Comprehensive fitness involves a mix of strength training for hypertrophy, HIIT for metabolic health, and corrective exercises for postural alignment.
Squats are among the best exercises for strengthening the muscles of your legs and hips. Two variations of the movement -- the back squat, which uses a barbell, and the hack squat, which requires a dedicated hack squat machine -- target the quadriceps muscles on the front of your thigh.
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To perform a lunge, you step forward from a standing position with one leg, bending both knees so that the trailing knee lines up under your hip, and then push back to return to the starting position.
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Hack squats, performed on a hack squat machine, derive their name from the machine's shoulder pads. "Hack" is a reference to the yoke placed around a draft animal's shoulders, notes strength training journalist Frederic Delavier in "Strength Training Anatomy."
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The hamstring muscles run along the back of your thigh, from your pelvis to your lower leg. There are three hamstrings: the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris.
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When you work out, your muscles do their job by pulling on your bones, which function as levers to create movement. Levers can be classified as either first, second or third class. Most exercises use third class levers, which are the most common in the body, but a few employ first and second class levers.
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The trapezius muscle may be best known as a source of stiffness across the top of the shoulders. It frequently becomes tight and contracted if you sit for long hours at a desk. However, the trapezius, which covers a broad area of the back of your neck and upper back, serves multiple functions.
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The rhomboid muscles of the upper back are responsible for pulling your shoulders backward, as you might do if you were standing at attention. Excessive contraction of these muscles can lead to tension in the upper back.
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Many people commonly, but wrongly, view lactic acid as a waste product that causes fatigue and muscle soreness. However, while lactic acid production often accompanies fatigue, it does not directly cause tired muscles, nor is it responsible for the muscle soreness you may feel a day or two after your workout.
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The hip abductors and adductors work in opposition to draw your thighs apart and toward each other, respectively. They also serve an important function as hip stabilizers during common movements such as walking and running.
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