Basic strength training tips & techniques

Any sort of strength training is very valuable in balancing all of the muscles to prevent injury and to strengthen the bones and connecting tissues throughout the body. Weight training helps to prevent bone loss in older people and every adult over the age of 40 should do some sort of full body strength training. Cyclists have been proven to have lower bone densities because they have less impact on their upper body so it is especially important for them to use some sort of full body strength training.

Bodyweight exercises are a powerful tool because they use nothing but your own body weight to improve your strength. This makes it practical for people who are traveling or do not have regular access to a gym and they can be done virtually anywhere. They also require very little room and can be performed anywhere that you can lie down.

They are a great way to start for the untrained individual but variations can also be found to be very challenging for the experienced athlete. These exercises generally allow for great increases in strength but do not add very much muscle mass, which is good for people who do not want to bulk up. They are a favorite of the military, martial arts, and wrestlers who need functional strength without a huge bodybuilder physique. I would suggest that all athletes include at least one bodyweight workout a week in their training as a way to improve their functional strength on the field, track, or out on the road.

Variations on the pull-up, pushup, squat, and lunge provide a full body workout that can serve as a cardio workout when done correctly. A series of 5 or 6 exercises can be done in quick succession in order to elevate the heart rate and provide an intense workout that burns many calories. These are also very quick, as a full body workout needs only 20 or 30 minutes to complete.

Weight lifting should be incorporated into every athlete’s routine in order to increase strength and power. Heavier weights can be used to overload the muscle to improve overall strength and muscle size and the unlimited number of exercises allows for all muscles to be targeted.

Heavy weights with 2-5 reps are optimal for building raw strength and power without building too much muscle mass. Medium weight with 8-12 reps cause muscle hypertrophy which tears the muscles and causes muscle growth. This is the range that is optimal for building muscle mass while increasing strength. Traditionally, lower weight with 12-20 reps is optimal for muscle endurance and does not add muscle mass. Most bodybuilders try to completely overload their muscles by working each muscle group to fatigue and trying to push out one more set. This works well for gaining muscle but it is not recommended for anyone else who is just lifting weights for health. The best way to improve strength without adding size is to work the muscles so that they are sufficiently tired but do not go all the way to fatigue.

Throughout the training year, weight training can be periodized so that the different types of muscular strength are targeted. For example, the first two months could be done with medium weight to build general strength, then the next two months would use heavy weights to increase power, and then the last two months would use lighter weights to improve speed and agility. A weight training plan should take into account your personal goals and be tailored so that you have the best functionality for your goals.

A strong core is essential for stabilizing the body and allowing the athlete to perform to their highest ability. A strong core helps to hold the body in the correct position while running, biking, swimming, or playing on the soccer field and provides a strong pivot point for body movement. These muscles are often overlooked but provide a stable platform for all your movements and resist twisting that actually slows down your forward motion.

Ab exercises can be beneficial, but core exercises are much more productive. They strengthen all of the muscles that connect the limbs to the trunk and help to prevent injury. A strong core not only improves athletic performance, but improves chronic back pain, bad posture, and helps to properly support the spine.

Isometrics is a type of exercise that involves generating a large amount of force against an immovable object while keeping the joint static. Muscles are comprised of many individual fibers that are activated in order to apply pressure or move an object. If a light object is moved, only a few muscle fibers are activated. Heavier objects require a larger amount of fibers but they do not use all of the possible muscle fibers. Isometrics helps to train the muscles to use more of the muscle fibers which improve the neuromuscular connection between the brain and skeletal muscle.

Isometrics can greatly improve a person’s strength without adding muscle bulk because the muscles do not rip and do not have to be repaired. They can help to make the muscle denser and are an effective form of exercising to accentuate muscles. They can also be done almost anywhere without any equipment and can be repeated several times a day. Each isometric exercise should be held for 6-10 seconds with a maximal force applied for that duration. Examples of isometric exercises include pushing down on a desk, pushing your hands together in front of you, or holding your weight on a pull up bar.

Plyometrics can greatly improve muscle power and reaction time in all sports, including endurance sports. This helps to train the muscles to increase their springiness and return more energy when they contact the ground. Plyometrics decrease the time that the foot remains in contact with the ground and thus increases foot turnover and speed of the athlete. They are also able to improve jumping and leaping that is required in many sports such as basketball.

Basic plyometric exercises include skipping, bounding, jumping onto a box, one legged hops, and lateral hopping. These can be added to the end of a speed workout once a week during the off season to improve power. They should be used sparingly and carefully because they are very high impact and can cause injury if not used correctly.