Muscle Ventures Video Analysis

An advantage of iso-lateral exercises is that the stronger side cannot help the weaker side thereby letting the weaker side stay weak and risking injury to the stronger side because it is overworked.  In this exercise analysis (Quicktime ipod compatible 11.4MB; streaming Google flash video), Nancy Arnold and I (Bud) present the hammerstrength single leg curl.  This exercise works the ham strings of each leg separately to help avoid promoting strength differences between the two legs.

As Nancy demonstrates in the video, machine set up is a little more complex than for some other exercises.  You have to set the weight stack for each side separately.  Then you have to move the pad for one knee to kneel on and lean forward to grip the front handles for stability.  Finally, as I illustrate in the photo strip at right, you perform the exercise by curling the extended (non-kneeling leg) as tight as you can.  Generally, in hamstring exercises, we shoot for a contraction that gets well beyond the 90 degree mark.  If you cannot achieve that, you should drop weight.

As for setting initial weight, my technique on a new machine is to start very low and do a test rep to see what the machine is like.  I then increase it until I think I am getting something that requires the level of effort stipulated by our program.  Nancy and I have been working together long enough that I sometimes use her weight to guesstimate a starting weight for myself.

Additional Links

• Interestingly, the Houston Texans trainer concurs with our analysis of the benefits of iso-lateral leg exercises.  He also does an interesting analysis of the leg press as squat substitute.
  

In this exercise analysis (Quicktime ipod compatible, 17MB; Google streaming flash video) Bud and I (Nancy) discuss the difference between the front and rear lat pulldown.    

As you see in the video I (Nancy) do the front pulldown.   The first  photo at the left shows the start position.  Before I begin to pull the bar down i lean my torso back slightly, keeping my spine straight.  As I begin the move I make sure to keep my spine steady and pull the bar down towards my chest.  I pull down to below chin level and I keep the bar close to my chin.

The second photo shows the bottom position.  Notice that my hands are in front of my shoulders.  This keeps the shoulder joint out of extreme external rotation and there is less stress on the joint as a result.  This position promotes more latissimus involvement and less emphasis on the Teres Major.

The third photo shows  Bud in the start position for the rear pulldown.  As he begins the move he drops his chin forward which will allow him to pull the bar behind his head.   He keeps his torso upright for the duration of the exercise. 

The final photo shows Bud in the bottom position.  Notice that Bud's hands are behind his shoulders here.  This position promotes external rotation of the shoulder and may have adverse effects on the joint over time.  It does, however, emphasise Teres Major involvement. 

Additional Links

Understanding the anatomy of the back can help one further their training.

In this exercise analysis (Quicktime, 7.3 MB; Google video, no download), Nancy Arnold and I (Bud) demonstrate a reverse curl on the Free Motion Biceps machine. This is a good exercise for working the biceps through an extended range of motion. The cable system also allows you to adopt a form that suits your build. As can be seen in the photo strip on the left, Nancy and I perform slightly different movements to accommodate our differences in build.

To perform the exercise, choose an appropriate weight as we show at the start of the video. Next, face away from the machine and back up to where you can pick up the cable handles. I usually then step forward onto the bench and move my arms into the fully contracted upright position shown in Photos 2 and 4 on the left. When the weight gets really heavy (over 60 lbs. in my case), you may have to lean forward slightly to keep the stack from pulling you over backwards.

The exercise movement is a standard curl. You start in the down position illustrated in Photos 1 & 3. You then contract your biceps fully to complete the movement, Photos 2 & 4.

The are two major cheats in this exercise. One is to engage your deltoids to gain momentum and assist your biceps. This cheat reveals itself by too much swing in the elbows. To guard against it, keep your elbows as stationery as possible. The deltoids are a stabilizer for this exercise but otherwise not a component.

The second cheat is to rock your body to gain momentum. This one particularly comes out as the weight gets heavier. The cure is again to hold your torso as steady as possible.

Additional Links

Most demonstrations of the cable biceps curl show the standard version which is executed like a barbell curl, just with a pulley attached. The version demonstrated here is more like a decline dumbbell curl which also uses the deltoids for stabilization.