Strength Training Basics To Utilize At The Gym

Posted by: KHTS Articles in News Articles July 3, 2020 - 9:51 am 0 408 Views

Fitness is such a big part of all of our lives and it is so important to try and keep up a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to strength training, there are so many important factors that must be taken into account to ensure that you keep making gains. Our bodies are incredibly adaptable and as long as you take the right steps you can see amazing progress in a short space of time. To help everyone out there who is looking to make gains, this article is our guide to strength training basics to utilize at the gym.

1. Body Weight Exercises

One of the most effective ways to increase strength is through body weight exercises. Whilst many people believe that you need heavy weights to increase strength, using your own body for resistance by pitting opposing sets of muscles against each other is a great way to build strength without the need for any weights. Your body is already the perfect equipment. The most effective body weight exercises include push-ups, squats, pull-ups, lunges and various abdominal exercises like sit-ups and crunches. The great thing about body weight exercises is that you can easily increase your work rate by adding more reps as you get stronger.

2. Cardio

Cardio training is one of the most important aspects of fitness and a solid cardio routine can really help you to gain strength. Start off with an easy workout on the treadmill, then progress to the exercise bike or the rowing machine. Jumping straight into a high intensity workout might shock your body too much, so listening to your body is really important. Initially, aim for 15 minute medium-intensity cardio sessions with slow speed to warm up your muscle. As your cardio improves, incrementally add an extra five minutes until you are doing more than thirty minutes. It is really important to warm up and stretch before doing any workout but especially when you are working on cardio because many cardio exercises put a lot of stress on the joints and without warming sufficiently it is easy to get injured.

3. Lifting

Lifting weights is really effective in increasing your strength as long as you do the correct exercises with the optimum number of sets and reps. To build big muscles you should aim for fewer reps at the heaviest weight you can lift but lifting for strength requires more reps at a lower weight. The experts at Strength Warehouse USA told us that everyone has a different body type so the amount of weight you will need to lift varies from person to person. It is a common misconception that you need a huge range of workout equipment to make gains. In fact, you can seriously increase your strength with just a bench, a barbell and dumbbells and a squat rack.

4. Stretching

Flexibility is really important for strength training because having a better range of motion and looseness in your joints and muscles improves your recovery time and also helps you to push out those really important extra reps. The best way to improve your flexibility is with a regular and consistent stretching routine. The most effective time to stretch is when your muscles are still warm so aim to get a ten minute stretch in at the end of your cardio sessions. The most important muscles and joints to stretch are the ones in your lower body and your back as these support the rest of your body.

5. Rest

It may sound strange, but your rest days are just as important as your training days when it comes to building strength. The way that building muscle and increasing strength works is that you make tiny tears in your muscles as you work out and then your muscles heal bigger and stronger than before. This healing process happens as your muscles rest so it is vital that you give your muscles the time they need. There is only a certain amount that you can train before it will become ineffective. Make sure to take rest days and to give yourself time to recover to maximize your strength gains.

We all have different bodies and so the optimum strength gaining program is different from person to person. The most important factors when it comes to improving your strength is consistent training, a varied workout program and adequate rest. Mixing up your workouts is the best way to keep your body guessing and will maximize the potential strength gains that you can make. If you are looking for new ways to increase your strength, follow this guide and you will see some great progress in no time.