Reverse Grip Workout

As weekend warriors or avid lifters, we become robots in everyday life and especially when we train.  I am a big believer in creating muscle shock and there are many ways to do that including varying grips or just plain reversing standard palms down/away grip that that we use on simply everything.  Just reversing your grip on a few of the basic lifts can bring extremely different results depending on what you are looking for.  For example, standing barbell curl will really development the belly or ball of the bicep, reversing your grip will help develop the upper forearm and the outer bicep to give the arm more width.  Let’s take the standard bench press, 99% of lifters will do this with a shoulder width grip with palms facing down. If you reverse your grip more of the resistance will go to the triceps and lower pecs rather than the upper chest and shoulders.  What I like to do is not change every exercise to reverse grip, but add reverse grip to my existing workouts, such as reverse bench press on tricep days, and reverse curls on bicep days.

Exercises
Reverse grip bench press-grasp bar with underhand grip and bring bar down to just between chest and rib cage while keeping elbows tightly against your sides, press until arms lock out.
Reverse grip shoulder press- While sitting straight up on a vertical bench or chair, grasp with underhand grip and bring bar down to just under chin then press as high as you can.
Reverse grip barbell curls-standing with an underhand grip on a barbell, keep your elbows against your side curling the bar as high as you can and lower to top of thighs.
Reverse grip skull crushers-lying on a bench or floor using a straight bar.  Your palms should be facing your forehead and as you lower the bar your fingers will touch your forehead and extend straight up as if you are trying to touch the ceiling.
Reverse grip cable pushdowns-Standing at a cable machine with a palms up grip on a small straight bar, keeping your elbows against your sides push down to extend your arms to the top of your thighs flexing the tricep at the end of the rep.
Reverse grip bench dips-using a chair or bench place hands on the edge with palms away, while placing feet on floor or another bench or chair, lower upper body down as far as your shoulders allow pressing yourself up with your triceps.
Reverse grip lat rows or pull-ups-Most avid lifters know that to build a wide back, you need a wide grip with palms away, but reversing your grip with palms towards you can build the bicep and thickness in the middle of your back. 

       …For more information and tips, check my website, www.chadamartin.com.