When you first begin an exercise program, regardless of whether it s weight training or cardio, your muscles immediately begin to use energy to allow them to work. For optimum health and fat burning, your body building workouts should consist of both anaerobic, and aerobic training.
Many weight training programs will tell you to do 12 repetitions of each exercise to gain muscle. The problem with that is, this approach leaves the muscles without enough tension for effective muscle gain. High-tension, such as heavy weights, provides muscle growth, which in turn allows the muscles to grow much larger than without high tension, and also leads to a maximum gain in strength. Having longer tension time boosts the muscle size by generating the structures around the muscle fibers, which improves endurance.
The standard prescription of 8–12 repetitions provides a balance. But, by only using that program when you exercise, you do not generate the greater tension levels provided by the heavier weights and lesser reps, or the longer tension achieved with lighter weights and more repetitions. Change the number of reps, and adjust the weights to stimulate all types of muscle growth.
There are also those who perform the three-Set rule, and while there’s nothing wrong with the three sets, there is nothing amazing about it either. You see, the number of sets you perform should be based on your goals, and not on some half-century old rule. The more repetitions you do of an exercise, the fewer sets you should do, and vice versa. By using this technique, you will keep the total number of repetitions performed of an exercise equal.
Doing 3–4 exercises per group is also not a good idea. Here’s why: Combined with 12 reps of 3 sets, the total number of reps amount to 144. If you’re doing this many reps for a muscle group, you’re not doing enough. Instead of doing too many different kinds of exercises, try doing 30 to 50 reps, so it should be anywhere from 2 sets of 15 reps or 5 sets of 10 reps.
Some who first start out will make the mistake of thinking the more reps you do, or the longer time you spend working on the equipment, the more muscle you build. A principal of body building says that you work out until the muscle is fatigued. Each exercise set you do is different. Depending on what your set is like, if what you do taxes the muscle, it is possible to fatigue the muscles in the first set.
A good rule to follow is to create an intensity in your workout by dropping, or breaking down sets, in which you rep out or lower the weight, and continue to do reps until you either cannot do another one, or you run out of weight. Sorting myth from truth about body building can help you design your workout, so it will be healthier and more productive. Training your mind to follow the truth about body building is like training your body. You can have discipline on two levels: body and mind.
The Benefits of Stretching
Before beginning any exercise routine, you should do some warm-up exercises. This is usually done by performing stretching exercises, which helps prepare the body for more rigorous activity. Here are some of the benefits of stretching.
Gives Your Body More Range of Movement. If we are consistently doing the stretching exercises, the length of the muscles and tendons will increase. This helps expand the range of your movement. Therefore, the limbs and joints will be able to move more freely.
Increases Your Ability to Perform Skills. When you have a wide range of movement, you will find yourself able to do more things. For example, you can jump high without feeling any pain when you come back down on the floor.
Helps to Prevent Injury. By stretching, you can help prevent injury to joints, tendons and muscles. When the muscles and tendons are well flexed, they are considered to be in good working order. The muscles of the body will be able to take on more exhausting and rigorous movements, with less probability of being injured. It will also promote faster recovery from injuries (should they occur), and you’ll have fewer sore muscles.
Helps to Reduce Muscle Tension. If you perform regular stretching exercises, it is less likely the muscles will constrict. This will definitely relieve you of any muscle pain or problems.
More Energy. By stretching, you’ll not only be able to move more freely, you will also have more energy. Stretching will also help enhance your mood. Many people find it improves their overall confidence and well-being, which makes you ready to tackle more things knowing your body is capable of handling it.
The Importance of Working Core Muscles
What Are Core Muscles? Your core muscles are those muscles found in the obliques, abdominals, lower back, and the glutes areas. These four areas of the body are the ones that usually frame the posture of a person. Therefore, a good posture reflects the good condition of these muscle areas.
What many people don’t know is that core muscles are actually the core or central part for all the strength needed to carry out different physical activities. This means if an individual s core muscles are physically fit, they will maintain equilibrium of the body, and will stabilize the system every time the person is working out or moving around.
Strengthening Core Muscles
The main responsibility of the core muscles is to provide enough power to the body to enable it to cope with the dynamic challenges of any physical activity the person encounters. For this reason, many health and fitness experts have realized it is relatively more important to strengthen the core muscles than the other muscles in the body. Through a series of experiments and research, they have found having a stronger core can reduce your risk of many posture related health problems.
For instance, well-conditioned core muscles can project good posture. It can also improve the endurance of the back, all the way through the day. Why? Because the muscles included in the group of core muscles are actually the ones that initiate the proper stabilization of the whole upper and lower torso.
So, for those who desire to know and understand why it’s important to strengthen the core muscles, here is a list of some of the benefits you can use as references:
Strengthening core muscles will improve posture, and prevent low back pain of muscular origin. This means, as you work stretching exercises into your routine, taking a particular focus on the muscles of the upper and front part of the trunk, including the abdominal and trunk muscles. By doing this, you will be strengthening the muscles of the back which extend to
the spine.
It will help tone the muscles, thereby, avoiding further back injury. Exercising your core muscles will strengthen and tone your lower back muscles and buttocks, while stretching the hip flexors and the muscles on the front of the thighs. When you get to this state, it will help prevent you from getting a serious lower back injury.
Improves physical performance. Exercising the core muscles, with slow, static stretching, is effective in relieving stiffness and enhancing flexibility. Once the flexibility has been improved, it stands to reason he will be able to perform his physical activities much more easily.
They do not cause sore, aching muscles. Static stretching for core muscles is best for the muscles and connective tissues. Because it employs slow stretches only, it will not cause any soreness, as the quick, bouncing exercises relying on jerky muscle contractions do.
Lengthen muscles and avoid unbalanced footing as you get older. Core muscle exercises will lengthen the muscles that have constricted as a result of pain. It also prevents pain from vigorous exercise, if they are included at the end of each workout.
Health and fitness experts highly recommend starting a core work out immediately, and repeating the routine at least twice a week. This can be done after the workout or even during the activity, for about 10–20 minutes only. Indeed, core muscles are vitally important in determining good posture. Strengthening them can absolutely eliminate those annoying back pains.
Preventing Muscle Cramps
Muscle cramps are something just about everyone will experience at some time. A muscle cramp is the involuntary tightening of a muscle, which you can usually control. They most often occur in the legs and abdomen. These cramps can put a real damper on your workout, so it’s best to practice healthy habits, which can help prevent muscles from cramping while you exercise.
One way to help prevent a muscle cramp is to warm up your muscles before you start your workout session. Use the mat area of the gym (or mat at home) to stretch your muscles by doing some light lifting to prepare for a more intense workout. By giving your muscles a warm-up, they will expand and contract better during exercise, preventing you from getting cramps.
If you are really out of shape, you will need to warm up on a larger scale. Just remember to start off slowly, and work your way up to harder and more intense exercises. If you are an athlete just returning to your sport after the off-season or an injury, you will be more prone to muscle cramps, like those just getting started. By building on the intensity of your workouts, you will build muscle mass more quickly as well, so don’t overdo it from the start, and be sure to take enough time to rest between workouts.
It’s also very important to keep your muscles, and the rest of your body, hydrated. Be sure to drink lots of water before, during, and after your weight training or any other workout. You should supply your body with water before you feel thirsty, so drink at regular intervals. If you are out in the sun, or doing anything that is making you sweat, avoid water poisoning. This is where those sports juices can come in very handy. By drinking sports juices, you help to replenish all the nutrients your body is losing. If you lose too many of these nutrients, you may experience muscle spasms and cramps.
If by some chance you do get a muscle cramp, don’t fret. This is normal and will most likely go away in just a few minutes, although, you may be sore a bit longer. If you get a muscle cramp, stop what you’re doing, and gently stretch and massage the muscle until it is no longer cramped. If you can, apply heat, which will also help relax the muscle, and if you are sore, cold compresses will help your muscles heal. If you continue to experience cramps regularly, or it takes a long time to get rid of them, see your doctor to make sure there is not a serious medical condition present.
Photo by Anush Gorak: https://www.pexels.com/photo/grayscale-photo-of-man-sitting-on-bench-1431283/