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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

How to Exercise With an Inverted Triangle Body

If you have an inverted triangle body shape, your shoulders are significantly wider than your hips. This shape places the widest part of the triangle across your shoulders and the thin, pointed part of the triangle at your hips and lower body. Exercising with this type of shape should include cardiovascular exercise that strengthens your legs as it improves your heart health, and strength training exercises to build up your lower body. Your body shape is determined by your genetics, so completely erasing the inverted triangle is not possible. However, you are able to reduce the dramatic differences in the top and bottom parts of your body.
You won't get a big butt by doing lots of bodyweight squats and lunges. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body and also one of the strongest. The glutes will grow quickly if given enough reason to, and the best way to accomplish that is very heavy exercise. Perform the right exercises strictly, consistently, carefully and with maximum effort and you'll quickly see progress.

Leg Press

You won't get the same thigh development performing leg presses as you would with squats, but it's a good alternative for people with knee and back problems, due to the stability the machine offers, according to the "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding." One muscle group the leg press may be superior at building compared to squats, though, is the glutes. The reason is that the glutes straighten the body at the hips, and the angle of the leg press forces the glutes to work through a greater range of motion than squats do. To perform a leg press, sit at the leg press machine. Use a wider stance to utilize the glutes more. Lower the weight sled until just before your butt rolls away from the seat. Press the weights back up, being careful not to lock your knees at the top. Perform sets of eight to 12 reps to build the glutes.

Lunges

Lunges aren't a very heavy exercise, but because they primarily work one leg at a time, they can be very effective. "Strength Training Anatomy" explains that you can target the gluteus maximus by stepping out with a larger-than-usual step. To perform lunges, stand with your feet together, holding dumbbells at your sides. Step forward, kneeling down until your forward thigh is parallel to the ground, but not allowing your rear knee to touch the ground. Press with your forward leg and either step forward with your rear leg, or step back with your forward leg. Do the same with your other leg. Perform sets of eight to 12 reps per leg.

Deadlifts

The deadlift is both very simple and very difficult. It's very simple because you're just standing up while holding a barbell. It's very difficult because, as Arnold Schwarzenegger points out in "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding," it utilizes just about every muscle in the body, meaning you can lift a lot of weight. The stress this causes will shock your body into packing muscle onto your butt. To perform a deadlift, stand in front of a barbell on the ground with your feet a bit less than shoulder-width apart. Squat down to the barbell, gripping it with your hands shoulder-width apart. The inside of your forearms should be pressed against the outside of your knees. Look forward, keep a straight back and press through your heels to stand with the weight. Follow the same path to set the weight back down. Perform sets of four to six for maximum muscle growth.

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts

Once you get strong, you'll find that it's very difficult to perform a lot of big exercises on the same day. You might not be able to perform leg press and deadlifts during the same workout, because each requires so much energy. Stiff-legged deadlifts isolate the glutes more than the traditional deadlift, so you'll use much less weight. This makes stiff-legged deadlifts excellent for warming up before or burning out after bigger lifts. To perform a stiff-legged deadlift, stand with a barbell hanging from your arms before your thighs. Keep a slight bend in your knees for balance, and maintain the same bend throughout the exercise. Lean forward, going as low as you can without rounding your back forward. Stand back up. Perform sets of eight to 12.

Cardiovascular


Step 1: Use a StairMaster for 30 minutes, five days a week, or climb up and down a flight of stairs for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Exercise at an intensity level that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat.


Step 3: Carry on a conversation to monitor your intensity level. Slow down your pace if you are unable to talk. Speed up your stair climbing if you are able to sing.


Glutes


Step 1: Perform stepups to enhance your glutes. Place a box on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight and hands next to your hips.


Step 2: Stand tall while facing the box. Position yourself about one foot away from it.


Step 3: Bend your right knee. Step onto the box with your right foot. Straighten your right leg to bring your left foot onto the box.


Step 4: Slide your left foot off the back of the box. Bend your right knee to lower your left foot to the floor. Return your right foot to the floor.


Step 5: Repeat the step up with your left leg. Complete eight to 10 stepups on each leg. Rest for 60 seconds and repeat.


Quadriceps


Step 1:Perform a squat to strengthen the tops of your thighs. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight and hands next to your hips.


Step 2: Shift your weight toward your heels so that you are able to lift your toes off the floor.


Step 3:Bend your knees, but not beyond a 90-degree angle. Lower your hips so your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your knees over the top of your heels so that you can see your toes.


Step 4: Straighten your legs to return to a standing position.


Step 5: Perform eight to 10 squats. Rest for 60 seconds and then repeat.


Deadlifts


Step 1: Perform straight leg dead lifts to improve the back of your upper thighs and your glutes.


Step 2: Stand tall with your feet underneath your hips. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight and your hands in front of your hips.


Step 3: Fold forward from your waist to lower the dumbbells toward the floor. Keep your back and your legs straight.


Step 4:Tighten your backside and stand tall to return to the start position.


Step 5: Complete eight to 10 deadlifts. Rest for 60 seconds and repeat.

Tips and Warnings


  • When selecting your dumbbell amount, choose a weight that allows you to complete at least eight repetitions, but no more than 10. Increase the weight amount if you can complete more than 10. Decrease the weight amount if you cannot complete eight.
  • Include a day of rest in between your strength training workouts for muscle recovery.


Things You'll Need

  • Stairmaster or flight of stairs
  • Pair of 5 to 20 lbs. dumbbells
  • 12- to 18-inch high box or step


References


Copy from
Lisa M. Wolfe 

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