Phase 4 Intermediate: Day 1 Phase 4 Intermediate: Day 1
Centr Team
23 May 2022
Barbell flat bench press
Target: Chest, shoulders, triceps
Form tips:
- Press your shoulders down and into the bench to keep them safe.
- Firmly plant your feet under your knees and drive your knees out to help engage your glutes and stablize your body.
- Your forearms should remain straight.
- If you are a beginner, close your fists when gripping the bar so it doesn't slip.
Modification – Medicine ball push-up:
- If you struggle with stability in bench presses, work on improving it with these push-ups, focusing on keeping your shoulders down and core and glutes activated.
Push-up
Target: Chest, shoulders, triceps, back, core
Form tips:
- Shoulders down and elbows tucked in at 45 degrees.
- Lock in your core throughout the exercise.
- Tuck in your butt and squeeze your glutes.
Modification – Push-up on knees:
- If you can't complete push-ups on your toes with good form or are working up to this variation, drop your knees down to lessen the load on your chest and triceps.
Dumbbell incline bench press
Target: Shoulders, chest, lats
Form tips:
- Shoulders down and away from your ears – engaging your lats will help keep them down.
- Plant your feet firmly below your knees for stability.
- Chest up to ensure you're working the right muscles.
- Activate your core to support your lower back.
Modification – Dumbbell single-arm alternating incline bench press:
- If you notice a strength imbalance between left and right arms, use the single-arm variation to build up your weaker side.
Dips
Target: Triceps, chest, shoulders
Form tips:
- To look after your shoulders, maintain a slight forward lean – don't swing up to an upright torso position as you rise.
- Elbows as close to your body as possible.
- Focus on feeling the squeeze in the back of your arms as they lock out.
Modification – Barbell close-grip bench press:
- If you can't access dip bars, a close-grip bench press is a good tricep focused alternative.
Standing chest cable flys
Target: Chest, shoulders
Form tips:
- Don't extend your arms so far that your elbows are straining. Adjust your grip if strain is a problem.
- Keep a slight bend in your elbows at all times.
Modification – Push-up:
- Cable machine taken? Hit the floor for push-ups with a wide grip to target your pecs.
Cable tricep pushdown
Target: Triceps
Form tips:
- Chest up and elbows in, to ensure your shoulders and elbows are moving correctly.
- Maintain an activated core.
- You want to feel the squeeze at the back of your arms when they lock down.
- Don't slouch as this can lead to the wrong muscles compensating.
Modification – Dumbbell kickbacks:
- A cable-free alternative to work your triceps.
Cable machine underhand-grip tricep extension
Target: Triceps, lats, biceps
Form tips:
- Activate your core.
- Don't extend your arms so far that your elbows are straining. Adjust your grip if strain is a problem.
- Focus on feeling the squeeze in the back of your arms as they lock down.
- Don't slouch as this can lead to compensating with the wrong muscles.
Modification – Dumbbell kickbacks:
- Grab your dumbbells to work the same muscles without cables.
