Equipment for gym training can sometimes make you dizzy. As a rule, you know how to practice on it, although there may always be questions. A good example is the Roman bench. How to properly and fully use it in your training? Which parties can we train on it and how to do it? What are its advantages and disadvantages? How does the Roman bench work in the gym? See more in the article.
Roman bench at the gym
Almost every fitness club and gym has at least one Roman bench. Everyone should know what it looks like and what exercises can be used. Many gym goers behind the Roman bench also consider a bench with back support to do crunches. The original Roman bench has no back support. Consists of
- handles (under which we cling to each other's legs),
- adjustable support for quadriceps muscles of the thigh.
How to properly train on a Roman bench?
This in many cases will depend on the party you want to train. For exercises on the Roman bench, we mainly use the weight of our own body. The basic exercise to which this equipment is most often used is an exercise aimed at strengthening the lumbar part of the back and the spine extensors.
The exercise consists in taking a forward slope maintaining the natural curvature of the spine (as deeply as our body allows us to say, and more accurately speaking, stretching the muscles of the lumbar and biceps muscles).
Then go back to the starting position, making the torso straight. In order to do it correctly, we must remember not to make a torso in the final phase of the movement and that during the movement also the cervical spine is in a natural position (that is, do not bend the head backwards and do not bend too much forward).
Keep your arms crossed when crossing your chest. The movement should be smooth, without jerking.If the exercise is to be mainly focused on the above-mentioned area, the support should be set at the height on which the iliac spikes are located.
Roman bench - advantages
What advantages can simple equipment like a Roman bench have?
The first advantage will be its versatility. The torso extension itself on the bench may - to a certain extent - replace the exercises, ie deadlift, bending legs on the machine while lying, hip extensions. It is also a great way to strengthen the abdominal oblique muscles, and in some variants of the exercises engage even the widest and quadrangular spine to work.
Because of its versatility, it is ideal as a home gym equipment, where usually space and equipment funds are limited. Also the price for such a bench is often not too high.
Enhanced torso stabilization and enhanced core muscles - this is a third advantage that should encourage the use of this equipment in training. When properly performed on the bench, it will prepare us for heavier multi-joint exercises, such as deadlift and sit-ups.
Roman bench - defects
Each equipment has its own advantages and disadvantages. Is this also the case with the Roman bench?
The disadvantage will certainly be a good chance to keep the wrong exercise technique on the bench. The involvement of specific parties in the exercise requires enormous concentration and muscular sensation.
You can often find that the weight of your body is added, for example, kettlebells, dumbbells or plates. Nothing wrong with that (the usual progression is that), but the technician often suffers. It must be remembered that too much load can cause, among others, spinal position disorder, lacerated movements, etc.
Working on the Roman bench often causes spinal hypereases in the exerciser. This causes too much pressure on the intervertebral spaces, which can become a big problem over time - and consequently lead to problems with other exercises, injuries and breaks in training. That's why the technique in the exercise is so important.
For whom is the Roman bench for?
Roman bench perfectly suited to every home gym and professional club. It will be a good tool for beginners who want to strengthen the back strap. It is also a very good way for people who are already advanced who have a problem with performing, among others deadlift (through weaker muscles of two-headed thighs or backbend rectifiers). For whom, then, the Roman bench? As you can see - for everyone who trains, takes care of their figure and health.
Exercises on the Roman bench
The first part of the article describes the basic exercise in which the greatest training pressure is directed to the lumbar region. What exercises on the Roman bench can still be done?
Trunk extensions (as in the basic version) - the only difference is that the support in the form of pillows under the quadriceps of the thighs lower below (under the iliac spines). In this way, the exercise on the Roman bench is an exercise mainly for legs(two-headed) and buttocks. To intensify the effect, you can slightly round the back (pulling the beard to the chest) which will limit the work of the loins. At the end of the movement, the buttock muscles are still well-fixed.
Side slopes of the torso - there are these light side slopes of the torso. We put on the side, set the height of the supports so that they reach the height of the spines. Hands are also crossed on the chest. Then we are doing a tightening of the abdominal oblique muscles - in this way, the Roman bench turns into a machine on the stomach. We must remember in this version of the exercise that the movement is not too big - then we bend the spine in an unnatural way. It's more about just tense abdominal muscles and a slight twist.
Roman bench on the back? This we already know, because the rectifiers belong to the muscles of the back. But you can also meet with the combination of torso straightening movement with the dumbbell rowing movement in the final phase of the movement, which involves the parallelogram, quadrilateral and widest spine muscles. We must remember not to overdo it here with a load. This exercise should be treated as a supplement to heavy back training.
Roman bench in training at the gym
It turns out that the Roman bench can perfectly complement the training of every gymnast at the gym. This equipment is best suited as a way to strengthen the back of the tape (rectifiers, buttocks, two-headed thighs). However, it must be remembered that it can also be treated as a supplement to the training of the abdominal muscles or the top of the back - obviously with the right approach to the exercises. As with every machine and tools in the gym, remember the technique in every move.
