Strength Training Anatomy

Frederic Delavier

📚 GENRE: Health & Wellness

📃 PAGES: 256

✅ COMPLETED: October 26, 2022

🧐 RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Short Summary

What are some of the best exercises for the body? How are the targeted muscles moving and reacting during each movement? In Strength Training Anatomy, Frederic Delavier provides in-depth breakdowns of popular exercises using over 700 detailed illustrations and descriptions. 

Key Takeaways

1️⃣ Go Slow — Regardless of the exercise, the best way to develop the muscle is to descend slowly during the negative phase of the rep. Squeeze the muscle at the top of the rep. Feel the muscle working and contracting. Concentrate on mind-muscle connection. 

2️⃣ Avoid Injury — Unless you’re working the abs, it’s important to keep a straight back when lifting weights. This is done in three steps — by taking a deep breath in to enhance the chest, flexing the abs, and arching the lower back. This will act as a ‘block’ and prevent the back from rounding, which is a dangerous position that can lead to many different injuries. Staying away from injuries is critical to development. 

3️⃣ Genes Matter — How your skeleton is designed matters and is a factor in muscle development and your ability to do, or not do, certain exercises well. Depending on your unique genes and body structure, some muscles will develop better than others. Some exercises will come more naturally than others. An example — people with a large rib cage and short arms have an easier time progressing on the bench press. 

Favorite Quote

“The squat is the No. 1 strength training exercise: It works almost the entire muscular system, as well as the cardiovascular system. It helps develop thoracic expansion, and therefore, respiratory capacity.”

Book Notes 📑

Ch. 1: Arms

  • Dumbbell Curls — This exercise primarily works the bicep brachii (the bicep muscle, which is made up of a long head and a short head, hence the name ‘bicep’). You can supinate/rotate the wrists on the way up to work other parts of the muscle. 
  • Concentration Curls — This exercise primarily works the bicep brachii. Because of the way you execute it, this exercise allows you to easily control the speed and range of motion of the movement. 
  • Incline Dumbbell Curls — There is a long and short head that make up the bicep muscle. This exercise primarily targets the long head. You can rotate your wrists on the way up and down to make it more difficult. Stop just before your forearms get to a horizontal position — if you go more than that, you give the muscle a break by taking the pressure off of it. 
  • Hammer Curls — This exercise doesn’t necessarily target the biceps. It is the best exercise for hitting the brachioradialis, which is more in the top part of the forearm. 
  • Barbell Bicep Curls — This works the bicep brachii. You can adjust your grip to hit different parts of the muscle — a wider grip will isolate the short head of the biceps, while a narrower grip will isolate the long head.
  • Machine Curls — One of the best exercises for the biceps because it prevents cheating. Your arms are fixed to the support. 
  • Preacher Curl — Also one of the best exercises to target the biceps. Similar to the machine curls, your arms are pinned to the support, which allows for great isolation and prevents cheating. 
  • Reverse Barbell Curls — Similar to the hammer curl, the reverse barbell curl works more of the upper forearm. It’s an excellent exercise to strengthen the wrist and forearm. 
  • Triceps Push Down (Handle) — Using a handle, this exercise works the long head of the triceps, which is made up of three heads (hence the name ‘tricep’) — long, medial, and lateral. Keep the elbows tucked and hold for 1-2 seconds at the bottom of the repetition. Don’t pull straight down — pull the cable toward you at a slight angle. 
    • Reverse Push Down — Flipping to an underhand grip will work the medial head of the tricep, which is quite small. You can’t do heavy weight with this exercise. 
  • One-Arm Revere Triceps Push Down — Stand facing the machine and grab the cable with an underhand grip. Extend the arm down at a slight angle and squeeze. This exercise works the lateral and medial heads of the tricep. Developing the lateral head makes the arm look bigger from the front. 
    • Quote (P. 34): “Although the lateral head of the triceps is a small muscle, its development makes the arm look massive and powerful when viewed from the front by widening the shoulders.”
  • Triceps Push Down (Rope) — This method is preferred over the handle tricep push down because the rope allows you to separate your hands on the way down, which hits the lateral head intensely. Squeeze at the bottom to contract the muscle. 
  • Standing Overhead Triceps Extensions — Use a rope and try to keep the hands high while executing the movement. This exercise is great at working the whole tricep, but it really stretches the long head. The higher your elbow, the harder the long head has to work. 
  • Lying Barbell Triceps Extension — Different parts of the tricep are targeted based on how you execute the movement. Dropping the barbell down behind your head will work more of the long head, while dropping the bar to your forehead will work more of the later and medial heads. Use an EZ bar to make the exercise easier on the wrists. 
  • Seated Dumbbell Triceps Extensions (Skull Crushers) — This exercise targets the long head of the tricep. Try to squeeze the muscle at the top. Try to keep your back straight to prevent excessive arching. 

Ch. 2: Shoulders

  • Dumbbell Military Press — There are three components of the deltoid — the anterior deltoid, posterior deltoid, and the middle deltoid. The dumbbell military press will mostly work the middle deltoid. 
  • Barbell Military Press — This exercise targets the anterior deltoid. A wider grip will put the pressure on the anterior and middle deltoids, while a narrower grip will focus on the anterior deltoid and clavicle in the chest area. 
  • Dumbbell Flys — This exercise works the middle deltoid. Start with the dumbbells at your side and raise the weight until your arms are horizontal. Anything higher than horizontal will take pressure off of the deltoid and instead work the traps. This exercise is never done with heavy weight. It’s important to vary your starting position. You can start with your hands in front of your body, at your side, or behind your back slightly — your starting position will allow you to hit the deltoid at different angles. Focus on contracting the muscle at the top and descend slowly. 
  • Bent-Over Dumbbell Flys — This exercise works the entire shoulder, but especially the posterior deltoid. Raise the weight until your arms are parallel to the ground. Contract and descend slowly. 
  • Low-Pulley Alternating Front Raises — Set the pulley to the lowest level, attach a cable, and pull up until your arm is horizontal. Squeeze and descend slowly. This exercise targets the anterior deltoid. 
  • Upright Rows — This is a really good shoulder exercise that works several key areas, including the deltoid, traps, biceps, abs, and forearms. Grab a barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width and pull the barbell up along your body to your chin, keeping the elbows as high as possible. 
  • Machine Lateral Raises — This exercise targets the middle deltoid. It’s a great shoulder exercise primarily because it allows you to focus on feeling the movement rather than positioning and balance. 
  • Pec Deck Rear-Delt Laterals — This exercise targets the posterior deltoid. It’s a great exercise for working the shoulder and for straightening posture. 

Ch. 3: Chest

  • Incline Bench Press — The incline bench primarily works the upper part of the chest, deltoids, and triceps. 
  • Bench Press — The normal flat bench press works the entire pectoralis major muscle, along with the deltoids, and triceps. By arching your back like a powerlifter, you can lift heavier weight. When the back is arched, you’re able to use more of the lower pec, which is the most powerful part of the chest. A narrow grip works the central part of the chest, while a wider grip works the lateral part of the chest. 
    • Genes Matter — How your body is constructed matters. People with longer arms and a smaller rib cage have a harder time bench pressing, struggle to make gains, and are more susceptible to injuries during the exercise because the chest is stretched more. People with shorter arms and a bigger rib cage don’t have to move the weight as far and therefore don’t stretch the chest as much. 
    • Elbows In vs. Elbows Out — Benching with the elbows flared out will put the emphasis on the chest muscles. Tucking the elbows in will target more of the deltoid area. 
  • Close-Grip Bench Press — This exercise works the inner chest and triceps. By keeping your elbows close together, you bring the anterior deltoid into the lift. Having the elbows flared out actually helps put the emphasis of the lift on the triceps. 
  • Dumbbell Bench Press — This exercise is similar to the barbell bench press but allows for a greater range of motion. You’re able to stretch the muscle further because there isn’t a barbell there to hit the chest. You’re also able to push harder because you don’t have to worry about the weight getting stuck on you. The exercise works all areas of the chest. 
  • Incline Dumbbell Press — This exercise targets the upper area of the chest. Focus on the movement and feeling the chest work. 
  • Standing Cable Flys — This is an excellent exercise for the chest. Long sets allow you to develop a good pump. You can work all parts of the chest by varying the angle of your chest and the working angle of the arms (bringing your arms together at various heights).

Ch. 4: Back

  • Pull Up — This exercise works the lat, teres major, and rhomboids. Keeping the elbows close to the body will work the lateral fibers of the back and will develop the width of the back. 
  • Lat Pull-Down — This is an excellent exercise for developing the width of the back. It mainly works the upper and central fibers of the lats. Pulling the bar behind your head (rather than the traditional front-of-head pull down) will work the lower part of the lats. 
  • Close-Grip Lat Pull-Down — This is an excellent back exercise. Squeeze at the end of the rep and descend slowly. 
  • Seated Rows — This is a great exercise for developing the thickness of the back. Squeeze at the end of the rep and descend slowly. Keep a straight back throughout the movement. 
  • Wide-Grip Seated Rows — This exercise is great for the upper back and the back of the shoulders. Grip the bar with a wide overhand grip. Keep the back straight throughout the movement. 
  • Close-Grip Upright Rows — Grab the bar overhand and with a narrow grip. Pull the bar up along your torso until it reaches your chin area. The exercise targets the upper back and traps. Don’t go too heavy with this exercise because you can easily tweak a wrist. 
  • T-Bar Rows — Grab the handles with an overhand grip, bend at a 45 degree angle, maintain a straight back, and pull toward your chest. This exercise is similar to barbell/dumbbell rows, but allows you to focus on the back more because it requires less effort to get into the right position. The whole back, along with the shoulders and biceps, are worked. 
  • Trap Bar Shrugs — Relax the arms, keep the back straight, and shrug the weight. This is an excellent exercise for working the upper part of the traps. As the name indicates, the trap bar was created specifically to work the upper traps. The design of the bar allows you to lift more weight than you can with dumbbells or a bar. 
    • Clavicle Bone Structure — The length and width of your clavicle bone (running horizontally across your chest) has a big impact on your traps. A shorter clavicle will lead to bigger trap muscles, while a longer clavicle leads to a wider chest but smaller traps. People with shorter clavicles are also able to more easily perform shrugs than people with longer clavicles. 
  • Pull-Up Bar Back Stretch — This is one of the best stretches for your body. Grab the pull-up bar with a wide grip and allow your body to hang without tension. Relax the shoulders and back, and really focus on feeling the lower back stretch out. When you do this stretch, you decompress the spine, which often gets pinched when lifting heavy weights. 

Ch. 5: Legs

  • Squats — The squat mainly works the quads, gluteus maximus, glutes, abductors, abs, and hamstrings. It is considered one of the best exercises you can do. It’s critical to keep your back straight — do not round your back. Go down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Explode up.
    • Quote (P. 168): “The squat is the No. 1 strength training exercise: It works almost the entire muscular system, as well as the cardiovascular system. It helps develop thoracic expansion, and therefore, respiratory capacity.”
  • Leg Extensions — This is the best exercise for isolating the quads. You can develop some good lower body strength and muscle with this exercise. 
  • Lying Leg Curl — This exercise is great for isolating the hamstrings. You can develop some good lower body strength and muscle with this exercise.