Closed Kinetic Details

The closed kinetic details page will assist you in learning how to perform your exercises properly and performing your exercises properly will reduce your risk of injury.

It's not in your best interest to just 'perform' the exercises - you need to use proper technique while developing muscle memory and firing sequences so that your muscles learn to lift in the most efficient and most effective manner. This way you won't waste time in the gym, you will be less prone to injury, and you will reap the benefits from every repetition.

Let's get started!

Closed Kinetic Details

Squats

• Stand with feet shoulder width apart and hold a weighted ball or other weighted object in your hands at chest level (holding weight is optional for beginners, but makes the move more challenging)
• Lower yourself into a squat position by engaging core, bending at the knees and hips until your thighs are parallel with the floor (just like sitting on a chair)
• Keep your head up, back straight and knees aligned over your ankles and toes
• Pause for a moment at the bottom then push through your heels to raise back up to the starting position
• Perform 12 repetitions

Lying Leg Press

• There are three main types of leg press: upright seated sled, angled sled and the vertical press
• Load your weights and adjust the seat for maximum range of motion
• Sit down and place feet on the platform
• On the downward movement let legs come all the way in to the chest until the buttocks lift slightly off the seat
• Then push through the heels to straighten legs, without locking at the knees
• Perform 10-12 repetitions

Lunges

• Stand with feet together and a weighted object in each hand (try hand weights or a 1 litre water bottle in each hand down by your sides)
• Tighten core and step forward with right foot (approx. one and a half to two feet)
• Bend at the knees to lower left knee toward the floor - but do not touch - you should be in a forward lunge position with right leg forward and left leg back
• Keep torso engaged and right knee over ankle - do not extend knee past toes
• Stand up stepping right leg back to bring feet together
• Continue alternating lead leg until you have completed 24 lunges (12 per lead leg)

Deadlift

• Stand with feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and turned out slightly, bar in front of you on the floor
• Crouch down in a sumo squat postion until hands grasp bar (overhand grip - palms toward your body) roughly shoulder width apart - this means your knees will be outside your elbows
• Take in a deep breath, tighten core, maintain a natural curve in your low back, head up, chest forward and lift with your legs, keeping the bar close to your body until you reach a standing position with hips forward, bar resting on thighs (visualize pushing the ground away from you as you come to a standing position)
• Breathe out at the top of the position, take another breath in and lower bar to starting position
• Perform 10-12 repetitions

Closed Kinetic Details, continued

Push-ups

• Start in a push-up position on the floor, hands wider than shoulder width apart, legs stretched out behind you
• Engage core, press up on to hands and balls of feet, keeping torso flat
• Return to start position without resting torso on the floor
• Perform 12 repetitions
• If you cannot perform full push-ups on hands & feet, start on your hands keeping knees and feet on the floor to perform push-ups and graduate to balls of feet when your strength increases

Handstand push-ups are performed facing a wall, with hands on floor approximately two feet out from the wall and feet up on the wall in a handstand position (advanced exercise).

Pull-ups, Chin-ups

• If you have access to a chin up bar, grasp the bar; a) with palms facing you and less than shoulder width apart for pull-ups or b) wider than shoulder width apart in an overhand grip (palms facing away from you) for chin-ups
• Hang from the bar to stretch out your Lats
• This is your start position
• Pull yourself up until your chin is level with the bar, keeping elbows back and pulling your shoulder blades together
• Lower your body in a controlled manner to the start position
• Perform 10 repetitions

Chest Dips

• Position yourself on a wide dip bar; place one hand on each bar, shoulder width apart, and rise up on to your hands, arms straight and feet tucked up under your torso
• Slowly lower your body by bending and flaring at the elbows to dip chest toward level of bar
• Remember to let elbows flare out as you lower shoulders close to your hands
• Contract chest and arms and push your body back up to the start position, arms straight with body weight evenly distributed over hands
• Perform 10 repetitions

Tricep Dips

• Position yourself on the parallel dip bars; place one hand on each bar, shoulder width apart, and rise up on to your hands, arms straight and feet tucked up under your torso
• Slowly lower your body by bending at the elbows to dip shoulders down, close to hands
• Remember to keep elbows close to the body
• Contract triceps and push your body back up to the start position, arms straight with body weight evenly distributed over hands
• Perform 10 repetitions

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The contents of this site are the opinions of Michele Tse unless otherwise noted. The information on this site is intended for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or nutritional advice or treatment. Please consult your health care practitioner before beginning any fitness program.