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The Roman chair is a piece of exercise equipment. It is mainly used for the lower back, but can also target the buttocks, hamstrings, and abdomen. The definition of the equipment, and what 'Roman chair exercise' specifically means, is not clear.[ citation needed ]
Various exercises have been called "Roman chair." The most common or earliest historical meaning of the movement is not clear. Bodyweight can provide significant resistance in all variations, and additional weight can be added to increase difficulty. Mainly two actions are followed while exercising with a "Roman chair"—Inhale and Exhale. Inhale is to bend forward from the hips, lowering the chest towards the floor, while keeping the lower neck straight. Exhale is to straighten the body to return to the start position to complete one repetition.
One type of exercise done on a Roman chair is a type of lower-back hyperextension performed to strengthen the lower back, especially the erector spinae. The chair holds a person in place, lying prone, as he or she bends at the waist and then extends the body upward.
The exercise is characterized by the two right angles formed by the body – one at the hips and one at the knees. The person enters into the 'chair', with the pad supporting the front of the upper thighs and locking the lower leg (typically at the ankle or heel), bending forward at the waist. In a forward bend, the upper body will become closer to the ground, enabling muscles of the lower back to straighten the body, while extending upwards. Great care must be used during this exercise to prevent injury to the lower back.[ citation needed ]
The Roman chair is also used to perform exercises for the abdomen. An exerciser lies supine with their hips supported on the rear (weight on the gluteus maximus) as they bent backward and lift themselves up with their rectus abdominis while stabilizing the pelvis with the hip flexors. If the pelvis moves during the exercise then the hip flexors will also be dynamic prime movers. [1]
A common exercise utilizing the Roman chair for targeting the abdominal muscle is the "Roman chair sit-ups". It is an old-school exercise known to strengthen the abdominal muscles. It can also strengthen some secondary stabilizer muscles in the core. [2]
An exercise more commonly referred to as the wall sit, an isometric movement to build strength in the quadriceps, may also be called the Roman chair. [3] It involves a person with their back against the wall, pushing into it using the action of knee extension. Even though it is called a "sit", the hips are actually not being held up by sitting on something. Rather, the body is held up via a combination of weight bearing on the feet and friction created with the wall by exerting pressure against it.
Another exercise called the "Roman chair squat" requires using the quadriceps dynamically. It similarly mimics a sitting motion without actually sitting down on something, and can be done on an apparatus similar to the aforementioned spinal exercises. This is similar to a "sissy squat".
Calisthenics or callisthenics is a form of strength training that utilizes an individual's body weight as resistance to perform multi-joint, compound movements with little or no equipment.
Lordosis is historically defined as an abnormal inward curvature of the lumbar spine. However, the terms lordosis and lordotic are also used to refer to the normal inward curvature of the lumbar and cervical regions of the human spine. Similarly, kyphosis historically refers to abnormal convex curvature of the spine. The normal outward (convex) curvature in the thoracic and sacral regions is also termed kyphosis or kyphotic. The term comes from Greek lordos 'bent backward'.
The sit-up is an abdominal endurance training exercise to strengthen, tighten and tone the abdominal muscles. It is similar to a crunch, but sit-ups have a fuller range of motion and condition additional muscles.
The leg press is a compound weight training exercise in which the individual pushes a weight or resistance away from them using their legs. The term leg press machine refers to the apparatus used to perform this exercise. The leg press can be used to evaluate an athlete's overall lower body strength. It can help to build squat strength. If performed correctly, the inclined leg press can help build knees that can handle heavier free weights, on the other hand, it also carries a risk of serious damage since locked knees can bend the wrong direction throughout the exercise.
A squat is a strength exercise in which the trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands back up. During the descent, the hip and knee joints flex while the ankle joint dorsiflexes; conversely the hip and knee joints extend and the ankle joint plantarflexes when standing up. Squats also help the hip muscles.
The deadlift is a weight training and strength training exercise in which a loaded barbell or bar is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press, as well as a frequent lift in strongman. It is also occasionally used in armlifting.
The good-morning is a weight training exercise. It is known as a good morning because of the movement in the erector spinae which resembles the bow that traditionally begins a schoolday in some East-Asian countries. The erector spinae muscles of the lower back work isometrically to keep the spine in an extended position while the hamstrings and gluteus maximus work isotonically to perform hip extension. Other muscles are involved in stabilizing weight on the back and maintaining balance.
The quadratus lumborum muscle, informally called the QL, is a paired muscle of the left and right posterior abdominal wall. It is the deepest abdominal muscle, and commonly referred to as a back muscle. Each is irregular and quadrilateral in shape.
The gluteal muscles, often called glutes, are a group of three muscles which make up the gluteal region commonly known as the buttocks: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The three muscles originate from the ilium and sacrum and insert on the femur. The functions of the muscles include extension, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation of the hip joint.
The imaginary chair or wall sit is a means of exercise or punishment, where one positions themselves against a wall as if seated.
Abdominal exercises are a type of strength exercise that affect the abdominal muscles. Human abdominal consist of four muscles which are the rectus abdomens, internal oblique, external oblique, and transversus abdominis. When performing abdominal exercises it is important to understand the effects, functions, the types of exercises, and think about how to perform this exercise safely.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to exercise:
Bodyweight exercises are strength training exercises that use an individual's own weight to provide resistance against gravity. Bodyweight exercises can enhance a range of biomotor abilities including strength, power, endurance, speed, flexibility, coordination and balance. Such strength training has become more popular among recreational and professional athletes. Bodyweight training uses simple abilities like pushing, pulling, squatting, bending, twisting and balancing. Movements such as the push-up, the pull-up, and the sit-up are among the most common bodyweight exercises.
A fly or flye is a strength training exercise in which the hand and arm move through an arc while the elbow is kept at a constant angle. Flies are used to work the muscles of the upper body. Because these exercises use the arms as levers at their longest possible length, the amount of weight that can be moved is significantly less than equivalent press exercises for the same muscles . Due to this leverage, fly exercises of all types have a large potential to damage the shoulder joint and its associated ligaments and the tendons of the muscles connecting to it. They should be done with caution and their effects first tested while using very light weights; which are gradually incremented after more strength is gained.
In kinesiology, core stability is a person's ability to stabilize their core. Stability, in this context, should be considered as an ability to control the position and movement of the core. Thus, if a person has greater core stability, they have a greater level of control over the position and movement of this area of their body. The body's core is frequently involved in aiding other movements of the body, such as running; thus it is known that improving core stability also improves a person's ability to perform these other movements.
Calf raises are a method of exercising the triceps surae, tibialis posterior, and peroneal muscles of the lower leg. The movement performed is plantar flexion, also called ankle extension.
The leg raise is a strength training exercise which targets the iliopsoas. Because the abdominal muscles are used isometrically to stabilize the body during the motion, leg raises are also often used to strengthen the rectus abdominis muscle and the internal and external oblique muscles.
The plank is an isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a position similar to a push-up.
Power training typically involves exercises which apply the maximum amount of force as fast as possible; on the basis that strength + speed = power. Jumping with weights or throwing weights are two examples of power training exercises. Regular weight training exercises such as the clean and jerk and power clean may also be considered as being power training exercises due to the explosive speed required to complete the lifts. Power training may also involve contrasting exercises such as heavy lifts and plyometrics, known as complex training, in an attempt to combine the maximal lifting exertions with dynamic movements. This combination of a high strength exercise with a high speed exercise may lead to an increased ability to apply power. Power training frequently specifically utilises two physiological processes which increase in conjunction with one another during exercise. These are deep breathing, which results in increased intra-abdominal pressure; and post-activation potentation, which is the enhanced activation of the nervous system and increased muscle fibre recruitment. Power training programmes may be shaped to increase the trainee's ability to apply power in general, to meet sports specific criteria, or both.