One-Rep Max Safe/Unsafe Opinions/Suggestions !!
muscles, fitness, one-rep, maximum, strength
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Determining proper resistance by straining to lift as much as you can in one rep is "decried as unsafe", but it can be done. You just need to exercise care. Start with a series of easier lifts to prepare muscles for maimum exertion. This tires out the muscles slightly to buffer against overexertion under the heavy loads while warming them up to prevent an injury.
First do ten warm-up lifts using a light weightload that's about 1/3 of your body weight. Rest 2 minutes.
Second do five lifts with a load of 1/2 of your body weight. Rest 2 minutes.
Third do one lift with a load of approx. 3/4 of your body weight. Rest 2 minutes.
Continue doing single lifts with 2 minute rests in between, adding 15-20% weight until you find the maximum load you can lift
once.
Again this can be done but using extreme caution and a spotter !!
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on 11/11/2008
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8.8
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BENEFITS of WEIGHT LIFTING !!
health, fitness, muscles, self-esteem, strength
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By lifting weights and gradually increasing the resistance on a consistent basis the benefits are as follows :
1. Weight lifting will give you more energy.
2. Weight lifting will improve your concentration and focus.
3. Weight lifting will help you sleep like a baby.
4. Weight lifting will increase your mental toughness.
5. Weight lifting will increase your muscle mass.
6. Weight lifting will decrease your body fat.
7. Weight lifting will increase your strength and endurance.
8. Weight lifting will prevent and rehabilitate injuries.
9. Weight lifting will take away the blues with the increase in endorphins.
Feel free to add any benefits not mentioned.
Psychological and emotional benefits everyone needs at almost all ages !!
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on 9/22/2008
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7.5
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WHATS YOUR BEST REP SCHEME ??
muscles, strength, exercise, weights, repetitions
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I have always gotten good training results working with eight to twelve reps on most exercises. Most people experience the same satisfactory results with eight to twelve reps. However, at the same time, I have known people who respond best to four to six reps; and a few others who required fifteen to twenty reps.
Try eight to twelve reps on all your exercises for at least four weeks. If you are progressing in your strength then don't change a thing. On the other hand, if you are not, then you may require either higher or lower reps than eight to twelve. Adjust the weight accordingly.
Determining your best repetition scheme will " benefit" you and your lifestyle !!
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on 9/3/2008
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6.6
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DON'T WAIT !!
muscle, fitness, weights, strength, exercise
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No more than sixty seconds rest should be taken between most exercises. Even better results will take place if the rest periods are reduced to thirty seconds or less. On some exercise cycles like super sets and pre-exhaustion sets, it is necessary that you move from one exercise to the next in less than three seconds.
Two favorable things occur when you move quickly between exercises. First, your heart rate stays at a higher level. Such sustained heart rates lead to improvements in your cardio system, which is a big PLUS. Second, moving quickly between exercises means you'll have to reduce slightly the amount of weight you handle on each exercise. Even though you reduce the weight, it will feel the same to your involved muscles, and it will have the same effect as resting and using heavier weights.
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on 7/14/2008
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12.5
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PROPER TECHNIQUE !!
muscles, fitness, strength, weights, health
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Good form is the BEDROCK of training success ! Without it, your program is doomed to failure because sooner or later you will injure yourself. What is good form ? Well, it's not what you see in most gyms. I see people bench pressing half way down or doing curls half way down wasting their time. Because I can't be with you to check your form or determine (I'm joking, although many have called me their coach) whether whoever advises you knows what he or she is talking about, I can only recommend that you purchase several books and of course read "fitconnect.com".
Follow good advice and use proper form so that you can look forward to years of injury-free, successful body workouts !!
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on 6/17/2008
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7.5
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MASS versus STRENGTH !!
mass, strength, fitness, muscles
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The training methods for strength and muscle mass are similar in that they must both include resistance work at an elevated intensity level. Strength fibers Fg ( fast, glycolytic) require a significant higher intensity. Mass fibers Fog (fast, oxidative, glycolytic) have the ability to utilze oxigen at a more efficient rate, thereby enabling it to contract quickly and be somewhat fatique resistant. It also has the greatest capacity for size increases.
It's actually the time the muscle spends in maximal exercise that's the true determinant of the primary fiber type. For optimal strength development the exercise should be around 90 % anaerobic, or no more than a total of 15 seconds of actual performance time during any work set. For muscle mass, the optimal energy production is 66 to 85 %, or between 30 and 60+ seconds of performance time.
If your interested in muscle mass, your focus should be total tension time - at a maximal paced intensity - rather than counting reps. Again each set should last 30-60+ seconds.
If your interested in strength you should concentrate on quick, explosive sets with a short rest/pause between reps.
FOCUS ON RESULTS !!
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on 5/30/2008
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8.7
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Are You Overtraining ?? Symptoms Plus ....
health, fitness, strength, muscles
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Are you training beyond your body's ability to repair itself? This can be caused by training the same body parts too frequently so that the body does not have time to RECOVER before the next workout. A classic sign of overtraining is that you are training as hard as ever, but your performance in the gym is consistently getting worse, rather than better. Overtraining can best be defined as the state where your normal rest is no longer adequate to allow for recovery.
Typical signs include:
Loss or decrease in appetite
Insomnia
Fatigue
Headaches
Susceptiblity to colds and flu
Decrease in performance
Achiness or pain in the muscles and/or joints
Inability to complete workouts
Increased apathy and irritability
Mood and sleep disturbances
Depression / Anxiety
An exact diagnostic criteria for overtraining does not exist so one must rely on this signs and symptoms as a tool to consult a trainer or Doctor. I suggest completely stop training every 8-10 weeks for 1 week and just allow your body to recover and your joints to heal.
Your body needs energy and rest to RECOVER. Listen to your body !!
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on 4/23/2008
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10.2
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Importance of Pausing in the Contracted Position !!
fitness, weights, muscles, mass, strength
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It is very important to contract the muscle fully during the positive or raising portion of an exercise. Whenever a particular muscle group is contracted, the opposite muscle group is stretched. The primary advantage of performing each rep to the point of complete muscle contraction is enhanced stimulas for muscle growth. A pause in the fully shortened position provides a brief static contraction. Due to the mechanics of muscle contraction this provides a highly effective stimulas for muscle growth.
Some examples of Static Contraction are as follows:
Double shrugs / holding at the top for 3-4 seconds
Bottom position start bench press / pressing the bar off the rack and holding it for 3-4 seconds without locking out
Upright rows / hold at the top for 3-4 seconds
Seated barbell curls / curl the bar to the midpoint position and hold it for 3-4 seconds
Try it !! Very effective !! Adjust the weight to your liking, but try to keep the 3-4 seconds consistant.
Enjoy the burn - its good for you !!
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on 4/19/2008
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1 |
15.4
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Importance of Training to Momentary Muscular Failure !!
strength, mass, muscles, weights
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Momentary muscular failure is when you are exerting maximum effort against a resistance, which at that point in the set is not moving. Despite your exertion, you can no longer move the weight up. This should be included in all bodybuilding programs. Maximum efforts should be made against an unmoving resistance; but only after the maximum number of full reps have been performed, when your muscles are so exhausted from the immediate preceding reps that they are momentarily incapable of moving the resistance in spite of a 100% effort.
You will not build muscular size and strength by performing that which you are already capable of easily doing. You must constantly attempt the momentarily impossible, and such attempts should involve max efforts.
Before a muscle is capable of anything approaching a max effort, it must be properly warmed up by the performance of several moderately easy reps. If not, the muscle will fail at a point below its actual strength level. This increases your blood flow and prepares your muscles for the activity ahead.
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on 4/10/2008
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9.2
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Benefits of a " Workout Partner" !!
strength, health, muscles, weights
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Having a workout partner is important not only for safety reasons but also for performance ENHANCEMENT. A workout partner / spotter who DEMANDS proper TECHNIQUE and full effort on every exercise set and rep. An effective workout partner / spotter gives encouragement, feedback, and just enough assistance to permit completion of that final difficult rep. You should try to go to full muscle fatigue with the last rep being a challenge. There is always the chance that when you try for a final rep you can't finish it on your own. This is where your workout partner comes in and helps you barely finish that last rep and assuring you of your safety.
I suggest trying to find someone with similar goals and interests to work out with you. This will assure safety, help motivate, give feedback , encouragement and proper form. It may also help you make it to the gym more often - which is always a good thing !!
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on 4/7/2008
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12.1
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ESSENTIAL RECOVERY TIME PLUS ....
muscles, strength, weights, mass, fitness
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The two main components of strength training are the intensity of the exercise and the recovery after the exercise. High intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required amount of time to recover and become stronger is what is needed to increase muscle size and strength. Your rest days are just as important as your training days. By giving your muscles more time to recover between training sessions you will on the road to major gains.
If you are sore, it is in fact a sign that your muscles are in a repair state. Pain is your body's signal to you that something is wrong. Do not train on sore muscles !! Instead, wait until you have one full day or no soreness before training the same muscles again. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY !!
Muscles take betweem 4-7 days to fully recover from a high-intensity workout. It can also take up to 7-14 days for the neuro-muscular system to fully recover. The older you are the longer it may take to recover plus keep in mind the smaller muscles recover quicker than the larger muscles.
After training, muscle glycogen levels are depleted. Rapid replenishement of muscle glycogen stores has a favorable impact on the prevention of muscle protein catabolism, etc. If you don't replenish glycogen rapidly, your recovery and performance will suffer next time you train and you may loose some muscle along the way. A post workout glycogen drink, or consumption of carbs and protein, will quickly create the optimal anabolic environment by minimizing protein breakdown and increasing protein synthesis. Time (rest), carbs and protein will help with the recovery essential to major gains in strength and muscle size.
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on 3/26/2008
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13.5
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UTILIZE "SLOW" REPS / NEGATIVE REPS !!
weights, fitness, mass, muscles, strength
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By slowing down your reps to a slower speed that eliminates excessive momentum, or keeps it to a minimum, this is a major step toward getting more muscle fiber stimulation.
For building muscle, a slower continuous tension is always superior to a faster speed. The negative (lowering) phase of a movement has more potential for muscle growth and strength increase.
A properly performed negative (lowering) rep should take approximately 4-6 secondes and 3-6 reps is the recommended reps for the most stimulation.
Most slow/negative training requires a spotter but you can use a lighter weight and cheat the weight using your own body momentum thru the positive range and then perform a slow negative. You can also use more weight than normal and make it a forced rep slow/negative.
By lowering the weight slowly you eliminate the chance of momentum helping you thru the movement. Your muscles are stressed more and forced to grow larger and stronger at a faster rate than they would have hypertrophy of momentum been used instead.
Many professionals believe this is the best way to gain muscle mass and strength !!
ENJOY THE BURN !!
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on 3/20/2008
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38.3
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