Glossary - C
Cable Crossover
Muscle Groups: Chest
Description: Stand centered between two cable pulleys and grip the handles with slightly bent arms. Pull the handles forward and down until your hands meet in front of your body, fully engaging your chest muscles. Slowly let the cables return to the starting position.
Pro Tip: Keep your elbows slightly bent and focus on a slow and controlled movement to achieve better muscle tension in the chest.
Calf Raise
Muscle Groups: Calves
Description: Stand upright on an elevated platform or on the ground with your heels hanging off the edge. Slowly rise onto your tiptoes until your calves are fully contracted. Lower your heels back down until they are slightly below the platform.
Pro Tip: Pause at the top for one to two seconds to feel the maximum contraction in your calf muscles before lowering your heels.
Cat-Cow Stretch
Muscle Groups: Back, Core
Description: Get into a tabletop position on your hands and knees. Arch your back upwards, pulling your chin towards your chest (Cat position), then lower your back and lift your head (Cow position). Repeat this flowing transition several times.
Pro Tip: Inhale as you move into the Cow position and exhale as you transition into the Cat position for a deeper stretch.
Chest Fly
Muscle Groups: Chest
Description: Lie on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing each other. Lower the dumbbells with slightly bent arms out to the sides until your arms are level with your shoulders. Press the dumbbells back up until your hands meet over your chest.
Pro Tip: Avoid lowering the weights too far to protect your shoulders and to focus the strain on your chest muscles.
Chin-Up
Muscle Groups: Biceps, Latissimus, Upper Back
Description: Grip a pull-up bar with a shoulder-width underhand grip (palms facing you). Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar, then lower yourself back down in a controlled manner.
Pro Tip: Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top to maximize back muscle activation.
Clean and Press
Muscle Groups: Full Body (Legs, Core, Shoulders)
Description: Grab a barbell and lift it from the ground using a hip thrust. Bring the barbell up to shoulder height and press it overhead until your arms are fully extended. Lower the barbell back to the ground with control.
Pro Tip: Use the power of your hips during the lift to accelerate the movement and efficiently use the momentum.
Climbing Rope
Muscle Groups: Core, Biceps, Back
Description: Climb a thick rope by wrapping your legs around it for support and pulling yourself up with your arms. Use your legs to stabilize your body and shift the weight.
Pro Tip: Grip the rope firmly and pull yourself up in a controlled movement to improve your grip strength.
Close-Grip Bench Press
Muscle Groups: Triceps, Chest
Description: Lie on a bench and grip the barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart. Press the bar up from your chest until your arms are fully extended, then lower it back down.
Pro Tip: Keep your elbows close to your body to focus more on the triceps.
Cossack Squat
Muscle Groups: Adductors, Quadriceps, Glutes
Description: Stand with your legs wide apart and shift your weight onto one leg while keeping the other leg straight out to the side. Lower your hips until the bent leg is fully engaged, while the straight leg stays flat.
Pro Tip: Keep your torso upright and rotate the foot of the extended leg slightly upwards to improve hip mobility.
