Archive for the ‘Weight Training’ Category
Did you know that you lose 5 pounds of muscle every year after age 30? That is why weight training is very important at any age. There are many advantages to weight training, resistance training or strength training. By mentioning this type of resistance training, I’m referring to weight lifting in any manner, using weight apparatus, elastic tubing, or your own body weight, anything that offers resistance.
It is interesting how the muscles work at increasing muscle size or mass. Every time you lift weights in a progression way (increasing weight, lowering reps) you intentionally put microscopic tears in the muscle, this process is called catabolism. When the muscle repair itself, that is called anabolism. When the muscle repair itself, is when growth takes place. The healing and growing actually takes place when the muscle is not working and at rest.
Weight training can slow down or even reverse the signs of aging! There are many benefits to weight training and tomorrow I’ll share them with you. So stay tuned for the advantages of weight training!
Yesterday we kind of touched on the weight training routines. I’m continuing on that path today of weight training again today. Do you know the difference between strength and power?? Strength is the amount of weight you can push. Power is the velocity or how fast you can push the weight. I thought it was interesting to make that distinction.
To keep the muscles guessing and help reduce plateaus, it is good to keep changing your weight training routine. There are many variables with which you can do that. Yesterday we talked about Pyramid training by increasing weight and decreasing repetitions. We also talked about muscle endurance and toning by decreasing weight and increasing reps.
Another variable to vary your weight training is SPEED. The slower the movement, the more energy it requires from the muscles. The more muscle fibers are recruited to perform a task. Listen where you want to slow the movement down is on the eccentric phase of the lift. That is when you are lengthening the muscle. For a chest press it would be returning the bar down toward the chest. For a lat pull down, it would be releasing the bar up. Keep the action slow and controlled and you will see results. Remember to slow the move after the contraction!
When we talk about weight training, I’m going to be specifically talking about bicep curls. Everyone wants to have nice arms and I hope to help you get there by building your size. Yesterday, we discussed the resting time between sets, which has an impact on your size and strength and/or your muscular endurance. I think the lift and lower speed of your repetitions is as equally important.
The gains in your muscular strength and performance are related to the speed with which you lift and lower your weights. If you are looking for strength and size gains, it is critical to control the weight both ways. So many times, I see bicep curls being executed with a bar or dumbbells and their whole body rocks back and forth. Guys, the weight is too heavy!! You are not going to see any improvement in your size or strength. Swallow your pride, drop some weight and control the movement.
To get the maximum results with a heavy load it is best to lift the weight slowly and lower slowly! As you curl, exhale and count for two seconds on the way up, hold, then inhale and lower the weight slowly to the count of 4. When you can successfully execute 8-12 repetitions, then you can increase your weight. This slower speed will have no effect in strength gains or size with lower weights, but may assist your muscular endurance.
When you are weight training with a barbell you may not notice that there is a dominant side. Which is why it is good to alternate with the dumbbells and the barbell. Generally, when doing chest you execute your exercise with both arms at the same time using dumbbells. However, every now and then it is good to do a movement unilaterally, that is, one arm at a time. It changes things up for your muscles, and then you will find out which is your dominant side.
Someone asked me the other day, how to overcome the dominant side and make the weaker side as strong. They were going to use more weight on the left side, than the right. I said NO! Which is what brings me to the unilateral point. Let’s say this guy’s stronger side is his right. In order to make the left side stronger, you’ll want to work one arm at a time. However, start with the left side first! Do as many reps as you can with the left arm, then do the same amount of reps with the right arm. Likewise, if the left arm is stronger than the right arm, you want to start the exercise with the right arm.
This concept works with any weight training exercise, legs, biceps,triceps, etc. Start on the weaker side first, and when that side gets tired, do the exact same reps on the stronger side even if that stronger side can do more reps.