Sports Center at Chelsea Piers

Pistol Squat Guide

From a standing position, raise one foot off the floor. You should be looking directly forward, with your chest up, knees and hips slightly bent, and your back straight. This will be your starting position.

Descend into a squat by flexing your hips and knee. As you squat, extend the non-working leg forward to allow clearance for your movement. Descend slowly, paying close attention to balance and proper movement mechanics, going as far as your flexibility allows.

Hold the bottom position briefly and then return to the start by extending through the hips and knee, driving through the heel of your working foot.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

Cable Preacher Curl Guide

Place a preacher bench about 2 feet in front of a pulley machine.

Attach a straight bar to the low pulley.
Sit at the preacher bench with your elbow and upper arms firmly on top of the bench pad and have someone hand you the bar from the low pulley.

Grab the bar and fully extend your arms on top of the preacher bench pad. This will be your starting position.

Now start pilling the weight up towards your shoulders and squeeze the biceps hard at the top of the movement. Exhale as you perform this motion. Also, hold for a second at the top.

Now slowly lower the weight to the starting position.

Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Variations: You can also use an e-z bar attachment or even a single hand bar so that you can do one arm at a time. This exercise can also be performed with barbells, dumbbells, E-Z bar, and exercise bands.

Ab Crunch Machine Guide

Select a light resistance and sit down on the ab machine placing your feet under the pads provided and grabbing the top handles.

Your arms should be bent at a 90 degree angle as you rest the triceps on the pads provided. This will be your starting position.

At the same time, begin to lift the legs up as you crunch your upper torso. Breathe out as you perform this movement. Tip: Be sure to use a slow and controlled motion. Concentrate on using your abs to move the weight while relaxing your legs and feet.

After a second pause, slowly return to the starting position as you breathe in.

Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Caution:

For this exercise, always select a weight that you can easily handle as using too much weight can easily lead to injury.

Leverage High Row Guide

Load an appropriate weight onto the pins and adjust the seat height so that you can just reach the handles above you. Adjust the knee pad to help keep you down. Grasp the handles with a pronated grip. This will be your starting position.

Pull the handles towards your torso, retracting your shoulder blades as you flex the elbow.

Pause at the bottom of the motion, and then slowly return the handles to the starting position.

For multiple repetitions, avoid completely returning the weight to the stops to keep tension on the muscles being worked.

Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row Guide

Put weight on one of the ends of an Olympic barbell. Make sure that you either place the other end of the barbell in the corner of two walls; or put a heavy object on the ground so the barbell cannot slide backward.

Bend forward until your torso is as close to parallel with the floor as you can and keep your knees slightly bent.

Now grab the bar with one arm just behind the plates on the side where the weight was placed and put your other hand on your knee. This will be your starting position.

Pull the bar straight up with your elbow in (to maximize back stimulation) until the plates touch your lower chest. Squeeze the back muscles as you lift the weight up and hold for a second at the top of the movement. Breathe out as you lift the weight. Tip:

Do not allow for any swinging of the torso. Only the arm should move.

Slowly lower the bar to the starting position getting a nice stretch on the lats. Tip: Do not let the plates touch the floor. To ensure the best range of motion, I recommend using small plates (25-lb ones) as opposed to larger plates (like 35-45lb ones).

Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions and switch arms.

Variations: You can perform this exercise using a low pulley.

Cable Crossover Guide

To get yourself into the starting position, place the pulleys on a high position (above your head), select the resistance to be used and hold the pulleys in each hand.

Step forward in front of an imaginary straight line between both pulleys while pulling your arms together in front of you. Your torso should have a small forward bend from the waist. This will be your starting position.

With a slight bend on your elbows in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon, extend your arms to the side (straight out at both sides) in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Keep in mind that throughout the movement, the arms and torso should remain stationary; the movement should only occur at the shoulder joint.

Return your arms back to the starting position as you breathe out.

Make sure to use the same arc of motion used to lower the weights.

Hold for a second at the starting position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

Variations: You can vary the point in front of you where your arms meet.

Calf-Machine Shoulder Shrug Guide

Position yourself on the calf machine so that the shoulder pads are above your shoulders. Your torso should be straight with the arms extended normally by your side. This will be your starting position.

Raise your shoulders up towards your ears as you exhale and hold the contraction for a full second.

Slowly return to the starting position as you inhale.

Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Variations: You can use dumbbells, barbells, smith machines and pulley machines to perform shrugging motions.

Physio-ball Hip Bridge Guide

Lay on a ball so that your upper back is on the ball with your hips unsupported. Both feet should be flat on the floor, hip width apart or wider. This will be your starting position.

Begin by extending the hips using your glutes and hamstrings, raising your hips upward as you bridge.

Pause at the top of the motion and return to the starting position.

Sit with your buttocks on top of a foam roll. Bend your knees, and then cross one leg so that the ankle is over the knee. This will be your starting position.

Shift your weight to the side of the crossed leg, rolling over the buttocks until you feel tension in your upper glute. You may assist the stretch by using one hand to pull the bent knee towards your chest. Hold this position for 10-30 seconds, and then switch sides.

Incline Bench Pull Guide

Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie face down on an incline bench that is set to an incline that is approximately 30 degrees.

Let the arms hang to your sides fully extended as they point to the floor.

Turn the wrists until your hands have a pronated (palms down) grip.

Now flare the elbows out. This will be your starting position.

As you breathe out, start to pull the dumbbells up as if you are doing a reverse bench press. You will do this by bending at the elbows and bringing the upper arms up as you let the forearms hang. Continue this motion until the upper arms are at the same level as your back. Tip: The elbows will come out to the side and your upper arms and torso should make the letter "T" at the top of the movement. Hold the contraction at the top for a second.

Slowly go back down to the starting position as you breathe in.

Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Variations: You can perform this same movement but with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). You can also use a barbell.

Lay on the floor with your feet flat and knees bent.

Raise one leg off of the ground, pulling the knee to your chest.

This will be your starting position.

Execute the movement by driving through the heel, extending your hip upward and raising your glutes off of the ground.

Extend as far as possible, pause and then return to the starting position.