Bowflex Power Pro Owners Manual - Page 22

20 START FINISH START FINISH Chest Exercises DECLINE BENCH PRESS - Shoulder Horizontal Adduction (and elbow extension) Muscles worked: This exercise emphasizes the chest muscles (pectoralis major), especially the lower portion. It also involves the front shoulder muscles (anterior deltoid, a portion of the middle deltoid) and the triceps, which are located on the back of the upper arm. NOTE: This motion can be further emphasized by using the Purvis Pec Bar attachment. Starting position: •Seated in the 45 degree position, reach straight behind your body, grasp the handles with an over hand grip, then bend your elbows until your hands are near your chest and your palms are facing toward the floor. •Make sure cables travel underneath your arms, not over your arms. •Keeping knees bent and feet flat on the floor, lay your head back against the bench and straighten your arms to the front. •Be sure that your arms are directly "in line" with the cables, palms facing down and wrists straight. •Raise your chest and "pinch" your shoulder blades together. Maintain a very slight, comfortable, arch in your lower back. •Lower arms 10 degrees (5-6 inches) from than the standard bench press position. Motion: •Slowly move your elbows outward, simultaneously bending your arms, keeping the forearms in line with the cables at all times. •Stop when your upper arms are straight out to the sides, 10 degrees below your shoulders. •Then, slowly press forward, moving the hands toward the center, and return to the starting position with arms straight to the front at shoulder width and in line with the cables. Keep your chest muscles tightened during the entire motion. Key points: •Maintain a 90 degree angle between the upper arms and the torso at the bottom of the motion and slightly less than 90 degrees at the top of the motion. •Limit and control the range of motion so that your elbows do not travel behind your shoulders. •Keep shoulder blades "pinched" together and maintain good spinal alignment. LYING SHOULDER PULLOVER - Shoulder Extension (elbow stabilized) Muscles worked: This exercise emphasizes the upper back (the latissimus dorsi, teres major, and rear deltoid muscles). It also involves the chest (the pectoralis major muscles). The triceps muscles, located on the back of the upper arms, are involved in maintaining the elbow position and also help with shoulder motion. Starting position: •With the bench flat, lie on your back with your head toward the Power Rods. Position yourself far enough down the bench to allow the arms to extend overhead without hitting the Power Rods. Keep the knees bent and feet flat on the floor. •Extend the arms overhead and grasp the handles with your palms facing the ceiling. •Tighten your abdominals to stabilize your spine while maintaining a very slight arch in the lower back. Action: •Move your hands in an arc upward and then down toward your legs. •Keep your shoulder blades on the bench and slide them toward your hips as you move your arms. •End the motion with your arms by your sides, pressing your shoulder blades down, completely tightening your lats. •Control the return to the starting position by slowly moving the arms back overhead and releasing the shoulder blades. Key points: •Do not lose spinal alignment. Relax your neck, keep your chest lifted, abs tight and maintain a very slight arch in your lower back. •Keep the lats tightened throughout the entire motion. •Release your shoulder blades at the end of each rep and initiate each new rep by depressing your shoulder blades.