Strength Training Workout – The Insider’s Guide
05-06-2017 | Posted By: Chhavi | 3812 View(s)
Any fitness package that can improve your cardiac conditions and bone strength, benefit your balance, strength and help reduce weight, and making you look and feel beautiful is sure to captivate your attention. Research and studies reveal that strength training can do this all along with several other benefits.
Many people think that strength training is specifically designed for bodybuilders to lift heavyweights in the gym, but this is not true. Strength training can be beneficial for people of all ages irrespective of their gender, and it could be especially useful for people with ailments like cardiac issues and arthritis. Here are some of the many benefits of adding Strength Training in your fitness Regime!
Benefits of strength training:
This exercise has the capability to add definition to the flabby muscles and can offer fit, healthy and toned body to men and women alike. When you exercise weight training, it can do so much more:
Supports healthy weight loss:
Strength training helps in excess weight loss and also keep the required weight maintained. Recently a research conducted regarding the effects of strength training reveals that women who consistently followed a strength training regime thrice a week extended a number of calories burnt in daily chores which considerably aids in keeping the weight in check.
Protects the Muscle Mass and Bone health:
Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, you are prone to lose 1 percent of the bone as well as muscle strength every year after puberty. But you can put an end and prevent this or perhaps even reverse these effects by adding strength training to your fitness regime as reported by an eminent physiologist of the University of Texas Medical School in Houston.
Makes a Person Stronger:
Strength training which is also known as resistance training is Beneficial in strengthening as well as toning the muscles by constricting them against a force which resists them. Two variants of strength training include:
Isometric resistance training can squeeze the muscles against an immovable object like the floor while doing a push-up, whereas Isotonic resistance training is used to contract the muscles by various types of motion such as weight lifting.
Both these training types can make you stronger and help you achieve a better shaped and toned body. Since with this training, muscles need time to recover; these should be practised only on alternate days along with some time dedicated to warm up as well as a cool down.
Develop better Body Coordination:
Strength training can offer you much more than just a nicely toned body and muscles. It can help improve your balance and body-mind coordination along with your posture. If you are suffering from poor flexibility, then weight training can curb down the risk of falling by up to 40%, which is of significant value when you grow old.
Prevents Diseases:
If you have arthritis, weight training can be as helpful as medication in reducing the arthritis pain. It can help women who have past menopause to increase bone density and decrease the chance of bone fractures and other allied diseases. It is equally beneficial in controlling glucose level and helps to fight Type2 diabetes.
Increase the level of energy:
Strength training can reduce the level of stress hormones elevating the level of endorphins or happy hormones that improve your mood. It is, therefore, a convincing antidepressant that helps your body rest better to impart overall wellness.
So let’s get started: Before you take a leap into the benefits of strength training, you must consult your doctor to find out if you have any health issues and what could be the best strength training to meet your requirements. You may also consult an experienced fitness expert to help you in this aspect and design a training program specially designed for you. Each one of us desires to look and feel better so start enjoying your weight training program along with all other workouts.
Planning to hit the gym for Strength Training Workout but don’t know from where to start? Well, you are not the only one! Many people go through this phase where they join the Gym but do not know what exercises to do, what to lift or how to use the machines. Well, help is here!
Here is a complete guide to Strength Training Workout that will help you know the basics of the workout:
A. Set Goals for Yourself
First of all, set goals for yourself. When we make a goal, we are able to strive towards perfection.
The goals should be SMART, which means that the goals should be:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-Bound
The goals should be specific; for example, you made a goal that you will do strength training exercise for 5 days a week and lose 3 kgs in a month. The goal should be measurable, which you can evaluate easily. For example, the goal of losing weight in a month is vague. You must decide how much weight you want to lose within a period of time.
Another important thing is that the goal should be achievable. ‘I want to lose 20 kgs in a month by doing strength training exercise!’ Now, this is an unrealistic goal as it is near to impossible to lose so much weight within a month. Thus, the goal should be realistic and something that you can achieve.
Also, the goal should be grounded within a time frame. When no time frame is tied to a goal; there is no sense of urgency and people start procrastinating. If you want to lose 5 kgs, you must know within how much time will you attain the goal? For instance, if you have made a goal that you will lose 5 kgs weight “by August 1st”, then subconsciously your mind will start working towards the goal and you will achieve better results.
B. Choose Your Strength Training Workout Exercise
After making a goal, you should decide what kind of strength training workout you want to do. This will be determined by the equipment available at the gym/ home and the goals of a person.
Below are some Strength Training Exercises, amongst which you can choose the best one for yourself:
1. Bodyweight
This is one of the best strength training exercises as you need minimal equipment for this and you do not need to be at the gym to do this. It does not matter if you are in a hotel, office or college; until the time you have enough space to move around, nothing can stop you from doing this exercise.
If you want to do bodyweight training, then grab a pull-up bar or a set of gymnastics ring and start working out. If you are a beginner, then you need not use these types of equipment and can simply do bodyweight at home or at the gym.
For instance, if you want to do full bodyweight training without using any equipment, then you can try these exercises:
• Track Jump
• Mountain Climber
• Bear Crawl
• Stair Climb with Bicep Curl
• Prone Walkout
Bodyweight Training Exercises for Legs:
• Wallsit
• Lunge
• Clock Lunge
• Squat
• Step-up
Bodyweight Training for Chest & Back:
• Handstand Push-Up
• Reverse Fly
• Jude Push-Up
• Dolphin Push-Up
• Standard Push-Up
Bodyweight Training Exercises for Shoulders & Arms:
• Boxer
• Arm Circles
• Triceps Dip
• Diamond Push-Up
• Shoulder Stabilization Series
The only disadvantage of these bodyweight exercises is that people need to modify the difficulty level of exercise on a consistent basis to ensure that they are progressing.
2. Dumbbells
Dumbbells are a great way to start the strength training workout; because of the reason that you will get a good set dumbbells even at a basic gym. And even if you do not want to hit the gym, you can always get a set of dumbbells for yourself to workout at home.
3. Barbells
The barbell is one of the best strength training exercises as it allows a person to progress quickly and also allow them to add small increments of weights each week.
Also, a barbell is quite stable, and thus its is much easier to do heavy workouts- especially for lower body movements like the deadlift and the squat.
The downside to barbell training is that if you want to do it at home, you will need a squat rack, a barbell, a bench and enough weight in your house; which is a quite an expensive investment.
So, which is the best Strength Training Exercise?
Well, nobody can actually choose the best form of Strength Training Exercise. It all depends on your goals and preferences. In terms of strength building, barbell training may be optimal; however, if you do not want to hit the gym, then you must choose a different workout plan. Likewise, bodyweight training is convenient when you cannot motivate yourself to workout at home. Thus, selecting a Strength Training exercise depends completely on your resources, goals and your level of motivation to achieve that goal.
How to Start the Strength Training Workout?
Here is a Beginner’s Guide to Strength Training:
• Running Treadmill
1 set, 5-10 minutes
• Leg Press
1 set
• Lying Leg Curls
1 set
• Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
1 set
• Butterfly
1 set
• Triceps Pushdown- Rope Attachment
1 set
• Machine Bicep Curl
1 set
• Machine Shoulder Military Press
1 set
• Ab Crunch Machine
1 set
• Air Bike
1 set
C. Make a list of Things you need during the Workout
There are certain things you might want to carry during a workout, such as mobile phones and earplugs. If you think you are going to get bored during the workout session, make sure to carry your cell phones so that you can enjoy music.
Also, do not forget to carry a water bottle and a notebook (to track your workouts). If you plan to go to work after the gym, then do bring your workout clothes with you to the gym.
Read More: Fitness Habits that should be avoided during Workout
D. Keep in Mind the Gym Etiquettes
Well, although every gym has its own set of rules, however, there are a few common courtesy rules that you must follow, and they are:
• Always remember to put the weights back when you are done with your workout
• If another person is using the equipment that you are using, then it is completely fine to ask how many sets that have left; but do not be rude and do not pressurise them to finish their sets quickly.
• Do not talk on your cell phones; it disturbs everybody else a lot.
• If someone else wants to use the equipment too, then you can offer to let them “workout with you”. It means that they can do their sets while you rest, and vice-versa.
• If you get the equipment sweaty, then make sure to wipe it down.
• Give people their personal space, means that ensure that there is plenty of space for you and others.
Strength Training Exercises can seem difficult for the beginners; however once it becomes a habit, it will look like a simple task to you. Just stay motivated, and without any “ifs and buts” start doing strength training from today onwards to get a fit body.
To find the best Gyms for Strength Training Workout, click here.
