Nearly every gym is equipped with a butterfly, because the performance of the movement is easy and the correct way of training can be learnt quickly. This fitness machine is popular among women and men in equal measure. It trains the chest muscles and a strong and defined chest makes men look athletic; women get a firm breast. Next to the chest muscles, a butterfly also strains the front shoulder muscles.
How to start training on a butterfly
Although the training on a butterfly is easy, you shouldn‘t miss professional advice by a trainer. He or she will explain the functionality of the machine and adjust the machine according to your height. The trainer will also support you in avoiding typical mistakes on the butterfly. He shows you the correct starting position and corrects mistakes while you are doing the exercises. The correct adjustments of the butterfly are very important. The seat has to be in the correct height that assures a right angle of the knees. The machines grips should be on the height of the chest. Small persons often have problems reaching the ground when adjusting the seat. But short persons don’t have to miss training on a butterfly – a small stool under the feet can help.
The correct starting position on the butterfly
The right body posture is an important fact for the efficiency of the training. Take a seat on the cushion and press the upper back and glute against the back padding. Grasp both grip bars with the hands in normal grip position. The stretched arms have to be in a parallel position to the ground and on the same height as the chest. Never stretch your arms completely, always keep the elbows slightly curled. In this way you avoid injuries of the elbow joints. For best hold stand your feet firmly on the ground and stand with your legs apart.
Training on a butterfly
For training on a butterfly, close your hands to a fist on the grip bars. Lead the bars with your hands together in front of the chest. Care for never stretching the arms completely while doing the rotary movement. Don’t cheat by using the triceps for this exercise. Breathe out while leading the arms together. Breathe in and spread your arms in a controlled way while moving the weights aside.
Typical mistakes on the butterfly that can be avoided
Especially beginners are making several mistakes that can hardly be withdrawn when using the butterfly. Therefore it is recommended to train only with supervision of a trainer when training for the first times on the butterfly. The most common mistakes are
• Gaining swing using the upper body
• Stretching the arms completely
• Curling the arms while leading the grip bars frontwards
Gaining swing using the upper body distorts the training on a butterfly. The desired training effect can’t be reached because the movement of the upper body prevents the chest muscle from being strained. To avoid gaining swing with the upper body, you should pay attention that the upper back always stays pressed into the padding.
Never stretch the arms completely, because stretched arms lead increase the risk of injuries on the butterfly.
By curling the arms when the grips are lead frontwards, the chest will be trained only slightly. Therefore it is important to hold the arms straight.
Try to avoid these mistakes right from the beginning to train efficiently. First training results will be seen in short time.
Here you can find the available butterfly machines on fitnessmarkt.com.
Published on: 29 December 2014