STRENGTH

Muscle Group:
Legs
- Shoulder width stance
- Bar rests on upper back
- Hands just outside shoulders
- Full grip on the bar
- Elbows pointed back
- Hips descend down and back
- Hips descend lower than the knees
- Heels down
- Knees in line with toes
- Complete at full hip and knee extension
Back Squat
Muscle Group:
Chest
- Feet, Butt, Shoulders, Head all in set position
- Hands are on bar, shoulder width or more apart
- Control weight down
- Fast press upward to full extension of the arms
Bench Press
Muscle Group:
Triceps, Chest
- Feet, Butt, Shoulders, Head, in set position
- Grip is inside width of the shoulders
- Elbows stay tight to body
- Control the weight down to chest, press up fast
Close Grip Bench
Muscle Group:
Hamstrings
• Stance = between hip width and shoulder width
• Weight in heels
• Back arched/lumbar curve locked in
• Shoulders slightly in front of the bar
• Bar in contact with the shins
• Arms locked straight
• Symmetrical grip outside the knees, just wide enough to not interfere with knees
• Drive through the heels
• Extend legs while hips and shoulders rise at the same rate
• Once the bar passes the knees, the hip opens all the way up
• Bar maintains contact with the legs the entire time
• Head neutral
• On return to the floor, push hips back and shoulders forward slightly; delay the knee bend
• Once bar descends below the knees and the torso angle is set, return the bar down to the setup position
Deadlift
Muscle Group:
Chest, Shoulders
- Feet, Butt, Shoulders, Head in set position
- Dumbbells start at shoulders / chest
- Dumbbells are pushed vertical in a straight pathway
- Spotter will assist by guiding wrist if needed
Dumbbell Incline Press
Muscle Group:
Legs
• Weight on heels
• Lumbar curve maintained
• Chest up
• Elbows high; arms stay parallel to the ground throughout the whole movement
• Butt travels back and down
• Bottom of squat is below parallel (hip crease is below the top of the kneecap)
• Knees track parallel to feet
• Return to full extension at the hips and knees to complete the move
• Head position is neutral
Front Squat
Muscle Group:
Arms, Shoulders
• Stance = hip width
• Hands just outside the shoulders
• Bar in front, resting on the “rack” or “shelf” created by the shoulders
• Elbows down and in front of bar; elbows are lower than in the front squat
• Tight midsection
• Closed grip, with thumbs around the bar
• Drive through heels; keep the whole body rigid; tight belly
• Bar travels straight up to locked out, with active shoulders, directly overhead
• Head accommodates bar (bar path is a straight line)