What is resistance training. How does resistance training improve muscular fitness. What are the different types of resistance training exercises. How often should you engage in resistance training. What are the key benefits of strength and weight training.

Understanding Resistance Training: A Comprehensive Guide

Resistance training, a cornerstone of physical fitness, is a form of exercise designed to enhance muscular strength, power, and endurance. This type of training involves the contraction of muscles against an external force, with the goal of improving overall muscular fitness. The external resistance can come from various sources, including free weights, exercise machines, resistance bands, or even one’s own body weight.

The principle behind resistance training is simple yet profound: when muscles work against a force repeatedly and consistently, they adapt by becoming stronger and more efficient. This adaptability of the human body forms the basis for all strength and muscle-building exercises.

Key Components of Resistance Training

• Progressive overload: Gradually increasing the weight, frequency, or number of repetitions in your strength training routine
• Specificity: Tailoring exercises to target specific muscle groups or movements
• Recovery: Allowing adequate rest between training sessions for muscle repair and growth
• Variation: Incorporating different exercises, equipment, and techniques to prevent plateaus and maintain engagement

Types of Resistance Training Exercises: Diverse Approaches to Strength

Resistance training encompasses a wide array of exercises and equipment options, catering to different preferences, fitness levels, and goals. Here are some of the most common types:

1. Free Weights: Includes dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells. These versatile tools allow for a wide range of motion and engage stabilizer muscles.
2. Weight Machines: Provide guided movements with adjustable resistance, often preferred by beginners or those rehabilitating from injuries.
3. Resistance Bands: Elastic bands that offer variable resistance throughout the range of motion. They’re portable and adaptable to various exercises.
4. Body Weight Exercises: Utilize your own body mass as resistance, including push-ups, squats, and pull-ups.
5. Medicine Balls: Weighted spheres used for dynamic, functional strength training.

Each type of resistance training has its unique benefits. For instance, free weights engage more stabilizer muscles and mimic real-life movements, while machines can isolate specific muscle groups more effectively. The choice often depends on individual goals, experience level, and personal preferences.

Optimal Frequency and Volume: Tailoring Your Resistance Training Regimen

Determining the right frequency and volume for resistance training is crucial for maximizing benefits while minimizing the risk of overtraining or injury. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) provides general guidelines for resistance training frequency and volume:

Frequency Recommendations

• Beginners: 2-3 non-consecutive days per week
• Intermediate: 3 days per week
• Advanced: 4-6 days per week

Volume Recommendations

• One set of 8-12 repetitions for most adults
• 8-10 major exercises targeting all major muscle groups
• Gradually increase volume as fitness improves

Is it necessary to train to failure in every session? While training to muscular failure can be beneficial for experienced lifters looking to maximize hypertrophy, it’s not essential for everyone. Beginners and those focused on general health can achieve significant benefits by working at a challenging but submaximal intensity.

The Multifaceted Benefits of Strength and Weight Training

Resistance training offers a plethora of benefits that extend far beyond aesthetic improvements. Let’s delve into some of the most significant advantages:

1. Enhanced Muscular Strength and Fitness

The primary and most obvious benefit of resistance training is increased muscular strength and overall fitness. This improvement in strength translates directly to daily activities, making everyday tasks easier and reducing the risk of injury during physical exertion.

2. Bone Health and Muscle Mass Preservation

As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass and bone density. Resistance training plays a crucial role in mitigating these effects. Studies have shown that regular strength training can help maintain and even increase bone density, particularly important for postmenopausal women at risk of osteoporosis.

How does resistance training affect bone health? When muscles contract against resistance, they pull on the bones they’re attached to. This stress stimulates bone-forming cells, leading to increased bone density over time.

3. Metabolic Boost and Efficient Calorie Burning

Resistance training has a significant impact on metabolism, both during and after exercise. The process of muscle recovery and growth following a strength training session requires energy, leading to an increased metabolic rate that can last for hours post-workout. This phenomenon, known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), contributes to more efficient calorie burning throughout the day.

Tailoring Resistance Training to Individual Needs and Goals

While general guidelines provide a solid foundation, the most effective resistance training programs are tailored to individual needs, goals, and physical conditions. Factors to consider when customizing a program include:

• Current fitness level and experience with resistance training
• Specific goals (e.g., strength gain, muscle hypertrophy, endurance, or general health)
• Any existing health conditions or injuries
• Available time and resources for training
• Personal preferences for types of exercises and equipment

Can resistance training be beneficial for managing musculoskeletal conditions? While there’s no clear evidence that any particular form of resistance training is superior for managing musculoskeletal conditions, a well-designed program can often help. It’s essential to work with a qualified professional to develop a safe and effective routine based on individual needs and limitations.

Resistance Training for Long-Term Health: Beyond the Gym

Incorporating resistance training into a long-term health strategy extends beyond periodic gym sessions. It’s about adopting a lifestyle that prioritizes muscular health and strength. Here are some ways to integrate resistance training into daily life:

• Incorporate bodyweight exercises into your daily routine (e.g., squats while brushing teeth, wall push-ups while waiting for coffee)
• Use resistance bands for quick workouts during work breaks
• Choose stairs over elevators to engage leg muscles
• Carry groceries or other items to add resistance to everyday activities
• Practice yoga or Pilates, which often involve bodyweight resistance

How can resistance training contribute to overall wellness beyond physical strength? Regular strength training has been linked to improved mental health, better sleep quality, and enhanced cognitive function, particularly in older adults. It’s a holistic approach to health that benefits both body and mind.

Safety Considerations and Best Practices in Resistance Training

While resistance training offers numerous benefits, it’s crucial to approach it with proper technique and safety measures to avoid injury and maximize results. Here are some key safety considerations and best practices:

Proper Form and Technique

• Learn correct form for each exercise, focusing on controlled movements
• Start with lighter weights to master technique before increasing load
• Use a mirror or record yourself to check form
• Consider working with a certified personal trainer, especially when starting out

Warm-up and Cool-down

• Always begin with a proper warm-up to prepare muscles and joints
• Include dynamic stretching before strength training
• End sessions with a cool-down and static stretching

Progressive Overload

• Gradually increase weight, reps, or sets as you get stronger
• Avoid sudden large increases in weight or volume
• Listen to your body and adjust as needed

What are the signs that you might be overtraining? Pay attention to persistent muscle soreness, decreased performance, mood changes, and disrupted sleep patterns. These could indicate a need to reduce training intensity or frequency.

Integrating Resistance Training with Other Forms of Exercise

While resistance training is crucial for muscular health and strength, it’s most effective when combined with other forms of exercise as part of a comprehensive fitness regimen. Here’s how to integrate resistance training with other exercise modalities:

Cardiovascular Exercise

Combining resistance training with cardiovascular exercise can lead to improved overall fitness and health outcomes. Consider alternating strength training days with cardio days, or incorporating high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that combines both strength and cardio elements.

Flexibility and Mobility Work

Regular stretching and mobility exercises complement resistance training by improving range of motion and reducing the risk of injury. Incorporate stretching sessions or yoga practice to maintain flexibility alongside strength gains.

Balance and Stability Training

Exercises that challenge balance and stability, such as single-leg movements or unstable surface training, can enhance the functional benefits of resistance training and improve overall coordination.

How can you effectively balance different types of exercise in your weekly routine? A sample weekly plan might include 2-3 days of resistance training, 2-3 days of cardiovascular exercise, and 1-2 days of flexibility or mobility work, with some overlap between these categories.

In conclusion, resistance training is a powerful tool for improving physical fitness, health, and overall quality of life. By understanding its principles, benefits, and best practices, individuals can harness the transformative power of strength training to achieve their fitness goals and maintain long-term health. Whether you’re a beginner just starting your fitness journey or an experienced athlete looking to optimize your training, incorporating well-designed resistance exercises into your routine can lead to significant improvements in strength, body composition, and overall wellness.

What is resistance training? –

Resistance training is a form of physical activity that is designed to improve muscular fitness by exercising a muscle or a muscle group against external resistance.

Resistance training is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, power, hypertrophy, and/or endurance. The external resistance can be dumbbells, exercise tubing, your own body weight, bricks, bottles of water, or any other object that causes the muscles to contract.

Maintenance programs are recommended for long term health benefits. Resistance training is being part of a healthy lifestyle rather than as a specific therapeutic intervention.

Currently there is no clear evidence that any particular form of resistance training is most effective for managing musculoskeletal condition.

Therefore, the key is to tailor your prescription the individuals needs of the patient in front of you based on assessment:

Resistance training is based on the principle that muscles of the body will work to overcome a resistance force when they are required to do so. When you do resistance training repeatedly and consistently, your muscles become stronger.

Examples of Resistance Training:

There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether at home or the gym.

Different types of resistance training include:

• Free weights – classic strength training tools such as dumbbells or barbells
• Weight machines – devices that have adjustable seats with handles attached either to weights or hydraulics
• Medicine balls – weighted balls
• Resistance bands – like giant rubber bands – these provide resistance when stretched. They are portable and can be adapted to most workouts. The bands provide continuous resistance throughout a movement
• Your own body weight – can be used for squats, push-ups and chin-ups. Using your own body weight is convenient, especially when travelling or at work.

How much should we do?

• Two non-concecutive days/weekly
• One set of 8-12 reps for healthy adults
• 8-10 major exercises targeting major muscle groups
• Frequency:
  • novice 2-3 days/ week,
  • intermediate 3 days/week;
  • advanced 4-6 days/week

Specific characteristics resistance training might target include:

• Strength
• Power
• Hypertrophy
• Endurance

The Benefits of Strength and Weight Training

Besides the well-touted (and frequently Instagrammed) benefit of adding tone and definition to your muscles, how does strength training help? Here are just a few of the many ways:

1. Strength Training Makes You Stronger and Fitter

This benefit is the obvious one, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. “Muscle strength is crucial in making it easier to do the things you need to do on a day-to-day basis,” Pire says — especially as we get older and naturally start to lose muscle.

Strength training is also called resistance training because it involves strengthening and toning your muscles by contracting them against a resisting force. According to the Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine, there are two types of resistance training:

• Isometric resistance involves contracting your muscles against a nonmoving object, such as against the floor in a pushup.
• Isotonic strength training involves contracting your muscles through a range of motion, as in weight lifting.

2. 

Strength Training Protects Bone Health and Muscle Mass

At around age 30 we start losing as much as 3 to 5 percent of lean muscle mass per decade thanks to aging, notes Harvard Health Publishing.

According to a study published in October 2017 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, just 30 minutes twice a week of high intensity resistance and impact training was shown to improve functional performance, as well as bone density, structure, and strength in postmenopausal women with low bone mass — and it had no negative effects.

Likewise, the HHS physical activity guidelines note that, for everyone, muscle strengthening activities help preserve or increase muscle mass, strength, and power, which are essential for bone, joint, and muscle health as we age.

3. Strength Training Helps Your Body Burn Calories Efficiently

All exercise helps boost your metabolism (the rate your resting body burns calories throughout the day).

With both aerobic activity and strength training, your body continues to burn calories after strength training as it returns to its more restful state (in terms of energy exerted). It’s a process called “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption,” according to the American Council on Exercise.

But when you do strength, weight, or resistance training, your body demands more energy based on how much energy you’re exerting (meaning the tougher you’re working, the more energy is demanded). So you can amplify this effect depending on the amount of energy you put into the workout. That means more calories burned during the workout, and more calories burned after the workout, too, while your body is recovering to a resting state.

4. Strength Training Helps Keep the Weight off for Good 

Because strength training boosts excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, it can also help exercisers boost weight loss more than if you were to just do aerobic exercise alone, Pire says. “[Resistance or strengthening exercise] keeps your metabolism active after exercising, much longer than after an aerobic workout.”

A study published in the journal Obesity in November 2017 found that, compared with dieters who didn’t exercise and those who did only aerobic exercise, dieters who did strength training exercises four times a week for 18 months lost the most fat (about 18 pounds, compared with 10 pounds for nonexercisers and 16 pounds for aerobic exercisers).

You may even be able to further reduce body fat specifically when strength training is combined with reducing calories through diet. People who followed a combined full-body resistance training and diet over the course of four months reduced their fat mass while improving lean muscle mass better than either resistance training or dieting alone, concluded a small study published in January 2018 in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

5. Strength Training Helps You Develop Better Body Mechanics

Strength training also benefits your balance, coordination, and posture, according to past research.

One review, published in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research in November 2017, concluded that doing at least one resistance training session per week — performed alone or in a program with multiple different types of workouts — produced up to a 37 percent increase in muscle strength, a 7.5 percent increase in muscle mass, and a 58 percent increase in functional capacity (linked to risk of falls) in frail, elderly adults.

“Balance is dependent on the strength of the muscles that keep you on your feet,” Pire notes. “The stronger those muscles, the better your balance.”

6. Strength Training Can Help With Chronic Disease Management

Studies have documented that strength training can also help ease symptoms in people with many chronic conditions, including neuromuscular disorders, HIV, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and some cancers, among others.

For the more than 30 million Americans with type 2 diabetes, strength training along with other healthy lifestyle changes can help improve glucose control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a study published in June 2017 in Diabetes Therapy.

And research published in 2019 in Frontiers in Psychology suggested regular resistance training can also help prevent chronic mobility problems, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

7. Strength Training Boosts Energy Levels and Improves Your Mood

Strength training has been found to be a legitimate treatment option (or add-on treatment) to quell symptoms of depression, according to a meta-analysis of 33 clinical trials published in JAMA Psychiatry in June 2018.

“All exercise boosts mood because it increases endorphins,” Pire says. But for strength training, additional research that’s looked at neurochemical and neuromuscular responses to such workouts offers further evidence it has a positive effect on the brain, he adds.

And there’s evidence strength training may help you sleep better, too, according to a study published in the January–February 2019 issue of Brazilian Journal of Psychology.

And we all know a better night’s sleep can go a long way in keeping mood up.

8. Strength Training Has Cardiovascular Health Benefits

Along with aerobic exercise, muscle-strengthening activities helps improve blood pressure and reduce risk of hypertension and heart disease, according to HHS.

RELATED: Strength Training Found to Lower Heart Disease and Diabetes Risk, Independent of How Much Cardio You Do

7 tips for a safe and successful strength training program

Strength or resistance training challenges your muscles with a stronger-than-usual counterforce, such as pushing against a wall or lifting a dumbbell or pulling on a resistance band. Using progressively heavier weights or increasing resistance makes muscles stronger. This kind of exercise increases muscle mass, tones muscles, and strengthens bones. It also helps you maintain the strength you need for everyday activities — lifting groceries, climbing stairs, rising from a chair, or rushing for the bus.

The current national guidelines for physical activity recommend strengthening exercises for all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms) at least twice a week. One set — usually 8 to 12 repetitions of the same movement — per session is effective, though some evidence suggests that two to three sets may be better. Your muscles need at least 48 hours to recover between strength training sessions.

These seven tips can keep your strength training safe and effective.

1. Warm up and cool down for five to 10 minutes. Walking is a fine way to warm up; stretching is an excellent way to cool down.
2. Focus on form, not weight. Align your body correctly and move smoothly through each exercise. Poor form can prompt injuries and slow gains. When learning a strength training routine, many experts suggest starting with no weight, or very light weight. Concentrate on slow, smooth lifts and equally controlled descents while isolating a muscle group.
3. Working at the right tempo helps you stay in control rather than compromise strength gains through momentum. For example, count to three while lowering a weight, hold, then count to three while raising it to the starting position.
4. Pay attention to your breathing during your workouts. Exhale as you work against resistance by lifting, pushing, or pulling; inhale as you release.
5. Keep challenging muscles by slowly increasing weight or resistance. The right weight for you differs depending on the exercise. Choose a weight that tires the targeted muscle or muscles by the last two repetitions while still allowing you to maintain good form. If you can’t do the last two reps, choose a lighter weight. When it feels too easy to complete add weight (roughly 1 to 2 pounds for arms, 2 to 5 pounds for legs), or add another set of repetitions to your workout (up to three sets). If you add weight, remember that you should be able to do all the repetitions with good form and the targeted muscles should feel tired by the last two.
6. Stick with your routine — working all the major muscles of your body two or three times a week is ideal. You can choose to do one full-body strength workout two or three times a week, or you may break your strength workout into upper- and lower-body components. In that case, be sure you perform each component two or three times a week.
7. Give muscles time off. Strength training causes tiny tears in muscle tissue. These tears aren’t harmful, but they are important: muscles grow stronger as the tears knit up. Always give your muscles at least 48 hours to recover before your next strength training session.

For detailed workouts and more on the benefits of exercise and how to develop a plan stick with it, buy Exercise: A program you can live with, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date,
should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Do’s And Don’ts For Beginners

Cecilie_ArcursGetty Images

If you want to kick your fitness routine up a notch, consider giving the treadmill a break and showing the loaded barbells some love. You’ll still sweat those calories off with the added benefit of toning your body. But what is strength training, exactly? To put it simply, strength training (a.k.a. resistance training) involves using your own bodyweight or tools, like dumbbells or resistance bands, to build muscle mass, strength, and endurance.

If you’re new to the weight room, getting started might seem a little intimidating, but implementing strength training into your fitness routine doesn’t mean you have to completely say bye to your preferred workout. You can start by practicing resistance training just a few times a week, says Sarah Revenig, CSCS, trainer at Soho Strength Lab. “As you adapt, you can increase your frequency of training.”

It usually takes a few weeks to start seeing results, but strength training is a sure way to build rock-solid abs, load up on your booty gains, or seriously sculpt that part of your body you’ve been determined to tone up. It also keeps your system burning calories even long after you’ve left the gym, a benefit that makes strength training worth it for those with weight loss goals. Here’s a quick guide on strength training for those ready to get started.

Benefits Of Strength Training

• Stronger bones: “Over time strength training programs increase bone density and increase overall stiffness of the connective tissues,” Revenig says. “As we age, especially women, this is especially important because, while it might sound undesirable, these two things are critical to injury prevention. We need the body to be able to stiffen and stabilize upon impact or against an external force.”

• Improves body image: Several studies have looked at the relationship between body image and strength training and found that women who strength train self-report more positive feelings about them bodies after completing resistance training programs compared to those who don’t. That was the case for the 49 college women in this study who strength trained twice per week for 12 weeks, as well as the 62 women who reported more positive body images, after lifting weights twice per week for 15 weeks, than the 92 women in the study who didn’t strength train.
• Builds lean muscle and decreases body fat: As muscle mass increases, so does your resting metabolic rate. “A higher resting metabolic rate means that your body burns more calories at rest to just maintain essential functions of the body,” says Revenig. This doesn’t happen overnight—consistency is key—and Revenig says you should pair your strength training with proper nutrition in order to see results.
• Can alleviate symptoms of depression: A meta analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry looked at 33 studies (a total of almost 1,900 subjects between them) to see if resistance training had any sizable positive impact on alleviating depressive symptoms. It determined that not only does strength training boost physical strength, but it also improves low mood, loss of interest in activities, and feelings of worthlessness.

Different Types Of Strength Training

• Muscle Endurance Training: Revenig recommends beginners start by lifting a higher volume, meaning more reps and sets, of lighter weights. “This allows your tissues to build up tolerance for more intense training programs,” she explains. “You can’t expect to make progress when you constantly have to stop because you’re completely out of breath.”
• Circuit Training: Circuit training involves going through a series of several exercises until you reach the last one, resting, and then repeating all the moves again (and potentially again, and again). Revenig says you can modify this kind of workout to align with your personal goals. “You can manipulate your work-to-rest ratio in circuits depending on what kind of training effect you’re after,” explains Revenig.
• Hypertrophy Training: Strength training does build muscle, and it can be used to increase the size of your muscles too…but only if you’re doing a type of strength training called hypertrophy. So anyone who’s worried that you’ll end up looking like a bodybuilder just because you picked up a weight, don’t be. “An increase in muscle size does NOT equate to bulking unless you are eating to gain mass as well,” says Revenig. You also have to be lifting medium to high reps of a moderate to heavy weight consistently to see significant changes to the size of your muscles, FYI. In other words, strength training a couple times a week isn’t going to do the trick.
• Max Strength Training: Revenig suggests transitioning into this type of training once you’ve built up your muscle endurance and mastered basic form. This kind of training involves bringing your number of repetitions down to about 3–6 and increasing the amount of weight you’re lifting.
• Explosive Power Training: Explosive power training isn’t designed for beginners, says Revenig. “Beginners would not be successful in the explosive power realm until they have had time to develop maximal strength.” That’s because it involves training at maximum intensity for short periods of time. Olympic lifts and the push press are two examples of the explosive exercises she’s talking about.

Strength-Training Tips For Beginners

1. Start with a load that feels manageable. Use your judgment (or consult a personal trainer) to figure out what works for you. “If you’re struggling on rep 2 out of 10, the weight is too heavy,” says Revenig. “Alternatively, if you find reps 8–10 of that same set to be challenging with the weight you picked, it’s likely an appropriate selection.” As you start to build strength, you can gradually increase your weight load from week to week. “Try to match or slightly increase the weights you used the week prior,” Revenig suggests.
2. Make the most of your warm-up time. Taking time to properly warm up is the fitness equivalent of allowing oil to heat up in a pan before you start cooking—it leads to better results! You can maximize your pre-workout time before strength training by doing dynamic stretches. Revenig recommends inchworms, deadbugs, hip bridges, and birddogs. Also try and get in 5-10 minutes of light cardio to lubricate your joints and elevate your heart rate.
3. Avoid exercising to exhaustion. Revenig says research suggests ending your set just before you completely drain your tank is more effective. This is especially true for beginners, as doing so wasn’t found to be necessary in order to increase muscle strength, according to a 2016 study.

Here’s a five-minute dynamic warm-up video you can do before any strength training workout:

How much time should I put into strength training?

According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), you should actively strength train at least two times per week. It’s important to remember to engage all the major muscle groups. That includes the legs, hips, core, chest, shoulders, and arms.

In terms of how long, there’s no specific time that you should be training for, but the exercises should be performed until you feel it’s difficult for you to get another repetition in. Your muscle strength and endurance will progressively increase over time, but gradually adding to the amount of weight and the days you workout will result in even stronger muscles, says ODPHP’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

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22 benefits of resistance training with an Exercise Physiologist

17 Jan 22 benefits of resistance training with an Exercise Physiologist

Posted at 06:30h
in Strength & Conditioning
by Exercise Right

Why do you do resistance training (other than the fact your trainer makes you)? We all know resistance training is good for us, and there are so many reasons to add it to your exercise routine. Some people to it to build muscle. Others, to reach a goal, like being able to pick up our grandkids. Maybe, it’s your way just to relax. Whatever your reason, you deserve a big pat on the back just for doing it!

According to the latest National Health Survey, only 15% of Australian adults get enough exercise. This is especially true when it comes to resistance training! Out of 168 countries, we are ranked 97th for the percentage of population being sufficiently active. It’s scary considering physical inactivity is so highly associated with chronic health problems.

What is Resistance Training (aka strength training or weight training)?

Resistance training can be anything from body weighted strength to lifting very heavy weights. The person that hasn’t broken a sweat all session, and the person that is drenched in sweat at the end of the session – have both engaged in strength training. It looks completely different for everyone and that’s the beautiful thing about strength training! It can be adapted and individualised just for you and your body’s specific needs.

For those who maybe don’t know all the amazing benefits of strength training, I’ve made a nerdy little list below. Please feel free to share this with your friends and family members who maybe aren’t quite convinced on exercise, there’s something in here for everyone!

Benefits of resistance training with your Exercise Physiologist:

1. Improves focus
2. Improves cognitive function
3. Decreases anxiety
4. Reduces depressive symptoms
5. Improves feelings of well-being
6. Increases self-esteem
7. Decreases risk of dementia
8. Reduces markers of inflammation (particularly in people who are overweight)
9. Decreases cholesterol
10. Decreases blood pressure
11. Improves insulin-swings for those with type 2 diabetes
12. Improves insulin-sensitivity
13. Boosts metabolic rate
14. Reverses ageing factors in mitochondria and muscles
15. Increases bone mineral density (and prevents bone loss)
16. Increases muscle mass
17. Improves movement control
18. Reduces chronic lower back pain
19. Decreases arthritic pain
20. Reduces pain from fibromyalgia
21. Improves balance
22. Increases walking speed

How can you get all these benefits, plus more?

If you would like to start getting more out of your resistance training sessions, or if you’re wanting to start resistance training but you have some niggles that bother you, I recommend getting in touch with a local exercise physiologist. They can help to find the right exercises for you and help you to move safely! To find an Accredited Exercise Physiologist near you, click here.

Jacinta Brinsley is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist at iNform Health and Fitness Solutions, and is currently completing a PHD on Mental Health.

Breaking Down The Importance of Strength-Endurance Training

Strength endurance training is one of the most underused formats of conditioning and one that can achieve multiple goals at the same time. After all, it’s a huge component of the online NASM personal training course.

Want to get the heart rate up and improve endurance? Need to build up lean tissue? Is getting a good sweat going your indicator of a great workout? Strength Endurance is the phase of training that can do it all…at the same time.

Here’s how it works: Once you’ve performed an active warm-up consisting of foam rolling, active stretching and some core activation work, you are ready for the “meat and potatoes” of a strength endurance workout.

This style of workout consists of a superset of similar motions performed with a strength and stability exercise variation executed one right after the other. It is different from the traditional strength superset variation where the exerciser uses two opposing movements (e.g., dumbbell chest press and cable row).

By combining the strength-based exercise with the stability-based variation, the prime movers are taxed first and then the stabilizers of the same area are further targeted with a slow tempo version of the same motion.

Let’s take the motion of pushing as an example. If you’re in the health club and you think pushing, one exercise that comes to mind is the bench press (especially for men on Mondays, known as National Chest Day). The next step is to pair the bench press with a stability-based pushing motion such as a stability ball push-up.

When executed properly, the “push” workout will start off with the bench press for 8 to 12 repetitions, immediately followed by ball push-ups for another 8 to 12 repetitions—but this time done with a slow tempo emphasized on the eccentric or lowering motion. Rest for one minute and repeat the moves two or three more times to complete a total of three to four sets. Here is a sample total-body workout:

Strength Endurance Workout Sample 1

Warm-Up:

Perform 2 sets of 10 reps each.

• Ball Bridge
• Ball Cobra
• Squat Jumps

Resistance Training:

Perform 3 to 4 sets of each superset pair with a 60-second rest.

Push:

• Bench Press x8 reps
• Ball Push-Up x12 reps

Pull:

• Seated Cable Row x8
• Single-Arm Row x12/side

Legs:

• Dumbbell Squats x8
• Single-Leg Squat Touchdown x12/side

The Strength and Endurance Phase

If you follow the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Optimum Performance Training™ (OPT™) model, this format is Phase 2 of the five phases of training.

With that said, Phase 1 Stabilization Endurance would precede Phase 2 Strength Endurance. By progressing through this initial level you’d have improved muscle balance, postural control, stability and core control, to name just a few of the many benefits of this foundation building phase of training, readying you for Phase 2.

I often refer to Phase 2 training as the “gateway” phase of training. This means that the person who is transitioning from stability training toward increasing muscle size or overall strength can use this phase to become acclimated to the heavier weights and volumes of training for hypertrophy and maximum strength.

It can also work for those who don’t want to let go of the strength-based exercises, but aim to start incorporating stability work into their training without having to go all the way back to Phase 1.

Even though body composition change via fat loss is not emphasized as one of the primary benefits of strength endurance training, the minimal rest in the superset format definitely does help that along. For those who want to get in shape for spring break, lose a couple inches around the midsection, or just avoid going up to the next pant size, this format does an incredible job. It takes going through just one workout to see how this is made possible.

Here is another sample workout using vertical loading. The difference with this one is that you are performing all six movements before resting for 60 seconds and repeating.

“Station-based circuit training is favored by many small group oriented trainers if equipment and space are available. When ‘vertically loading’ or performing all the listed exercises before taking a break, you will have thoroughly challenged strength and stability while also taxing the cardiorespiratory system. See this blog post on circuit training to learn the ins and outs of circuit-based workout routines. ”

Advantage of Vertical Loading: Alternating body parts trained from set to set, starting from the upper extremity and moving to the lower extremity, allows each body part to recover while minimizing the amount of time spent resting.

Strength Endurance Workout Sample 2

Warm-Up:

• Active Hip Flexor Stretch
• Single-Leg Floor Bridge
• Prone Ball Cobra

Resistance Training—Circuit 3 to 4 sets:

• Dumbbell Chest Press x8
• Ball Push-Up, feet on ball x12
• Seated Lat Pull-Down x8
• Single-Leg Cable Row x12/side
• Dumbbell Lunges x8
• Single-Leg Lunge to Balance x10/side
• Rest 60 seconds

No one is exempt from the need for stability training. Whether you are looking to up the ante in your training intensity or mix things up from your weekly regimen of benching and squatting, strength endurance is a great transition.

To get a personal trainer certification, get in touch. And for more information on using this phase of the Optimum Performance Training™ Model, check out the demonstrations below.

Optimum Performance Training™ (OPT™) model

Strength Endurance Workout

Ball Bridge

A. Lie on stability ball (ball between shoulder blades) with hands on hips, feet flat and shoulder-width apart, pointing straight ahead. Allow back to curve over the ball.

B. Lift hips until knees are bent at a 90° angle and the body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Slowly lower hips toward the floor.

Ball Cobra

A. Lie on a stability ball with feet pointed toward floor, legs straight. Extend arms in front. Bring arms around to the side of the body by pinching shoulder blades back and down.

B. Lift chest off ball, keeping back and neck in proper alignment. Lower chest and return arms to start.

Squat Jump

A. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, pointed straight ahead, knees aligned over mid-foot. Squat slightly as if sitting in a chair.

B. Jump up, extending arms overhead. Land softly and hold for two seconds, repeat.

Bench Press

A. Lie on flat bench, knees bent, feet flat and shoulder-width apart with toes pointing straight ahead. Hold one dumbbell in each hand, at chest level, slightly outside of body with elbows flexed.

B. Press dumbbells straight up and together, hold. Slowly return dumbbells toward body.

Ball Push-Up

A. Begin in a push-up position with hands on the ball.

B. Draw in abdomen and contract glutes. Keeping back flat, slowly lower body by flexing elbows and retracting and depressing shoulder blades. Push back up to start position by extending elbows and contracting chest.

Seated Cable Row

A. Hold cables with arms extended.

B. Row cable by flexing elbows and pulling thumbs toward the armpit, keeping shoulder blades retracted and depressed. Do not allow the head to jut forward. Hold. Slowly return to start position.

Single-Arm Row

A. Hold cable, with arm extended at chest level, feet shoulder-width apart, pointing straight ahead, knees over second and third toes.

B. With knees slightly flexed, row by flexing elbow. Bring thumb toward the armpit. Do not allow the head to jut forward. Hold. Slowly return arm to original position, switch arms.

Dumbbell Squat

A. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing straight ahead, knees over second and third toes.

B. Slowly begin to squat down, bending knees and flexing hips. Don’t allow any internal rotation at the hips or knees. Return to start by contracting glutes and pressing through the heels as knees extend.

Single-Leg Squat Touchdown

A. Stand on one foot with toes pointing straight ahead, knee slightly flexed and over second and third toes. Keep “floating” leg directly beside body.

B. Slowly squat down. Reach with free hand toward stabilizing foot. Push through heel, activate glutes and stand back upright until hip and knee are extended.

If you are interested in another OPT model resource, check out Program Design for Weight Loss!

Resistance Training – an overview

Hypertrophy

One of the most prominent adaptations to strength training is muscle enlargement. The growth in muscle size is primarily due to an increase in the size of the individual muscle fibre (Fleck and Kraemer, 2004). According to Fleck and Kraemer (2004), humans have a potential to hyperplasia, but it does not happen on a large scale and is far from the dominating cause of hypertrophy. An increase in the number of muscle fibres has been shown in birds and mammals, but there are limited data to prove this in humans.

The increase in cross-sectional area is attributed to increased size and number of the contractile proteins (actin and myosin filaments) and the addition of sarcomeres within existing muscle fibres. An increase in non-contractile proteins has also been suggested.

Satellite cells and myonuclei may indicate cellular repair after training and the formation of new muscle cells, and the proportion of satellite cells that appear morphologically active, increase as a result of resistance training (Fleck and Kraemer, 2004).

Muscle fibre hypertrophy has been found in both type I and type II fibres after strength training. However, most studies show greater hypertrophy in type II and especially IIa fibres (Kraemer et al., 1995; Green et al., 1999). Genetic factors decide whether a person has predominantly type I or type II muscle fibres, and though transitions from type IIb (now named IIx) to type IIa have been found (Adams et al., 1993; Green et al., 1999; Campos et al., 2002), such changes only seem to happen within fibre type (e.g. not from type II to type I; Fleck and Kraemer, 2004). Cessation of training leads to transitions back from IIa to IIb. But even if most studies fail to find changes in the amount of type I fibres, some strength and sprint studies do. Kadi and Thornell (1999) found that there was a significant increase in the amount of MyHC IIa protein and a significant decrease of the amount of MyHC I and IIb in the trapezius muscle of women in the strength group.

Different muscles have different distributions of fibre types and the total number of muscle fibres varies between individuals. Because the number and distribution of muscle fibres does not seem to be the dominant factor for hypertrophy, and it is impossible to evaluate the number and distribution of muscle fibres in an individual without biopsies, types of muscle fibres should be disregarded as a factor when prescribing PFMT. The aim is to target as many motor units as possible in each contraction.

Greater hypertrophy has been associated with high-volume compared to low-volume programmes (Kraemer and Ratamess, 2004). Short rest intervals have also been shown to be beneficial for hypertrophy and local muscle endurance (Kraemer and Ratamess, 2004). Some studies suggest that a fatigue stimulus with metabolic stress factors has an influence on optimal strength development and muscle growth, even if the mechanisms are unknown. Rooney et al. (1994) found that a 30-second rest between each lift gave a significant lower strength increase than the same amount of repetitions and loads with no rest between the lifts. Maximal hypertrophy may be best attained by a combination of strength and hypertrophy training. One study showed greater increases in cross-sectional area and strength when training was divided into two sessions a day rather than one (Kraemer and Ratamess, 2004).

With the initiation of a strength training regimen, changes in the types of muscle proteins start to take place within a couple of workouts. This is caused by increased protein synthesis, a decrease in protein degradation, or a combination of both. Protein synthesis is significantly elevated up to 48 hours after exercise (Fleck and Kraemer, 2004). However, to demonstrate significant muscle fibre hypertrophy, a longer training time is required (> 8 weeks) (Fleck and Kraemer, 2004). As studies are demonstrating an elevated muscle protein synthesis after an acute strength training bout (Biolo et al., 1995; MacDougall et al., 1995; Phillips et al., 1997), the discrepancy seen between increased strength and muscle growth early in a strength training regimen may be more due to methodological problems in measuring small changes in muscle cross-sectional area rather than the traditionally assumed effect of neural adaptation. Another contributing factor that can explain why the role of neural adaptation may be overestimated at the beginning of a strength training programme is an increase of muscle fibre girth at the expense of extracellular spaces (Åstrand et al., 2003). In most training studies increase in muscle fibre cross-sectional area ranges from about 20% to 40% (Fleck and Kraemer, 2004). In an uncontrolled PFMT trial Bernstein (1996) found an increase in levator ani thickness of 7.6% at rest and 9.3% during contraction, while the increase in PFM thickness was 15.6% in the randomized controlled trial by Brækken et al. (2010). Is a voluntary PFM contraction a concentric or isometric muscle action? MRI studies (Bø et al., 2001) have shown that there is a movement of the coccyx during PFM contraction. Hence, the contraction is concentric. However, this movement is small and there therefore must be an isometric component of PFMT. It has been suggested that 6 s is necessary to reach maximum contraction. However, holding times between 3 and 10 s are recommended for isometric contractions (Fleck and Kraemer, 2004). Daily isometric training is superior to less frequent training, but three training sessions per week will bring significant increases in maximal strength. Isometric training alone with no external weights has been shown to increase protein synthesis 49% and muscular hypertrophy of both type I and type II muscle fibres. Twelve weeks of training increased knee extensor cross-sectional area 8% and muscle isometric strength 41% (Fleck and Kraemer, 2004). PFM action is eccentric during increases in abdominal pressure.

Strength program for men at home: exercises + plan

If you prefer to train at home, we offer you a ready-made strength program for men full body, which can be performed at any convenient time at home. To work, you need only a couple of dumbbells and a great desire to build a beautiful, healthy and powerful body. Pumping up at home is real, read right now what you need to do.

About strength training for men at home

Not only in the gym you can find a beautiful and strong body, but also at home, exercising regularly with your own weight or equipment. Many people underestimate the possibilities of home workouts, and in vain, because if you practice according to a clear plan and adhere to a strict schedule, you can get a slim and muscular body in just a few months.

The following ready-made strength program is suitable for men of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced. Beginners need to take a small weight of dumbbells so as not to overload the muscles. Exercises are scheduled for 3 days according to the full body lesson plan.

Why choose the Fulbody lesson plan?

Full body (Full body) is a program in which all major muscle groups are worked out in one session.This program is dominated by multi-joint exercises, but there is also room for isolation.

Split workouts (as opposed to full body) are a workout plan in which large muscle groups are worked out on separate days. For example, today you train your back and biceps, the day after tomorrow you train your chest and triceps, and the next day you train your legs and shoulders. Split workouts involve adhering to a plan exactly, otherwise you will not be able to harmoniously pump your entire body. To train in a split program, you need to set aside at least 3 free days a week, in addition, you need to find time for abs and cardio.

Fullbody is suitable for those who have only 2-3 days off a week and even if it is only a weekend, the workout will still be effective. Unlike split programs, full body strength training can be done two days in a row or more often, varying the exercises for different muscles.

What other advantages of full body training over split programs:

• evenly loads the body
• allows you to work out each muscle group more often
• provides more energy consumption per workout
• universally suitable for any purpose: weight loss, relief, tone

In addition, full body strength training can improve strength and endurance performance faster than split training.As a result, you will get not only a beautiful, but also a strong, agile, hardy body, which is not afraid of any physical activity.

How to make a lesson plan?

You cannot start training without a plan if you want to achieve results. We offer you 3 strength training plans for full body men: for muscle growth, for relief and for fat burning.

1. For muscle growth . Traditionally, 7-10 reps in 3-4 sets with a weight of 70-75% of the one-rep maximum (the maximum weight you can lift once) are performed to build mass.For example, if you press 70 kg at a time, then for the growth of the chest work with a weight of at least 50 kg. Dumbbells are more difficult to work with than barbells as they need to be balanced, so remove another 10 kg. In total, you will need two 20 kg dumbbells. Therefore, if you want to work on the mass, purchase heavier discs in advance.
2. For relief and tone . To maintain weight and hone the relief, perform 12-15 reps in 4-5 approaches with a weight of 60-65% of your maximum. This does not mean that the weight cannot be increased with each approach, the percentages relate to the main part of the load. Beginners can start with 8-12kg dumbbells.
3. For fat burning . To quickly say goodbye to extra pounds, perform at least 15-17 repetitions in 4-5 approaches with a weight of 50-60% of the maximum possible. If it is very difficult, then reduce the weight to 30-40% of the maximum, but do as many approaches as possible. Beginners can start with 3-8kg dumbbells.

Rest between sets from 30 seconds to 1 minute. 3-4 minutes between exercises.

If you want not only to work on muscles, but also to lose weight, then 3 times a week do the proposed strength training and 1-2 times a week cardio training.With proper nutrition and regular strength training, you will burn fat and tone your body.

What inventory do you need?

For home strength training for men, cast and collapsible dumbbells are suitable. The first are shells, the weight of which cannot be varied independently. To train well with such dumbbells, you will have to buy at least 3 pairs of different weights.

Collapsible dumbbells allow you to independently change the weight of the shells by removing or putting on discs.It is enough to buy two collapsible dumbbells weighing up to 20-30 kg to train effectively at home.

In addition to varying weights, collapsible dumbbells have other advantages, such as price. They will cost much less than cast ones, especially several pairs. In addition, you can buy disks for collapsible shells during training, when the working weights will increase.

When choosing dumbbells for home exercises, we recommend paying attention to collapsible ones: they are cheaper, save space and are more functional.

You can buy collapsible dumbbells for 20 kg or 30 kg:

Strength training with dumbbells at home (Day 1)

It is known that it is better to start training with the most difficult exercises, being at the maximum of your strength. We recommend starting the first day with squats and push-ups, which involve almost all muscle groups in the body. Finally, do one of the abs workouts to strengthen your core and abdomen.

Important! Do not neglect the warm-up approach, do each exercise with a minimum weight first.This technique will help you move more confidently and more technically with heavier dumbbells.

For warm-up before workout see:

1. Squats with dumbbells

Working muscles: biceps, quads and adductors, gluteus medius and large, abs, forearms, biceps.

How to Perform:

In each hand, take a dumbbell and stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows, placing dumbbells on your shoulders.Lower yourself into a squat, arching slightly in the lower back so as not to bend your back. Make sure that your knees are in line with your toes, for this do not squat too low – your hips should be parallel to the floor.

If it is difficult to maintain balance, then put your feet a little wider. Locking your arms in one position will also help you balance and focus on squats – the best home strength leg exercise you can do regularly.

2.Push-ups

Working muscles: pectoralis major, deltoid, triceps, serratus anterior muscles of the body, abs, cortex.

How to do:

Stand in a prone position, palms are under the shoulder joints, eyes look forward, the body is stretched out in one line. Bend your elbows, lowering your chest as low as possible. Do not sag in your back or raise your pelvis high. When the shoulders are parallel to the floor, you can go up.

The work of different muscle groups depends on the position of the hands during push-ups: with a wide one, the pectorals work, with a narrow one – triceps.If you use an elevation for one or both arms, then the rhomboid muscles of the back and trapezium will be included in the work.

3. Row of dumbbells to the belt in the slope

Working muscles: latissimus and rhomboid muscles of the back, back deltas, shoulder muscles.

How To:

Lean forward with your back straight, knees slightly bent. Hold dumbbells in both hands with a neutral grip. Keep your back in line with your neck and head.Pull the dumbbells up to the core line, while working your back muscles, not your arms. You can lift dumbbells on both arms at once or alternately if you have a lot of weights.

When performing the exercise, do not change the position of the body, it must be motionless, in which case the target back muscles will work. Do this great strength exercise at home and you will soon have a wide and strong back.

4. Bending of arms with dumbbells with supination

Working muscles: biceps, shoulder muscles (brachialis), forearms.

How to do:

Pick up dumbbells, in the initial position, the shells should be parallel to the body. Bend your elbows, and, when lifting the dumbbells up, turn your hands inward, towards the body.

In full body strength training there is a place for pumping biceps. Lifting dumbbells for biceps with supination (turning the hand) is considered more effective than the usual one, since in this case the small muscles of the forearms are included in the work and the wrists and hands are additionally strengthened.

5. Setting the dumbbells through the sides

Working muscles: lateral (middle) deltas, muscles of the forearms.

How to do:

Pick up dumbbells and stand up straight, preferably in front of a mirror. Bring your arms down and bend them at the elbows at a slight angle. Begin to spread your arms to the sides, with your elbows turned back. Raise both arms synchronously to parallel with the floor, after a couple of seconds, lower them to their original position.Do not straighten your arms, they should be slightly bent at the elbows.

Improper technique leads to other emphasis during the workout, for example, the traps are engaged, which reduces the load on the target muscles. Do an effective home strength exercise properly to build your shoulders.

6. Extension of the dumbbell from behind the head

Working muscles: triceps, ulnar muscle.

How To:

Take a dumbbell and sit on the bench.The back is straight, the legs are stable. Hold the projectile vertically with both hands, palms up. Raise the dumbbell on straight arms above your head and begin to slowly bend your elbows, lowering the projectile down the back of your head. You can do this exercise while standing, but in a sitting position, the triceps will receive a more accentuated load.

When bending and extending the arms, it is important not to make sudden movements, so as not to dislocate the shoulder joint or not to touch yourself with a dumbbell. It is also important not to spread your elbows to the sides, which reduces the effectiveness of the exercise.Do this simple strength exercise at home to “swing” your triceps, because they are responsible for the volume in the upper arms.

Strength training with dumbbells at home (Day 2)

On the second day, you will pump your back, legs, shoulders, chest, and even perform isolation for biceps and calves. Do not forget about the ab exercises that are recommended to end your workout.

1. Pull-ups

Working muscles: lats, rhomboid and large round muscles of the back, trapezium, muscles of the shoulders and forearms.

How To:

This is an excellent exercise for your back and upper body development. Hang on the horizontal bar on straight arms, tighten the core. Do pull-ups by bending your elbows and trying to touch the horizontal bar with your chest. Lower yourself with your arms fully extended to stretch your lats well.

During the pull-ups, do not swing while trying to help yourself with your legs. But if you are a beginner, then jerking movements will help you learn to pull up. In this case, it is necessary to linger longer at the top point, which will help the muscles adapt to the new load.

If there is no horizontal bar, then perform a dumbbell row in an incline, during which the key muscles of the back also work.

1. Bent over row (alternative to pull-ups)

Working muscles: lats, rhomboid and large round muscles of the back, trapezium, back deltas.

How To:

Lean forward with your back straight, bending your knees. Hands with dumbbells are lowered down parallel to the legs. Keep the dumbbells horizontal.Do not bend over too much, the chest should be directed forward. Pull the dumbbells towards the body, bending your elbows. Make sure your elbows are bent at right angles. At the top point, bring the shoulder blades together so that the entire spectrum of the back muscles works.

During this exercise, it is important not to bend in the lower back, otherwise you can get injured. Maintain a slight arch in your back, which will help prevent injury. In full body strength training, special attention is paid to back training, because it is here that the largest muscle complex is concentrated, which affects the appearance of the whole body.

2. Lunges forward

Working muscles: thighs quadriceps, gluteus medius and gluteus maximus, adductors of the thighs, oblique abdominal muscles.

How to:

Pick up the shells and take a wide step forward, dropping into the lunge. Go back and repeat with the other leg. When performing forward lunges, hold the dumbbells with your arms outstretched. Try not to rock them, otherwise it will interfere with your balance. Do not bend your back, look straight ahead.

Do not bend your knees at an acute angle, otherwise not only will the technique be impaired, but the load on the knee joints will also increase.

3. Breeding hands with dumbbells on the chest

Working muscles: pectoralis major muscles, deltas (front and middle beams), biceps, triceps, forearms.

How to do:

Pick up the shells and lie on the bench. Raise your straight arms with dumbbells up, palms facing each other.Bend your elbows a little and do not straighten them until the end of the approach. Begin to spread your arms with dumbbells to the sides, make sure that your elbows are pointing straight down. Lower your arms until you feel “tight” in your chest, then lift them up until almost touching the dumbbells.

In strength training for men at home, you cannot do without working out the chest. This exercise can be performed not only on a straight line, but also on an inclined bench. Moreover, if the bench is tilted down, you train the lower part of the chest, and if up, then the upper one.On a straight bench, the middle part of the pectoralis major muscles is best used.

If you do not have a bench or comfortable stools at home, then you can perform this exercise on the floor, but in this case the amplitude of the exercise will be less.

4. Standing dumbbell press

Working muscles: front and middle deltas, triceps, rhomboid back muscles, trapezium.

How to:

Stand straight with dumbbells in straightened arms.If possible, stand in front of a mirror to control the technique. Raise your straight arms with dumbbells up. Bend your elbows, lowering the dumbbells to your shoulders, and squeeze them back up. At the bottom, the dumbbells should be at ear level. When pressing, spread your elbows to the sides. The axes of both dumbbells should be in the same plane, as if continuing each other.

When performing the exercise, imagine that you are squeezing the barbell, as in an army press. The arms should move in the same amplitude, and the dumbbells should remain motionless, not swing.Do this effective strength exercise at home to keep your shoulders wide and powerful.

5. Abduction of the arms in the slope

Working muscles: triceps, forearms.

How to do:

Take a dumbbell in your right hand, lean on the bench with your left. Place the knee of your left leg on the bench, with your right leg straight. Do not bend at the lower back, fix the body in a motionless position. In the initial position, the right arm with a dumbbell is bent at the elbow at a right angle: the forearm is perpendicular to the body, the shoulder is adjacent to the body.Extend your arm with a dumbbell at the elbow, pulling it back as far as possible. Repeat for the other side.

Exercise in isolation works the triceps, making the arms powerful. If you are carrying a lot of weight, do the exercise slowly, without sudden movements, so as not to injure your elbow joints.

You can do this exercise without a bench:

6. Rise on toes

Working muscles: calf.

How to:

Take the shells in each hand and stand facing the dais (step platform, barbell discs).Place your toes on a raised position, keeping your heels on the floor. Dumbbells are calmly in straight, lowered hands. Rise on your toes, pushing off the floor with your heels, and go back.

Strength training for men at home includes exercises to pump the muscles of the whole body. This exercise will help develop your calves so your legs look harmonious. In addition to the strength effect, the toe lift helps to stretch the muscles, which is beneficial for their elasticity.

Strength training with dumbbells at home (Day 3)

Start the third day again with squats, but with one dumbbell.Next, you will work your chest, back, shoulders, arms – all the most important muscle groups. Finish your workout with 3-4 abdominal exercises.

1. Cup squats with a dumbbell

Working muscles: quadriceps, biceps and adductors of the thighs, gluteus maximus, iliac, calf, abs.

How To:

Pick up a dumbbell and hold it upright with both hands at your chest. Spread your legs wider than your shoulders, turn your toes out.The eyes look straight, the chin is raised. Squat parallel to the floor with your knees just above your toes. Do not bend at the lower back, keep a slight arch. If it is difficult to maintain balance, then place your legs a little wider.

Different types of squats must be included in full body strength training, as they not only train the legs, but also strengthen the whole body.

2. Dumbbell bench press

Working muscles: large pectorals, triceps.

How to:

Take the dumbbells and lie on the bench. Hold the dumbbells in front of you as if you were holding a barbell. The axes of the shells must be in a straight line. In the starting position, hold the dumbbells on straight arms extended upward. Bend your elbows a little, and in this position, lower the shells down. The elbows move sideways and downward, at the bottom point should be a right angle. Start pressing up when you feel a stretch in your pectoral muscles.At the top, the dumbbells can touch each other.

In strength training for men, the press to the chest takes a special place, because it is he who helps to develop the pectoral muscles, giving the figure a masculine shape.

If you do not have a bench or comfortable stools at home, then you can perform this exercise on the floor, but in this case the amplitude of the exercise will be less, respectively, and the effectiveness of the exercise will decrease.

3. Romanian (deadlift) deadlift

Working muscles: extensors of the back, lats, lower trapezium, biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, forearms.

How to perform:

In the initial position, the dumbbells should be pressed horizontally to the hips, palms turned to the body. Lean forward, keeping the lower back arch, until the body is parallel to the floor. The legs are straight, they can be slightly bent at the knees. When bending over, the arms remain straight and tense. When the dumbbells are at the level of the shins, you can go up.

Deadlift with dumbbells can be done in the classic version – with legs bent at the knees.In this case, the shells must be lowered to floor level. Do this strength exercise at home to strengthen your back, core, and legs.

4. Reverse push-ups

Working muscles: triceps, front deltas, top of the pectoralis major muscle.

How to:

Stand with your back to the bench and rest your arms against it. Straighten your legs using your heels. Bend your elbows, transferring your body weight to your arms. The legs and the rest of the body do not move, only the hands work.The elbows look back and bend strictly at right angles. During the exercise, you should feel the back of your shoulders, which means that the triceps are working.

Reverse push-ups are an excellent strength exercise at home, as it can be done with support on any surface: a sofa, a low table, a chair. To make the exercise harder, place your feet on any high support, to make it easier – bend your knees.

5. Flexion of the arms with a hammer grip

Working muscles: biceps, shoulder muscles, forearms.

How to do:

In the initial position, the dumbbells are turned sideways to the body. Bend each arm alternately at the elbow with maximum amplitude. At the end point, the dumbbell will be at shoulder level.

In full body strength training, you cannot do without hand pumping, in which a simple hammer exercise will help you. But even here there are nuances: do not swing your arms while helping yourself to squeeze the dumbbell, and do not make sudden movements that can lead to injury.

6.Bent-over dumbbell set

Working muscles: back deltas, lats and rhomboid backs, traps.

How to do:

Hands are at your sides, dumbbells are in the palms facing the body. Bend your knees slightly, bend forward, slightly bending in the lower back. At the same time, the arms are slightly bent at the elbows, lowered down and facing each other. From this position, spread your arms to the sides until parallel with the floor until the shoulder muscles work.Do not fully extend your arms at the elbows and do not bend your lower back.

While doing this strength exercise at home, try to follow the ideal technique, otherwise you will not be able to pump the target muscles and only load the joints.

Abdominal Exercises

At the end of each workout, do one of the abdominal sets below. If you exercise regularly, then the cubes on your stomach are provided for you!

Recommended to see:

Variant of training for the press # 1

Perform each exercise 15-20 times, repeat the exercises in 3 circles.

1. Crunches

Lie on your back, bend your knees. Place your hands behind your head. Tear off the shoulder blades from the floor without bending at the lower back. Feel the top of the rectus abdominis muscle tighten. Crunches are the simplest abs exercise to include in every strength training workout for men at home.

2. Russian twist

Sit on the floor and lean back slightly, slightly rounding your back in the lower back. Raise your legs without bending your knees.The hips and back are at the same angle in relation to the floor. Tighten your abs and bring your palms together. Alternately turn the body and arms to the right and left, feeling how the press works. Alternate the Russian Twist with other oblique exercises during your home full body strength training.

3-4. Lateral plank on the right and left sides

To perform, stand in the plank on your elbows and then roll onto your right side with one foot on the other.Do not sag your body down, keep a straight line from the back of the head to the heels. Start lifting and lowering your pelvis up and down, continuing to lean on your forearm and foot of the same name. Remember to repeat the side plank for the other side.

Abs workout option # 2

Perform each exercise 15-20 times, repeat exercises in 3 circles.

1. Bicycle

Lie on your back and lift both legs 45 degrees up. Bend the right at the knee, leave the left in the same position.Place your hands behind your head. Lift the body up and turn to the right side, touching the left elbow to the knee of the bent right leg. Then switch legs and turn to the left, touching the right elbow to the knee of the left leg. The exercise effectively pumps the obliques and fits well into strength training for men at home.

2. Leg Raises

Lie on your back with the back of your head, shoulder blades and buttocks touching the floor, hands on the floor. Lift the right and left leg alternately up, until the abdominal tension, then lower them to their original position.During the exercise, you should feel how the lower abdomen is working. Incorporate this simple exercise into your full body strength workout to help build your rectus abdominis.

3. Pulling the knees to the chest

Lie on your back, extend your arms straight behind you. Raise your straight legs 45 degrees, lift your head, arms and upper body to the shoulder blades. Pull your legs to your chest, bending them at the knees, wrap your arms around them and return to the starting position.

4. Superman

Lie on your stomach and stretch your arms forward, your feet calmly on the floor. Raise your arms, head, top of the body and legs up, touching the floor only with your stomach and pelvis. Fix the position for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. Incorporate the superman exercise into strength training for men to build not only abs, but also your back, as well as strengthen your legs and buttocks.

Abs workout option # 3

Perform each exercise 15-20 times, repeat exercises in 3 circles.

1. Reverse crunches

Lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Raise your legs up and bend your knees. Lift your pelvis off the floor and bring your knees to your chest, twisting at the lower back. Keep your hands and back on the floor. Only the lumbar region and the press work. If you have a sports bench, then do the exercise on it, it’s easier to maintain balance by holding on to the bench with your hands.

2. Lying to the side

Lie on the floor and bend your knees.Raise your head and top of the body, lift your arms off the floor and tilt to the left, trying to touch your foot with your palm. Then repeat a similar tilt to the right. Do not tear your back and pelvis off the floor, twist only in the body so that the oblique muscles work.

3. Situp

Lie on the floor, bend your knees, fold your arms at your chest. Lift your body up, touching your hips with your elbows. At the end point, the body should be vertical. Then drop down. Lift your abs to minimize stress on your lower back.Do not put your feet close to the pelvis, otherwise it will be difficult to maintain balance. When lifting the body, you can easily twist in the lower back, which will help not to load it too much.

4. Touching the knee to the elbow in the bar

Stand in the bar, palms under the shoulder joints, body weight evenly distributed between arms and legs. Bend your left knee and touch your left elbow, then do the same for your right leg and right elbow. Do the exercise dynamically if you are working for weight loss, or slowly if you are training for relief.

See Also:

Ready-made Workout Plans for Men:

Superset Workout Plans for Men:

Beauty is Strength or Why Women Need Weights Training.

Beauty is Strength or Why Women Need Weight Training. – wellcomclub.ru

This article is addressed to the beautiful half of humanity. I hope, ladies, that after reading you some questions will disappear and the myths regarding exercise in the gym will be dispelled.
One of the hardest myths is that strength training can increase your volume. Another is that women who exercise with weights begin to produce high levels of testosterone, and they become like men. The third says that if you quit exercising, then all the muscles will go into fat, which you will never lose. The more ignorant a woman is, the more prejudice she surrounds strength training.
Research by William J.Kremer, Ph.D. at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, a renowned strength training researcher, showed that negative attitudes towards women in the weight gym quickly disappear once women who maintain regular strength training realize that there are a number of benefits to doing weight training. for good health.
Resistance training expert and researcher Wayne Westcott, PhD, South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, highlights 10 important reasons women take seriously as an argument for strength training

14

1. Resistance training can help you lose more fat and tone your muscles.
Westcott and colleagues have done numerous studies of strength training with women, and there has never been anyone complaining of weight gain. In fact, Westcott’s research shows that the average woman who exercises two to three times a week for eight weeks gains an average of 1.75 pounds of muscle mass and loses 3.5 pounds of fat. Unlike men, women generally don’t get significant muscle gains from strength training.The reason is that compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times fewer hormones that cause muscle gain, explains Kremer.
2. Resistance training can help your new muscles fight obesity.
As you increase muscle mass during strength training, your resting metabolic rate will increase. This means you’ll burn more calories throughout the day, Westcott notes.For every pound of muscle you gain, you will need to burn 35-50 more calories daily. So, for example, if you increased your muscle mass by three pounds of muscle as a result of training, then you will need to burn an extra 40 calories for every pound. Then you will burn an additional 120 calories per day, or approximately 3600 calories per month. That equates to losing 10 to 12 pounds a year!
3. Weight training will make you stronger.
Research by Westcott shows that moderate resistance training increases a woman’s strength by 30 to 50 percent. The strength gain will make it easier to carry out daily activities such as lifting children or carrying food. Kremer notes that most of the differences in strength between men and women can be attributed to differences in body size and body fat.
4. Your skeletal system will benefit from strength training.
Studies have shown that resistance training can increase bone density by 13 percent over six months. Thus, strength training is a powerful anti-osteoporosis agent.
5. Resistance training will reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
Diabetes is a serious problem for an increasing number of women and men.Research shows that resistance training can increase your body’s glucose utilization by 23 percent in four months.
6. Resistance training will fight heart disease.
Strength training optimizes blood pressure and cholesterol levels, according to the latest research. Of course, cardiovascular and flexibility exercises should also be part of a complete training program.
7. Resistance training reduces back pain and helps fight arthritis.
A recent 12-year study has shown that in 80 percent of cases, strengthening of the lower back muscles is “culpable” in eliminating or reducing pain in the lower back. Other studies have shown that resistance training for women can relieve arthritis pain and strengthen joints.
8. Weight training will help you achieve athletic success.
Westcott has found that strength training improves athletic performance. Golfers, for example, have dramatically increased their power to hit. Regardless of the sport you choose, strength training can not only improve your skills, but also reduce your risk of injury.
9. Weight training works no matter how old you are.
Westcott has successfully delivered strength training for women between the ages of 70 and 80.Studies have shown that improvement in strength performance is possible at any age. Note, however, that professional strength training for older people must be supervised by a coach.
10. Resistance training will improve your mental health.
A Harvard University study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical symptoms of depression more successfully than standard counseling, Westcott says.Women who do strength training regularly report feeling more confident in many aspects of their daily activities.
Translation Alexey Pankov
Source: http://www.ideafit.com

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90,000 Three types of loads. Strength Training – Physical Activity

The term strength training is most often associated with dumbbells and bodybuilding, but it actually encompasses a much larger variety of exercises.We can say that strength training is always used when it is necessary to tone any muscle group: the banal pumping of the press, which is part of the school curriculum, also refers to strength training, as well as complex exercises with weights on strength machines. In fact, strength training is the other side of the medal of cardio training: if the latter allows you to lose weight, then the former allows you to form a beautiful and elastic body with strong relief muscles. It is this goal – the formation of a strong, fit and beautiful body – that is central to the entire system of strength training.

Strength training “works” as follows: you do exercises at a low or medium pace that affect specific muscle groups – with or without weights. For example, to pump the press, you raise your torso and legs, and also perform lateral bends that work on the oblique muscles of the abdomen. Exercise strengthens muscles and builds muscle mass. Thus, an “iron” and relief press is formed: the more developed the muscles and the thinner the fat layer, the better the outlines of elastic muscles are visible through the skin.Upon reaching the desired shape, your mission is not completed: the muscles are prone to gradual atrophy, if you do not continue to exercise, they will weaken again, become flabby and slowly, but surely, become overgrown with treacherous fat. Therefore, you continue to exercise in order to keep your muscles in good shape.

Strength training, while not focused on burning calories intensively, also helps fight overweight . The fact is that muscles consume much more energy than subcutaneous fat and internal organs.The more muscles in your body, the more calories you need to maintain their vital functions, the more energy your body spends daily. Therefore, muscle mass literally keeps you in shape even when you are at rest. Fitness Map In addition, well-developed muscles play the role of supporting your skeletal system, spine and joints. Well-developed and strong back muscles, for example, are the determining factor in developing correct and beautiful posture.In general, the effects of muscle-building strength training on the body can be called comprehensive and very beneficial in every sense.

Strength training functions

Despite the narrow focus of strength training, which consists in carefully working out various muscle groups, they perform several functions at once, each of which can be a full-fledged goal in itself:

• Building muscle mass. Strength training with weights (on strength machines or with the help of the simplest dumbbells and barbells) in combination with a diet rich in protein, give a sure and fast enough result, expressed in building muscle mass.If your body fat is thin, then the muscle relief will soon become visible, but if the body fat is significant, then the actual muscle building will become noticeable by the increase in body volume. If your goal is precisely to build muscle mass, trainers recommend concentrating on gradually increasing the weight of the weights while working out certain muscle groups. The weight of the weights and the number of repetitions and approaches are determined strictly individually, depending on the physical condition of the person, his initial weight, age, etc.d.
• Development of muscle strength. There is a wide variety of approaches to developing muscle strength, from the maximum effort method to the “punch” or dynamic effort method. The choice of this or that method of developing muscle strength depends on the goals and training program. So, for example, maximum effort method is based on working with maximum (and exceeding maximum) weight of weights; method of isometric efforts – on the performance of short-term exercises, the tension in which lasts no longer than 5-10 s; method repeated unsatisfactory efforts – on repeated performance of an exercise with medium or light weights; method of dynamic efforts – on high-speed performance of exercises with minimal weights.The most complete and harmonious strength training, developed professionally, should, if possible, include several methods at once.
• Formation of a beautiful body. To form a beautiful toned body, exercises of medium and high intensity with minimal weights are most often used. If your goal is not to build muscle mass, then classic strength exercises that target different muscle groups are the way to go.And by performing such exercises in a coherent complex and at a fast pace, you get the effect of burning fat and getting rid of excess weight. Shaping and strength aerobics, for example, are based on this principle. However, strength exercises that shape a beautiful body include such “eternal” workouts as squats, push-ups, leg raises – without weights, using only the weight of your own body.

Types of strength training

Strength exercises can be divided into three groups according to the type of resistance, which, in fact, makes us make efforts to develop muscles.

• Exercises with overcoming own body weight (without weights)

This type of exercise does not involve the use of weights (dumbbells) or any other devices. You exercise against the opposing force of your body. As an example, we can recall push-ups or pull-ups on the horizontal bar, squats. Effectiveness is achieved with high reps and deep, correct execution.
This type of exercise, on the contrary, involves the use of external resistance, which you must overcome by exerting your strength.Weights (dumbbells, barbells, elements of strength training equipment), elastic opposing devices (expander) and even the environment can act as external resistance. For example, swimming against the current is also a strength exercise that uses environmental forces as resistance.

• Isometric Exercise

This type of exercise is static or dynamic tension for a short time; this type of exercise includes, for example, holding a significant load, as well as attempts to lift a load for some time, whose weight is many times higher than the maximum values.

In practical terms, strength training exists in the form of dynamic exercises without weights, dynamic exercises with low weights, and strength training machines with significant weights. A classic example of dynamic exercise without weights is shaping, an example of dynamic exercise with low weights is training with 1-2 kg dumbbells, an example of exercises with significant weights is work on strength machines, lifting weights, bodybuilding.

The intensity and frequency of 90,735 strength training depends entirely on your goals.If, for example, you only plan to improve your figure, pump up your abs, tighten your muscles, then it will be enough for you to practice shaping or traditional gymnastics for 30-45 minutes 3-4 times a week. If strength training for you is just a part of a general training, mostly aerobic, then 2 strength training per week for 20-30 minutes will be enough for you. If you are serious about building muscle mass and increasing muscle strength, then it is best to do it every other day; the intensity in this case will depend on the selected type of strength exercise.

You can familiarize yourself with the questionnaire on physiological readiness for physical activity (PAR-Q)

12 best exercises with dumbbells at home: for men and women, video :: Health :: RBC Style

© Zing Images / gettyimages.com

Author

Alexander Artamonov

January 19, 2021

Dumbbell exercises are a great way to keep your body in good shape.They can help you feel better, normalize weight, improve circulation, gain muscle mass, or increase endurance.

The main advantage of dumbbells is that it is easy to work with them at home.They are inexpensive and do not take up much space. Let’s look at 12 effective exercises.

How to make your workout as effective as possible

Do three or four exercises for one muscle group, then they will receive enough load and will grow from workout to workout.

Choose one exercise for each muscle group and do a circuit workout with minimal rest. In this case, aerobic exercise will be added to the power load and the training will give a fat burning effect.

Circuit training is a great time saver. 20-30 minutes with dumbbells will replace the classic one-hour workout in the gym.

Exercises with dumbbells for arms and shoulders

It is better to load the muscles of the arms with free weights – this way they will respond better to the load. Choose a weight with which you can do 10-15 reps per set. The last three to four repetitions should be done with effort.

1. Dumbbell Curl

This is an excellent and not very difficult exercise for training your biceps.

• Take dumbbells in your hands, put your feet shoulder-width apart. Turn your palms forward, keep your body straight.
• Smoothly bend your arm at the elbow.
• Hold the dumbbell at the top and slowly return your arm to its original position. Repeat the exercise with the other hand.

2. Extension of the arms from behind the head

The purpose of this exercise is to work the triceps, the triceps brachii.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and straighten your arm with a dumbbell overhead.
• As you inhale, slowly bend your elbow until your forearm touches your bicep. It is important to move only the forearm: the hand must remain static.
• As you exhale, return your hand to the starting position. Perform the required number of repetitions, then repeat the exercise with the other hand.

3. Seated Dumbbell Press

This is one of the best basic bodybuilding exercises.It engages the middle and anterior deltas, as well as the muscles surrounding the shoulder girdle.

• Sit on a chair. Take dumbbells, bend your elbows and lift them above your shoulders. Expand the dumbbells so that your palms are facing forward. Spread out your chest, push your shoulders back.
• Squeeze your shoulders and squeeze the dumbbells up. Move your arms strictly in a vertical plane.
• Gently lower the dumbbells towards your shoulders and do the next rep.

Exercises with dumbbells on the back

Pulling movements – basic exercises for the back.These are movements towards you, as if you were pulling a doorknob.

4. One-arm row on bench

Basic exercise for the development of the broadest muscles. The trapezius muscles, biceps, forearms and posterior deltas are also involved.

• Take the dumbbell in your right hand. Stand to the right of the chair and bend over, focusing on your left arm and knee. The torso should be parallel to the floor, the back slightly arched at the lower back.
• Inhale and pull the dumbbell up towards your torso.Try to raise it as high as possible.
• Hold the dumbbell at the top for a couple of seconds. Exhale and gently lower the dumbbell.

5. Bent Over Row

Row dumbbells to the belt includes all the muscles of the back – from the lats to the trapezius and extensor. Exercise allows you to give your lats an exemplary V-shape.

• Take dumbbells. Bend your knees and bend forward parallel to the floor.
• Inhale and pull the dumbbells towards your lower abdomen. Then return to the starting position.
• Pull your elbows back along the body, pressing them against the body. Keep your legs narrower than your shoulders, then your hips will not interfere with movement.

6. Shrugs with dumbbells

Shrugs – a classic exercise for working out the trapezius muscles. They are often performed with a barbell, but they are also effective with dumbbells.

• Stand up straight with your feet slightly narrower than your shoulders.Take the dumbbells so that the palms are turned towards the body.
• Raise your shoulders as high as possible. During the lift, you can lower the chin a little, this will strengthen the trapezoid contraction.
• Pause at the top, and then smoothly return to the starting position.

Exercises with dumbbells on the chest

Pressing movements – basic exercises for the chest. Shaking our backs, we pulled the projectile towards us, but here, on the contrary, we will move the dumbbells away from us.

7. Chest Dumbbell Press

Another effective basic exercise. The main load falls on the inner part of the muscles, the upper and lower chest are also involved.

• Lie on a bench or, as a last resort, on the floor, arms spread apart.
• Take a deep breath and press the dumbbells up. Straighten your arms at the top.
• Exhale and gently return your arms to their original position.

8.Pullover

Dumbbell Pullover – An exercise that works well for the muscles of the chest and back.

• Lie on a bench, bend your knees and bend your back as much as possible. Take a dumbbell in your hands and turn your elbows to the sides.
• Take a deep breath and lower the projectile behind your head. Hold at the lowest point and stretch your muscles as much as possible.
• Return to starting position.

9. Lying Dumbbell Breeding

This exercise is also called the butterfly.It develops muscles well and works out the relief.

• Lie on a bench with your feet shoulder-width apart and rest on the floor.
• Take dumbbells and lift them above your chest. Turn your palms towards each other, bend your arms slightly at the elbows.
• Extend your arms to the sides so that your elbows and shoulders are in line.
• Bring the dumbbells over your chest, contracting your chest muscles.

Press Exercises

Dumbbells give the abdominal muscles an additional load.Pick up a comfortable weight with which you can complete 20-40 reps in one set.

10. Standing crunches

Standing crunches are a great exercise for beginners. It is easy to do without sports training.

• Take dumbbells with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Straighten your elbows and slowly turn to the left. The legs remain in place.
• Return to starting position. Turn right. Do 20-30 reps.

11. Raising the legs from a prone position

This is an effective lower abdominal exercise. The dumbbell in this case serves as a stabilizer that helps maintain balance.

• Lie on the floor, grab a dumbbell and straighten your arms.
• Raise your legs and touch them to the dumbbell. Try not to bend your knees.
• Exhale and return to the starting position.

12.”Russian Twist”

Effective exercises for working out the oblique muscles of the abdomen. It involves both the internal and external oblique muscles.

• Sit on the floor with a dumbbell in your hands. Lift your heels off the floor and bring your knees up to a 60-degree angle.
• Perform crunches, touching the floor dumbbells, alternately on the right and left sides.

A set of exercises with dumbbells – video

An example of a good 20 minute complex for men:

30-minute set of exercises for women:

Questions to an expert

Ilya Alekhin, director of the “Gym” direction of the chain of fitness clubs World Class

Which dumbbells are best for exercising at home?

For home, type-setting dumbbells with the ability to adjust the weight are suitable, since depending on the exercise and your training, different weights are needed.Now there are many options for dumbbells with a wide range of weight adjustment. Another option is to purchase three to four pairs of fixed weight dumbbells.

Is it possible to lose weight by exercising at home with dumbbells? How to do it?

You can lose weight. It is important to remember the main rule of weight loss – maintain a deficit of 200-300 calories in relation to energy consumption. In training, you need to use more multi-joint movements, which involve as many muscles as possible. You should do a lot of repetitions, about 15-20, and use a circular training method, performing all the exercises in sequence.

What are the intervals between sets and exercises?

If the goal is to lose weight, then between approaches you should take the minimum break necessary to move on to the next exercise. Rest can last up to five minutes between laps. You can make it active, for example, using a rope.

If the goal is to strengthen the muscles, rest for at least two minutes until breathing is restored. The amount of weight in this case should be higher, the number of repetitions is less, 6-12 repetitions in the approach.

How often should you exercise?

It is recommended to train two to four times a week. You need to listen to your body and not overload it.

What to look for when choosing exercises for men and women?

It is necessary to pay attention to contraindications. If you have problems with the spine, you should not do exercises with weights (both standing and sitting), this can aggravate the situation.

If you have pressure problems, avoid straining, static exercise, overhead raising, bending over, or raising your legs.

In general, always start with minimal weights, learn the correct form for performing the exercise, and only then gradually increase the weight of the weights.

90,000 Strength Training Benefits

Strength training is useful. Research shows that almost all of the benefits of resistance training can be obtained from two 15-20 minute sessions per week.

Research Proves Resistance Strength Training Is Most Beneficial! Do you want to lose weight, become more prominent or, on the contrary, gain muscle mass? Choose strength training! Smooth out age-related changes in the body, improve health, give the figure ideal proportions, improve mood and strengthen the spirit – this is just a small list of the benefits that resistance training can bring you. By changing the number of sets and reps, weight and rest duration, you can achieve any goal! It sounds fantastic, but the training results are amazing.Of course, if there is a clear guide to action: a personal trainer or a program tailored to your goals.

If you can’t afford a personal trainer yet, the training plan is replete with such unknown words for you as “hyperextension”, “supinated grip”, and in general you have a vague idea of ​​strength training, then this article is especially for you! Here we will tell you why, regardless of age and gender, it is worth including strength training in your program, and on what basic principles resistance training is based.

The following is an example of a strength training program for a trained athlete.

Strength training for the whole body

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Strength Training Benefits

Power loads have a tremendous health-improving effect on the body: by acting on the musculoskeletal system, they contribute to the maintenance of functional capabilities, as well as prevent and reduce back pain, and help with diseases.

The promotion of a healthy lifestyle is mainly reduced to simple rules: “To be healthy, give up bad habits, get enough sleep, eat right and do sports.” If the first points are more or less clear, then the last one caused a lot of controversy. What kind of sport is considered the most rewarding? What about fitness and bodybuilding? Dancing, wrestling or yoga? Of course, any of your physical activity is already a huge contribution to your health. Ideally, your program should include components from various sports, thereby harmoniously developing your body and spirit.Today, two methods are most popular in creating an ideal body: cardio, which improves the condition of the cardiovascular system and lungs, and affects the physique, and strength training. With approximately equal effectiveness, it has been proven that resistance training has a deeper positive (provided the correct technique is followed!) Effect on the body.

Health

Scientists have observed that strength training has a positive effect on risk factors such as insulin resistance, metabolic rate stabilization, glucose metabolism, blood pressure, body fat, and gastrointestinal transit time, which are associated with diabetes, heart disease and cancer.Almost all of these benefits of resistance training can be obtained from two 15-20 minute sessions per week.

• Increases good HDL cholesterol – high density lipoproteins and lowers bad LDL cholesterol – low density lipoproteins
• Raises good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol
• Reduces the risk of diabetes and the need for insulin
• Reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
• Lowers high blood pressure
• Reduces or minimizes the risk of osteoporosis
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Reduces the number of colds and other diseases

Girls should especially pay attention to strength training, if only because 2-3 vigorous training per week reduces PMS symptoms and reduces the risk of breast cancer.

Strength

Strength training increases muscle strength, power, endurance and size. Improves day-to-day productivity. You will be able to more easily carry out everyday activities such as lifting, carrying weights, or walking up stairs.

Flexibility

By working out muscles with a full range of motion, strength training can improve your overall body flexibility. Increased flexibility reduces the risk of muscle strain and back pain.

Probability of injury

Strong muscles, tendons and ligaments are less likely to be stressed and less likely to be injured.The increased bone density and power reduces back and knee pain by building muscles in these areas.

Body Composition

While training for strength and quality, you get an increased metabolism as a pleasant bonus. This means burning more calories at rest and, as a result, a faster decrease in body fat. Your total weight may not change, but you will build muscle and shed unnecessary fat. No wonder the best trainers recommend strength training as a means for losing weight! You can find all the information about strength training for weight loss on our website!

Posture

The way you sit and stand is influenced by the condition of the muscles in your neck, shoulders, back, hips and abs.Strong muscles will help you stand, sit upright, and more comfortable. With regular strength training, you will get improved balance and stability.

State of mind

As soon as you start to carry out regular training, you will begin to notice positive physical changes in the body, and in the mood. Clinical studies have shown that regular exercise is one of the top three tools for effective stress management. Strength training can also help you sleep better, so you’ll fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.

Basic principles of strength training

To really get all the benefits of strength training, and then learn how to independently create a training program, it is worth spending a little time and learning the principles of proper training. Many of them, by the way, are applicable to other types of programs due to the strict control of the development of indicators.

Right on target

Tailor your workouts to target specific body areas.For example, if you want bigger and stronger arms, you need to use arm pumping exercises that target those specific muscles.

Squeeze a maximum of

There are several ways to increase the intensity, for example, change:

90,028 90,029 number of sessions or their duration 90,030
90,029 sets and reps

4. working weights
5. introduce new / replace boring exercises

By alternating between these changes, you challenge your muscles and force them to adapt, increasing size and strength.Read on for more ways to increase your man’s workout intensity and try our great muscle building workout from a pro!

Rest

If your training program specifies rest between sets, follow this rule. When training for endurance or muscle size, rest for 30-60 seconds. If you want to increase muscle strength, your pause will take up to 2-4 minutes between sets.

After training, your muscles need time to recover and grow.It is a good practice to rest the muscle groups for at least 48 hours to allow adequate time for them to recover.

If you are interested in beautiful muscles and a slim figure, not injuries and overtraining, take a look at safety precautions. We are not going to draw boring instructions, but just talk about how to avoid injury. This is really important.

Safety during strength training

• Make sure the equipment is well fixed.A pancake that falls on your leg during strength training will obviously not add to your indicators, but it will definitely add +100 to irritability.
• Warm up and cool down completely after training.
• Imagine yourself as a graceful lion or graceful panther and stretch after your strength training with feeling.
• Wear lightweight, non-layered clothing – natural fibers breathe better than synthetics.
• Breathe correctly: at the moment of the greatest tension, exhale, and do not hold your breath.
• The range of motion of the weight should be even: do not throw the bar up and down, and do not use impulse to “swing” the weights

Now let’s try a Beginner Back Strength Workout to strengthen the muscle corset!

Strength training for back muscles

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Make sure you are using the correct lifting technique.If you’re unsure, it’s best to check with a qualified gym instructor or sports therapist to ensure that your strength training is beneficial, not harmful. Improper technique can slow your progress or even lead to injury.

Taking sports supplements – creatine, arginine, intra-workout, BCAA amino acids and pre-workout complexes will help you to increase your strength indicators. This sports nutrition is specially formulated to improve performance in sports and fitness for men and women.Just add it to your diet and go ahead, to conquer new heights!

Supplements for strength training

Dymatize |

Elite Whey

?

1 serving.

Dymatize ELITE WHEY PROTEIN High Quality Whey Protein Isolate is 80% pure protein that is essential for nourishing muscle tissue before and after training.

Dymatize |

Xpand 2X

?

• For the first time, it is enough to mix one scoop with 150 ml of water and take it half an hour before training.

• Category:

For more trained athletes, it is necessary to increase the dose to 2-3 measuring
spoons.

Dymatize XPAND 2X belongs to the category of energy pre-workout complexes that allow you to increase endurance during workouts, thereby building muscle mass most intensively.

Dymatize |

Elite Recoup

For the 1st portion

Dymatize |

Super amino 6000

?

Take 3 capsules.

Super Amino 6000 maintains the necessary nutrient balance to maintain muscle tissue during exercise and to increase anabolic rate after exercise.

Dymatize |

Z-Forse

?

• Before bed.

• Category:

  
  Anabolic complexes
  

Take 3 capsules on an empty stomach.

The nutrients contained in Dymatize Super Z-Force help to enhance anabolic processes in the body, helping to produce more testosterone, accelerating the recovery of muscle tissue and the growth of athlete’s strength indicators.

BSN |

N.O.- XPLODE 2.0 ADVANCED STRENGTH

?

• On workout days, take the product half an hour before exercise by mixing 1-2 scoops of powder with 350-450 ml of water or a cold drink.

• Category:

On non-workout days, consume 1 serving once a day on an empty stomach
.

The superbly balanced BSN N.O.-XPLODE 2.0 Pre-Workout Complex is designed to maximize endurance and strength gains.

BSN |

Cell mass

?

• Recovery stimulator.

• Category:

  
  Post-workout complexes
  

To prepare a cocktail, mix 1 scoop (9.7 grams) of
product with a glass (120-180 ml) of your favorite beverage.This portion of
must be taken twice a day at regular intervals.

BSN Cellmass is a quality creatine with a transport system that is focused on increasing the strength of the athlete, accelerating muscle gain and improving body recovery.

BSN |

TRUE-MASS 1200

?

#### Recommended use:

Take 2-4 times a day, one serving immediately after training! The rest are 90,733 between meals.

#### How to prepare:

Mix 3 scoops (145 g) of product with 400 ml cold water or
skim milk. The amount of liquid can be varied to achieve an individually pleasant consistency of
.

BSN TRUE-MASS is a balanced gainer designed for people who need quality muscle gain or additional calories (usually due to increased metabolism).

BSN |

Nitrix 2.0

?

• Concentrated nitric oxide precursor.

• Category:

  
  NO (nitric oxide) boosters
  

The product is taken in 1 portion (three tablets) three times a day 30-45 minutes
before meals, or two hours after.With a weight over 90 kg, a single
dose can be increased to 4 tablets.

BSN Nitrix is ​​a nitric oxide booster, which is aimed at a comprehensive increase in the capabilities of the athlete’s body: it promotes high-quality pumping, dilates blood vessels and improves muscle nutrition.

Sports nutrition recommendations are indicative only.Before buying, we recommend that you consult with a specialist in addition to the store.

Strength training is rightfully considered the best tool for creating an ideal body, both male and female. A healthy nervous system, a toned body with prominent muscles and confidence – all this you can gain by opting for strength training!

Group

Strength directions, aerobic classes, dance directions, mixed directions.

POWER DIRECTIONS

Hot Iron – strength training system using a special bar and free weights. The program guarantees excellent results in fat burning and the formation of muscle relief.

Pump is a strength training system using a special bar and free weights. During the lesson, all major muscle groups are worked out.

Body Condition – General strength training with dumbbells, body bars and shock absorbers.Classes will help you lose weight and increase strength endurance: create a harmoniously developed body and maintain muscle tone. Suitable for both men and women of all skill levels.

ABSBack & Stretch – strength training with equipment, accentuating the development of the abdominal and back muscles. Strength approaches are combined with stretching exercises.

FT 1 (Functional training) – promotes the development of strength and endurance of muscles, coordination, the formation of a sense of balance.The weight of your own body is used as weights. There is no shock load on the joints. Medium intensity load.

Spine & Stretch is synonymous with the name of the Healthy Back class. the lesson combines the techniques of exercise therapy, Pilates and stretching. Aimed at strengthening the muscles of the back, improving posture, increasing the mobility of the spine. Includes strength and stretching exercises.

AEROBIC CLASSES

Step – lesson using a step platform.A combination method of building a lesson is used, a lot of movements on the step platform and around it. Improves the work of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, develops coordination. Recommended for intermediate to advanced levels.

Cycle – medium to high intensity aerobic cycling workout. In this lesson, you will be able to train in a supporting position, without shock stress on the joints of the legs and spine. Cycle will allow you to accurately dose the load on the cardiovascular system.Exercise is a very effective method for reducing body weight due to the fat component.

Interval – an interval lesson that includes alternation of aerobic and power loads. Develops general and strength endurance, promotes fat burning. Suitable for intermediate to beginners.

Aqua – aerobics in water reduces stress on joints, strengthens all muscle groups, increases cardiorespiratory endurance, and has a beneficial effect on skin condition.Additional equipment is used to keep oneself afloat, the ability to swim is not required. Recommended!

Aero Dance – a lesson that includes elements of classical and dance aerobics. The mix, containing elements of jazz, funk, hip-hop, house and aerobics, is suitable for both beginners and experienced dancers. Medium intensity load.

MIXED DIRECTIONS

TBW (Total Body Workout) is a unique circuit workout suitable for both beginners and advanced users.The alternation of strength and aerobic exercises for all muscle groups allows you to evenly strengthen the main muscle groups and increase the endurance of the cardiorespiratory system. It is very effective for burning the fatty component. Recommended!

Leg Training – free format training for the muscles of the legs, buttocks and abdominal muscles. Improves the shape and definition of muscles, promotes the burning of subcutaneous fat. Suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

Power Ball, Fit Ball – a class of functional orientation using special rubber balls, aimed at working out all muscle groups.Recommended for all levels of fitness.

Form Up – a special class for women in the best traditions of shaping, aimed at strengthening and shaping the relief of the muscles of the chest, buttocks of the press, the back of the arms. Ideal for beginners. Medium intensity load.

DINAMIC – high-intensity functional training. Includes elements of training athletes. Develops general and strength endurance, coordination and a sense of balance.As a burden, both your own body weight and small equipment are used. Designed for trained users.

Mind & Body

Pilates – The lesson is aimed at strengthening the deep muscles of the abdomen, back and pelvic floor. The basis of training is the inclusion of the center of the body. The goal of training is a toned body, improved posture, and reduced risk of injury. Recommended for beginners and intermediate levels.

Yoga is a workout aimed at achieving complete harmony between the physical, mental and moral sides of life.Exercise helps you achieve peace of mind, balance and harmony. Regular exercise will help strengthen muscles, improve posture, increase joint mobility, and prevent injury.

Stretch is a system of exercises aimed at stretching, developing flexibility and improving posture.

Port De Bras is an original training program based on stretching, plastics, posture and flexibility exercises. Includes elements of dynamic balance and exercise to improve functional body control, neuromuscular coordination, and overall sense of rhythm.Training relieves stress, promotes relaxation, improving the psycho-emotional state of a person.

Dance Directions

ZumbaMIX is a combination of dance and aerobics that helps you feel attractive. This dance features movements from Merengue, Salsa, Samba and Flamenco. Lots of hip movements, lots of fun, drive and calories burned.

90,000 6 strength exercises to help defeat cellulite – Articles – “Zebra”

Orange peel is ugly.But she won’t disappear without a fight!

The shortest way to defeat the hated bumps on the skin – strength training for the legs and buttocks. After all, in fact, cellulite is adipose tissue, in which the blood supply is disrupted. The instructors claim that a certain set of exercises will help us burn off the hated deposits on the hips, make the body smooth and elastic. Without the slightest hint of orange peel. Is this so – let’s figure it out.

According to scientists, 90% of women have cellulite, and in some sources the value rises to 95%.These numbers are staggering. The presence or absence of cellulite depends on several factors. One of them is genetics. Even slender, fit women can face this problem. And with age, in most cases, cellulite only increases. It’s all about a change in hormonal levels, wear of the walls of blood vessels, a decrease in collagen production and the destruction of connective tissues.

You need to understand that to get rid of this “disease” you need a step-by-step strategy of actions. And remember, working on cellulite is a quest that includes elements such as exercise, massage, nutrition and lifestyle, ”explains Alexander Dobrin, personal trainer of the Zebra sports club.

Unfortunately, regardless of the amount of work done, many are simply destined to have cellulite. However, it is too early to give up. After all, there are ways to reduce it and improve the appearance. According to the personal instructor of the Zebra fitness club Alexander Drobin, the main key to victory is discipline and constant work on yourself.

How does strength training help fight cellulite?


Cellulite is especially noticeable on the abdomen, buttocks and thighs. Our task is to perform frequently repetitive, moderate-strength exercises.“Strength training improves the flexibility of the heart muscles. As a result, the volume of blood, driven by our “motor”, increases with each beat of the pulse. The stress necessary for the development of muscle tissue occurs, ”says Alexander Dobrin, personal instructor of the Zebra fitness club.

Perform two sets for each exercise. If you have worked out the required number of repetitions and approaches, but do not feel fatigue and burning in the muscles, repeat the exercise five more times for each side.And reduce the break between sets to 15 seconds. At the first stage of the fight against cellulite, we advise you to train at least three times a week. For training, use two sets of dumbbells: weighing 7-9 kg and lighter – 4-6 kg each. If you plan to use only one set, choose dumbbells weighing between 6 and 7 kg. The total workout time is up to 30 minutes.

1. Deep side lunges

Starting position: stand up straight with your feet together. Hold one end of a 7-9 kg dumbbell at chest height with both hands.Keeping your left leg straight, take a step with your right leg as far as possible, bending your knee and sinking deeply down, your feet pointing forward. Return to starting position.

Do 2 sets of 20 reps per leg.

2. Back lunges

Starting position: feet hip-width apart, feet parallel to each other. Perform the advanced exercise with weights. Lighter – no dumbbells. The body is slightly inclined forward. We take a step back with one foot.We sit down almost until the knee touches the floor. Note that both knees should be at a 90 degree angle. We slowly return to the starting position. Body weight on the front leg. Do 3 sets of 15-20 reps on each side.

3. Deep squats

Starting position: feet slightly wider than shoulder width, toes slightly turned outward. Hold a 7-9 kg dumbbell with both hands. Sit down, knees apart. Please note that the knees are located in the same plane in which the socks are deployed.Return to starting position. At the top, do not straighten your knees all the way. Do 3 sets of 20 reps.

4. Bridge with weight

Lie on your back, face up. The knees are bent at a 90 degree angle. Lay one heavy dumbbell horizontally on the floor on your pelvis and hold it with your hands during the exercise. From the supine position, push the pelvis up, squeeze the gluteal muscles and make a short pause at the top point. Smoothly go down, without touching the floor, and again push the pelvis up with the buttocks.Do 2 sets of 20 reps.

5. Abduction of the leg in a prone position with a weighting agent

Lie on the floor, on your left side. The legs are placed one on top of the other. Place your right hand along your side, hold a 4 kg dumbbell in it. Raise your right leg and hold it in this position for 3 seconds. Return to starting position. Without touching your left leg, lift your right leg again. Do 2 sets of 20 reps for both sides.

6. Elevator

Stand up straight.Pick up dumbbells weighing 4 to 6 kg. Shift your body weight to your right leg. To begin the exercise, take your left leg back a couple of centimeters. Slowly lift your right leg up, and lower your torso down, arms with dumbbells as close as possible to the body. Continue until your body and legs form a T. Slowly return to the starting position. Do 2-3 sets of 15 reps for both sides.

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