We all know it can be long and strenuous getting on the treadmill and running to burn fat. Yes you still need to do it but you should also learn to incorporate cardio right into your actual workout. This is done by taking smaller rests in between sets and setting your workout up so that you are doing two to three lifts or exercises at once working different muscle groups. For example say you are working chest and back. So in order to set up your workout this way you would get three workouts ready to go at once.
Let's say your doing dumbbell chest presses, bent over row, and heel touches. One set would consist of doing something like 8 dumbbell chest presses, 8 bent over rows, and 20 heel touches, then a rest before the next set of sets. Working out this way raises your heart rate and allows you to engage in a form of cardio training due to the small rest periods as well as building muscle with the resistance training.This type of training should not be done until a good solid foundation has been built.
Jumping into this type of training to fast can lead to fatigue and discouragement. So understand your boundaries, but push yourself to see results. Also remember that fat can be burned through your workout by designing a workout like the one described above. Yes you do need cardio, but you should also look to have lifting routines that challenge you aerobically. One of the big mistakes most people make is thinking they only loose fat from running or cycling but you actually burn several calories throughout the course of a good resistance training session.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Gym Essentials
Usually when you go to a big gym you are surrounded by so many high tech machines which all seem to amaze people with advances. The truth is that yes these machines are good and they do work but gyms tend to pack in more than they really need. In all honesty if you want to get a good workout all you need is some form of cardiovascular exercise, a set of dumbbells and barbells with adjustable weights along with a couple leg machines. I have come to find that most commercial gyms use the presence of several unnecessary machines to draw in customers.
This presence of several machines causes those using the facility to potentially neglect free weight exercises which are the most important. Using a machine engages your muscles on one level keeping the movement on a set path. When you use free weights like dumbbells or barbells your muscles have to work harder in order to stabilize the weight throughout the lift. This engages your stabilizer muscles. For example if you use a machine to do biceps curls you are only engaging the biceps and not the muscles that support it. When you use dumbbells you engage you biceps as well as all the surrounding muscles of the arm, chest and back.
So remember not to get sucked into a gym just because they have a bunch of fancy machines. The truth is that you only need a good set of dumbbells, barbells, a few machines, and a cardiovascular section with treadmills, bikes, and possibly stair climbers. If you do go to a gym with all of these machines learn to use free weights more often and you will start to see and feel a difference in the results you get!
This presence of several machines causes those using the facility to potentially neglect free weight exercises which are the most important. Using a machine engages your muscles on one level keeping the movement on a set path. When you use free weights like dumbbells or barbells your muscles have to work harder in order to stabilize the weight throughout the lift. This engages your stabilizer muscles. For example if you use a machine to do biceps curls you are only engaging the biceps and not the muscles that support it. When you use dumbbells you engage you biceps as well as all the surrounding muscles of the arm, chest and back.
So remember not to get sucked into a gym just because they have a bunch of fancy machines. The truth is that you only need a good set of dumbbells, barbells, a few machines, and a cardiovascular section with treadmills, bikes, and possibly stair climbers. If you do go to a gym with all of these machines learn to use free weights more often and you will start to see and feel a difference in the results you get!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Training Load Progressions
One of the biggest mistakes people tend to make when they go to the gym is the rate at which they increase their workout intensity. Some don't push themselves enough while others try to do to much to fast leading to injury. Most individuals tend to get caught up in a routine that starts out great, giving them immediate results, but then they hit a plateau and they cant seem to make more gains. This is because your muscles become to the load put on them as well as the same old routine over and over again. So in order to counteract this from happening you need to change up your routine and make sure you keep raising the bar. Muscle confusion is needed to see good results!
The easiest way to tell that your plan is working like it should is the fact that you should constantly be seeing gains. You should have monthly goals to aim for like raising your bench press 15 lbs or losing 6 inches from your waist. The goal needs to be kept in a place where you can see it on a daily basis. So the two key things to remember when approaching a plan is that it is both goal oriented and that there is constant progressions taking place.
As you go on with training you should always challenge yourself more. Set goals with steps leading to completion and when you complete a goal set another one! Remember, you are embarking on the journey to a better lifestyle. You need to continue making progress and keep moving forward!
The easiest way to tell that your plan is working like it should is the fact that you should constantly be seeing gains. You should have monthly goals to aim for like raising your bench press 15 lbs or losing 6 inches from your waist. The goal needs to be kept in a place where you can see it on a daily basis. So the two key things to remember when approaching a plan is that it is both goal oriented and that there is constant progressions taking place.
As you go on with training you should always challenge yourself more. Set goals with steps leading to completion and when you complete a goal set another one! Remember, you are embarking on the journey to a better lifestyle. You need to continue making progress and keep moving forward!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Speed Strength
Speed strength is the ability of the neuromuscular system to produce the greatest possible impulse in the shortest possible time. There are two aspects of speed strength, starting strength and explosive strength. Speed strength is a necessity for athletes as it serves to increase your ability of quickly changing directions as well as getting an explosive start from a resting position. Sprinters for example need good starting strength in order to get a good explosive start off of the starting blocks.
Speed strength is built through olympic lifts and power lifts. Olympic lifts are lifts such as snatches and cleans. Power lifts consist of squats, bench press, and dead lifts. The olympic lifts should consist of 80-90 percent of your one rep max, and your bench should be at 50-60 percent of your one rep max. Explosive leg power is important to pretty much every sport ranging from football to basketball to track and so on. Speed strength is needed in every sport, without it you are cheating yourself out of being the best you can be.
Speed strength is built through olympic lifts and power lifts. Olympic lifts are lifts such as snatches and cleans. Power lifts consist of squats, bench press, and dead lifts. The olympic lifts should consist of 80-90 percent of your one rep max, and your bench should be at 50-60 percent of your one rep max. Explosive leg power is important to pretty much every sport ranging from football to basketball to track and so on. Speed strength is needed in every sport, without it you are cheating yourself out of being the best you can be.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Absolute Strength
eAbsolute strength is the maximum force you can exert with your muscles. Training absolute strength improves speed both in the aspect of running and in the aspect of moving limbs. The greater your absolute strength is the greater your speed and explosiveness. Absolute strength is developed through heavy weight training. This involves using 80-85 percent of your one repetition max. There are three areas of training used to build absolute strength. These three areas are concentric strength, eccentric strength, and static strength.
Concentric strength is your one repetition max for a movement. Eccentric strength is your one repetition max for lowering a weight rather than lifting it. Static strength is the maximum holding strength in a given position. All three areas need to be worked in order to build absolute strength. You need to balance them out and maintain a stable balance.
There are many beneficial things like supplements, hypnosis and therapeutic techniques to help increase absolute strength. Any of these things are fine to use as long as you don't cross into anabolic steroids. Serious athletes or bodybuilders should look into these things but make sure to stay away from steroids.
Concentric strength is your one repetition max for a movement. Eccentric strength is your one repetition max for lowering a weight rather than lifting it. Static strength is the maximum holding strength in a given position. All three areas need to be worked in order to build absolute strength. You need to balance them out and maintain a stable balance.
There are many beneficial things like supplements, hypnosis and therapeutic techniques to help increase absolute strength. Any of these things are fine to use as long as you don't cross into anabolic steroids. Serious athletes or bodybuilders should look into these things but make sure to stay away from steroids.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Limit Strength
Limit strength is the amount of force you can generate for one all-out effort. Limit strength is basically your foundation for getting stronger. Limit strength has three sub categories, eccentric, concentric, and isometric. Limit strength is needed in sports such as shot put, football, and can only bring better athleticism for sports like baseball, basketball, wrestling and pretty much about every other sport. Limit strength is what gives a basketball player the explosion to jump high, the lineman his ability to lung forward quickly with force, the shot putter the quick drive and snap of power from the legs that drives the force from the ground through the body to the put.
Eccentric strength is measured by how much weight you can lower under controlled. Eccentric strength is done through the negative phase of a lift. For example when you lower the bar during a bench press. So what you would do to train for eccentric strength you would first start by warming up with a regular bench press for a few sets. Then, when your muscles start contracting you lower the weight and only lower the bar and the spotter raises it for you.
Concentric strength is measured by how much weight you can lift in one all out effort. Concentric strength is trained through using heavier weight in your workout. Power lifting focuses mainly to build concentric strength for example. Concentric strength is usually known of as your one rep max in lifting terms. To measure your concentric strength you use all of your energy to move the weight 1 repetition.
Isometric strength is measured by the amount of weight you can hold without losing control. To train isometric strength you would for example hold your arms straight out level with your shoulders with light weight not moving but just holding the position. This is done with any exercise to improve the isometric strength of that muscle. Training should consist of high repetitions for short periods of time. For example hold the position for 3-5 seconds 12 to 18 times.
All three areas of limit strength should be built in order to maintain a solid foundation especially if you are an athlete. Limit strength is one of the most important things for an athlete to have because if you don't have good limit strength as an athlete you will not be able to reach your full potential. Limit strength should be developed before you start your sport and should always be maintained and enhanced.
Eccentric strength is measured by how much weight you can lower under controlled. Eccentric strength is done through the negative phase of a lift. For example when you lower the bar during a bench press. So what you would do to train for eccentric strength you would first start by warming up with a regular bench press for a few sets. Then, when your muscles start contracting you lower the weight and only lower the bar and the spotter raises it for you.
Concentric strength is measured by how much weight you can lift in one all out effort. Concentric strength is trained through using heavier weight in your workout. Power lifting focuses mainly to build concentric strength for example. Concentric strength is usually known of as your one rep max in lifting terms. To measure your concentric strength you use all of your energy to move the weight 1 repetition.
Isometric strength is measured by the amount of weight you can hold without losing control. To train isometric strength you would for example hold your arms straight out level with your shoulders with light weight not moving but just holding the position. This is done with any exercise to improve the isometric strength of that muscle. Training should consist of high repetitions for short periods of time. For example hold the position for 3-5 seconds 12 to 18 times.
All three areas of limit strength should be built in order to maintain a solid foundation especially if you are an athlete. Limit strength is one of the most important things for an athlete to have because if you don't have good limit strength as an athlete you will not be able to reach your full potential. Limit strength should be developed before you start your sport and should always be maintained and enhanced.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The Importance of Breakfast
When you wake up in the morning your blood sugar level is depleted and needs a boost. Breakfast replenishes your blood sugar which is needed for proper brain function throughout the day. Breakfast also helps by breaking the fast you go through while you sleep promoting healthy eating habits throughout the day. When you don't eat breakfast you are more liable to want to snack throughout the day rather than eating from meal to meal and fueling with liquids.
If you skip out on breakfast you will get pangs of hunger throughout the morning which leads to snacking. When you snack you usually look for a quick fix leading to candy bars or other snacks high in sugar. You should try to eat a breakfast consisting of some form of fruit, a good source of vitamin D, and fiber. Try to avoid cereals with a lot of sugar. Stick to things like oats, grains, and whole wheat toast with a glass of low fat milk and some fruit.
Think of breakfast as "breaking the fast" and make sure you start off the day with a good healthy breakfast that isn't full of sugar and fats. The traditional bacon in eggs is actually something to avoid. It's okay periodically but the focus of breakfast should be to set the foundation for the rest of the day. Always think of eating as simply fueling your body for the next 3 to 4 hours.
Take into account how active you will be in the next couple hours and eat accordingly. Another problem is that most of us overeat and we don't even realize it. Learn to only eat what you need and not to the point that you can't eat anymore. Change your outlook on eating and you will learn to only eat what you need leading to a better body and good energy.
If you skip out on breakfast you will get pangs of hunger throughout the morning which leads to snacking. When you snack you usually look for a quick fix leading to candy bars or other snacks high in sugar. You should try to eat a breakfast consisting of some form of fruit, a good source of vitamin D, and fiber. Try to avoid cereals with a lot of sugar. Stick to things like oats, grains, and whole wheat toast with a glass of low fat milk and some fruit.
Think of breakfast as "breaking the fast" and make sure you start off the day with a good healthy breakfast that isn't full of sugar and fats. The traditional bacon in eggs is actually something to avoid. It's okay periodically but the focus of breakfast should be to set the foundation for the rest of the day. Always think of eating as simply fueling your body for the next 3 to 4 hours.
Take into account how active you will be in the next couple hours and eat accordingly. Another problem is that most of us overeat and we don't even realize it. Learn to only eat what you need and not to the point that you can't eat anymore. Change your outlook on eating and you will learn to only eat what you need leading to a better body and good energy.
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