TARGET TRAINING

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Target training is generally supported by EMG analysis; however the all-or-none theory still applies. In other words, "Target Training" does not mean that you are exercising the lower abs and not the upper abs. It is just another way to change up your routine.

Upper pec / Middle pec / Lower pec / Outside of pec / Inside of pec / Middle Delts / Rear Delts / Front Delts / Traps / Lower Lats / Upper Lats / Tricep / Long head of tricep / Lateral head of tricep / Medial head of tricep / Long head of bicep / Short head of bicep / Brachialis / Quadriceps / Vastus Medialis / Vastus Lateralis / Rectus Femoris / Hamstrings / Biceps Femoris / Semitendinosus / Gluteus medius and minimus / Gastrocnemius / Soleus / Outer Calf / Inner Calf / Upper abs / Lower abs / Obliques

  1. Upper Pec
    1. Cable crossover attached at the bottom
      1. Modified Cable Crossover
    2. Incline movements
      1. Incline Press
    3. Lowering the bar to the Clavical (sternal notch) ( Delavier, 2006, p. 52).
    4. Pushups when your feet are elevated.
  2. Middle Pec
    1. Flat Bench presses
    2. Flat Bench flys
  3. Lower Pec
    1. Any exercises that position your arms behind or to the sides of your torso.
      1. Dip, when leaning forward
    2. Decline movements
      1. Decline Press
    3. Lowering the bar to the lower edge of the pectorals ( Delavier, 2006, p. 52).
  4. Outside of Pec
    1. Wide Grip
    2. Flys (focus on the outer pecs by stopping short of full contraction).
  5. Inside of Pec
    1. Hold dumbbells with a neutral grip at you sides while lying on a bench and press them straight up and together.
    2. Cable Crossovers (focus on the inner pecs by crossing your hands for a full contraction).
  6. Middle Delts
    1. Dumbbell lateral raises
      1. In order to really hit the middle delts keep the dumbbells at your side and execute the movement with a neutral grip.
    2. When performing upright rows, you should use a wider grip than you normally would to activate the middle delts to a greater extent.
  7. Rear Delts
    1. Bent over lateral raises
      1. You can also hit the rear delts with a pronated grip version of the dumbbell lateral raises.
    2. High-Pulley Lateral Extensions
    3. Behind-the-head shoulder presses ( Delavier, 2006, p. 28).
  8. Front Delts
    1. Front Dumbbell raises
    2. When performing shoulder presses use a narrow grip with elbows pointed forward ( Delavier, 2006, p. 29).
  9. Traps
    1. When performing dumbbell raises you must go beyond shoulder height to activated the traps ( Delavier, 2006, p. 37).
  10. Lower Lats
    1. Any pulldown, pull-up, or row that involves a reverse grip, especially when a close grip is involved as well.
      1. Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown
      2. Reverse Grip Barbell Row
      3. Chin Up
  11. Upper Lats
    1. Any pulldown or pull-up that involves a pronated grip, especially when a wide grip is involved as well.
      1. Wide Grip Pull-up
      2. Wide Grip Pull-down
    2. Pulling the elbows back during pull-ups and pull-downs will focus on the upper and central portions of the lats ( Delavier, 2006, p. 69)
  12. Triceps
    1. Close Grip Bench Press
      1. To emphasize the triceps even more, you can use supinated grip.
        1. your wrists may suffer as a result.
    2. Dips
      1. Your torso should not be hunched forward, as it would be to emphasize the pectorals.
  13. Long head of the triceps
    1. Movements that require you to bring your arms away from your sides.
      1. Skull crushers
      2. Seated dumbbell triceps extensions (Delavier, 2006, p. 24).
    2. To stress the long head to a greater degree on the skull crusher, lower the bar behind your head (Delavier, 2006, p. 21).
  14. Lateral head of the triceps
    1. Pronated grip on straight bar press-down
    2. Rope press-downs (Delavier, 2006, p. 18).
    3. Overhand grip when performing triceps extensions (Delavier, 2006, p. 24).
  15. Medial head of the triceps
    1. Reverse grip on straight bar press-down
  16. Long Head of the biceps
    1. Narrow grip
    2. Incline Bicep Curl
  17. Short Head of the biceps
    1. Wide grip
    2. Arms out in front of your torso
      1. Preacher bench.
    3. High-Pulley Curl (Delavier, 2006, p. 10)
  18. Brachioradialis (Delavier, 2006, p. 6) and Brachialis
    1. Neutral or Overhand grip curls
  19. Quadriceps
    1. During the leg press or hack squat
      1. Place feet further down the pad
  20. Vastus Medialis
    1. Wide leg stance
      1. This will also stress the adductors to a greater degree (Delavier, 2006, p. 98).
    2. Leg Press
    3. Works hardest when the knee is fully bent
  21. Vastus Lateralis
    1. Narrow stance
    2. Hack Squat
  22. Rectus Femoris
    1. Leg Extension
  23. Hamstrings
    1. During the leg press and hack squat
      1. Place feet higher up the pad
    2. During lying leg curls point the toes (plantar flexion) to stress the hamstrings to a greater degree(Delavier, 2006, p. 103).
  24. Biceps Femoris
    1.  Lying leg curl
    2. Rotate the feet outward during leg curls (Delavier, 2006, p. 103).
  25. Semitendinosus
    1. Seated leg curl
    2. Rotate the feet inward during leg curls (Delavier, 2006, p. 103).
  26. Gastrocnemius
    1. Standing calf raises
    2. During lying leg curls flex the feet (dorsiflexion) to stress the gastrocnemius to a greater degree (Delavier, 2006, p. 103).
  27. Gluteus medius and minimus
    1. Abducting your leg
      1. Straighten your leg and raise it off to the right or left side of your body.
    2. Seated machine hip abductors
      1. The gluteus medius will be stressed when the seat is angled. When it is not angled, the gluteus maximus will be stressed (Delavier, 2006, p. 127).
  28. Soleus
    1. Seated calf raises
  29. Outer Calf
    1. Toes pointed inward at no more than a 20-30 degree angle
  30. Inner Calf
    1. Toes Pointed outward at no more than a 20-30 degree angle
  31. Upper abs
    1. Raising your chest towards your legs.
  32. Lower abs
    1. Raising your legs towards your chest.
  33. Obliques
    1. Side to side movements
    2. Twisting movements
      1. Twisting to the right contracts the right internal oblique and the left external oblique.

Source: Delavier, F. (2006). Strength Training Anatomy (2nd ed.). Paris, France: Human Kinetics.

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