Starting Position

• Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, palm facing your body.
• Bend forwards from the hips, placing your
  left hand and knee on a bench to stabilise yourself. Your back should be flat and almost horizontal and your right arm fully extended.

The Movement

• Pull the dumbbell up towards your waist, drawing your elbow back as far as it can go. Keep the dumbbell close to your body.
• Allow the dumbbell to touch your rib cage lightly. Pause for a count of one; then slowly lower the dumbbell until your arm is fully extended.
• After completing the required number of repetitions, perform the exercise with your left arm.

Tips

• Keep your lower back flat and still- do not
  twist your trunk.
• Make sure you row the dumbbell to the side of your rib cage - do not pull the dumbbell up to your shoulder.

This is a classic exercise for creating width and depth to the back. It is a difficult exercise when performed without assistance so it’s best to perform it first in your back workout.

Starting Position

• Hang from a chinning bar with your hands just over shoulder-width apart, palms facing forwards.
• Your arms should be fully extended and your ankles crossed.

The Movement

• Pull yourself up slowly until the top of your chest nearly touches the bar. Lead with your upper chest.
• Pause for a second or two; then slowly lower back to the starting position.

Tips

• Do not swing your legs forwards or jerk as you pull yourself up - this greatly reduces the stress placed on the back muscles.
• Fix your eyes slightly upwards as you pull yourself Up, slightly arching your back.
• Ensure your trunk and thighs maintain a straight line.
• Do not shorten the return phase of the movement - extend your arms fully.

Variations

Behind neck
This variation places extra emphasis on the rhomboids and posterior deltoids. Pull yourself up until the base of your neck just touches the bar.

Close grip
This variation places more stress on the lower lats and biceps. Use either an overhand or underhand grip, with your hands shoulder­width apart.

Parallel grip
This variation works the lower lats as well as the middle, adding thickness and density to these regions of the back. Hook a triangle bar over the chinning bar and pull yourself up so that your mid-chest touches the triangle bar.

Romanian Deadlift is a fundamental exercise for treasing overall mass, strength and power in both the the lower and upper body. Like squats, it a maximum stimulation movement.

Starting Position for performing Deadlift

• Stand in front of the barbell with your feet parallel and shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your legs until your hips and knees ” are at the same level, keeping your rib cage up and your head level. Your back should be straight, at a 45° angle to the floor.
• Grasp the bar, with your hands just over shoulder-width apart, one overhand, the other under. This will facilitate better balance and keep the barbell in the same plane.

The Movement during Romanian Deadlift - The Deadlift technique

• Using the power of your legs and hips, and keeping your arms straight, lift the bar from the floor until your legs are straight. The bar should be against the upper part of your thighs. Hold for a count of one.
• Slowly return the bar to the floor, keeping your torso erect, arms straight and head up, eyes looking forwards. Your chest should be slightly forwards and over the bar.

Deadlift Training Tips

• Keep your back straight - i.e. in its normal position - throughout the movement. Do not lean forwards.
• Keep the bar as close as possible to your legs throughout the movement.
• Make sure your knees travel in line with your toes - do not allow them to travel inwards.

Variations of Deadlift

On a Block
Stand on a low, sturdy block or platform so that the bar is at the same level as your feet. This increases the range of motion and therefore it benefits your body more.

Romanian Deadlift

Setup for Romanian Deadlift:Stand and hold a barbell with a shoulder-with overhand grip. YOur feet should be hip-with apart toes pointed ahead, legs straight. Dont lock your knees.

Movement during Romanian Deadlit: Slide the bar down the front of your thighs by pressing your glutes back and hinging forward at the hips. Keep your spine in a neutral position until the bar is a few inches below your kneecaps (or whatever’s comfortable). If you begin to round your back, you’ve gone too low.
Return to the start position by pressing your hips forward and squeezing your glutes.