Skip navigation
Life Fitness
Hammer Strength
Contact
Arabic - Arabic Dutch - Belgium Dutch - The Netherlands English - Belgium English - Europe English - Hong Kong SAR English - Netherlands English - United Kingdom English - United States French - Belgium French - France French - Switzerland German - Germany German - Switzerland Hungarian - Hungary Italian - Italy Italian - Switzerland Japanese - Japan Norwegian - Norway Portuguese - Brazil Portuguese - Portugal Simplified Chinese - China Spanish - Latin America Spanish - Spain Traditional Chinese - Hong Kong SAR Turkish - Turkey

Fitness Solutions for Your Market

Health Clubs

Hospitality

Multi-Unit Housing

Home Gyms

Athletics

Education

Corporate & Medical Wellness

Uniformed Service

Equipment for All Training Types

Learn about our brands: Life Fitness Hammer Strength

Explore the full Equipment Catalog

Cardio

  • Treadmills
  • Ellipticals
  • Bikes & Indoor Cycles
  • Arc Trainers
  • Stair Climber & Stepper Machines
  • Rowers
  • Consoles

Strength Training

  • Selectorized
  • Plate Loaded
  • Racks, Rigs, & Platforms
  • Cable Machines & Functional Trainers
  • Benches
  • Storage Racks

Accessories

  • Dumbbells & Fixed Barbells
  • Barbells & Plates
  • Functional Training Accessories
  • Conditioning Accessories
  • Mobility Accessories

Digital Solutions

  • Connect System
  • Facility Connect
  • Life Fitness™ On Demand+
  • Connect Kit

Featured Lineups

Symbio Cardio Integrity+ Cardio LFX Functional Strength Training Hammer Strength Performance Trainers

Support

Facility Design & Layout

Service Hub

Education Hub

Financing Options

Menu

  • Health Clubs
    • YMCA
  • Hospitality
    • Cruise
    • Country Clubs & Golf
  • Multi-Unit Housing
  • Home Gyms
  • Athletics
  • Education
  • Corporate & Medical Wellness
  • Uniformed Service
Learn about our brands:
Life Fitness Hammer Strength

Explore the full Equipment Catalog

  • Cardio
    • Treadmills
    • Ellipticals
    • Bikes & Indoor Cycles
    • Arc Trainers
    • Stair Climber & Stepper Machines
    • Rowers
    • Consoles
  • Strength Training
    • Selectorized
    • Plate Loaded
    • Racks, Rigs, & Platforms
    • Cable Machines & Functional Trainers
    • Benches
    • Storage Racks
  • Accessories
    • Dumbbells & Fixed Barbells
    • Barbells & Plates
    • Functional Training Accessories
    • Conditioning Accessories
    • Mobility Accessories
  • Digital Solutions
    • Connect System
    • Facility Connect
    • Life Fitness™ On Demand+
    • Connect Kit
  • LFX
    • LFX - Virtual Tour
  • Hammer Strength Performance Trainers
  • Symbio Cardio
  • Integrity+ Cardio
  • Facility Design & Layout
  • Service Hub
    • Request Service
    • Order Parts
    • Warranties
    • Tech Support Documents and Knowledge Base
    • Product Registration
    • Service Agreements & Contracts
    • Become a Service Partner
    • Invention Submission
  • Education Hub
    • Life Fitness Academy
    • Blog
    • Ebooks
    • Whitepapers
    • Success Stories
    • Events
    • Press Releases
    • Digital Requests
  • Financing Options
Contact
About Find a Distributor Find a Store Product Catalog Legal Careers Sign in to Facility Connect

My quote builder

For additional customizations, including color, material selections, weight options, etc., a sales representative will follow up with you.

Are you a home user? Visit shop.lifefitness.com - fast checkout, live support and exclusive outlet deals.

Looking for something specific?

Blog Education Hub Customer Support Home

Key Elements of an Effective Upper-Body Exerciser

August 23, 2024
If you like to maximize effectiveness and safety while working out, here are the most important checks you should make before stepping into the seat of an Upper-Body machine: 

Adjust the Articulating head

The axis of the crank arms needs to adjust to the height of the user, whether they are seated or standing.  If the axis is too high there will be impingement at the 12 o’clock position.  Too low and there can be supraspinatus/biceps tendon strain at the 6 o’clock position.  In most cases, it is ideal to set the axis level to the shoulder or just 1-2” below.

Move the adjustable crank arms so that they’re perfectly in reach

The crank arms need to be adjusted as well—a short-limbed person would not want to start with a long crank arm that takes them out of their prescribed range of motion (ROM). Conversely, a long-limbed person would lose mechanical advantage and optimal ROM with too short of a crank arm. Independent adjustments allow users to select a shorter ROM setting on the involved side while maintaining mechanical advantage on the strong side; providing passive assistance when beneficial.

Reverse the crank arms occasionally

The ability to change the crank arm orientation from the standard bicycle offset movement to work in unison or in a rotary rowing pattern is advantageous. It allows the user to work in core flexion versus rotation in cases where torso rotation is undesirable.

Utilize Bi-directional capability

Bi-directional movement is essential for muscle and joint balance, but perhaps more importantly for neuromuscular kinesthesia. When we cue the patient to go backwards, 99 times out of 100 their neuromuscular hardwiring will tell them to pull. When we cue them to go forward their brain will tell them to push.  But as their kinesthetic awareness expands they will come to realize that as only part of the total equation. In fact, in the course of any given rotation there are myriad push/pull combinations. As these new neuromuscular pattern connections are made, kinesthesia, motor skills, and even cognitive skills are improved. Anything that takes the patient out of the dominant pattern makes the brain-muscle connection stronger and actually smarter.

Make sure the handle angle is neutral

It is important that the handle angle keeps your forearm in the anatomically neutral position. Over pronating and over supinating creates torque and stress in both the proximal and distal radio-ulnar joints.

Like what you read? Share this post.

EXPLORE OUR BRANDS
Life Fitness Hammer Strength
Arabic - Arabic Dutch - Belgium Dutch - The Netherlands English - Belgium English - Europe English - Hong Kong SAR English - Netherlands English - United Kingdom English - United States French - Belgium French - France French - Switzerland German - Germany German - Switzerland Hungarian - Hungary Italian - Italy Italian - Switzerland Japanese - Japan Norwegian - Norway Portuguese - Brazil Portuguese - Portugal Simplified Chinese - China Spanish - Latin America Spanish - Spain Traditional Chinese - Hong Kong SAR Turkish - Turkey

Markets

Health Clubs Hospitality Multi-Unit Housing Home Gyms Athletics Education Corporate & Medical Wellness Uniformed Service

Equipment

Cardio Strength Training Accessories Digital Solutions

Customer Support

Facility Design & Layout Service Hub Education Hub Financing Options
About Find a Distributor Find a Store Legal Accessibility Careers Sign in to Facility Connect
Contact Us Privacy Settings Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions

Copyright © 2025 Life Fitness