Muscle Evolution Muscle_Evolution_-_December_2014 | Page 65

LATERAL RAISE The lateral raise should be a part of every lifter's repertoire. Again, with this move, Tiana does not swing the weights. She performs the move in a controlled fashion – often meaning she has to lower the weight. The target muscles are really focused on. “A GOOD SET OF SHOULDERS ROUND OUT AND ADD DEPTH TO THE PHYSIQUE” Grasp dumbbells in each hand in front of your thighs with your elbows slightly bent. Bend over slightly with hips and knees bent slightly. Raise your upper arms to the sides until your elbows are at shoulder height. Maintain elbows’ height above or equal to wrists. Lower and repeat. Keep your elbows pointed high while maintaining a slight bend through the elbows (10° to 30° angle) throughout movement. At the top of the movement, elbows (not necessarily the dumbbells) should be directly lateral to shoulders since the elbows are slightly bent forward. CONCENTRATION CURL This exercise epitomises Tiana’s training philosophy. There is no point just swinging around weights for the fun of it. Tiana focuses on the mind- muscle connection, culminating in a squeeze at the peak of every concentric movement. This forms the basis of so much of the body-sculpting element of bodybuilding. Sit on a bench. Grasp a dumbbell between your feet. Place the back of your upper arm against the inner thigh. Lean into your leg to raise your elbow slightly. Raise the dumbbell to the front of your shoulder. Lower the dumbbell until your arm is fully extended. Repeat. Continue with your opposite arm. PULL UPS A chin up is when your hands face you, and while it still obviously works the back there is a bit more focus on the biceps. The pull up is a difficult compound movement that everyone should learn and master. This is a strength movement, with the back as the primary target, that really does fit into the mass builder category. Tiana banged these out like they were nothing. Step up and grasp a bar with an overhand wide grip. Pull your body up until your chin is above the bar. Lower your body until your arms and shoulders are fully extended. Repeat. The range of motion will be compromised if the grip is too wide. In order to make it easier you can do assisted pull ups with a training partner, bands or on a pull up machine. M.E www.muscleevolution.co.za 63