Strength Training |
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Building up your muscles is an important part of any serious exercise regime and this is what ‘strength training' is all about. You need to ascertain the different muscle groups and exercises that target them as well as the basics of repetitions and progression. It has been said by fitness experts that " Strength training of a moderate intensity, sufficient to develop and maintain fat-free weight, should be an integral part of an adult fitness program. One set of 8-12 repetitions of eight to ten exercises that condition the major muscle groups at least 2 days a week is the recommended minimum."
The Main Muscle Groups:
- Gluteals – This group of muscles or the ‘glutes' is the big muscle covering the buttocks. Common exercises to strengthen this muscle group are the leg press, squats, lunges, tall box step ups, and plyometric jumps.
- Quadriceps – This group of muscles are found in the frontal part of the thigh. Exercises include squats, lunges, leg extension machine, and the leg press.Hamstrings – These muscles make up the back of the thigh. Exercises are as above but include the leg curl.
- Hip abductors and adductors – These are the muscles of the inner and outer thigh. You can work them with a variety of side-lying leg lifts, standing cable pulls, and multi-hip machines.
- Calf – The calf muscles are on the back of the lower leg. You can strengthen these by standing or bent knee raises.
- Low back – This is a very important part of the body and should be well looked after. Squats and dead lifts are good as is using the back extension machine.
- Abdominals – . Exercises such as standard crunches and curls target the centre muscle of the abdomen and reverse curls and crunches target the lower portion of this muscle. Crunches involving a rotation or twist work the muscles along the side of the abdomen. If done properly crunches should not cause strain on the neck.
Sequence and Speed
It has been noted that it is more beneficial to work the larger muscle groups first and work the smaller muscles afterwards ]this way it ensures that you get the most out of your work out.
The speed of the movement is also an important element of each exercise. Fast, jerky movements should be avoided because this places stress on the muscles and increases the likelihood of an injury. Fast lifting also means that you do not let the muscles work for you so you do not build up as much strength in your muscles. .
Sets and Reps
A set is a group of successive repetitions performed without resting. A rep or repetition is the number of times you repeat the move in each set. Consult your gym to devise a training programme for you.. The more sets and reps you do, the more you strengthen your muscles.
Stretching
Contrary to popular belief ‘stretching' is not 'warming up', but it forms an integral part of exercising. It is always advisable to warm up before any exercise session by rotating the muscles [and doing some aerobic exercise – ordinarily you should be doing a warm up exercise before any aerobic exercise], which helps to increase the blood flow and improve circulation. Stretching, when done properly, can do more than just increase flexibility. According to M. Alter , benefits of stretching include:
- enhanced physical fitness
- enhanced ability to learn and perform skilled movements
- increased mental and physical relaxation
- enhanced development of body awareness
- reduced risk of injury to joints, muscles, and tendons
- reduced muscular soreness
- reduced muscular tension
- increased suppleness due to stimulation of the production of chemicals which lubricate connective tissues
- reduced severity of painful menstruation in females
Tips for Good Stretching
Ideally, a particular stretch should work only the muscles you are trying to stretch. In general, the fewer muscles you try to stretch at once, the better. Having leverage during a stretch means having sufficient control over how intense the stretch becomes, and how fast. However, always ensure that you only apply the correct intensity and duration of leverage to avoid causing injury to the muscles.
Unfortunately, even those who stretch do not always stretch properly and hence they do not reap some or all of the benefits of a good stretch. Some of the most common mistakes made when stretching are:
- improper warm-up
- inadequate rest between workouts
- overstretching
- performing the wrong exercises
- performing exercises in the wrong (or sub-optimal) sequence
Babatunde Somefun - Personal Trainer, Peak Health Club
In the upcoming newsletter, Babatunde Somefun will give some tips on sensible weight loss. Don't miss it!!!
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