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The Best Way to Do the Seated Calf Raise

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Table of Contents + Instructions Expert Tips Workout Programming Mike's Take Seated Calf Raise Alternatives 3 Seated Calf Raise Workouts Muscles Worked by the Seated Calf Raise More Calf Exercises Instructions Sit on the seated calf raise machine seat, adjust the thigh pad so that it rests just above your knees, and place the balls of your feet on the footplate. Lift the pad slightly by pushing through the balls of your feet, and use the safety handle to release the weight. Lower the weight as far as possible without letting your toes slip out of position, then pause for 2 seconds. Push through the balls of your feet to elevate the thigh pad as high as you can. Once you’ve lifted your heels as high as possible, pause for 1 second, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Expert Tips Make sure you pause for a full 2 seconds at the bottom of each rep. This puts maximum tension on your calf muscles and ensures you can’t cheat by bouncing...
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The Best Way to Do the Barbell Back Squat

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Table of Contents + Instructions (Low-Bar Squat) Instructions (High-Bar Squat) Expert Tips Workout Programming Mike's Take High-Bar vs. Low-Bar Squats Back Squat Alternatives 3 Back Squat Workouts Muscles Worked by the Back Squat More Leg Exercises Instructions (Low-Bar Squat) Adjust the hooks or pins in a squat rack so the bar is at your midchest (about the height of your nipples), and load it with plates (or not, if the bar alone is enough weight). Grip the bar with your palms facing forward, thumbs on top of the bar, and your hands three to six inches wider than shoulder-width apart. Holding on to the bar for balance, place your feet underneath it about shoulder-width apart, then duck under the bar and place it across your upper-back muscles, directly across your shoulder blades. Tuck your shoulder blades back and down, and gently adjust the bar until you feel it resting on the "shelf" created by the bony protrusions of your shoulder blades and surroundi...
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The 13 Best Lat Exercises and 3 Lat Workouts

Here’s why many people struggle to build wide, strong lats: they do the wrong lat exercises with poor technique and lackluster effort. Thankfully, you only need a handful of effective exercises to build the back you want: One vertical pulling exercise, like a lat pulldown. One horizontal rowing exercise, like a chest-supported machine row . And, optionally, a lat isolation exercise like the cable pullover (straight-arm lat pulldown or lat prayer). Well, more accurately, these are the three best movements for training the lats—a pulldown, a row, and some kind of lat isolation exercise (technically known as shoulder extension ). You have a lot of flexibility in terms of the exact exercise variations you use, and I’ll share my favorites in this article (some are better than others). If I had to pick just one exercise for my lats, it would be a high-to-low machine row performed with a palms-up (supinated) grip or a close-grip lat pulldown. Both train the lats, biceps , and t...
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The Best Way to Do the Leg Extension

Table of Contents + Instructions Expert Tips Workout Programming Mike's Take Leg Extension Alternatives 3 Leg Extension Workouts Muscles Worked by the Leg Extension More Quad Exercises Instructions Adjust the back pad so you can lean back at about a 30-degree angle, and scoot your butt forward so your knees are just in front of the edge of the seat when you’re seated. Then adjust the shin pad so it touches your shins right above your ankles and puts your feet as close to your butt as possible. If the machine has a thigh pad as well, adjust it so it’s snug when seated but not painful. Grab the handles and push your feet toward the ceiling as hard as you can until your legs are straight, and hold this position for a brief moment. Lower your feet under control and return to the starting position. Expert Tips Leaning back puts the rectus femoris in a more stretched position, which may be better for muscle growth, improves bloodflow to the quads, and is ...
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