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If you had to choose...
In your own personal opinions please - What is THE best exercise (choose 1 for each muscle) to TONE:
Shoulders Biceps Triceps Chest Back Abs Obliques Lower Abs Butt Quadriceps Hamstrings Calves Just looking to see opinions, I already have a plan for myself, just thought it would be fun to see what everyones top choice would be. :) Thanks! Melissa |
I really like Core Secrets and Pilates for all of the areas you listed. Core secrets is the one with the big ball. Boy oh boy, the one that really sticks out is hamstrings with core secrets. There is this one exercise that if you lay on your back with your feet on the ball and lift your butt equal with the ball...you will not be able to walk the next day. It wears my leg muscles out.
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I really don't like doing ONE exercise for a muscle because I don't think it properly develops the muscle from all angles and through all ranges of motion. Also, everyone's body is different- you have a unique history which may make some exercises better or worse for you. For example. I love to do a lot of weighted exercises standing one-legged on the flat side of a bosu ball, but a less experienced lifter or someone with less well developed balance might kill themselves doing that. Also, if your primary goal is muscle hypertrophy, it's not very useful.
However, I'll play your game: Shoulders- overhead press with dumbbells, done standing Biceps - dumbbell curls with a twist, done standing on a bosu ball Triceps - cable rope overhead extensions Chest - OK, I can't give ONE: dumbbell presses on a stability ball, pushups, dumbbell flyes, cable flyes, more pushups. Back- Which part of your back? Pullups and dumbbell one arm rows are a minimum. Abs - Hanging "knee ups" or "leg ups" if you are strong enough Obliques Hanging obliques Lower Abs - There isn't any such thing. It's one muscle. Butt - Deep squats and lunges Quadriceps - Deep squats and lunges Hamstrings - one-legged romanian deadlifts Calves - do as much on a bosu ball as you can and you don't need to directly work your calves So what is your program? Mel |
Unfortunately, I never know what they're really called in the training world:
Biceps - reverse skull crusher Triceps - skull crusher Chest - the rowing thingy Obliques - side crunches using a disk (anyone use this? it's great!) Lower Abs - toe drops Quadriceps - squats rolling down on a ball Hamstrings - the same one Stacy mentions Calves - calf raise Mel, about the abs. When I do regular crunches, I get an effect more near my belly button. When I do toe drops, I can feel it more near the pubic area (i.e., "lower abs"). My trainer gave me more exercises that seem to work on the "lower" abs, even though it's all one muscle, because she said that area was weaker. |
See one reason I'd be scared of Mel as my personal trainer... Look at her list... Ok not really :)
I can't say the best because well the best is to challenge your muscles with different exercises but I'll say what I like :) Shoulders- I like overhead presses but I like to do them seated. Biceps - hammer curls. Triceps - bent over tricep kick backs Chest - dumbbell flys lying on a bench Back- assisted pullups (one day I hope to do unassisted pullups but I need to lose weight and increase strength before that day comes) Abs - Planks! Obliques - twisting crunches Lower Abs - reverse crunches Butt - Lunges! Although I have a new favorite which I got from my Push DVD. It is a bridged kick up. Basically you do a bridge, then straigten one leg and kick up. My booty hurt for 2 days due to that one. Quadriceps - I have to say I have always loved the overhead lying leg press where you push weight up while you are lying down. Hamstrings - I like dead lifts, I may have to try them with one leg now and see what happens. Calves - donkey raises |
Just so everyone is clear this was just a fun opinion game. :)
But, Mel, since you asked...here's what I do for upper body: Shoulder: Overhead Presses, Alternating Front Raises Triceps: Tricep Extensions Biceps: Bicep Curls, Hammer Curls Chest: Chest Presses, Chest Flys Back: One-Arm Row Abs: Crunches on a ball, Side Twists with a ball Go easy on me for my choices, LOL, I'm 335 pounds and I'm not that far into it yet....3 months into cardio, couple weeks overall into strength training. Play nice with the newbie, LOL! :lol: ;) Melissa |
Shoulders - overhead press and side raises
Biceps - tend to get a good workout on the lat pulldown and the seated rower so I don't target them specifically otherwise I'd never be able to punch the next day! Triceps - pushdown with the lat pulldown machine Chest - bench press Back - lateral pulldown with drop sets Abs - inverted hanging abs or knee-ups or high crunches with a partner Obliques - oblique crunches with plates and/or on a stability ball Butt - deadlifts Quads - running :lol: Ok that's not a weight exercise, erm... One legged squats with or without weights depending on the running and kickboxing schedule! Hammies - er... leg curls I suppose, but usually kickboxing ;) Calves - don't work my calves at all - they are already BULGING and I want them to go down! :lol: A good one is weighted calf lifts though - I used to rock at those when I did them :D |
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