Oxygen Australia — January-February 2018

90 Jan/Feb 2018 oxygenmag.com.au

Presented By http://www.upsprotein.com.au

2

Decline dumbbell

hamstring curl

3 b

Tip: Place a shoulder

pad over the bar or roll

up a mat and place it

beneath the bar and

across your hips to

reduce discomfort.

Tip: Focus on keeping

your hips pressed into

the bench throughout

the movement. Avoid

letting them lift, which

takes tension off the

hamstrings.

Seated banded hip abduction

Target muscles: Glutes (abductors)

Set-up: Sit on the edge of a bench with your feet slightly

wider than hip-width. Place a resistance band around

your legs, positioned just below the kneecaps.

Action: Holding the bench for stability, lean your torso

back slightly, then press your knees outward against the

band. Hold for two seconds before returning to the start

position. Once you have completed all reps in this posi-

tion, return your body to an upright position and repeat.

Once all reps have been completed, lean your torso for-

ward slightly and repeat the movement again.

3 a

Barbell hip-thruster

Target muscles: Glutes

Set-up: Sit on the floor with a bench behind you and a

loaded barbell over your hips. Holding the bar so that it

doesn’t slip, lean back against the bench so that your

shoulders are almost on top of it.

Action: Push your hips upward toward the ceiling by driving

through your heels. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the

movement before lowering back to the start position.

Tip: This exercise is

excellent for building

hip strength, which is

critical for ensuring

correct knee alignment

when performing other

compound moves such

as squats and lunges.

4 SETS | 12, 12, 12, 12 DROP 8

4 SETS | 10 REPS

4 SETS | 30 (10 BACK, 10 UPRIGHT, 10 FORWARD)

Target muscles: Hamstrings

Set-up: Lie facedown on a decline

bench with your head higher than your

feet. Hold on to the bench for sup-

port. Balance a dumbbell on the floor

upright and grasp it with your feet.

Action: Lift the dumbbell to your butt

by bending your knees. Hold at the top,

then slowly lower the dumbbell as far

as you can while maintaining tension

on the hamstrings. Do not lower the

dumbbell all the way to the floor until

you have completed all reps.