recommended lifts to improve posture?

[otc]

Styleforum...
where someone lists their goal, what they have, what they plan to buy, and what they don't want to do and the recommendation is always "buy something completely different and many times more expensive"

Doesn't seem to matter what subforum you are in (a 3-series coupe is invariably the perfect car for someone looking for a cheap, practical sedan)...

 

[tesseract]

Originally Posted by otc

Ok let me add to my list of qualifications, in addition to not wanting a new gym membership, I also do not want to pay money for weights and have them take up space in my apartment.

Well, you aren't going to improve your posture with resistance band exercises and supermans. Bad posture usually is a result of muscular imbalance so you can either work those muscles properly or you can forget about it.

Also it is not unlikely for you to find a gym membership for 20-30 dollars a month, that's not a large expense by any means.

 

[RobertN]

I have been busy improving my posture as well..

Few tips I came across:

Do exercises that strengthen the muscles across your upper back and shoulders. These do not have to be strenuous! Try the following, with or without hand weights:

* Align your ears over your shoulders. Raise both arms straight up, alongside your ears. Remember to keep your ears aligned! Bend forearms toward shoulders to touch your shoulder blades. Do 10 repetitions with both arms, then alternate 10 reps for each arm singularly.

* Align ears with shoulders. Raise both arms out to sides at shoulder height. Hold for a slow count of ten. Slowly lower arms to sides, counting ten as you lower. Slowly raise arms back to shoulder height, counting to ten as you raise arms. Do ten reps, constantly checking your alignment! If ten reps are too many to start, do as many as you can. You should at least feel a slight fatigue in the shoulder muscles.

* Be a penguin. While you wait for a web page to load, toast to pop, or the microwave to beep, place elbows at your side, and touch your shoulders with your hands. Keeping your hands on your shoulders and your ears aligned, raise both elbows (count one, two) and lower them back to your waist (count one, two). Do as many reps as your wait allows. You'll be surprised how much exercise fits into 30 seconds.

 

[AFG34]

squat
deadlift

 

[Gewehr]

Originally Posted by Threak

If you're concerned that you've been working your chest too much compared to your back, try the pencil test to see how bad the imbalance is. There's other advice on that link, which I haven't really read, but I'm sure it can't hurt.

Hahaha they point to each other, I'm screwed :/

 

[RonLara]

maybe stretching can help. This is because stretching produce human growth hormones called EIGs (exercise induced growth hormones). it is one of grow taller exercises around. Will help to strengthen your core muscles and improve your posture. http://growingtallerstretches.com/

 

[dune]

Originally Posted by Threak

If you're concerned that you've been working your chest too much compared to your back, try the pencil test to see how bad the imbalance is. There's other advice on that link, which I haven't really read, but I'm sure it can't hurt.

Whoa, thanks, I knew that it was bad but that really helped to visualize it.

 

[andrew20]

Yoga is one of the best exercises that improve body posture. This is because we can stretches our body causing to produce human growth hormones called EIGs (exercise induced growth hormones). EIGs result from catecholamines, acid-base balance, nitric oxide, and lactate. Nitric oxide and lactate especially increase height. Human growth hormones harden cartilage, strengthen bones and make you grow taller.

 

[gateslion]

Best answers are going to be overall fitness, as was already said. Some back work will help, as well as some good overall body work. Believe it or not squats work wonders for your posture.


now then. cheap tricks.


TAPE!
This is going to sound dumb, but humor me. If you want to learn to stand and walk with better posture, you need to do it a lot, as was already suggested. Maintain good posture throughout the day, until it becomes natural. So, here is a trick that wieghtlifters sometimes use.

As a training aid, some guys good a good solid deadlift posture, then put a strip of tape running up their lower back. Then, as they do their deadlift, if they start to round their back (which is a no no) they will feel the tape start pulling, just a little reminder to let them know and remind them to correct it.

Seems reasonable that, if you stand up with nice clean posture, then a little light tape under the shirt across the shoulder blades and maybe up the lower back will do the same thing. When you start to let yourself slouch, that pull will remind you to straighten up.

Does is sound like a cheesy dumb idea? Yes. It does, but like they say, "If its dumb and it works, it ain't dumb."