The exercise machine a hammer on a back horizontal. linkage

The lever simulator, called “hammer” among athletes, was designed and created with the main goal of reducing the load on the joints, while increasing the efficiency of working out the triceps, shoulder, pectoral muscles, muscles of the arms and thighs. What options for working in the hammer exist - later in the article.

General concepts and differences from the bench press

The simulator, which is discussed in this material, is simple and effective: the athlete takes the lever, to which a certain weight is attached, and then performs the exercise.

Hammer is only a manufacturer of equipment for gyms, and not at all a specific type of simulator. It just so happened that the hammer became so popular among iron fans that it earned its own honorary name.

Advantages and disadvantages

Experts in hard training note that the hammer, in fact, has only one significant drawback: this simulator cannot be adjusted to the individual characteristics of the athlete's figure.

But the main advantage of the hammer is that the mechanism involved in the development of the simulator helps to reduce the likelihood of injury.

This is well felt when comparing between two types of exercises, for example, a bench press with a barbell and a bench press in a hummer:

• the hammer allows you not to overstrain the joint, forcing it to also hold the load in an upright position;
• the simulator prevents the load from swinging, which frees the stabilizing muscles;
• the hammer helps to distribute the load evenly on both sides, but free scales can "walk".

Some bodybuilders even complain that they are pumping one side to the detriment of the other. They can only be advised one thing - a hammer, in which it is impossible to deviate from an already verified trajectory.

If an athlete feels uneven development of his muscles, then he can correct this deficiency in a lever simulator.

Some believe that the simulator does not contribute to building muscle mass but this is not a disadvantage. Athletes traditionally build muscle with barbells or dumbbells. But when the stage of grinding the reliefs comes, the hammer is indispensable.

Based on the foregoing, it becomes clear: the hammer will be the best assistant for people who are not professionally involved in bodybuilding. If you just need to develop the chest, maintain a beautiful volume of muscles, develop the strength of the pectoral muscles, then do not pass by the hammer.

It is quite important to remember about the safety guarantees that the hammer provides: during the bench press, the load will not fall on the chest or face - the hammer is equipped with a special bar that fixes the load.

Bodybuilders strive to work to failure in the literal sense, and if the athlete's muscles come to such a state, then the athlete will not drop the load on himself.

Hammer is designed in such a way that pancakes from the bar are used as a load, and in other devices, for example, roller ones, a system of weights built into the mechanism. In these simulators, the weight is lifted through the winch. Movement through the winch exerts an uneven load at different points, and lever mechanisms compensate for this disadvantage.

Training Rules

For the greatest effect from training, you need to pay attention to a number of nuances:

• Keep your back straight, resisting the natural urge to arch your lower back as you move your arms forward.
• If you train while sitting, then press your back against the back of the seat. Thus, you will not allow the transfer of load to the back area and reduce the load from the chest area.
• Press your feet to the floor in order not to reduce the load on the pectoral muscle.
• When performing seated presses, make sure that the handles remain at the level of the middle chest. Otherwise, the muscles of the neck will overstrain.
• When doing bench presses, lift the load evenly without pushing it out, as if you were pushing a barbell.
• Move up and forward as you exhale.

About the pros and cons of working out muscles, as well as the rules of training in the Hammer simulator, will tell experienced trainer Denis Borisov in the video:

Who needs?

To work on a hammer requires less experience and professionalism than to work with a barbell or dumbbells. Working with a hammer is recommended for the following categories of athletes:

• Beginners who find it difficult to cope with heavy sports equipment. Hammer will increase muscle strength, as well as teach you how to properly perform the exercise. After working with the simulator, the novice bodybuilder will be able to switch to the barbell and build muscle mass.
• Advanced. Given that the hummer allows you to not overstress the stabilizers, working in the hummer will help experienced bodybuilders get the most out of any workout. This is done by the most in a simple way: first you need to perform presses with heavy weights without a simulator, and then finalize it in a hammer.
• After injury to the joints or muscles. Hammer allows you to change the position of the body during training, it is safe and corrects the load. If you need to protect your health, then a lever simulator will help you.

bench press

Hammer bench press is basic exercise that all bodybuilders do.

What muscles are working?

Exercise loads a number of muscles:

• large chest;
• coraco-humeral;
• deltoid - anterior bundle;
• small chest;
• latissimus dorsi;
• anterior dentate, located near the scapula;
• trapezius muscle - lower bundle;
• elbow;
• triceps

Technique

1. Lie down on a bench with your knees bent.
2. Take a breath and as you exhale start moving.
3. Raise the handles, gently lift from chest level up.
4. Pause at the top point, fixing the position. You should feel the most muscle tension.
5. Perform the lift 10 times.

Seated press

A good chest exercise. Unlike the bench press, this is an isolated exercise.

The bench press in the hammer allows you to work on each side of the chest separately - the levers move independently.

What muscles are working?

In the sitting press, the main load is directed to the large pectoral muscles, but the load vector can vary both from the desire of the athlete and from the design of the simulator, that is, depending on the model.

Basically, there are three main options to consider:

1. The tension on the middle part of the pectoralis major muscle is concentrated if the arms move in a plane perpendicular to the body.
2. If the hands move a little higher, it tenses more top part chest.
3. If the arms move a little lower, the lower part of the chest tightens.

In addition, the load falls on the anterior bundles of the deltoid muscle and triceps.

Technique

Thanks to the design of the hammer, the trajectory of movement is clearly fixed. The exercise should be performed according to the following rules:

1. Set the seat height to suit your height.
2. Sit on a bench.
3. Straighten your back, bring your shoulders together, raise your head, look straight ahead.
4. Focus on your chest muscles.
5. Breathe in.
6. Spread the handles according to their amplitude.
7. Do not straighten your arms at the extreme point.
8. Fix the pose at the extreme point for a couple of seconds.
9. Inhaling, bring your hands together.

You need to perform the exercise 10-15 times, making 3-4 approaches.

Peculiarities:

• Pay attention to the smoothness of movement - jerks should not be allowed.
• In the extreme position, you should feel the stretching of the pectoral muscles.
• Remember to breathe evenly.

Shoulder Press

In the hammer, it is also convenient to work out deltas.

What muscles are working?

In this type of bench press, the main load falls on deltoid muscle, as well as on the muscles of the chest and arms. The exercise is performed while sitting.

Muscles involved:

• anterior deltoid;
• middle deltoid;
• supraspinatus muscle;
• trapezoid;
• anterior dentate;
• biceps;
• triceps

Technique

Working out the shoulder muscles in the hammer is a fairly simple level, suitable even for novice athletes.

It should be done according to the following rules:

1. Prepare the simulator - choose the weight that suits you.
2. Sit on the bench of the simulator, spread your knees, taking a stable position. Rest your feet on the floor.
3. Grab the handles of the trainer.
4. Tighten your abs, chest and shoulder muscles.
5. Take a deep breath.
6. Raise your head.
7. As you exhale, straighten your elbows, squeezing the handles of the simulator.
8. Having reached the top point, fix for a couple of seconds, feeling tension in all muscles.
9. On an inhale, return the handles to their original position.

Perform shoulder presses in the hammer 15 times in 3-4 sets.

The video clip shows the technique of performing a bench press for the muscles of the shoulders using the example of an exercise on the anterior deltoid muscle. Shows Ivan Gutorov:

leg press

Hammer allows the bodybuilder to change the direction of the load, pumping exactly the muscle that needs it. Accent control depends on how the athlete places their feet on the platform.

The leg press in the machine is almost the same as the squat, but much safer for the knees and the Achilles tendon. It is important that only in the hummer it is possible to relieve excessive tension in the back. This allows the athlete to lift more weight without risking health.

What muscles are working?

This exercise actively loads thigh muscles and buttocks, as well as other muscles of the legs, but not so active. At correct execution part of the load falls on the press area.

Technique

To perform this type of bench press, you must follow the rules:

1. Set the weight that suits your fitness level.
2. Sit on the seat, straighten your shoulders, raise your head.
3. Position your feet on the platform so that the load is directed to the muscle group that needs to be worked out.
4. Remove the supports from the platform.
5. Bend your knees to a 90 degree angle.

Are there any contraindications?

At healthy people There should be no problems with working in the hammer, but it is still advisable to consult a sports doctor about training.

Presses in the simulator, which is commonly called a hummer, are part of the workout for experienced athletes - both bodybuilders and other sports. But Hammer is also recommended by experts and those who have just started their journey to a beautiful and healthy body.

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This is the final part about the back, I will consider the remaining exercises.

The first exercise will be the pull of the horizontal block.

We will consider it for a start, using the example of this video.

In general, the guy in the video talks about the trapeze, and about the load on them, but we'll just take the example of this video, since In a similar way very many work, not at all striving to get into the trapeze.

Let's start with the fact that he tightens his shoulders, if your task is to load the back as a whole, and not just the trapezoid, and in many ways, their upper section, then this is absolutely impossible to do. As soon as you shrug your shoulders, you turn on the top of the trapezoid and change the vector of movement, from horizontal, it becomes diagonal, that is, you will only load the upper back. The shoulders should be in a natural position, while the handle will go to the stomach, and not to the bottom of the chest, as in the video.

The next moment is the tilt of the body. I use a different video because the patient does not cheat there.

In fact, the same thing, as the body deflects, the load goes to the very top of the back, the more we lean back, the more we bring the vector of movement along the body, and turn the movement into shrugs.

With the classic performance, the slope of the body should be either zero, that is, you sit evenly, or even slightly negative, tilt towards the block, then you turn off the upper back more and transfer the load to the middle and bottom.

In movement, you should strive to bring the shoulder blades together, but you need to do this by bringing your elbows as close to the body as possible, you do not need to rake your hands through the sides.

Another point is that the grip is too narrow, I sometimes see how people remove the classic handle for pulling the block from the block and hang, for example, the handles from the crossover, with which they do chest information.

Actually, as in the first video, at the beginning, but in the middle of the video, he still changes the handle.

With such a handle, the grip is very narrow, and then when moving, your elbows will be turned outward a lot. A similar position of the elbows does not allow the maximum contraction of the back muscles. Try to do a deadlift with such a super- narrow grip, and then spread your arms a little wider, on a standard grip, slightly narrower than your shoulders, thereby pressing your elbows to the body, and you will feel the difference in the contraction of the back muscles.

Regarding the wide grip, I have a rather negative attitude towards this type of grip, it greatly shortens the amplitude, and puts the muscles of the middle back in a disadvantageous position, transferring the load more to outer part back, and there are better exercises for that. In addition, the rear beam is also more strongly included in the work.

Let's also consider cheating. In this exercise, they often cheat, but they do it fundamentally wrong.

Cheating in such a deadlift is allowed, as in a tilted barbell deadlift, but with a "rollback", even below the working angle and return to it, during cheating. That is, cheating is not like in the first video at 0:33, then we do the same as described above - we create a tilt of the body, which transfers the load to the trapezoid.

We go down in the opposite direction, to the block, by 20 degrees, and make a jerk, leaving the body in a vertical position, where the main part of the work of the back takes place. At the same time, do not cheat as a means of lifting non-lifting weight, then the movement will be jerky, jerky, without negativity. Cheating is used on moderate weights as a method of intensification, and despite it, you still make a smooth negative and positive.

The advice is sometimes heard to let the weight fully retract the arms so that the shoulders move forward, ostensibly to stretch the muscle. I do not recommend doing this, just because the back muscles are stretched too much, and as a result, at the extreme point of stretching, they are in a disadvantageous position for switching on, and breaking the weight will strongly turn on the synergistic muscles: deltas and biceps. In general, you work in full range, straightening your arms, but without fanaticism, your shoulders should remain approximately in one point, and your back muscles should not be overstretched.

In general, we have already considered all the basic exercises, but I was also asked to talk about the hammers. Here I will rather describe not errors, but the features of setting up simulators.

For starters - a horizontal hummer

This is an imitation of any horizontal rods, rod, block, it doesn’t matter.

First - how to sit in it? It is best, as with horizontal traction, to sit down either strictly evenly, slightly arching the lower back, and pushing back, or even with a slight inclination forward, resting your chest on the front .... pillow ... I don’t know what it’s called, in short, this one crap.

Further, if this "crap" in your simulator is regulated, then you should set it so that before removing the weight, your hands would be in a slightly more extended position than the one in which they will be in the working amplitude. That is, you are a little drawn to the weight. Then, having broken it, with the help of a pedal or a partner, you will automatically find yourself at the extreme point of the working amplitude. If the “crap” is set too far from you, then your working amplitude will be artificially shortened, and if it’s too close to you, you will have to lift the weight while standing, then sit down with it, and holding it already in your hands, try to - to take the correct position.

Grip width. Of course, there are different designs, but if yours involves changing the width of the grip, then I would recommend a grip at shoulder width or slightly narrower than them. This is exactly the grip that will allow you to concentrate the load on the middle of your back as much as possible, and at the same time, it will allow you to work in the longest possible amplitude.

By the way, if there are vertical and horizontal handles, then I would rather prefer the vertical option when thumb looks up while gripping.

What is the height of the seat? It depends on its height to which part of the body the handles of the simulator will be brought. The lower they go, the lower the load is distributed. In the classic performance, when your task is to distribute the load on the back relatively evenly, your hands, at the point of maximum contraction of the back, will be slightly below the chest, approximately at the level of the upper press cubes.

But if you want to somehow change the direction of the load, you can lower the seat lower, bringing the handles to the chest, and thereby more loading the upper back, or vice versa, raise it, transferring the load lower.

Otherwise, the rules are the same as everywhere else, elbows along the body and no need to work with the body, trying to throw weight. Throughout the movement, you do not come off your chest from the "crap". This is the meaning of the hammer, in the maximum isolation of movement and its maximum control. Twitch on other exercises, in the hammer you need to do it cleanly.

And consider such a thing as a vertical hummer

The machine is excellent, its main advantage is that the separate handles do not force you to "dodge" them, as in the pull of the block, and you can hit the lats much better.

Actually about setting. In fact, there is not much to talk about here, the only point that I would like to note is the location of my beloved on the seat. You should sit directly under the handles, so that when moving down, your hands go strictly to the side of the body. This is the whole point, on a regular block you would beat yourself on the head with a handle, but here you can sit under the handles, evenly and efficiently bring your hands to the body, through the sides. No cheating or tilting, perfect technique will ensure a perfect hit in the lats.

Like, please the old Jew!

Starting position - sitting facing the simulator. The back is straight. The chest rests against the back of the simulator. Feet are on the floor or on a special platform.

Horizontal thrust technique

1. Load the required weight into the machine. Adjust the seat height so that the rails are at chest level. Grab the handles straight or reverse grip. This will be your starting (starting) position.
2. Take a breath and pull the handles of the simulator towards you, keep your elbows near the body and take it as far back as possible, bringing the shoulder blades together.
3. At the bottom of the movement, exhale, pause for a minimum, and slowly lower the handrails back to the starting position.

Advice. To work out the working muscles as much as possible, keep the weight of the simulator constantly in tension, do not allow the weight to return to the support of the simulator. Do not rest during the exercise! :)

Horizontal traction in the simulator on the back. Data Exercises

Type of: Power

Main Working Muscles: lats

Other Muscles: Biceps, Middle Back

Equipment: Training apparatus

Load Type: Basic (multi-joint)

Level: Beginning

Sport: Not

Horizontal traction in the simulator on the back. Performing an exercise

This is the basic exercise. works great latissimus dorsi muscles. The work includes a large round muscle, rear deltas, biceps, forearms. If you bring the shoulder blades together at the end of the movement, the middle of the back is also involved - the trapezius and rhomboid muscles.

What muscles work

Muscles and the approximate effectiveness of the exercise for working out muscle fibers: *

Back muscles:

Broadest and largest round: 100%;

Rhomboid and trapezoidal 90%;

Shoulder muscles:

Rear deltas: 60%.

Arm muscles:

Forearms: 70%;

Biceps: 70%.

*Subjective assessment, depends on the technique of the exercise.

Horizontal traction sitting. Option for rear deltas

The pull is horizontal. Application Exercise

To whom: Everyone from beginner to master.

When: At the beginning or in the middle of a workout for the back muscles. Before pulling in horizontal simulator perform deadlifts upper block with a narrow grip, and after pulling in a horizontal simulator, do dumbbell rows with one hand.

How:

Endurance - 3-4 sets of 20-25 reps

Slimming / relief / drying - 3-4 sets of 15-20 repetitions

Mass - 4-6 sets of 6-10 reps

Strength - it is better to do the barbell row exercise while standing in an incline.

For the development of muscle mass and the formation of the relief of the chest and back, you can use a lever simulator, an exercise on which is called a bench press in the Hammer. This auxiliary exercise is aimed at finalizing the target muscle groups with an isolated load on them.

Due to the fixed amplitude of the movement of the simulator, the work of the stabilizing muscles is reduced and the entire load falls on the chest and back, which allows you to qualitatively refine them to an ideal state.

The lever system distributes the load on each arm separately, thereby the muscles are worked out evenly and correctly. In this connection, systemic training on the simulator, when performing exercises in correct technique, are able to improve the quality of the target muscle group.

Of the obvious advantages of using the simulator, one can single out the variability of its use. Each type of training allows you to develop isolated muscles that need improvement.

Types of exercises on the Hammer simulator:

1. Press in the Hammer sitting. The classic training option is the sitting chest press, which is most often an addition to a full load with uneven pumping of the pectoral muscles. Together with target muscles, shoulders and triceps are included in the work. In this case, the training action algorithm will be as follows:

• It is necessary to sit down at the simulator and lean on the vertical back.
• Then it is worth taking air into the lungs to stretch the muscles of the chest, while the bast shoes move towards each other.
• On exhalation, you need to direct the levers of the simulator forward, doing it smoothly with concentration on the target muscles.
• At the end point of the amplitude, it is necessary to fix the position for two seconds without straightening the elbows to the end.
• Then you can smoothly return the simulator to its original position and proceed to the specified number of repetitions.

2. Bench press. This traction option is suitable for both beginners and intermediate athletes. Training on the Hammer can prepare you for the prone barbell lift, as it is its lightweight counterpart. When performing a bench press, the muscles of the back and chest, biceps, deltas, rotational muscles of the shoulder work. Technique:

• It is necessary to lie on the simulator bench, bending your knees, straightening your back.
• Then you need to raise the handles of the projectile just above chest level and begin their smooth rise.
• Lowering the handles down, not reaching the bottom point of the amplitude, you need to make a short pause to feel the muscle tension.
• Repeat bench press up to 10 times.

The biomechanics for the shoulder joints when using the Hammer in the bench press are very safe, while the position of the body can be adjusted to create the most favorable position. The main mistake in the prone deadlift is choosing too much heavy weight, which can lead to a distortion of the technique of movement.

3. Reverse pull. The rhomboid, latissimus dorsalis and shoulder muscles and also biceps. Technique:

• It is necessary to install the simulator so that its handles move in the direction of the abdomen.
• Then you need to take them with a reverse grip, straightening your back.
• Pulling your elbows back as much as possible, you need to pull the handles towards you, while bringing your shoulder blades together.
• Return the projectile to its original position.

4. Vertical thrust of the projectile from top to bottom to the body. It is designed to work out the latissimus dorsi muscle. At the same time, taking the levers with a narrow grip, the load will be concentrated on the lower region of the muscles, and wide grip- on the top. It is necessary to perform traction with a maximum range of motion in order to achieve muscle contraction. You can change the weight of the weights depending on the preparation.

5. Horizontal thrust on the back. The lever load in this training option will affect the middle region of the back. At the same time, reliable fixation of the body will not allow the spine to experience overload. Technique:

• It is necessary to set the settings for the desired height and sit down, resting your chest on a vertical pillow.
• Then you need to take the handles, straightening your back.
• Then you need to pull the handles towards you, bringing the shoulder blades together.
• Without leaning back, you need to smoothly lower the weight, maintaining maximum muscle tension.

The Hammer press allows you to create an isolated load to refine various muscle groups, while it can be focused on any muscle area - lower, middle or upper. And most importantly, in the case of using the Hammer, the risk of injury to the joints and ligaments is reduced due to the constant, given amplitude of movement of the levers.

In this article, you will learn absolutely everything about the exercise - lever traction in the simulator.

Linkage is an option.

This exercise is also similar (mechanically) to one-arm dumbbell row, but due to the vertically positioned body, it is much more convenient, easier and of course safer (for the spine) to perform it.

The exercise is designed to work out the latissimus dorsi muscles in THICKNESS (pay attention to this, not in width, as, for example, in pull-ups, etc., but in THICKNESS).

It also works the teres major, rhomboid, trapezius, rear delta, and biceps.

Linkage: execution technique

Before doing the exercise, you need to correctly set up the simulator for yourself:

• SEAT HEIGHT (where your butt will be located); Your task is to adjust the height of the seat so that when you perform a pull to yourself, your hand is at the level of your waist (at the level of the belt). Also in this regard, follow how you take (in height) with your hand the handle (lever) that you will pull. Take it lower (this will help pull to the belt, and not to the chest).

Most people make this mistake. When pulling towards themselves, their hand is at chest level = and this is wrong, because the muscles of the arms (biceps) work so accentuated, and thus they steal the load from the latissimus dorsi, and you want to work out your back, right?

• SUPPORT (vertical surface), in which you will rest against the BREAST. Your task is to adjust it in such a way that you can almost completely straighten your arms at the end of each repetition, as if practically “putting the projectile in place” but not putting it. This will allow you to increase the range of motion and further stretch the latissimus dorsi.

That's all. These are the basic rules for setting up this simulator for you. From the correct setting depends on the correctness and effectiveness of the exercise. So adjust it right 🙂

NUANCE: the exercise can be performed with one hand (and not with two at once), which is exactly what I would recommend to you, because this will allow you to work out the muscle more efficiently:

• First, more concentrated work will take place this way;
• Secondly, this technique will allow you to take a little more weight than if you were doing it with both hands at the same time (two - harder).

NUANCE: with a non-working hand (the one that does not pull), be sure to hold on to the support arm.

About grips: what grip to take?

3 grip options: palms down, palms up and palms facing each other.

Use a grip where the palms are facing each other. So, at least for me, the back muscles work best. So that's what I recommend to you. You look there of course yourself 🙂

And so, I adjusted the simulator correctly, sat down, straightened my spine, rested my chest against the support, grabbed the lever with my working hand, grabbed the support with my non-working hand, and you begin to perform the exercise.

BREATHING OUT => you begin to pull the handle of the simulator towards you (to your belt), while firstly, while pulling, be sure to keep your hand closer to your torso (do not take it away from your torso, but rather press it closer to your torso) = this will increase the load on the latissimus dorsi muscles, and secondly, pull the handle of the simulator towards you to your waist and push your elbow back as far as possible (so that the shoulder blade is reduced, compressed).

So, firstly, you will increase the amplitude of the exercise, therefore, you will make the exercise harder, and therefore more effective, and secondly, this way the back muscles will work as efficiently as possible.

IMPORTANT: during the exercise, keep the body FIXED STILL! Those. rested his chest against the support, and when performing traction - do not tilt the body back (do not cheat).

An example of the fact that the seat is set up incorrectly (pulls to the chest, and not to the belt as it should) and an example of the fact that the body is not fixed and leans back (cheating) ...

This is one of the most basic mistakes made by the vast majority of people. This is because people are overly chasing weight, ala: “the more weight = the better, I’ll pump up faster.” Do not chase the weights excessively, but the progression of the load is IMPORTANT (muscle growth is impossible without it), but not to the detriment of the exercise technique. Understand? Technology is above all!

RULE: the progression of the load is achieved without compromising the technique of performing exercises.

RULE 2: cheating (in this and not only this) exercise can only be used by professionals. Advanced Athletes! And then, at your own discretion. Ordinary people = no!

Then, under control (and not throwing), lower the lever to its original position (to the lowest point), and attention: lower it to such a level that you can almost completely (but not completely, slightly, very slightly bent in elbow joint) straighten your arm at the end of each repetition, i.e. your task is, as it were, to practically “put the projectile in place” but not to put it (so that the load does not go away). This technique will allow you to increase the range of motion and stretch the latissimus dorsi muscles more.

Then repeat all over again for the number of repetitions you need. I recommend 3x4 sets in the 10-12 rep range. And finally, I recommend watching a visual video:

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Sincerely, administrator.