Fitness Machine and Fitness Equipment

Abdominal Crunch Bench

The Abdominal Crunch Bench is used to strengthen the abdominal muscles work outs. It is used to develop the abdominal and oblique muscles. The Abdominal Crunch Bench helps you maintain proper form in order that you can maximize the work out on your abdominal muscles, therefore it reduces injury or back strain.

Muscles of Development

The Abdominal Crunch Bench is used to develop the rectus abdominal muscles. They are the classic “six pack” muscles prized greatly by weight training enthusiasts. The Crunch Bench also work on the lower back, and variation in the crunches works the oblique, or side abdominal muscle.

Appearance and Dimensions of the abdominal crunch bench

The Abdominal Crunch Bench is made of a padded bench with two bars at one end that supports a two footed braced platforms. The ergonomically curve nature of the bench enables you to maximize correct form as you exercise with the bench. The Abdominal Crunch Bench has a dimension of 60cm x 80cm x 130cm. The compact nature of the bench makes it fit easily into a small gym or home.

Precautions and correct technique

Though the Crunch Bench is ergonomically designed to help you maintain the right form while exercising, you have to position your leg up, this isolates further and work the main abdominal muscles. Place your back on the bench, with you feet placed on the two foot platforms. The small part of your back should place over the ergonomic hump near the front of the wide bench.

Then use your abdominal muscle to pull your torso off the bench. Make sure you are exhaling as you lift your body and continue lifting until you are 30 degree to a full erect sitting position. When at the top of range of motion, hold on for 2 seconds, and then inhale as you lower down to the bench. Repeat the exercise until failure.

Most expert do not recommend full sit up to be carried out, since it is not effective way of exercising the abdominal. When doing a full sit up, the abs is only used for the first 30 degree of the range of motion, while the other muscles completes the finishing of pulling your torso to full sitting position. Therefore the Abdominal Crunch Bench is used in working the abs muscles its entire range of motion, it is considered more efficient.

Also when performing the full sit up, ensure that your back stays straight and rigid through out the whole range of motion. As you get tired when performing this exercise your back will arch, which causes strain or injury, therefore do not place hand behind your neck, it is more likely to cause your back to arch and increases your risk to injury.

Variation in technique

The abdominal Crunch can also be used to perform twisting crunches, as well as standard vertical crunch. Performing the twist crunch with the Crunch Bench requires you twist your torso to alternating sides at the top of range of motion.

By twisting you work your oblique (side abdominal muscles). Also, by grasping a weight plate across your chest as you complete the crunch makes the exercise difficult and is a good way to further develop the abdominal muscles.

Benefits

The Abdominal Crunch Bench helps you maintain a good form as well as focus your technique, it also develops and strengthen the abdominal muscles. The equipment is of great value and fit easily into small gym or homes.

Dip Station

The Dip station machine also known as Triceps Dip Machine is used to work out the triceps, it helps develop the muscles of the triceps.

Muscles of development

The Dip Station machine is used to develop the muscles of the triceps, also shoulders, abs, deltoids, chest or pectorals are work on to a lesser degree when performing the triceps dip.

Appearance and Dimension of the Dip station

The Dip Station machine is made up of a platform with two steel upright arms, having metal arms grip extended at a slightly upright angle to the body. Though the machine is not large, it has a dimension of 70cm x 120cm x 120cm

Precautions and correct technique

The Dip Station is used to isolate and work on the triceps. You should setup the platform, and secure the two arms firmly, and then you lift yourself off the platform until your two arms are straight and fully extended. Your legs should be crossed behind your body and you lean slightly forward in order to put all the strain on your triceps. As you are bringing your body down slowly inhale.

Continue lowering yourself until your chest is parallel with your hands. Exhale as you lift yourself up gently with your arms in a straight position again. At the top do not lock your arm straight, repeat the exercise immediately. Locking your arm is more like resting period, and it will take the strain of the triceps, and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.

Also, you should remember to warm up yourself, before performing the triceps dip because the exercise is an intense muscle exercise. Make sure you stretch and limber your triceps and arms, as well as starting the exercise with lighter weight exercises. The triceps dip exercise can be hard on the shoulder, ensure not to go lower than your lower chest to your hands in order to avoid shoulder strain or injury.

Variation in techniques

The exercise performed with the triceps dip can be more intense by using a weighted belt or finding other means of adding weight to your body as you dip. The addition of extra weights will make the exercise more challenging and develop the muscles rapidly.

Also an inexperience weight trainer may have difficulty completing the triceps dip properly; therefore the intensity of the exercise can be reduced by transferring part of the weight onto the floor with your leg. Also by placing a bench behind the station the exercise can be made less intense for beginners.

Benefits of dip station

The Dip Station is a great training tool used in isolating the tricep muscle and as well as performing an intense tricep exercise. Performing a few set of tricep exercise will cause your muscles to burn and will experience significant growth in your tricep. Also the compact nature of the equipment makes it fit easily into home gym or gym environment.