your time and increasing the number of laps on the stairs. Stair running is popular with competitive fighters, the previous generation of UFC champions like Maurice Smith, who brought this old technique back for careful teaching to the public. Many athletes use this method instead of barbell squats because it trains the body's maximum lower endurance with minimal risk to the joints if done correctly. Sounds promising and I wish I had access to bigger stairs when I was at my peak. Give it a try, but be warned, it's very intense work and may make you sick if you go up too quickly.

Pushing a car

When I was a kid, I saw an interview with Dick Butkus where he talked about developing his amazing strength for football by pushing a two-ton car when he was in high school. As a result, I became obsessed with pushing cars. It seemed like something only Superman could do. Whenever I got a chance, I pushed my Ford Maverick up along the block.

My arms were like spaghetti when I was a kid, and it was enough to move a few yards, giving me a feeling of satisfaction! I don't follow the Chicago Bears anymore, but as soon as I got out of prison I quickly resumed my love for pushing cars. Find a clearly visible section of the road or path, turn off the engine and put it in neutral (you may have a little trouble if you leave it in gear). Stand near the back of the car and place your palms on the metal parts; you don't want to apply force through the rear windshield. Keep your arms almost straight and lean into the movement as much as you can. Press away from your feet. Once the car gains momentum, pushing will become a little easier. But not by much.

You'll have to push off with your toes as you walk, and this is fantastic for your calves. The legs get a massive workout, but so do the back, waist, chest, shoulders and arms. Mark a hundred yards if you can find it.

PRISONER TRAINING

Measure out the distance of one hundred large steps. You can do this yourself. Roll two or three times once or twice a week and try to beat best time. This creates dangerous levels of athleticism effort! Pushing the car is phenomenal functional exercise for the legs, because all the power passing through the whole body is used. Pushing in this way helps the muscles understand how to achieve greater force, and this is useful in wrestling, martial arts, football and almost everything for real sports sports. This will help you if you are cornered in the yard by a couple of opponents.

Fireman run

This is an intensive sprint method that requires partner training. Bend down and rest your shoulder against your buddy's waist. Stand up straight, lifting it off the ground. His head will be near your back, his legs dangling near your hips. Place your closest hand on his legs for stability. This is a classic fireman's elevator. In this position you should run as fast as you can for about a hundred yards. Then place your partner on your feet and let him carry you backwards. Repeat this torture on different sides, as many cycles as you can.

Like running up stairs and pushing a car, this exercise is great for the heart and lungs, cardiovascular endurance, leg metabolism and overall body energy production. This is an interesting and challenging technique, but like any exercise involving external loads, there is risk. Warm up well, wear solid boots to protect your ankle, and maintain mental focus throughout the exercise. This method is not only popular with firefighters, it is also widely used by bodyguards and security professionals who may have to quickly remove a client from a dangerous area.

PRISONER TRAINING

7. Pull-ups: Powerful back

and biceps

It doesn't matter what you think about training with own weight, there is no doubt about one thing: pull-ups rule. Who hasn't been inspired by watching Sylvester Stallone do uneven pull-ups with his jaw clenched in Rocky II? My personal favorite

A prime example from cinema is the way the lithe and fierce Linda Hamilton performs pull-ups from her hospital bed in the second Terminator. I remember when I was new in prison, I saw a grizzled black veteran doing one-armed pull-ups on the doorway of his cell, and I promised that one day I would master this seemingly impossible technique.

Man has always been attracted to pull-ups as a crown of strength. There is nothing new in this. In fact, pull-ups are the oldest muscle-building exercise in history. It's easy to find references to pull-ups in ancient history; Several literary classics described this exercise, which was popular among warriors, athletes, and even civilians who wanted to become stronger. Because of this, it is impossible to trace the date of invention of this exercise, since it is obvious that it is almost the same age as humanity. Scientists say that even before the transformation into Homo sapiens, our distant ancestors most likely lived in trees, just like chimpanzees and other apes today. For the predecessors of mankind, pulling one’s body onto a tree branch was the same natural movement as normal walking for us.

Thanks to this amazing anatomical heritage, it is surprising how little importance and attention the average exerciser places on his back muscles. Walk into any gym and you'll see guys (including athletes who seem to know better) endlessly working their cores on benches and chest exercises, while doing only a small number of rowing sets or other back exercises. Perhaps this is partly because it is quite difficult to see our own back muscles in the mirror - so we forget about them.

But I think culture also plays a role. Men are taught from childhood that courage is associated with pushing: we push an object to demonstrate our superiority, we push and hit in battle, we push for protection when times get tough, we grit our teeth and push forward, we even psychologically push other people for expansion of personal space. On the contrary, the grasping reflex is attributed to women - to attract a child, another person, a friend. A man is independent - strength means pushing away!

PRISONER TRAINING

Benefits of Pull-Ups

Maybe, last idea- a perspective look at the cultural anthropology of training techniques. Or maybe I just sat alone in my cell too much and thought about doing push-ups and pull-ups. Maybe a little bit of everything. Who cares? Whether you accept my theory or not, there is no doubt that the back muscles are underestimated by many athletes. When we think of core muscles, we usually think of large breasts or broad, round shoulders. All these pushing muscles are certainly important, but they pale in comparison to the muscles of the upper back - the pulling muscles.

The most large muscle in the human body - latissimus dorsi (latissimus dorsi), runs from behind over the ribs and wraps around the back like wings. Most of the other back muscles also work in a pull-up, such as the trapezius, rear deltoids, large teres muscle and rhomboids, but the lats do the lion's share of the work.

These muscles are not only large, they are also very responsive: they are genetically programmed to be large and strong when stimulated. Look at the posing of modern bodybuilders and most of the amazing muscles are not on the arms and legs, but on the back: many of them look like wings. Even hardcore bodybuilders who have learned how difficult it is to build chest muscles, once they start training their back properly, see them grow by leaps and bounds. These muscles were actively used by our ancestors and now they are patiently waiting for us to call them to explosive growth.

It's sad when those who devote time to their back often do inappropriate exercises for this. They work with heavy free weights, doing exercises that place very high pressure on the upper spine. Such exercises inevitably lead to injury. Perhaps this is why exercises on simulators have become the most popular for back treatment. Cables and blocks work here, as well as a convenient, comfortable seat. Why is working on a simulator so popular? Because it's easy! You can pump your back with comfort and light loads. Unfortunately, due to its simplicity, work on simulators rarely gives significant results, unless the bodybuilder is already on large doses of steroids. These guys can go train on pillows - and in the same way they will inflate, like balloons. Not strength - just pumping.

Forget everything alternative exercises that people do in gyms. You don't need it. The best and safest exercise you need to pump up upper section the back is a modest pull-up. This is really the king of all back exercises for the reasons listed above - the human body is designed to lift its own weight vertically. We rarely do this in modern world, but the genes with which we

PRISONER TRAINING

born, they don’t understand this. Master pull-ups and your lats will grow like crazy; your shoulder muscles will take on the appearance of coiled snakes, and your trapezius will become denser and stiffer than steel shackles. Each pulling muscle in your torso will get its share of work from pull-ups, and the bigger and stronger they will become as a result—and quickly.

Without a doubt, pull-ups produce the most muscle gains in your core than any other exercise. But there is another nice benefit from pull-ups: functional strength. A good friend of mine formerly served as an instructor in the Marine Corps. He told me that every season at least a few of the recruits were big, beefy bodybuilders who thought very highly of themselves. Many of them could do push-ups all day, but when asked to do a pull-up—maybe on a wall in an obstacle course, or climbing a rope—these kids often struggled and looked like weaklings compared to their smaller comrades. This is because modern bodybuilders rely on free weights and machines to strengthen their back. They neglect to work with their weight and, as a result, suffer from a lack of functional qualities so necessary for dexterity.

An important attribute of true strength, your grip, also gets a ton of work from pull-ups: in order to hold on to the bar and move yourself up and down, your fingers and palms must be much stronger than the average person's, even if you're not doing any advanced exercises. The flexor muscles of the forearm are also loaded and become stronger. Believe it or not, pull-ups even work your abs and thighs—which aren't normally used to hold both legs in the air—great isometric work. Beginners to this exercise often experience more pain in their abdominal muscles than in their lats the next day.

Big biceps

Even bodybuilders agree on the benefits of pull-ups for back development, but not all people today know that it also best exercise for biceps, ever known to mankind. Modern athletes are stuck with exercises like curls, but in reality, no matter what weight you lift, curling is isolated exercise, because it works the muscles at only one point - the elbow. Pull-ups are a basic exercise. It works the biceps not only at the elbow, but also at the shoulder.

This is where the biceps really come into play. Just think: a 90-kilogram man doing a pull-up, his biceps working with a 90-kilogram weight throughout the entire range of motion. How many people do you know who can do 200-pound dumbbell curls? If the same person succeeds in a one-arm pull-up, he will lift 90 kilograms with one biceps muscle, which is equivalent to lifting a 200-pound dumbbell! Neu-