Closed kinetic chain exercises or closed chain exercises (CKC) are

physical exercise Exercise or workout is physical activity that enhances or maintains fitness and overall health. It is performed for various reasons, including weight loss or maintenance, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardio ...

s performed where the

hand A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the Koala#Characteristics, koala (which has two thumb#O ...

(for arm movement) or

foot The foot (: feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is an organ at the terminal part of the leg made up o ...

(for leg movement) is fixed in space and cannot move. The extremity remains in constant contact with the immobile surface, usually the ground or the base of a machine. The opposite of CKC exercises are open kinetic chain exercises (OKC). Closed chain exercises are often compound movements, that generally incur compressive forces, while open-chain exercises are often isolation movements that promote more shearing forces. CKC exercises involve more than one muscle group and joint simultaneously rather than concentrating solely on one, as many OKC exercises do (single-joint movements), lending the former to more utilitarian and athletic activities.

Properties

These exercises are typically weight bearing exercises, where an exerciser uses one's own body weight and/ or external weight.

Closed kinetic chain upper body exercises

Push-ups The push-up (press-up in British English) is a common calisthenics exercise beginning from the prone position. By raising and lowering the body using the arms, push-ups exercise the pectoral muscles, triceps, and anterior deltoids, wit ...

and their derivatives (including handstand), pull-ups (or chin-ups), Supine row and dips, concentrate on a co-contraction of the

triceps The triceps, or triceps brachii (Latin for "three-headed muscle of the arm"), is a large muscle on the ventral, back of the upper limb of many vertebrates. It consists of three parts: the medial, lateral, and long head. All three heads cross the ...

biceps The biceps or biceps brachii (, "two-headed muscle of the arm") is a large muscle that lies on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle bel ...

, deltoids, pectorals, lats, abdominals and

lower back Lower may refer to: * ''Lower'' (album), 2025 album by Benjamin Booker *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is sit ...

for stabilization in various ratios depending upon angle and leverage.

Closed kinetic chain lower body exercises

Squats Squat, squatter or squatting may refer to: Body position * Squatting position, a sitting position where one's knees are folded with heels touching one's buttocks or back of the thighs * Squat (exercise), a lower-body exercise in strength and co ...

deadlift The deadlift is a strength training exercise in which a weight-loaded barbell is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, with the torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting ...

s, lunges, power cleans: these concentrate on a co-contraction of the

quadriceps The quadriceps femoris muscle (, also called the quadriceps extensor, quadriceps or quads) is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the sole extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large ...

hamstrings A hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in human anatomy between the hip and the knee: from anatomical_terms_of_location#Medial_and_lateral, medial to anatomical_terms_of_location#Medial_and_lateral, lateral, the semimembra ...

hip flexors In anatomy, flexor is a muscle that contracts to perform flexion (from the Latin verb ''flectere'', to bend), a movement that decreases the angle between the bones converging at a joint. For example, one's elbow joint flexes when one brings the ...

soleus In humans and some other mammals, the soleus is a powerful muscle in the back part of the lower leg (the calf). It runs from just below the knee to the heel and is involved in standing and walking. It is closely connected to the gastrocnemius mus ...

, and

gastrocnemius The gastrocnemius muscle (plural ''gastrocnemii'') is a superficial two-headed muscle that is in the back part of the lower leg of humans. It is located superficial to the soleus in the posterior (back) compartment of the leg. It runs from its t ...

muscles. The joints of movement include the knee, hip, and ankle.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises Physical exercise