7 More great exercises you've never heard of: supercharge your muscle growth with these brand-new bold movements

Muscle & Fitness, June, 2004 by Jeff O'connell

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY

* Targets

Hams, glutes, adductor muscles, sartorius and gastrocnemius.

* Contributor

Bodybuilder Joseph Palumbo turned pro by winning the overall at the Masters Nationals in 2001. He also works full time as a SWAT officer for the Nassau County Police Department in New York.

* Genesis

"I come from a gym that used to be really hardcore, run by [former bodybuilder] Steve Michalik, and we didn't have a lot of machines so we would just improvise and invent stuff like this," says Palumbo of this variation on the conventional glute-ham apparatus, which many gyms don't have anyway. "This a hamstring killer."

* Execution

Sit backward on the seat pad of a cable station designed for lat pulldowns so that your shins rest on the seat and your lower legs are locked under the roller pad (which would be pressing down on your knees if you were about to do pulldowns instead).

Starting from a position in which your torso is upright and your arms are folded in front of your chest, lean forward while keeping your shoulders, hips and knees aligned. Once your body reaches a 45-degree angle to the floor--or your hamstrings and glutes give out, whichever comes first--raise your body back to the start position. Be sure to contract not only your glutes but also your hamstrings, low back and abs.

Anyone but advanced lifters should have a spotter help guide them during this challenging move. As you get advanced, you can do it on your own, perhaps even holding a light plate across your chest for added resistance.

SUSPENDED PUSH-UP (SUPERSET)

EXERCISE 1

SUSPENDED HORIZONTAL PULL-UP

EXERCISE 2

DEGREE OF DIDFICULTY

* Targets

Suspended push-up: Chest, front deltoids, triceps, coracobrachialis, rotator cuff, serratus anterior, rectus abdominis, spine stabilizers.

Suspended pull-up: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, rear deltoid, mid-trapezius, teres major, brachialis, rotator cuff, rectus abdominis, spine stabilizers.

* Contributor

Personal trainer Joseph Dowdell, CSCS, owns Peak Performance gym (peakperformance.com) in New York City.

* Genesis

"I'm always playing around with exercises, movement patterns, resistance curves and directions of force," says Dowdell. "These are both for advanced trainees only, as they place tremendous demands on the shoulder joints and the core musculature. They require a tremendous amount of joint stability and strength."

* Execution

Suspended push-up: Wrap long straps with fat-grip stirrup handles around a chinning bar, so that the handles are 8 inches or so off the floor. Place a bench behind you and assume the starting push-up position: Toes on the bench, hands grasping the handles, arms extended and torso straight. Bend your elbows to descend into a push-up, then straighten your arms to push yourself back up. Suspended horizontal pull-up: Quickly adjust strap length so that the handles are roughly 2 1/2 feet off the floor. Reverse your body position so that you're now supine. Your heels should be on the bench, your back should be parallel with the floor, and your upper arms should be in that same plane, with your elbows bent 90 degrees to allow your hands to grasp the handles. Lower your torso until your arms are straight and then pull yourself back up. Note: The straps can be purchased by calling (212) 229-3670.