The leg curl machine

The leg curl machine is a machine excellent for performing leg curls that will isolate and build the hamstring muscles. The hamstrings tend to get overlooked in many weight training routines, yet they need to be developed in conjunction with other leg muscles for correct bodily proportion and overall muscular health.

The hamstrings can be difficult to isolate well, and most free weight leg exercises will be compound muscle movements, and may not develop the hamstrings as needed.

The leg curl machine is very easy to use, and will be appreciated both by people seeking to develop a tight and toned upper leg, and by body builders looking to add size and strength to their lower body.

No gym environment will be complete without a leg curl machine.

Dimensions and appearance of the leg curl machine

The leg curl machine consists of a heavy gauge white steel framing, with an angled padded black bench for lying on. The bench is angled upwards below the waist, and downwards for the upper torso. This bent at the waist positioning offers the ideal orientation for hamstring selective exercising, and will remove possibly dangerous strain off of the lower back. At the end of the bench, there is an adjustable padded leg restraint. The user will be lying face down on the bench, and will hook the backs of their ankle under the leg bar before performing the exercise.

The weight plates are located to the side of the machine, and all cables and pulleys are hidden from view. The user can select the desired weight to be lifted, by the use of an adjustable pinioning system.

The dimensions of the machine are 80 cm x 70 cm x 160 cm and the weight of the unit is 60 kg.

How to use the leg curl machine

First select the desired weight to be lifted by adjusting the movable pin to the correct number of weight plates to move. Lay comfortably face down on the bench, with your waist at the bend between the downward angled leg bench, and the oppositely downwardly angled chest bench.

Hook the backs of your ankles under the leg bar, and grasp the hand grips for a stable position. Flex your hamstring muscle, and smoothly raise your legs up, until they are perpendicular with your upper legs. Squeeze your hamstrings at the top of the range of motion, and hold the position at the top for a count of two. Inhale as you slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.

It is important to stay motionless from the waist up as you perform this exercise. Moving your torso or hips will take some of the strain off of the hamstrings, and place it onto the glutes, thus diminishing the effectiveness of the exercise.

Do not bounce at the bottom the rage of motion, as this also takes the strain off of the hamstrings and will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.

There will be a temptation to lift your hips and upper legs off of the bench as your muscles tire. This will reduce the effectiveness of the muscle movement, and will make the exercise a compound muscle exercise. If you cannot keep your hips down as you tire, try having someone assist you, and press down on your waist or upper legs if they see you raising this area off of the bench. This will ensure that the focus of the exercise stays on the hamstrings.

Incorrect technique can lead to injury

The leg curl machine is very safe, and can be used without a spotter, even when lifting heavy weights.

You should always stretch and warm up your leg muscles prior to attempting the leg curl. If you approach this strenuous muscle exercise “cold” you are at risk for a hamstring strain, or even muscle tear.

You should make sure that the machine you are using is angled downwards above the waist. Performing this exercise on a flat board can hyper extend and strain the lower back during the exercise.

Some people may find this exercise uncomfortable for their hips. If you experience pain while performing the leg curl, desist from the exercise immediately.

If you cannot perform the exercise without lifting your hips off of the bench, you are likely trying to move too much weight, and would benefit from less weight, but better form. Good form will always produce better results with less weight, than heavy lifting incorrectly done.

Variable techniques for the leg curl machine

The most common variation of the exercise is a variation in weight and number of repetitions performed.

If your goal is muscle size development and maximal strength, you should be lifting more weight with fewer repetitions. If your goal is muscle endurance, and toning, you should be lifting less weight, with more repetitions per set.

A good basic rule is to perform three repetitions of any set; and perform each set to, or near to, failure.

You can alternate the leg curl with pushing type of exercises like the leg extension. By quickly alternating back and forth between these different types of muscle movements, you contribute an aerobic effect to any weight training regiment, as well as perform more efficiently with the time allotted for a workout.

Why you should consider this machine

The hamstrings are an essential muscle to isolate and train. Most leg muscle exercises are compound movements, and there are few very effective exercises to isolate, and work, the hamstring. The leg curl machine is the best isolating hamstring tool in any gym.

This exercise machine is very easy to use, and will be appreciated by novice trainers to experienced body builders alike. The leg curl station is always very popular, and is a must have for any comprehensive gym environment.

The leg curl machine is made of heavy gauge steel and is designed for professional usage and durability.

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Anatomic Abs bench

The anatomic abdominal bench or, abs bench, is a great piece of equipment for serious targeted abdominal exercises. The best way to a “six pack” is through using an anatomic abdominal bench. The abs bench comes with an adjustable rate of declination, so you can raise or lower the bench, to alter the level of difficulty, and also change the muscle strain to different targeted area of the abdominals. The abs bench allows for intense abdominal crunches, twist crunches and sit ups, the perfect way to a great strong set of abdominal muscles.

What are the muscles targeted with the anatomic abdominal bench?

As the name implies, the key muscles worked through exercises on this bench are the abdominal muscles. Although the lower back and oblique muscles are also to a lesser degree worked during abdominal exercises.

Appearance and dimensions of the anatomic abdominal bench

The anatomic abdominal bench consists of an adjustable sloping bench, and two bars of foot and leg restraints at the top end of the declined bench. This piece of equipment is not large, and the dimensions are 50 cm x 110 cm x 90 cm. This abdominal muscle targetor will fit easily in almost any small gym or home gym environment.

Correct technique while using the anatomic abdominal bench

The primary exercise used on the anatomic abdominal bench is the ab curl. For this exercise, you lay flat on your back with your legs positioned at the higher end of the bench. Secure your body with your feet in between the two foot and leg restraint padded bars at the top.

The exercise is similar to a sit up, but instead of proceeding from lying down, to a full sitting up position, you will stop at less than half way up. 30 degrees of motion is considered the ideal distance to travel. Any more upward motion than these thirty degrees, and you cease to target the abdominal muscles.

Laying flat on your back, use your abdominal muscles to bring your torso off the mat, and to a position less than half way to a sitting up position. Exhale as you bring your body up, and pause for a count of two at the top of the range of motion, before beginning your smooth descent back to the bench. You should exhale as you lower your torso back to the bench. Proper breathing is quite important, and helps to focus the development of the abdominal muscles.

Incorrect technique can lead to injury

It is possible to injure yourself, particularly the muscles of the back, while using the abs bench. Good form is important to ensure that you focus the strain on your abdominal muscles, without injuring your back.

Most health experts no longer recommend the full sit up. There are two main problems with the full sit up. The first is that it is an inefficient exercise. The abs are only worked for about the first 30 degrees of the upward range of motion, and the rest of the way up uses other muscles. For this reason, not enough of the movement concentrates the muscle strain on the correct muscle group, and it is not as effective as other more concentrated movements.

Secondly, the sit up should always be performed with a straight back, but invariably as you tire, your back will arch. Performing the sit up with an arched back can lead to a back strain, and should be avoided.

For this reason, the hands should never be placed behind the head or neck while performing the sit up or crunch. This hand position greatly increases the likelihood of arching your back.

Variable techniques while using the anatomic abdominal bench

One common variant while using the abs bench is incorporating a twisting motion into the crunch at the end of the range of motion. This twisting increases the muscle strain across the abdominals and into the obliques as well.

The bench itself is designed for some variation through its adjustable levels of declination. You can increase the difficulty, and also vary the focus on different regions of the abs, by changing the angle of declination

The intensity of the crunch can also be increased by grasping a weight plate across your chest as you perform the exercise.

Why you should consider an anatomic abdominal bench?

Core torso strength is very important for a healthy and balanced physique, as well as a great ripped look. The ab board offers a great way to intensify and focus the strain on your abs while doing your crunches. The ab board is adjustable, so the level of decline can be increased as you gain muscle strength.

This piece of equipment is great value, and does not need a large space for set up. The ab board is a great addition to any home gym.

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Abdominal crunch machine

The abdominal crunch bench is perfectly positioned to help you maximize your abdominal muscle work outs. The crunch can be varied in a number of ways, but the basic abdominal crunch exercise is considered to be one of the most effective ways to build and tone your abdominal and oblique muscles.

This piece of gym equipment, with its ergonomic bench, will help you keep proper form, so that you maximize the workout on your abdominal muscles, and minimize the possibility of injury or back strain.

The legs up position on this flat bench is a way to vary the traditional abdominal crunch, and is also a way to vary your workout if you are accustomed to the declining ab board style of equipment

Core muscles worked while using the abdominal crunch

The abs crunch machine targets specifically the rectus abdominal muscles. These muscles are the classic “six pack” muscles that are so prized by weight training enthusiasts. The lower back is also worked during crunches, and varying crunches can also work the oblique, or side abdominal muscles.

Appearance and dimensions of the abs crunch machine

The abdominal crunch consists of a wide padded bench, with two bars at one end that support two foot bracing platforms. The bench is ergonomically curved to maximize correct form as you perform the exercise.

The dimensions of this piece of gym equipment are 60 cm x 80 cm x 130 cm. This piece is compact enough to fit easily in a small gym or home gym environment

How to use the abdominal crunch machine

The abdominal crunch is ergonomically designed for correct form as you perform the crunch; and the legs up positioning further isolates and works the core abdominal muscles. Lay on the bench on your back, with you feet resting firmly on the two foot platforms, and the small of your back over the ergonomic hump, near the front of the wide bench.

The movement begins as you use your abdominal muscles to pull your torso up off the bench. You should exhale as you lift your body, and continue to lift your body until you are at approximately 30% of the way to a full and erect sitting position. At the top of the

range of motion, hold the position for a two count, and then exhale as you lower your body back down to the bench. Continue to repeat the exercise to failure.

Incorrect form can lead to injury

Currently health experts do not recommend that a full sit up be performed. The full sit up is considered to be a very ineffective way to exercise the abdominal muscles. In a full sit up, the abs are only used for the first 30% of the range of the motion, and other muscles will finish pulling your torso into a full sitting position. For this reason, the ab crunch, which is working the ab muscles for its entire range of motion, is considered to be far more effective and efficient.

Additionally, the possibility of injury is greater with a full sit up. A full sit up can be safe, as long as the back stays completely straight and rigid throughout the whole range of motion. Invariably though, as you tire your back will arch, and this arching of the back can lead to back strain, and other serious injury.

For this reason, you should never keep your hands locked behind your head or neck as you perform the sit up or ab crunch. Locking your hands behind your head or neck will cause you to be much more likely to arch your back, and will increase the risk of injury.

Variable techniques on the abdominal crunch

The abdominal crunch can be used to perform twisting crunches, as well as the standard vertical crunch. A twisting crunch has you twist your torso to alternating sides at the top of the range of motion. This twisting works your obliques (the side abdominal muscles).

You can also increase the difficulty of the exercise by grasping a weight plate across your chest as you complete the crunch. This will greatly increase the difficulty of the crunch, and is a great way for advanced weight trainers to further their abdominal development

Why you should consider an abdominal crunch

The abdominal crunch will effectively focus your technique and form, and lead to great progress as you use the crunching exercises to strengthen and define your abdominal muscles. This piece of equipment is a great value acquisition, and is small enough to fit easily in a small gym, or home gym environment.

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