Open chain exercises (OKC) are exercises that are 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 (which has two opposable thumbs on each " ...

or foot is free to move. The opposite of OKC are

closed kinetic chain exercises Closed kinetic chain exercises or closed chain exercises (CKC) are physical exercises performed where the hand (for arm movement) or foot (for leg movement) is fixed in space and cannot move. The extremity remains in constant contact with the immobi ...

(CKC). Both are effective for strengthening and rehabilitation objectives. Closed-chain exercises tend to offer more "functional" athletic benefits because of their ability to recruit more muscle groups and require additional skeletal stabilization.

Properties

Single-joint versions of these exercises are typically non-weight bearing, with the movement occurring at the hinge joints (

elbow The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the m ...

knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the human leg, leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest join ...

). If there is any weight applied, it is often applied to the distal portion of the limb. Open chain exercises are postulated to be advantageous in rehabilitation settings because they can be easily manipulated to selectively target specific muscles, or specific heads of certain muscles, more effectively than their closed chain counterparts, at different phases of contraction.

Open kinetic chain upper body exercises

Biceps curl The term "biceps curl" refers to any of a number of weight training exercises that primarily targets the biceps brachii muscle. It may be performed using a barbell, dumbbell, resistance band, or other equipment. Overview The biceps curl mainly t ...

* Lying triceps extensions *

Bench press The bench press, or chest press, is a weight training exercise in which the trainee presses a weight upwards while lying on a weight training bench. Although the bench press is a full-body exercise, the muscles primarily used are the pectoralis ...

Open kinetic chain lower body exercises

* Leg extension *

Leg curl The leg curl is an isolation exercise that targets the hamstring muscles. The exercise involves flexing the lower leg against resistance towards the buttocks. There are three types of leg curls. There are seated leg curls, lying leg curls, and s ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Open Kinetic Chain Exercises Physical exercise