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People often underestimate hamstrings. Often, focusing on training the quadriceps and calves, hamstrings seem less important. However, you should remember that neglecting any muscle has aesthetic and medical consequences that can be avoided if you work it properly. The reason you shouldn't ignore these muscles is not just about the symmetry and appearance of your body. Hamstring weakness is one of the most common causes of injury in most professional athletes. The best way to strengthen your leg muscles is to work them out properly. So let's have a look at the exercises. Barbell 90 The main advantage of this exercise is that you don't need much equipment, just a simple barbell. Starting in a standing position and holding the barbell on your shoulders, keep your back straight. While bending your knees slightly, tense your hips, and bend forward 90 degrees. Then return to the starting position inhaling. Except for hamstrings, this exercise will also strengthen your hips and back. Hyperextensions Hyperextensions are a great workout for your hamstrings as well as the lower back and glute muscles. Sit on the hyperextension training machine comfortably with your heels pressed against the platform at the bottom of the trainer. Place your arms crossed in front of your chest or behind your head. Slowly lower yourself down until you inhale and feel the stretch in your lower back and leg muscles. Without stopping at the bottom point, straighten up to the starting position and exhale. Return to the beginning position then. Maintain your head in line with your torso, keeping your back straight throughout the exercise. Tights Up This exercise can be done on the playground with two pull-ups or simply by placing your feet on a chair or bench. We will present a variation of the home exercise.Choose a sitting position on the floor with your feet on a chair. Lift your torso with your hands so that the tights are in the air. Bending your knees, raise the tights so that your body is paralleled to the floor. Perform 7-8 repetitions. Single-Leg and Dumbbell The exercise requires a good sense of balance and gives you good results. With a dumbbell in your hand, bring one leg back and keep it on the floor until the end of the exercise. Then return to the previous position. Repeat this exercise several times before you have tired. Final Words Hamstrings may look insignificant, but that has nothing to do with the fact that you can skip working these muscles. As a matter of fact, stronger hamstrings prevent you from many injuries. Therefore, don't delay and start exercising these muscles now.

Fit and strong arms is the goal of every fitness enthusiast. The thing is our arms are always the center of attention because it’s pretty difficult to hide them under clothes throughout most of the year. So how to make sure your arms look good in any clothes? Well, this is exactly what we’re going to talk about in this article. So without any further ado, let us begin. Do Not Expect Immediate Results Most people believe that a month of exercising is enough to see drastic results and therefore if they don’t see any progress, they simply give up. Of course, it’s not the best strategy. In fact, you shouldn’t expect immediate results. You have to move towards your goal gradually and patiently. The thing is, because of our anatomy, growing arm muscles is pretty challenging, especially if you want to get rid of the fat in the triceps area. So take baby steps and do not give up if you don’t see the result after just a few weeks of training. Always Warm Up before Training Many people underestimate warming up, thinking it’s not necessary. Obviously, it is wrong. You have to warm up before doing any type of exercise to avoid injuries, especially if you do not do sport regularly. So how to warm up before an arm workout? Here are some simple warmup exercises: Arm rotation (2-3 minutes) Arm stretches above your head Scissors exercise Wrist rotation (2 minutes) These simple exercises will help you warm up and proceed to more challenging workouts for arms. Do Effective Exercises Not all the exercises can actually help you achieve your goal, which is why it is important to select those workouts that actually work. We recommend the following exercises for developing arm muscles: Lateral raise Push-ups Plank Dumbbell row Plank to push-up Incline bicep curl Underhand seated row Prone dumbbell spider curl Diamond press-up Javelin press These workouts will surely help you work on your arms, so make sure to find out more about them as well as try them. Stretch After Your Workout Stretching is extremely important for pretty much all muscle groups and arms are not an exception. It helps to relieve muscle tension as well as prevent muscle soreness. So after you are done with the strengthening exercises for your arms, make sure to stretch for at least a few minutes. You can do the following stretching exercises: Eagle arms Standing bicep stretch Reverse prayer Horizontal arm extensions Assisted side bend Overhead triceps and shoulder stretch Fingers up and down stretch Cross-body shoulder stretch These simple stretches will surely help you reduce or even avoid muscle soreness after working out, so give them a try. Final Thoughts Strong and fit arms is perhaps the biggest dream of all fitness enthusiasts and not only. Luckily, regular training can help you quickly achieve this goal. So why don’t you start moving towards your dream now?

Lower back muscles easily get sore and injured as well as are rather challenging to train. At the same time, these muscles are essential for one’s back health. So what is the anatomy of lower back muscles, and how to develop them? This is exactly what we are going to talk about in this article. Lower Back Muscles: Anatomy & Functions The lower back muscle group consists of several muscles, which are multifidus muscles, erector spinae, spinalis, and latissimus dorsi. These muscles are essential for posture, moving, and even involved in the walking process. In fact, lower back muscles are super important for normal functioning, and those people who have suffered any lower back injuries know it. In addition to that, these muscles are actively involved in the special moves in certain sports like gymnastics as well as in various dance styles. So even though these muscles seem to be small and unimportant, yet they actually have lots of functions. Why Is It Important to Develop Your Lower Back Muscles? Many people believe that, in terms of the spine, you only need to work on the trapezius and upper back since these muscles are essential for the right posture. Certainly, it’s not exactly true. In fact, you have to work on your entire spine to harmoniously develop all the muscles of your back. Plus, the lower back easily gets injured, especially if you lift something heavy, but if you have strong and developed lower back muscles, you can reduce the risks of having such an injury. So no matter if you are an office worker or a professional athlete or dancer, you need to work on your lower back muscles. Workouts for the Lower Back Muscles So how can you make your lower back muscles stronger and therefore lower your chances of getting a nasty injury? Well, here are some exercises you might want to try: Rack pull Harvesting apples Bent over row Side stretching Barbell good morning Belly roll Back extension Side plank Superman Glute hamstring raise These simple exercises will no doubt help you make your lower back stronger and healthier, so do not hesitate and give them a try. Final Thoughts Developed lower back muscles are not only needed for professional athletes or dancers but also for those people who want to maintain their back health. So make sure to include at least a few lower back workouts into your exercise routine. Trust us, you won’t regret it.

The quadriceps is a large and strong muscle that acts as the primary extensor of the knee joint. Because the knee joint carries most of the body's weight, the quadriceps is the main muscle of the lower thigh. Weakness of this muscle, in fact, would simply make it impossible for people to maintain an upright posture. Quads are made up of the four coronary muscles: the straight, inner, outer, and middle muscles. In spite of this, during various exercises, the load falls completely on this muscle. Sure, strengthening your quads is important, so let's give a quick look at a few of the best exercises for them. Barbell and Dumbbell Lunging You can do lunges in many different ways. You can do this either with a barbell, or dumbbells, while walking around the gym, or from a stand-up position. Let's consider a variation where the athlete stands in a position using a barbell or dumbbell. This position is similar to the squat position with a barbell on your back. Take a step forward with your right foot. The lunge should make the thigh of the working leg to be parallel to the ground at the low point. Simultaneously, the knee of the left leg almost touches the floor, also forming a 90-degree angle. Back to the previous position. Change legs - take a step forward with your left leg. Leg Press The leg press takes as much of the work out of your back and hips as possible. At the same time, it allows you to train with a much heavier weight than a deep squat. In order to place the load on your quads, your feet should be shoulder-width apart while doing the leg press. Just follow the right workout technique. Press your back and head firmly against the bench, with your legs almost completely straight and resting on the frame and your hands firmly gripping the handles. Bending the knees, form a straight angle between the thighs and calves. Lower the legs back to the previous position. Single-Leg Squat Make single-leg squats if you can't go to the gym to train with training machines. It is a perfect way to get your quads workout done. Because it allows you to load your legs without using extra weight. Start in a standing position, extending one leg slightly forward. While squatting down, extend the leg forward and straighten it. Get back to the previous position. Repeat at least 10 times for each leg. Kick Squat Standing with feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly to the side, place your hands at your waist or cradle them in front of your chest. Focus on the center of your feet. Squat down horizontally at the hips, remembering to keep your back straight. Stand up shifting your weight to one side. Lift your knee to a horizontal position and make a kick with your foot. The kick should be done in one movement. Squats With Fitness Ball Position your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart with your toes out to the sides at a 45-degree angle. Grasp the fitness ball, keeping a tense and natural bend at the waist, straight shoulders, and neck. Holding the exercise ball, raise your arms up to shoulder height. As you inhale, begin to bend your knees to your sides, making sure they don't stick out past your toes. Your hips should go down first. Your weight is on your heels. Bring your back slightly forward as you squat down and extend your arms to lift the exercise ball over your head. Perform 30-50 repetitions. Final Thoughts Every person dreams of having beautiful legs, and luckily, getting great quads isn't that hard if you know what to do. So why don't you try these exercises?

Many people mistakenly believe that developing shoulder muscles is not important. Well, obviously, it’s not true. So why is it important to work on the shoulder muscles and how to improve them is the topic of this article. What Are Shoulder Muscles? Shoulder muscles are basically the muscles that provide shoulder movement. These muscles are voluntary, meaning we control their work. The main functions of the shoulder muscles are the following: Holding the shoulder joint and its bones in place Allowing your shoulder joint to rotate Providing the ability to move your arms forward, up, and down Shoulder joint protection As you can see, these muscles are extremely important for performing basic things such as lifting objects or holding something. In addition to that, these muscles are rather important for certain sports that require lots of jerky movements in the shoulder area. For example, dancers, basketball players, tennis players, swimmers, and others. All in all, shoulder muscles do a lot of work, which is why we have to develop them. Why Do I Need to Work on My Shoulder Muscles? We have already partly answered this question above, but we’ll give you a more detailed answer just to make things clear. First of all, strong shoulder muscles are a must for many athletes, dancers, and fitness enthusiasts who actively involve arms and shoulders in their activities. The thing is, these muscles are rather fragile, and jerky movements can lead to an injury. At the same time, if one works on these muscles regularly, they significantly lower the risks of possible injuries. But what about people who are not professional dancers or athletes? Well, even if you are not a pro athlete, you still need to go to the gym at least a few times a week to maintain your health, and simple workouts can also cause an injury if you have weak shoulder muscles. So as you might have already understood that working on the shoulder muscles is a must for everyone. Exercises for Improving Shoulder Muscles So what workouts can you do to improve your shoulders? Well, why don’t you consider the following ones: Push-ups Barbell overhead press One-hand push-ups Half-kneeling landmine press Dumbbell shrugs Arnold press Sideways dumbbells Push press Barbell press Wide-grip seated row Final Thoughts Stronger muscles minimize the risks of having severe injuries while working out or even doing your regular chores. So no matter if you are a pro athlete or dancer or just a regular person, you should consider working on your shoulder muscles.