Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of by Nick Nilsson is a unique program for advanced training aimed at developing the triceps, calf, biceps, abdominals and trapezius muscles. Each exercise series consists of groups of diagrams depicting how to do the exercise, typical errors in the execution of the exercise and tricks to perform the routines effortlessly.
Classic muscles are defined and diagrams depict the major functioning elements. For instance, the trapezius is a large superficial muscle. It extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae and laterally to the area of the shoulder blade. The major functions are to move the scapulae and support the arm.
For instance, the decline dumbbell row provides the classic row exercise without the back strain. Calf rockups provide peak contraction of the soleus muscles. The soleus muscle is located on the back of the leg just above the Achilles tendon. It extends up to the main calf muscle. Since the soleus muscle is used to generate power for pushing off the ground with the foot, it's subject to injury, overuse and fatigue.
Single limb training maximizes the force to be applied to weights. The behind the back pushdown with pulleys depicts a firm grasp on the handle with a high pulley attached for achieving greater resistance.
The dumbbell side to side develops the core of the abdomen. This exercise uses resistance and side-to-side movements to work muscles responsible for transferring power throughout the body. A common error is to relax the abdomen too much, hunch over or rotate the muscles too fast. The author describes a classic trick for overcoming these problems by holding the dumbbell close to the body to place the minimum torque on the muscles.
Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of by Nick Nilsson is an excellent reference for developing classic muscle groups with less effort. A strength of the presentation is that the author describes common errors together with the optimal strategies for avoiding excess strain and other injuries. The diagrams are easy to understand and apply for both novices and professionals. Readers should consult with their physicians, physical therapists and other medical care providers prior to implementing any exercise program of this scope and magnitude.
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