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Weight training

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A complete weight training workout can be performed with a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a set of weight disks (plates).

Weight training is a form of exercise for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It is a common type of strength trainingwhich uses the force of gravity (in the form of weighted bars, dumbells or weight stacks) to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction.

Properly performed, weight training can provide significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being including increased bone, muscle, tendon and ligament strength, improved joint function, reduced potential for injury, improved cardiac function and elevated good cholesterol. In one common training method, the technique involves lifting progressively increasing amounts of weight, and uses a variety of exercises and types of equipment to target specific muscle groups. Weight training is primarily an anaerobic activity, although some proponents have adapted it to provide the benefits of aerobic exercise.

Weight training differs from bodybuilding, weightlifting, and powerlifting, which are sports rather than forms of exercise. Weight training, however, is often part of their training regimen.

History

Main article: History of strength training

An early plate-loading barbelland kettlebell

Hippocrates explained the principle behind weight training when he wrote “that which is used develops, and that which is not used wastes away.” Progressive resistance training dates back at least to Ancient Greece, when legend has it that wrestler Milo of Croton trained by carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until it was fully grown. Another Greek, the physician Galen, described strength training exercises using the halteres (an early form of dumbbell) in the 2nd century.

Another early device was the Indian club, which came from ancient Persia where it was called the “meels.” It subsequently became popular during the 19th century, and has recently made a comeback in the form of the clubbell.

The dumbbell was joined by the barbellin the latter half of the 19th century. Early barbells had hollow globes that could be filled with sand or lead shot, but by the end of the century these were replaced by the plate-loading barbell commonly used today.^[1]

The 1960s saw the gradual introduction of exercise machines into the still-rare strength training gyms of the time. Weight training became increasingly popular in the 1980s, following the release of the bodybuilding movie Pumping Iron and the subsequent popularity of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since the late 1990s increasing numbers of women have taken up weight training, influenced by programs like Body for Life: currently nearly one in five U.S. women engages in weight training on a regular basis.^[2]

Basic principles

The basic principle of weight training invovles a manipulation of the number of reps, sets, tempo, exercise types and weight moved to cause desired increases in strength, endurance, size or shape. A repetition (or “rep”) is the act of lifting and lowering a weight once in a controlled manner. A “set” consists of a series of repetitions performed continuously, without rests between reps. Different exercises target different muscles or muscles groups. The specific combinations of reps, sets, exercises and weight depends upon the aims of the individual performing the exercise; sets with fewer reps can be performed with heavier weights, but have a reduced impact on endurance.

According to popular theory:

Sets of one to five repetitions primarily develop strength, with less impact on muscle size and none on endurance.
Sets of six to twelve repetitions develop a balance of strength, muscle size and endurance.
Sets of thirteen to twenty repetitions develop endurance, with some increases to muscle size and limited impact on strength.^[3]
Sets of more than twenty repetitions are considered to be an aerobic exercise.

Individuals typically perform one to six sets per exercise, and one to three exercises per muscle group, with short breaks between each set. The duration of these breaks determines which energy system the body utilizes: for example, performing a series of exercises with little or no rest between them is referred to as “circuit training“, and the body will draw most of its energy from the aerobic energy system (as opposed to the ATP-CP or glycogen systems, used in exercises with longer rests between sets).

It has been shown that for beginners multiple-set training offers minimal benefits over single set training with respect to either strength gain or muscle mass increase, but for the experienced athlete multiple-set systems are required for optimal progress.^[3]^[4]^[5]This is because beginners are unable to tap the full strength of the muscle; before they can use the full force ouput of a specific muscle, the nerves that innervate the muscle must be trained to fire at a high enough rate to cause tetanus, and contract all motor units available for the movement.

Training to achieve different performance goals (from “Supertraining” by Dr. M. C. Siff)

Variable	Strength	Power	Hypertrophy	Endurance
Load (% of 1RM)	80-100	70-100	60-80	40-60
Reps per set	1-5	1-5	8-15	25-60
Sets per exercise	4-7	3-5	4-8	2-4
Rest between sets (mins)	2-6	2-6	2-5	1-2
Duration (seconds per set)	5-10	4-8	20-60	80-150
Speed per rep (% of max)	60-100	90-100	60-90	60-80
Training sessions per week	3-6	3-6	5-7	8-14

Weights for each exercise should be chosen so that the desired number of repetitions can just be achieved. Each exercise should be performed according to its description; otherwise injury may result. This is known as “good form.”

Progressive overload

In one common method, weight training uses the principle of progressive overload, in which the muscles are overloaded by attempting to lift at least as much weight as they are capable of. They respond by growing larger and stronger.^[6] This procedure is repeated with progressively heavier weights as the practitioner gains strength and endurance.

However, performing exercises at the absolute limit of one’s strength (so-called “one rep max” lifts) is considered too risky for all but the most experienced practitioners, or novices under expert supervision. Moreover, most individuals wish to develop a combination of strength, endurance and muscle size. One repetition sets are not well suited to these aims. Practitioners therefore lift somewhat smaller (sub-maximal) weights, with more repetitions, to fatigue the muscle—and all fibres within that muscle—as required by the progressive overload principle.

Commonly, each exercise is continued to the point of momentary muscular failure. Contrary to widespread belief, this is not the point at which the individual thinks they cannot complete any more repetitions, but rather the first repetition that fails due to inadequate muscular strength. Training to failure is, however, a controversial topic. The proponents of High Intensity Training—Mike Mentzer, Arthur Jones and Ellington Darden—advise training to failure on every set.^{[citation needed]} But other experts believe that this will lead to overtraining, and suggest training to failure only on the last set of an exercise.^[7] Some practitioners recommend finishing a set of repetitions just before the point of failure; e.g. if you can do a maximum of 12 reps with a given weight, only perform 11.

Weight training can be a very effective form of strength training because exercises can be chosen, and weights precisely adjusted to safely exhaust each individual muscle group after the specific numbers of sets and repetitions that have been found to be the most effective for the individual. Other strength training exercises lack the flexibility and precision that weights offer, and often cannot be safely taken to the point of momentary muscular failure.

Recovery

There are many theories as to why weight training creates muscle growth. One such theory is that this training causes microtrauma to the muscles. Muscles grow during the rest period following a workout by repairs to these areas of muscle, making them stronger than before. Weight training programs should therefore allow the muscles time to repair and grow, otherwise overtraining can occur. Therefore the individual should exercise caution in increasing the level of exertion. Muscle growth is normally completed within 36 to 96 hours, depending upon the intensity of the workout.^[8]^[9] Novices commonly work out every other day, often scheduling workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. As weight trainers grow fitter and stronger, it takes more intense workouts to fully challenge their muscles. More advanced practitioners may exercise specific muscle groups only every three or four days.

One solution to scheduling workouts around these needs is to split one’s routine between several workouts, by exercising certain muscle groups on one day and the remainder on another. One common two-day split is the upper body — lower body split. Another is the front — back split, in which the pectorals, tricepsand quadriceps are exercised on one day, and the lats, bicepsand hamstrings on another. There are also three-day and four-day splits. By targeting different muscle groups, workouts can be scheduled more frequently than would otherwise be possible.

Intensity, volume, and frequency

Three important principles of weight training, as well as exercise in general, are intensity, volume and frequency. Intensity refers to the amount of force required to achieve the activity, and in this case, refers to the outright weight being lifted (lifting 20kg requires more force or intensity than lifting 10kg, regardless of how many reps/sets etc are done), volume refers to how much you do in a particular session, and includes the number of sets, reps and exercises you do for each muscle, whereas frequency refers to how many sessions per week you do. A good analogy is the exercise of running, with the intensity being how fast you run, the volume being how far you run, and the frequency being how many times a week you run.

These principles are important because they are all mutually conflicting, as the muscle only has so much strength and endurance, and takes time to recover due to microtrauma. Increasing one by any significant amount necessitates the decrease of the other two, eg. increasing weight means you can’t do as many reps, and will cause more damage, requiring more recovery time and therefore less workouts per week are possible. Trying to push too much intensity, volume and frequency will result in overtraining, and eventually lead to injury and other health issues such as chronic soreness and general lethargy (lack of energy) or even sickness. Therefore the high-medium-low formula should be used, with either intensity, volume, or frequency being high, one of the others being medium, and the other being low, following this chart as a guide:

Type	Low	Med	High
Intensity (% of 1RM)	10-40%	50-70%	80-100%
Volume(per muscle)	1 exercise	2 exercises	3+ exercises
Sets	1 set	2-3 sets	4+ sets
Reps	1-6 reps	8-15 reps	20+ reps
Session Frequency	1 p/w	2-3 p/w	4+ p/w

Using examples from typical gym programs: doing a full body program, you would work each muscle as one exercise and do 2 sets of 12 reps (low volume), with an intensity of around 50-60% of 1RM each set (medium intensity), every second day (high frequency), which is typical of general fitness programs; doing each body part in a 3 day split, at 50-70% of 1RM (medium intensity), with 3 exercises and 3 sets of 10 reps (high volume), each muscle worked once a week (low frequency), which is typical of traditional hypertrophy programs; or 80-90% of 1RM (high intensity), 1-2 sets of 3-5 reps(low volume), 2 times per week (medium frequency), typical of muscular strength training. All of these programs are different examples of the high-medium-low formula, emphasizing one giving a different result, as the body adapts to specific demands.

Most people set the volume and frequency the same each week (eg. people plan to come to the gym 3 times per week, and do 2 sets of 12 reps each workout), and steadily increase the weight (increase intensity), however it may be equally or more beneficial for you to keep or decrease the weight, and increase volume or frequency (especially true to achieve hypertrophy).

Most supplements focus on improving a particular aspect, for instance taking creatine will give you the ability to do more sets (more volume) in a workout, while taking additional protein (or illegal steroids) will help muscle recovery, and so allow for more sessions per week (more frequency at the same level of intensity and volume). Adrenaline and other hormones may promote additional intensity by stimulating the body to lift additional weight (as well as the neuro-muscular stimulations that happen when in “fight-or-flight” mode, as the body activates more muscle fibres), so getting “revved up” before a workout can increase the maximum weight lifted, one of the reasons why bodybuilders and powerlifters grunt and rev themselves and their training partners up, whether this is more psychological or physiological though is debatable, as people can often lift more weight than they think they can.

Psychology definitely plays a role in training strategy. Someone who overtrains will feel less motivated to continue than someone who is undertraining, because the overtrainer begins to dislike his or her workout; it will seem too difficult or tiring, and this may cause a cycle of overtraining followed by long layoffs, which will give poor results. The undertrainer has no such discomfort and is likely to train more consistently and find a volume, frequency and intensity that is appropriate for their goals, even if they are not necessarily maximizing their potential.

Benefits

The benefits of weight training include greater muscular strength, improved muscle tone and appearance, increased endurance, enhanced bone density, and improved cardiovascular fitness.

Many people take up weight training to improve their physical attractiveness. Most men can develop substantial muscles; most women lack the testosterone to do this, but they can develop a firm, “toned” (see below) physique, and they can increase their strength by the same proportion as that achieved by men (but usually from a significantly lower starting point).^[10]Ultimately an individual’s genetics dictate the response to weight training stimuli.

The body’s basal metabolic rate increases with increases in muscle mass, which promotes long-term fat loss and helps dieters avoid yo-yo dieting.^[11] Moreover, intense workouts elevate the metabolism for several hours following the workout, which also promotes fat loss.^[12]

Weight training also provides functional benefits. Stronger muscles improve posture, provide better support for joints, and reduce the risk of injury from everyday activities. Older people who take up weight training can prevent some of the loss of muscle tissue that normally accompanies aging—and even regain some functional strength—and by doing so become less frail.^[13] They may be able to avoid some types of physical disability. Weight-bearing exercise also helps to prevent osteoporosis. The benefits of weight training for older people have been confirmed by studies of people who began engaging in it even in their 80s and 90s.^{[citation needed]}

Stronger muscles improve performance in a variety of sports. Sport-specific training routines are used by many competitors. These often specify that the speed of muscle contraction during weight training should be the same as that of the particular sport.

When performed properly and at sufficient intensity, weight training provides an excellent stimulus to the cardiovascular system. The heartand lungs support the muscular system; as one taxes the muscles, the systems that support them are taxed. Some exercise physiologists argue that aerobics training is a better cardiovascular stimulus due to their observation of maximal oxygen uptake estimates. Central catheter monitoring during resistance training reveals increased cardiac output, thus illustrating the strength training’s potential for cardiovascular exercise.

One side-effect of general intense exercise is that it increases levels of dopamine, serotoninand norepinephrine, which can help to improve mood and counter feelings of depression.^[14]

Common concerns

Is weight training the same as bodybuilding?

Although weight training is similar to bodybuilding, they have quite different goals. Bodybuilders compete in bodybuilding competitions, so they train to maximize their muscular size and develop extremely low levels of body fat. In contrast, most weight trainers train to improve their strength and anaerobic endurance while not giving special attention to reducing body fat below normal. Weight trainers tend to focus on compound exercises to build basic strength, whereas bodybuilders often use isolation exercises to visually separate their muscles, and to improve muscular symmetry.

However, the bodybuilding community has been the source of many of weight training’s principles, techniques, vocabulary, and customs.

Is nutrition relevant for weight trainers?

Most people think of dieting in terms of weight loss, but weight trainers can also adjust their diet to improve the results from their workouts. Adequate protein is required for building skeletal muscle. Various sources advise weight trainers to consume a high protein diet with anywhere from 0.6 to 1.5 g of protein per pound of body weight per day (1.4 to 3.3 g per kg).^[15]^[16] Protein that is not needed for cell growth and repair nor consumed for energy is converted by the liver into fat, which is then stored in the body. Some people believe that a high protein diet entails risk of kidney damage, but studies have shown that kidney problems only occur in people with previous kidney disease.^[17]

A light balanced meal consumed prior to the workout (usually one to two hours beforehand) ensures that adequate energy and amino acids are available to perform the intense bout of exercise. Water is consumed throughout the course of the workout to prevent poor performance due to dehydration.^[18] A protein shake is often consumed immediately following the workout, because both protein uptake and protein usage are increased at this time.^[19] Glucose (or another simple sugar) is often consumed as well since this quickly replenishes any glycogen lost during the exercise period (see Gainer). Some weight trainers also take supplements (such as creatine) to aid muscle growth. However, the effectiveness of some products is disputed and others are potentially harmful.^{[citation needed]}

Do women who train with weights look “bulky”?

Very few women are able to develop large muscles regardless of the program they follow; they simply lack the testosterone required to achieve this.^[20] Normally the most that can be achieved is a look similar to that of a fitness model. Muscle is denser than fat, so someone who builds muscle while keeping the same body weight will look slimmer.^[21]

The results obtained by female bodybuilders are extremely atypical: they are self-selected for their genetic ability to build muscle,^{[citation needed]} perform enormous amounts of exercise, their musculature is exaggerated by very low body fat and like many male bodybuilders their results may be enhanced by anabolic steroids.^[22] Unless a woman dedicates her life to bodybuilding, she will not achieve the same results as a professional bodybuilder.

Are light, high-repetition exercises effective for “toning” muscles?

Some weight trainers perform light, high-repetition exercises in an attempt to “tone” their muscles without increasing their size. This comes from misunderstanding the meaning of the word “tone.” What most people refer to as a toned physique is one that combines reasonable muscular size with moderate levels of body fat. The use of the word “tone” in this sense is inaccurate: a more appropriate term would be “definition”.

Muscle tone is a physiologic term that refers to the constant, low-frequency contractions that occur in all muscles all the time, even at “rest”, which prepare them for future activity. This continuous slight tension in torso muscles contributes to maintaining good posture. High-repetition exercises should increase muscle size, but will not improve the latter type of muscle “tone”. Even performed as aerobic exercises they will have limited benefit, since aerobic exercise is most effective when it engages the whole body.

To define muscles requires a combination of weight training to increase muscle size and cardiovascular training to reduce bodyfat levels.

Is weight training safe for children?

Orthopaedic specialists used to recommend that children avoid weight training because the growth plates on their bones might be at risk, but recent studies have shown that this concern is unfounded. The very rare reports of growth plate fractures in children who trained with weights occurred as a result of inadequate supervision, improper form or excess weight. “Growth plate injuries have not occurred in any youth strength training study that followed established training guidelines.”^[23] The National Strength and Conditioning Association also confirms that “a properly designed and supervised resistance training programme is safe for children.”^[24]

Young children must be supervised around weight training equipment. Like adults, they may be injured if a weight is dropped, or if they perform an exercise incorrectly. Children may also forget to follow the safety guidelines, or be tempted to act irresponsibly.

Can weight training help me slim?

Yes, but not via the low weight/high repetition approach that is usually used. Five minutes of crunches will expend only a small fraction of the energy used up in five minutes of running, because the abdominal muscles are so much smaller than the leg muscles.^[25] Instead, high weight/low rep exercises can be used to maintain (and possibly even increase) the body’s muscle mass while dieting. This helps to prevent the metabolic slowdown that otherwise often limits the effect of dieting and causes post-diet weight gain.^[26]

safety

The back must be kept straight during the squat and the deadlift.

Weight training can be one of the safest forms of exercise, especially when the movements are slow, controlled, and carefully defined. However, as with any form of exercise, improper execution can result in injury. When the exercise becomes difficult towards the end of a set, there is a temptation to “cheat”, i.e. to use poor form to recruit other muscle groups to assist the effort. This may shift the effort to weaker muscles that cannot handle the weight. For example, the squat and the deadlift are used to exercise the largest muscles in the body—the leg and buttock muscles—so they require substantial weight. Beginners are tempted to round their back while performing these exercises. This causes the weaker lower back muscles to support much of the weight, which can result in serious lower back injuries. To avoid such problems, weight training exercises must be performed correctly. Hence the saying: “train, don’t strain”.

A lifting belt is sometimes worn to help support the lower back.

An exercise should be halted if marked or sudden pain is felt, to prevent further injury. However, not all discomfort indicates injury. Weight training exercises are brief but very intense, and many people are unaccustomed to this level of effort. The expression “no pain, no gain” refers to the discomfort expected from such vigorous effort. It does NOT suggest ignoring the more severe pain that comes from injury.

Discomfort can arise from other factors. Individuals who perform large numbers of repetitions, sets and exercises for each muscle group may experience lactic acid build-up in their muscles. This is experienced as a burning sensation in the muscle, but it is perfectly harmless. These individuals may also experience a swelling sensation in their muscles from increased blood flow (the “pump”), which is also harmless.

Beginners are advised to build up slowly to a weight training programme. Untrained individuals may have some muscles that are comparatively stronger than others. An injury can result if, in a particular exercise, the primary muscle is stronger than its stabilising muscles. Building up slowly allows muscles time to develop appropriate strengths relative to each other. This can also help to minimise delayed onset muscle soreness. A sudden start to an intense programme can cause significant muscular soreness. Unexercised muscles contain cross-linkages that are torn during intense exercise.

The Cross Trainer exercise machine can be used to warm up muscles in both the upper and lower body.

Weight trainers commonly spend 5 to 20 minutes warming uptheir muscles with aerobic exercise before starting a workout. They also stretch muscles after they have been exercised. The exercises are performed at a steady pace, taking at least two to four seconds to lift and lower the weight, to avoid jerks that can damage muscles and joints.

Exercises where a barbell is held above the body, such as the squat or the bench press, are normally performed inside a squat cage, which can catch the bar, or in the presence of one or more spotters, who can safely re-rack the barbell at the end of the set if the weight trainer is unable to do so.

Anyone beginning an intensive physical training programme is typically advised to consult a physician, because of possible undetected heart or other conditions for which such activity is contraindicated.

There have been mixed reviews regarding the use of weightlifting belts and other devices, such as lifting straps. Critics claim that they allow the lifter to use more weight than they should. In addition, the stabiliser muscles in the lower back and gripping muscles in the forearms receive less benefit from the exercises.

Types of exercises

Isotonic, isometric and plyometric exercises

These terms combine the prefix “iso” (meaning “same”) with “tonic” (strength) and “metric” (distance). In “isotonic” exercises the force applied to the muscle does not change (while the length of the muscle decreases or increases) while in “isometric” exercises the length of the muscle does not change.

Weight training is primarily an isotonic form of exercise, as the force produced by the muscle to push or pull weighted objects should not change (though in practice the force produced does decrease as muscles fatigue). Any object can be used for weight training, but dumbbells, barbellsand other specialised equipment are normally used because they can be adjusted to specific weights and are easily gripped. Many exercises are not strictly isotonic because the force on the muscle varies as the joint moves through its range of motion. Movements can become easier or harder depending on the angle of muscular force relative to gravity – in example, a standard bicep curl becomes easier as the hand approaches the shoulderas more of the load is taken by the structure of the elbow. Certain machines such as the Nautilis involve special adaptations to keep resistance constant irrespective of the joint angle.

Some forms of weight training use isometric contractions to further stress the muscles after or during a period of isotonic exercise. In this case the muscles flex and hold a stationary position, and no movement of a load takes place. Often this is used to increase muscular strength at specific joint angles, to get over ‘sticking points’ in an exercise.

Plyometric exercisesexploits the stretch-shortening cycle of muscles to enhance the myotatic (stretch) reflex. This involves rapid alternation of lengthening and shortening of muscle fibers against a resistance. The resistance involved is often a weighted object such as a medicine ball, but can also be the body itself as in jumping exercises. Plyometrics is used to develop explosive speed, and focuses on maximal power instead of maximal strength by compressing the force of muscular contraction into as short a period as possible, and may be used to improve the effectiveness of a boxer’s punch, or to increase the vertical jumping ability of a basketball player.

Isolation exercises versus compound exercises

The leg extension is an isolation exercise.

An isolation exercise is one where the movement is restricted to one joint and one muscle group. For example, the leg extension is an isolation exercise for the quadriceps. The other muscle groups are only minimally involved—they just help the individual maintain a stable posture—and movement occurs only around the knee joint.

Compound exercises work several muscle groups at once, and include movement around two or more joints. For example, in the leg pressmovement occurs around the hip, knee and ankle joints. This exercise is primarily used to develop the quadriceps, but it also involves the hamstrings, glutes and calves.

Compound exercises are generally similar to the ways that people naturally push, pull and lift objects, whereas isolation exercises often feel a little unnatural.

The leg press is a compound exercise.

Each type of exercise has its uses. Compound exercises build the basic strength that is needed to perform everyday pushing, pulling and lifting activities. Isolation exercises are useful for “rounding out” a routine, by directly exercising muscle groups that cannot be fully exercised in the compound exercises.

The type of exercise performed also depends on the individual’s goals. Those who seek to increase their performance in sports would focus mostly on compound exercises, with isolation exercises being used to strengthen just those muscles that are holding the athlete back. Similarly, a powerlifterwould focus on the specific compound exercises that are performed at powerlifting competitions. However, those who seek to improve the look of their body without necessarily maximising their strength gains (including bodybuilders) would put more of an emphasis on isolation exercises.

Free weights versus exercise machines

Swiss balls allow a wider range of free weight exercises to be performed. They are also known as exercise balls, gym balls, sports balls, therapy balls, medicine balls or body balls.

Free weights are dumbbellsand barbells. Unlike exercise machines, they do not constrain users to specific, fixed movements, and therefore require more effort from the individual’s stabilizer muscles. It is often argued that free weight exercises are superior for precisely this reason. As exercise machines can go some way toward preventing poor form, they are somewhat safer than free weights for novice trainees. Moreover, since users need not concentrate so much on maintaining good form, they can focus more on the effort they are putting into the exercise. However, most athletes, bodybuilders and serious fitnessenthusiasts prefer to use compound free weight exercises to gain functional strength.

The weight stack from a Cable machine.

Some free weight exercises can be performed while sitting or lying on a Swiss ball. This makes it more difficult to maintain good form, which helps to exercise the deep torso muscles that are important for maintaining a good posture.

There are a number of exercise machines that are commonly found in neighbourhood gyms. The Smith machine is a barbell that is constrained to move only vertically upwards and downwards. The cable machine consists of two weight stacks separated by 2.5 metres, with cables running through adjustable pulleys (that can be fixed at any height) to various types of handles. There are also exercise-specific weight machines such as the leg press. A multigym includes a variety of exercise-specific mechanisms in one apparatus.

One limitation of many free weight exercises and exercise machines is that the muscle is working maximally against gravity during only a small portion of the lift. Some exercise-specific machines feature an oval cam (first introduced by Nautilus) which varies the resistance so that the resistance, and the muscle force required, remains constant throughout the full range of motion of the exercise.

Aerobic exercise versus anaerobic exercise

Strength training exercise is primarily anaerobic.^[27]Even while training at a lower intensity (training loads of ~20-RM), anaerobic glycolysis is still the major source of power, although aerobic metabolism makes a small contribution.^[28] Weight training is commonly perceived as anaerobic exercise, because one of the more common goals is to increase strength by lifting heavy weights. Other goals such as rehabilitation, weight loss, body shaping, and bodybuilding often use lower weights, adding aerobic character to the exercise.

Except in the extremes, a muscle will fire fibres of both the aerobic or anaerobic types on any given exercise, in varying ratio depending on the load on the intensity of the contraction.<refname= kraemer> This is known as the energy system continuum. At higher loads, the muscle will recruit all muscle fibres possible, both anaerobic (“fast-twitch”) and aerobic (“slow-twitch”), in order to generate the most force. However, at maximum load, the anaerobic processes contract so forcefully that the aerobic fibers are completely shut out, and all work is done by the anaerobic processes. Because the anaerobic muscle fibre uses its fuel faster than the blood and intracellular restorative cycles can resupply it, the maximum number of repetitions is limited.^[29] In the aerobic regime, the blood and intracellular processes can maintain a supply of fuel and oxygen, and continual repetition of the motion will not cause the muscle to fail.

Circuit weight training is a form of exercise that uses a number of weight training exercise sets separated by short intervals. The cardiovascular effort to recover from each set serves a function similar to an aerobic exercise, but this is not the same as saying that a weight training set is itself an aerobic process.

Exercises for specific muscle groups

Main article: Weight training exercises

The back extension should be left to the end of the workout, because in other exercises the lower back muscles are used to keep the back straight. This is not possible if the muscles have already been exercised and exhausted.

Weight trainers commonly divide the body’s individual muscles into ten major muscle groups. These do not include the hip, neckand forearm muscles, which are rarely trained in isolation. The most common exercises for these muscle groups are listed below. (Videos of these and other exercises are available at exrx.net and from the University of Wisconsin.) The sequence shown below is one possible way to order the exercises. The large muscles of the lower body are normally trained before the smaller muscles of the upper body, because these first exercises require more mental and physical energy. The core muscles of the torso are trained before the shoulderand arm muscles that assist them. Exercises often alternate between “pushing” and “pulling” movements to allow their specific supporting muscles time to recover. The stabilising muscles in the waist should be trained last.

Lower body1. Quadriceps (front of legs)Compound exercises for the quadriceps also involve the glutes (buttocks), hamstrings and calves.

squat (compound)
leg press (compound)
deadlift (compound)
lunge (compound)
leg extension (isolation)

2. Hamstrings (back of legs)

leg curl (isolation)

3. Calves

standing calf raise (isolation)
seated calf raise (isolation)

Upper body4. Pectorals (chest)Compound exercises for the pectorals also involve the triceps and front deltoids.

bench press (compound)
pullover (compound)
flye (isolation)

5. Lats (upper back)

Compound exercises for the lats also involve the biceps and rear deltoids.

pulldown (compound)
bent-over row (compound)

6. Deltoidsand Trapezius (shoulders)

Compound exercises for the shoulders also involve the arm muscles.

upright row (compound)
shoulder press (compound)
lateral raise (isolation)
shoulder shrug (isolation)

Arms7. Triceps (back of arms)

parallel bar dip (compound)
pushdown (isolation)
triceps extension (isolation)

8. Biceps (front of arms)

biceps curl (isolation)

Waist

9. Abdominals (belly)

Compound exercises for the abdominals also involve the hip flexors.

leg raise (compound)
crunch (isolation)

10. Lower back

Some compound exercises for the legs also involve the lower back.

back extension (isolation)
good-morning (compound)
deadlift (compound)

Advanced techniques

A number of techniques have been developed to make weight training exercises more intense, and thereby potentially increase the rate of progress:

Set structure

Drop sets: Drop sets do not end at the point of momentary muscular failure, but continue with progressively lighter weights.

Pyramid sets: In a pyramid the weight is first increased, and then decreased over a series of sets. A full pyramid typically includes five sets of approximately 12, 10, 8, 10 and 12 reps. The first two sets are performed with light to medium weights to warm up the muscles. The middle set is the work set, and uses the heaviest weight possible. The last two sets are drop sets, and further fatigue the muscle with progressively lighter weights. This technique provides a combination of volume and intensity, and is therefore popular with bodybuilders. However, the full pyramid may be too much for a beginner to handle, so it is only recommended for experienced trainers.

Burnouts: Burnouts combine pyramids and drop sets, working up to higher weights with low reps and then back down to lower weights and high reps.

Diminishing set: The diminishing set method is where a weight is chosen that can be lifted for 20 reps in one set, and then 70 repetitions are performed in as few sets as possible.^[30]

Rest-pause (heavy singles): Rest-pause heavy singles are performed at or near 1RM, with ten to twenty seconds of rest between each lift.^[31] The lift is repeated six to eight times. It is generally recommended to use this method infrequently.

Combined sets

Supersets: Supersets combine two or more exercises with similar motions to maximize the amount of work of an individual muscle or group of muscles. The exercises are performed with no rest period between the exercises. An example would be doing bench press, which predominantly works the pectoralis and triceps muscles, and then moving to an exercise that works just the triceps such as the triceps extension or the pushdown.

Push-pull supersets: Push-pull supersets are similar to regular supersets, but exercises are chosen which work opposing muscle groups. This is especially popular when applied to arm exercises, for example by combining biceps curls with the triceps pushdown. Other examples include the shoulder press and lat pulldown combination, and the bench press and wide grip row combination.

Pre-exhaustion: Pre-exhaustion combines an isolation exercise with a compound exercise for the same muscle group. The isolation exercise first exhausts the muscle group, and then the compound exercise uses the muscle group’s supporting muscles to push it further than would otherwise be possible. For example, the triceps muscles normally help the pectorals perform their function. But in the “bench press” the weaker triceps often fails first, which limits the impact on the pectorals. By preceding the bench press with the pec flye, the pectorals can be pre-exhausted so that both muscles fail at the same time, and both benefit equally from the exercise.

Breakdowns: Breakdowns were developed by Fred Hatfieldand Mike Quinn to work the different types of muscle fibersfor maximum stimulation. Three different exercises that work the same muscle group are selected, and used for a superset. The first exercise uses a heavy weight (~85% of 1 rep max) for around five reps, the second a medium weight (~70% of 1 rep max) for around twelve reps, and finally the third exercise is performed with a light weight (~50% of 1 rep max) for twenty to thirty reps, or even lighter (~40% of 1 rep max) for forty or more reps. (Going to failureis discouraged.) The entire superset is performed three times.^[32]

Beyond failure

Forced reps: Forced reps occur after momentary muscular failure. An assistant provides just enough help to get the weight trainer past the sticking point of the exercise, and allow further repetitions to be completed. Weight trainers often do this when they are spotting their exercise partner. With some exercises forced reps can be done without a training partner. For example, with one-arm biceps curls the other arm can be used to assist the arm that is being trained.

Cheat reps: Cheating is a deliberate compromise of form in order to achieve further reps. Cheating has the advantage that it can be done without a training partner, unlike forced reps.

Rest-pause (post-failure): After a normal set of 6-8 reps (to failure), the weight is re-racked and the trainer takes 10-15 deep breaths, and then performs one more repetition. This process can be repeat for two further repetitions. The twenty-rep squat is another, similar approach, in that it follows a 12-15 rep set of squats with individual rest-pause reps, up to a total of 20 reps.^[33]

Negative reps: Negatives are performed with much heavier weights. Assistants lift the weight, and then the weight trainer attempts to resist its downward progress. Alternatively, an individual can use an exercise machine for negatives by lifting the weight with both arms or legs, and then lowering it with only one. Or they can simply lower weights more slowly than they lift them: for example, by taking two seconds to lift each weight and four seconds to lower it.

Partial reps: Partial reps, as the name implies, involves movement through only part of the normal path of an exercise. Partial reps can be performed with heavier weights. Usually, only the easiest part of the repetition is attempted.

Burns: Burns involve mixing partial reps into a set of full range reps in order to increase intensity. The partials can be performed at any part of the exercise movement, depending on what works best for the particular exercise.^[34] Also, the partials can either be added after the end of a set or in some alternating fashion with the full range reps.^[35] For example, after performing a set of biceps curls to failure, an individual would cheat the bar back to the most contracted position, and then perform several partial reps.

X-reps: X-reps are a variation of burns, but X-reps always occur after momentary muscular failure. After the last full repetition, an isometric contraction at the point of maximum force is combined with a series of small pulsing movements to further stress the muscles.^{[citation needed]} However, in a 1997 article Steve Holman states that “X-Rep training is simply placing a muscle in its completely contracted position, or close to it, against resistance and holding it there until the muscle can no longer contract. Once you achieve fatigue overload, you slowly lower the weight through the eccentric range of motion, and the set is complete.”^[36]

Other techniques

Super slow: Super slow repetitions are performed with lighter weights. The lifting and lowering phases of each repetition take 10 seconds or more.

Timed rests: By strictly controlling the rest periods between reps and sets a trainer can reduce their level of blood oxygenation, which helps to increase the stress on the muscles.

Using a wrist strap.

Wrist straps: Wrist straps (lifting straps) are sometimes used to assist in gripping very heavy weights. They are particularly useful for the deadlift. Some lifters, however, avoid using wrist straps in order to develop their grip strength. Wrist straps can allow a lifter initially to use more weight than they might be able to handle safely for an entire set. They can also place potentially harmful stress on the bones of the wrist. Instead, wrist curls and reverse wrist curls can be done to improve grip strength.

Bibliography

Many of the most useful books about weight training contain the word “bodybuilding” in the title, but they should not be overlooked just for this reason. Weight trainers who are not interested in bodybuilding can ignore the material devoted to contest preparation, and still obtain much valuable information.

Darden, Ellington (2004). The New High Intensity Training.Rodale Books. ISBN 1-59486-000-9.
Delavier, Frederic (2001). Strength Training Anatomy. Human Kinetics Publishers. ISBN 0-7360-4185-0.
DeLee, J. MD and Drez, D. MD, Eds. (2003). DeLee & Drez’s Orthopaedic Sports Medicine; Principles and Practice (vols 1 & 2). ISBN 0-7216-8845-4.
Hatfield, Frederick (1993). Hardcore Bodybuilding: A Scientific Approach.McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-8092-3728-8.
Kennedy, Robert and Ross, Don (1988). Muscleblasting! Brief and Brutal Shock Training. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN 0-8069-6758-7
Kennedy, Robert and Weis, Dennis (1986), Mass!, New Scientific Bodybuilding Secrets, Contemporary Books, ISBN 0-8092-4940-5
Lombardi, V. Patteson (1989). Beginning Weight Training. Wm. C. Brown Publishers. ISBN 0-697-10696-9.
Pearl, Bill (2001). Getting Stronger: Weight Training for Men and Women. Shelter Publications. ISBN 0-936070-24-2.
Powers, Scott and Howley, Edward (2003), Exercise Physiology.McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-07-255728-1.
Schoenfeld, Brad (2002). Sculpting Her Body Perfect. Human Kinetics Publishers. ISBN 0-7360-4469-8.
Schwarzenegger, Arnold (1999). The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-85721-9.

Footnotes

^ Todd, Jan (1995). From Milo to Milo: A History of Barbells, Dumbells, and Indian Clubs. Iron Game History (Vol.3, No.6).
^ MSNBC article on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on the prevalence of strength training
^ ^a ^bFeigenbaum, Matthew S. and Pollock, Michael L. (1997). Strength Training: Rationale for Current Guidelines for Adult Fitness Programs.The Physician and Sportsmedicine.
^Laskowski, Edward R. (2004). Strength training: How many sets for best results?MayoClinic.com.
^Kraemer, William J. (2003). Strength Training Basics: Designing Workouts to Meet Patients’ Goals.The Physician and Sportsmedicine.
^Brooks, G.A, Fahey, T.D. & White, T.P. (1996). Exercise Physiology: Human Bioenergetics and Its Applications. (2nd ed.). Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing Co.
^Stoppani, Jim (2004). Fail—to be strong. Muscle & Fitness (Oct 2004).
^ Anderson, Owen (??). Recovery Time: To train well, you must find the right balance between hard work and recovery. Peak Performance.
^Berardi, John M. (2002). Muscle recovery. Energy Fitness (Dec 2002).
^ Women’s Weight Training from Stumpuous.com
^ The Metabolism Myth
^ [http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbme/v10n2/en_a06v10n2.pdfde Mello Meirelles, C. & Gomes, P.S.C. (2004). Acute effects of resistance exercise on energy expenditure: revisiting the impact of the training variables. Rev Bras Med Esporte, 10(2), 131-138.
^ Strength training benefits for women
^ An in-depth report on the benefits and types of exercise from About.com
^ Article on protein intake and bodybuilding
^ Kleiner, S.M. (1997). Nutrition for muscle builders. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 25(8), n.p.
^ Article on high protein diet and kidney function
^ Hydration 101: Don’t Tempt Fate, Hydrate!
^ Nutrition and protein synthesis
^ Strength Training for Women
^ Ebben, W.P. & Jensen, R.L. (1998). Strength training for women: Debunking myths that block opportunity. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 26(5), n.p.
^ WebMD article on use of steroids by female bodybuilders
^ Strength training and your child from kidshealth.org
^ NSCA position statement on youth resistance training
^ Stamford, B. (1997). The right way to do sit-ups. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 25(6), n.p.
^ [http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2003/1103/anderson.htmAndersen, R.E. & Jakicic, J.M. (2003). Physical activity and weight management: Building the case for exercise. The Physicial and Sportsmedicine, 31(9), n.p.]
^ Kraemer, W.J. (2003). Strength training basics: Designing workouts to meet patients’ goals. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 31(8), n.p.
^ Knuttgen, H.G. (2003). What is exercise? A primer for practitioners. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 31(3), n.p.
^ Griner, T. (2000). Muscle metabolism: Aerobic vs. Anaerobic. Dynamic Chiropractic, 18(7) retrieved October 16th, 2006
^Kennedy, Robert and Ross, Don (1988). Muscleblasting! Brief and Brutal Shock Training. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., p. 17
^ [http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/328/ Kennedy, Robert (1983). Beef It! Upping the Muscle Mass, Advanced Nutrition, Shock-training Strategies. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., p. 31
^Kennedy, Robert and Ross, Don (1988). Muscleblasting! Brief and Brutal Shock Training. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., pp. 16-17
^ Rest-pause method of body-building
^ Pushing Past Muscle Failure With Burns
^Kennedy, Robert and Weis, Dennis (1986), Mass!, New Scientific Bodybuilding Secrets, Contemporary Books
^ X-Rep Static Contraction Training

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weight_training“

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | Bodybuilding | Exercise physiology | Exercise | Weight training

November 26, 2006 Posted by ottawaweightlifter | Blogroll | Leave a Comment

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November 25, 2006 Posted by ottawaweightlifter | Blogroll | Leave a Comment

‘Tri’ To Get Bigger Arms

‘Tri’ To Get Bigger Arms

Raphael Calzadilla, BA, CPT, ACE
eDiets Chief Fitness Pro

When someone wants to get bigger, more muscular arms, they always seem to ask me what the best biceps exercises are. Ironically, the largest part of the upper arm is the triceps. If you’re seeking muscular triceps, allocate a few more sets for triceps than biceps. Triceps are a beautifully-shaped muscle when well developed. However, exercise selection and elbow positioning is vital for maximum development.The bicep is made up of only two areas (also referred to as heads), while the triceps are composed of three heads. Obviously, one should strive for balance of all muscle groups. However, if your biceps are a weaker muscle group, but the triceps are well developed, the arm still looks spectacular.The same can’t be said for the reverse. From an anatomy standpoint, the three heads of the triceps are known as the lateral, medial and long. The lateral head is located on the outer side of the arm; the medial is located toward the midline of the body and the long head, which is the largest of the three heads, along the bottom portion of the triceps.

The primary function of the triceps is to extend the elbow (straightening the arm). Its secondary function is to bring the arm down towards the body (adduction).

I’m going to focus on a seldom-used, but extremely effective, triceps movement called the Barbell Close Grip Triceps Press. It’s a difficult movement and must be executed with precision and excellent form.

Properly performed and with sufficient overload, it helps develop the entire triceps, particularly the lateral head. The lateral head will help your triceps appear popped out on the outer side of the arm, creating an appealing and dramatic visual effect.

Many trainers don’t teach this movement. Instead, they focus on pushdowns, dumbbell kick backs and extensions. If you want to make great progress with your triceps then the Close Grip Triceps Press is for you. One of the benefits is that it will help increase the weight you are able to use on your bench press and shoulder press. I figured you’d like that!

Below is a description of the technique. Please pay close attention to my recommended hand grip and elbow positioning.

BARBELL CLOSE GRIP TRICEPS PRESS

Lie on a flat bench with your spine in a neutral position.

Grab the barbell with your hands gripped approximately 10-12 inches apart. Many times, I see trainees with their hands much too close together when performing this movement.

Lower the bar, stopping just short of the barbell touching the chest. The bar should descend to the lower part of the chest. The elbows should be slightly flared away from the body. This elbow positioning will help place overload on the lateral head.

Contracting the triceps muscles, press the barbell upward above the chest until the arms are fully extended with a slight bend in the elbows. You will get some indirect chest and shoulder work with this movement, but you must focus all your attention on contracting the triceps.

Exhale while lifting the weight.

Inhale while returning to the starting position. Never underestimate the importance of proper breathing. It will help you push out a few additional reps.

Unless you are adept at this movement already, I recommend beginning with a very light weight to become comfortable with the mechanics of the movement. When you start to increase to heavier weight, I also highly recommend a spotter for safety.Combine the Close Grip Triceps Press with a few sets of intense pushdowns, and your triceps will be ripping out of your sleeves! Remember, when people ask how you got your arms to look so awesome, send them over to eFitness.com.

November 19, 2006 Posted by ottawaweightlifter | Blogroll, weightlifting, weightlifting articles | Leave a Comment

abs

Your Best Abs Yet: Awesome 8-Point Plan

By Raphael Calzadilla, eDiets.com Chief Fitness Pro

I’ve never seen anyone not give a double take to a man or woman who has the ever-elusive washboard abs. Awe-inspiring rippled abs signify an extreme level of conditioning — plus a pretty good-looking bod.Everyone always talks about getting six-pack abs, but in reality, it’s an eight-pack.

Internationally acclaimed research scientist Michael Colgan provides the following description of the eight-pack from his book, The New Power Program:

“The eight-pack is a long, thin muscle whose fibers run vertically down the body from the breastbone and fifth, sixth and seventh ribs to the top of the pubic bone. The eight sought-after bumps poke out through a grid of flat tendons that run down the center and across the muscle at intervals.”

You don’t really care, do you? C’mon, be honest. You just want to know how to get them, don’t you?

You’ve come to the right place, but you might not love the answer.

If you think 100 or 1,000 abdominal crunches per day will give you an eight-pack, then you really need to read this.

Here’s how it’s done:
1. NUTRITION: This is the most important component to achieving great abs. Nothing is more important than food.

First, you’ll need to control blood sugar levels in order to lose body fat. This is best accomplished by consuming five to six meals per day. Don’t mistake the definition of a meal for a six-course extravaganza. A meal might be an egg white omelet (with vegetables) and oatmeal with some blueberries in it, chicken with one-half cup of rice and a large salad with some oil and vinegar, an apple with a scoop of protein powder or cottage cheese with some fruit.

Get the picture? I’m referring to them as meals, but they’re actually feedings. Each of the meals is comprised of protein, a little carbohydrate and a little fat. In some cases, the fat is built into the protein. In other cases, it’s added to the meal. For eDiets members, this is already accomplished in your meal plan.

2. RATIOS: It’s unlikely that you’ll get tight abs and a flat stomach by consuming 80 percent of your calories from carbohydrates. Ratios can vary quite a bit, but consuming more than 55 percent of your calories from carbohydrates is not optimal for fat loss. Many people do quite well on extremely low-carbohydrate plans, while others succeed on more moderate plans. As long as you follow the no more than 55 percent of calories from carbohydrate rule, you’ll be at a good starting point.

3. TIMING: I realize four to six meals sounds like a lot, but you must keep in mind that the body always seeks to store body fat. It (the body) doesn’t care if you want to lose fat. In fact, your body would prefer to keep fat in order to accomplish its number-one goal of keeping you alive in case of future famine or drought.

4. CALORIES: I’ve received e-mails from people telling me that they‘re perfect with their nutrition, ratios and timing, but they still can’t lose body fat. In every case, they’re still consuming too many calories. It doesn’t matter how healthful your nutrition program is if you’re eating too much.

It’s important that you determine maintenance calories first. Maintenance represents the amount of food you consume without any change in your weight. This will take some experimentation and some effort. You’ll also need to document your foods — total calories as well as grams of protein, carbohydrates and fats.

5. SLIGHT CALORIC DEFICIT: After you’ve determined maintenance, simply reduce your calories by 200. Our goal is to have you eating as much as possible and still losing fat and retaining muscle. I don’t want you eating as little as possible (thereby slowing the metabolism and losing valuable muscle tissue). The first week, you may lose four to six pounds of water. After the first week, you should only lose about one and a half pounds per week. The goal is to preserve muscle and make your body a metabolic inferno. If you’re not losing up to one and a half pounds per week (it will fluctuate week to week), then reduce calories by another 100. Then, monitor your progress after one week. You’ll probably be right on track.

6. CONSISTENCY: You’ll need to be on this nutrition program six days a week with one day being somewhat of a time to cheat. Unlike many, I’m not a big fan of the “cheat” day. I find that people tend to use it as an excuse to gorge themselves.

So on Sunday for example, you’re allowed to have some pizza and a bit of ice cream, but nothing extreme! When you pig out, blood sugar levels can be elevated for seven hours or more. This will absolutely halt your body fat loss.

7. WEIGHT TRAINING: At this point, you should be aware of the importance of resistance training. Just three to four workout sessions that last no more than 35 minutes to an hour will do the trick. For every pound of muscle on your body, you’ll burn 30 to 50 additional calories per day.

Part of your program should include abdominal exercises to strengthen and build the upper and lower abdominal region. This way, when you achieve your low body fat level, your abs will be tight and visible.

8. CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE: Perform moderate cardio exercise three to five days per week for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. During two of the days, you can exercise at a higher intensity level to accelerate fat loss, but only if you reach a sticking point. If you’re a beginner, then remember to increase exercise gradually.

Do this consistently; keep adjusting calories slightly; and change your routine every three to four weeks.

Want to bypass this formula and start losing fat sooner rather than later? Join eDiets and let us do all the work for you. We’ll structure a comprehensive diet and fitness solution that has you on your way to eight-pack abs.

As always, check with your doctor prior to beginning any exersise program

November 19, 2006 Posted by ottawaweightlifter | Blogroll, weightlifting articles | Leave a Comment

working with out weights

Freehand Your Way to Fitness
By: Randy Herring

Freehand exercises have a tonic effect on the muscles and internal organs. They tone up the circulatory system and are beneficial in safeguarding the general health of the body. Advanced freehand exercises shape and muscularize the body. While living overseas, particularly in Japan, I used freehand exercises so I could maintain my health and strength when a gym and resistance free-weight or machine exercises were inaccessible.

Freehand exercises consist of push-ups, dips between chairs, dips on a bench, rowing between chairs, rope climbs (if there is a gymnasium accessible!), pull-ups, knee bends, one-leg squats or stationary lunges, sprinting, race-walking, lying leg curls, one-leg and two-leg calf raises, and perhaps the most challenging: handstand push-ups. Most of these exercises can be done in your home or hotel room when you are out of town. There is never an excuse not to exercise or “tone up!”

Push-Ups – Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

This exercise is excellent for the chest, delts, and triceps. Place hands shoulder width apart. Keep the body perfectly aligned. Lower your body to the floor, allowing your chest (stomach for some of you!) to touch. Come back up but do not lock your elbows to maintain tension. Push steadily, like a piston. Do a total of 50-100 reps with as many sets as it takes you to do those total reps.

To emphasize the upper chest, elevate your feet on some furniture. You can do push-ups between chairs (three chairs) so long as you DO NOT go down too far to dangerously hyper extending the shoulder joint and suffer an injury as a consequence of moving beyond the proper and safe range-of-motion. To emphasize your triceps, place your hands narrower than shoulder width (with toes on floor, not elevated) keeping your elbows in tight against the body.

Dips Between Chairs Or On A Bench – Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Take two chairs that are strong enough to hold your body weight and place them approximately shoulder width apart, back-to-back, and backs parallel. Take hold of the chairs, bend your legs at the knees, stabilize yourself, dip down to where the upper arms are parallel to the floor and then back up between the chairs. Like push-ups do not lockout your elbows. Leaning forward stresses both the deltoid and chest and remaining as straight as possible stress the triceps. Beginners and Intermediates do a total of 20-30. Advanced bodybuilders do 50 reps.

If dips between chairs is difficult, dips on a bench, chair, table or some piece of furniture would be suitable. Place both hands (palms) on the furniture with your fingers facing away and hanging over the edge. Place the feet of your heels on another piece of furniture so the whole body is elevated and legs parallel to floor.

Keep the upper body upright (vertical to the floor) and legs straight or slightly bent. Now dip down so your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Press up to start position but do not lockout. If this is too challenging, you can perform these with your heels on the floor and legs straight. If this is far too challenging, you can move your feet closer and place them flat on the floor while keeping your legs vertical and thighs parallel to the floor.

Handstand Push-Ups – Shoulders and Triceps

This is an advanced freehand exercise for those who have strong delts and triceps because you will be using the resistance of your own body weight and 100 percent gravity! I experimented with this one while overseas starting with half reps to three quarter reps, and finally full reps when I got stronger.

Place your hands about 3-5 inches from the wall and wider than shoulder width. You might experiment with hand placement, such as hands flat and fingers facing the wall, rotating the elbows out so the thumbs are facing the wall (fingers away from body), a clenched fist with knuckles on floor, etc. when positioning yourself to do a handstand against the wall to stabilize the wrist.

Balance and stabilize your body while upside down (head down and feet up) against the wall by keeping your back arched. Slowly lower yourself as far as you can and back up again. Do a maximum of 20 reps for a start by doing quarter reps, then half reps, then three quarter reps and finally full reps. And you thought pull-ups were tough!

Rowing Between Chairs – Back, Rear Shoulders, Biceps

This was my first foundation exercise I did for my back when I didn’t have any weight equipment. Place two chairs about 5 feet apart and put a broomstick across the backs of the chairs. Lie on the floor in a prone position between the chairs and grip the broomstick with an underhand grip. Keep your heels on the floor and body straight like a stick. Pull yourself up and let yourself slowly down again. Hold your body absolutely straight when doing these, as with push-ups. Do 20-50 total reps.

If you don’t have two chairs and a broomstick do some pull-ups on a bar elevated above the ground using either an overhand or underhand grip. If this is not accessible you can do these with an overhand grip on a concrete or stone wall underpass. This is what I used while in Israel for a few months in 1994! Now pull your body weight up! Rope climbs are excellent! If a gymnasium is near you and has a rope hanging from the ceiling (kids use them for physical education class or just to play around with) you can use it – without the help of your legs!

Squats – Thighs

Place your feet flat on the floor 12-15 inches apart. Place a chair in front of you. Take hold of the chair to maintain balance. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then raise yourself slowly up again pushing up off the heels, not your toes. Keep your body upright and back as straight as possible. Do at least 50 total reps.

You can also do stationary lunges. Place one leg forward and the other leg back using your toes for balance and stability. Place your hands on your hips. While keeping your body upright and back straight lunge forward until your forward leg is parallel to the floor. Push up off the heel (the one forward) keeping your body upright to start position.

Sprinting, Racewalking, Lying Leg Curls – Hamstrings

Sprinting is high-intensity short bursts of energy and stresses the hamstrings. When I lived in Japan a track and field was nearby so I did some sprinting for the hams at night after work. Simply run as fast as you can for a short distance! Get into the habit of timing yourself to make this exercise is challenging and progressive. The best alternative to sprinting but less intense is race-walking.

If both of these hamstring exercises are inaccessible for the outdoors then try weighted lying leg curls. Take a plastic bag, backpack or something and weight it down with books or other stuff. Lie face down on a table or bed and place the bag over your feet and press them together to hold the sack in place. Or you can hook the strap around your feet with the bag or backpack dangling. This is your resistance performing standard lying leg curls.

One Leg Calf Raises – Calves

You can do this exercise on stairs, a book, a coffee table or anything that elevates the foot off the floor. Use a chair, a wall or whatever to balance yourself while standing on one leg. Place one leg of your toes on the edge of the stairs, book or table. Keep this leg slightly bent. Lower the your heel by bending the toes to the floor slightly below parallel and then pop back up on your toes. This develops the whole calf muscle. Do at least 50 reps. Add resistance by placing a book or a weighty object in your other hand if you need to. Perform two-leg calf raises after your pre-exhausting reps with one-leg.

If you want to intensify this exercise with one leg do it very slowly. Push up, hold/squeeze for 20-30 seconds, lower slowly and then doing it again. You may get fewer reps but it does work the muscle intensely. Do at least 25 reps this way.

November 19, 2006 Posted by ottawaweightlifter | Blogroll, weightlifting articles | Leave a Comment

fore arms

Anatomy of Forearm Training

By: Glen Danbury

Are you the kind of person to just do wrist extensions and wrist curls and yet you still wonder why your forearms are like twigs with a few veins? The most common mistake within forearm training is thinking that the musculature of the forearms is only responsible for wrist flexion (curling) and extension. As you will see from this article a large and varied number of muscles make up the forearm, which all have differing actions and if you don’t include at least some of these movements into your training you will greatly decrease the potential of your forearm growth.

The Usual Suspects

Most people instantly think of wrist curls or wrist extensions when someone mentions forearm training and for good reason, as a large amount of the forearm musculature works during wrist flexion (palm coming towards your forearm) or extension (back of the hand coming towards the forearm).

During the wrist curl three major forearm muscles work – the flexor carpi radialis, the flexor carpi ulnaris and the palmaris longus. All of these muscles originate from the medial epicondyle of the humerus (the bonny lump on the inside of your elbow) and insert down just past the wrist.

To perform the wrist curl position yourself beside a bench so that you can lay your forearms across it with your hands just of the edge and your palms facing the ceiling. Take a barbell in your hands and allow your wrists to bend down towards the floor, pause for a second then bring your hands up until there is nearly a right angle formed between your forearm and hands. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Wrist extensions work the extensor carpi radialis longus, the extensor carpi brevis and the extensor carpi ulnaris, which all originate from around the lateral epicondyle of the humerus (the bonny lump on the outside of your elbow) and insert into the metacarpals (bones in your hands). To perform the wrist extension, adopt the same position as the wrist curl but have the palms facing down. Once again allow the wrists to bend so that the knuckles end up pointing at the ground then bring your hand back up so your knuckles are pointing towards the ceiling.

Get A Grip

Most people think that most of the actions generated by the hand and fingers are caused by muscles within the hands, yet a large amount of the muscles are actually located within the forearms. This allows the hands their strength whilst also not interfering with the range of motion of all your digits. At this point your probably thinking that most of the muscles will get plenty of work during your pulling motions and you would be partially right, but if you only do minimal grip work you will miss out on serious potential growth of your forearms.

Most authorities on grip strength classify it within three broad terms – crushing, gripping and pinching and it would be wise to train all three types of strength for maximum development. Most people train their gripping strength within the gym when they do pulling movements (i.e. rowing, deadlifting etc). This is do to with gripping strength being defined as the ability to hold onto a weight (a form of isometric strength), yet we know from various studies that strength gains only appear within the range of motion (ROM) that we train in (give fifteen degrees either way). Considering this it would seem prudent to include some thick grip work (thick bar) and some thin grip work (strap holds) to train grip strength throughout the hands range of motion.

During grip work the muscles used are the flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor digitorum profondus and the flexor policus longus, which all originate in up between the elbow and the upper portions of the forearm bones (ulna and radius) and insert down into the thumb or fingers (phalanges), so as you can see they add size to the bulk of the forearm.

To perform thick bar holds wrap a towel tightly around a weighted barbell and deadlift into position. Hold the bar tightly for a given time period and use a weight so your grip starts to fail towards the end (it is sensible to do this exercise in a power rack so that when your grip gives out you don’t damage yourself or anybody else). Alternatively you could do your entire regular pulling motions with a thick grip.

On the other end of the spectrum you have thin grip training (strap holds) and you will need a pair of lifting straps. Get hold of either dumbells or a barbell and loop the end that usually goes around your wrist around the barbell or dumbell handles, so that you have a tail effect coming off of the dumbells/barbell. Take hold of the tail and stand up gripping the straps tightly and making sure they do not slip through your fingers and again hold for a timed period. For an alternative to doing standing holds you could perform farmers walks using these types of grips, in which you walk with a set of dumbells for as set distance.

To work crushing strength you will need some form of gripping machine or a set of hand grippers (a good hardcore set is the captain of crush set that can go up to several hundred pounds of pressure). Crushing strength can be defined as the strength required to close your hand against a resistance, so that the fingers work concentrically (positive/closing of the hand) and eccentrically (negative/resisting opening of the hand) against the resistance.

A cheap alternative to grippers is a squash ball, which you can squash in your hand, although the resistance would only be adequate for muscular endurance work. Pinching strength occurs when a resistance has to be held just between the thumb and fingers, this shifts the workload more on to the flexor pollicus longus and the flexor digitorum profundus. To perform pinch gripping effectively you will need to put two smaller plates together so that both sides are flat. Take hold of both plates between your thumb and fingers, once again timed holds work well.

Symmetry of the Hands

You wouldn’t train your biceps and not your triceps (at least I hope you wouldn’t) and the same could be said for the musculature of the forearms. Whilst the next exercise won’t add anything during a symmetry round, it is vitally important for balancing the strength of opposing muscles within the forearm and hand which will prevent potential problems arising (i.e. elbow problems associated with the flexor muscles being too strong compared with the extensors).

Finger extension exercises work the extensor digitorum, extensor pollicus brevis, the extensor indices and the extensor digiti minimi and like the flexor muscles some of these muscles originate in the forearm. The extensor muscles work to extend the fingers (open the hand) and the easiest way of working them is by band extensor work.

To perform band extensions you will need thick strong rubber bands. Take one initially and make a loop around your middle finger to secure it in place. Then place your other fingers around the inside of the band so your fingers and thumbs are all touching (the length of the band needs to be such that when your hand is in this position tension is evident, if it is not you can loop it over again, although this will increase the difficulty). Once in this position you can begin the rep by extending your fingers and splaying them apart simultaneously. The finish position will have your fingers fully extended and fully apart – repeat for the desired number of reps.

Think Laterally

As with all muscle groups performing a different movement (motor pattern) means recruiting the muscle fibres in a different way and helps in creating more intramuscularly co-ordination, which will eventually lead to more gains. Considering all this you should perform some form of abduction and adduction work for your wrists, which means lever bar work.

Lever bar work requires a dumbell rod or pole that weight can be added on one end. For abduction of the wrist (working the flexor carpi radialis, extensor carpi radialis longus, adductor pollicis longus and both the extensor policies brevis and longus) take hold of the pole with the weighted end out in front of you whilst your arm is locked tight into your side. Raise the weight up as far as it goes with your arm staying tight to your side, lower and repeat for reps.

To work the adduction movement of the wrist (working the extensor carpi ulnaris and the flexor carpi ulnaris) perform the exercise whilst holding the pole so the weight is out behind you instead of in front.

Odds & Ends

Various other muscles make up the forearm and hands such as the supinators and pronators, but most of these muscles are worked through curls and such forth. One muscle that adds a reasonable bulk to the forearm is the brachioradialis which causes flexion of the elbow whilst the forearm is in a pronated position (palms facing down), which most people train with either hammer curls or reverse curls. Personally I feel that this muscle gets plenty of work because this is the position adopted in most pulling movements.

All In All

The exercises listed could either be done on one day at the beginning of your weekly split if your forearms are seriously lacking. For most trainees who just want to slightly bring up their forearms the work could be split into two sessions and done after upper body or arm session as so.

Upperbody Workout One	Upperbody Workout Two
Wrist curls	Lever bar work to front
Wrist extensions	Lever bar work to back
Thick grip holds	Finger extensions
Strap holds or grippers	Plate pinch’s

If you are unused to doing grip work you may wish to slowly introduce one or two of these exercises at a time. This especially applies if the days following your session you have to do anything that involves picking things up, such as pens, phones, your toothbrush (i.e. any of you that don’t want to be crippled for several days).

As to the sets and reps to be used, most advocate high reps for the forearms – yet I feel the set and rep protocol should reflect your goals. In other words low rep (3-6) work if you are after strength (under twenty seconds for timed hold work), medium reps (6-10) if your aiming for hypertrophy (20-40 seconds for timed holds) and if your aims are for improving muscular endurance and work capacity higher reps should be employed. A couple of sets per exercise will suffice. If your forearms do look like twigs with veins then try this routine for a period. Whilst I cant guarantee that your forearms will look like redwoods with even bigger veins, you should still be pleasantly surprised.

November 19, 2006 Posted by ottawaweightlifter | Blogroll, weightlifting | Leave a Comment

shoulders

Critical ShouldersBy: Curtis Schultz

Training, Impingements and Injury Prevention

What do you and weight training have in common? Well, other than cold iron and yourself; how about constant irritating achy shoulders? Yes, achy shoulders. The shoulder joint is the main fulcrum in all upper body movements. So, if you want to accomplish your goals in the gym you cannot afford to have shoulder problems.

Achy shoulders mainly happen because of improper lifting technique, changing your exercise routine to often, or overloading and pushing to much weight in an exercise. One of the most common problems, to occur with the weight trainer, when performing weightlifting exercises, is shoulder impingement. These types of shoulder injuries are reoccurring, and take a very long time to heal.

Impingements can hinder your ability to perform most pressing movements. There are many different forms of impingements. The most common is the Subacromial impingement; known more as “Bursitis” and it is a common condition of the shoulder. A shoulder impingement also gives an uncomfortable achy feeling just from sitting and lying down. An impingement occurs when compression over the shoulder joint is against the surrounding anatomic structures. Anatomically correct, the affected area is the gleno-humeral joint and supraspinatus. The anterior acromion and cora-coacromial ligaments are the most common sites inflamed. An impingement could also be due to incorrect exercise technique or weak rotator cuff muscles. A rotator cuff strain, with all it’s swelling, causes what is called mechanical impingement. This type of impingement is the pinching of the tissues described above between the humeral head and the acromion. Shoulder pain could transpire from a pinched nerve, which occurs between the neck and shoulder blade area.

Exercise Review

Since we are discussing shoulder problems that arise from exercising, let’s take a look at some of the most common exercises that can have potential for shoulder adversity. The first is the military press, which is performed behind the neck or to the front. Dumbbell presses, and side lateral raises are basic shoulder exercises that can create a shoulder impingement too. As you know, most of these exercises can be performed standing or seated, with free weights or with machines. The bench press is a very common shoulder impingement maker. A grip to far outside the shoulders places tremendous stress on the anterior deltoid. One other exercise, that causes shoulder injuries, is the back squat. Yes! That’s right I said squats. The bar is placed behind the shoulder girdle and lays on top the trapezoids, or lower in-between the shoulder blades and traps if you’re a powerlifter type. By performing the above exercises with too much weight and/or incorrect technique usually leads to impingements.

Testing: One-Two-Three

Let’s survey a few of these shoulder exercises and describe correct lifting technique for them. Now, the most common shoulder exercise performed in-correctly is the side lateral raise. Side lateral raises, to do them right, need to be done step by step. So, stand with a pair of very light dumbbells at your sides, now turn your thumbs slightly down, maybe a half-an-inch and then bend your elbows 35 degrees tops – this alignment ensures that the resistance is placed directly to the side delts. Now, without changing the position you are in, raise the dumbbells. You should resemble a huge letter “T.” The dumbbells and elbows should not elevate over or under your shoulders. So, if you are one of those individuals that raises the dumbbells over your head, resembling a bird trying to take off, then it’s time to call in the Undercover Gym Police and ticket you for erroneous procedures! Either that, or we will have to give you clearance for take-off.

The next shoulder exercise is military presses and dumbbell presses. These exercises are designed to hit all three deltoid heads. Both movements are best to be performed seated. Why? Well, first of all this prevents you from cheating. You have to focus on pressing the bar or dumbbells upward, working the deltoids. The execution of a rep should be smooth and controlled.

Remember, I mentioned that bench press and squats could also be at fault for shoulder problems. Most of us link a pectoral tear with bench presses not a shoulder impingement or rotator cuff injury. But, the latter is more common to occur from bench press and squats.

Dealing With The Pain

First, like we discussed earlier, watch your form on all upper-body exercises. You can become injured very fast if the exercise itself is not performed properly. Being in the correct anatomical position, and the correct lifting angles doesn’t give injury a chance to occur. I always see individuals jerking weights up and down, relying mostly on momentum, and forcing their shoulders out of alignment all the time.

After an impingement injury has been identified, rehab treatment should be performed. Treatment consists of the following techniques: If any discomfort is noticed while performing an exercise then it should be avoided for a couple weeks. Rest the area, and apply ice twenty minutes a day. If you don’t know it yet, ICE is the miracle cure-all for injuries. But, there are those few who do rehab with heat. I would still apply ice to the shoulder first just to reduce any possible swelling in that area. But, if you insist upon pushing through your training then apply an ice pack after each workout to your shoulder.

Dr. Pete Gratali, from ESPN’s Body Shaping, instructs to perform internal and external rotations on a low cable pulley for 30 to 50 repetitions with 5 to 10 pounds prior to starting ALL your upper body exercise programs. “It is good practice to perform internal and external rotation exercises prior to each and every upper body workout, even if you are not experiencing an impingement problem, the exercises are great for warming up the whole shoulder girdle.” Explains Dr. Pete. You can also perform these simple exercises with 5 or 10 pound dumbbells. Internal and external rotation exercises are simple rehab and warm up exercises to help you get around in the gym better.

You should always see a chiropractor or doctor when a shoulder injury occurs, and make sure you consult a certified physical therapist for the correct technique for all rehab exercises. I had the chance to work along-side athletic trainers and school team physicians when I worked as an assistant collegiate strength coach. This education and knowledge has allowed me to insure proper technique for rehab exercises. We have examined shoulder problems, exercise technique, and rehab recommendations giving you a better nucleus on your shoulder training. So, do not become injured from executing wrong exercise technique. You must train shoulders smart.

10 Shoulder Blasters

We all use the same exercises for shoulder development. You know, the basics, bar presses, dumbbell presses and side-laterals. These exercises all work great for size, but what about overall development, shape, and roundness of the shoulders? The shoulders are small muscles involved in almost every movement that a bodybuilder performs. They are an important component when training chest, back, biceps, and they even get stretched when performing squatting movements. There are three heads to training the delt muscles. The front or anterior, the medial or most commonly called the lateral, and the rear or posterior deltoid head. A shoulder workout is one of the most important all-around developers and should consist of a three-prong approach. When performing any of these unknown shoulder exercises or any combination of, will pound the entire shoulder girdle into submission, so I highly recommend you train shoulders by themselves.

Shoulders fatigue quickly when applying continuous tension. Keeping shoulder muscles in constant contraction throughout these exercises provides an extreme intense shoulder burn that will promote strength. This can be brought on through the use of cables, and machines as well as barbells and dumbbells. Then how do we develop overall shape? Variations from the standard movements will do the job very well. Most of these movements are not particularly common in the gym. I guess that’s why they’re unknown.

10 Unknown Shoulder Exercises

The following are 10 unknown shoulder exercises that allow one to stress the anterior, medial and rear deltoid heads with a little extra-added jump on the traps just because of their unique movements. Use any of the following unknown shoulder exercises in your program and they will stimulate them for optimal development. These 10 exercises are plate raises, single dumbbell raises, cable front raise with rope, incline front raises, bent-over front raise, lying front raise, cable side-lateral raise w/ rope, side- lateral w/ a bar, lying reverse cable fly’s, and bent over laterals.

1. Plate Raises

These are my favorites. Start with an Olympic plate, preferably a 45 pounder. But, if you are a novice and your shoulder strength is not developed to it’s fullest then I would start with a 25-pound plate. I’ve personally worked up to a 100-pound plate for three sets of 8 and when pushing this amount of weight the movement can become very intense. Place your hands around the middle of the plate. Perform three sets of 8. There are variations of this movement that can make it harder too. How? Changing your handgrip for one. By placing your hands more toward the top of the plate makes it a lot harder to raise. This movement is a similarity to the single dumbbell front raise.

2. Single Dumbbell Raise

Instead of using a plate or two dumbbells for front raises, you only use one. That was simple. Not so simple when you start on this shoulder crunching exercise. Grip a single dumbbell by placing your hands around the dumbbell. Then raise the dumbbell to eyes length and your arms are parallel to the floor. When the lift becomes difficult, bend your elbows ever so slightly to get extra repetitions. But, don’t rock back and forth like a push- me-pull-me. If you prefer these to plate raises then do three sets of 10-12 repetitions progressively moving up 5 or 10 pound increments.

3. Cable Front Raises with a Rope

Grasp a rope handle and attach to a low pulley and then straddle the cable facing away from the stack. Start with your fists touching groin level and then slowly raise your arms until your fists are eye level and your arms are parallel with the floor. Avoid jerking the rope and swaying your body just to get the weight up when your muscle start to fail. Keep your body in an upright position throughout the full range of motion. Begin with a set of 20 reps and then two more for 15 each adding weight to each set.

4. Incline Front Raise

For variation, you can use a light barbell instead of dumbbells. Your hand spacing can be different and varied, anywhere from shoulder width to six to eight inches apart. On a 45- degree incline bench. With anterior delt movements such as these avoid cheating the weight upward. Always move the dumbbells or bar in a slow and controlled manner.

5. Bent-Over Front Raise

This is not a particularly common shoulder exercise. This movement strongly stresses the anterior and medial heads of the deltoid. Because of body position, the trapezius and upper back muscles also receive a significant amount of stress. Grasp two dumbbells, flex your knees, arch your lower back for support, and then bend at the waist until your torso is almost parallel with the floor. Hang your arms straight down towards the floor. Slowly move your arms to the front above the plane of your head or at eye level. Choose dumbbells light enough to complete four sets of 10 reps. A variation of this movement places you on a bench.

6. Lying Front Raises

This movement is a slight variation of the bent-over front raise. But, with this variation you don’t have the luxury of cheating. Lie down face down on a bench, try and get a high bench, making sure your head and shoulders are over the end of the bench. Grasp a pair of really light dumbbells. The dumbbells should hang down towards the floor with a palm down grip. Slowly lift the dumbbells upward until they are parallel with the floor. After squeezing your delts for a second, slowly lower the dumbbells back down controlling them back to the starting position. If you wish to get a few extra reps without cheating then have a partner assist you. Having them kneel in front of you, and have them raise the dumbbells slowly does this. Do four sets of 12 repetitions.

When performed correctly, side laterals attack the medial or side-head portion of the deltoid perfectly. Most believe you should bend the elbows slightly during the movement, but this is not totally correct for just a slight bend in the elbows can off-set the stress off of the delt. Most commonly you see individuals almost doing “front raises” when trying to perform side-lateral movements. Bending the elbows has the tendency to bring the dumbbells forward, which stresses the already overdeveloped anterior or front delt. Also, if you raise the arm too high you stress the traps. So, that is why we’ll do these specific exercises for side-head deltoid training.

7. Cable side-lateral raise with rope/dumbbells

So, let’s begin by setting you up in front of a cable cross over machine and place a rope on each side weight stack. Grasp the rope in each hand, raise slowly with your thumbs up keeping your arms straight out to your sides. Avoid jerking the rope and swaying your body just to get the weight up. Keep your body in an upright position throughout the full range of motion. Perform 4 sets of 12 reps. Remember keep your arms straight, no elbow bend.

8. Side-lateral raises with a bar

A variation to the ‘normal’ side lateral we all perform is use a straight bar instead of dumbbells. Easy, right? Well, I hope by now you’ve figured out that these shoulder movements are not easy. This form of side-lateral can be done seated for more difficulty or standing, just like the original. Either way, this is probably the toughest movement of them all. Grasp a straight bar in each hand, keep it “straight” so when you raise the bar your thumbs are facing the mirror and the bar is parallel with the floor. Keeping the bar steady is very difficult to accomplish. Perform 3 sets of 20. If you can?

9. Incline Rear Lateral Cables

This movement develops the posterior head of the delt, which gives the complete round deltoid look. Sit backwards on an incline chair lowered almost all the way down. Hold the lower kettle handles of a cross cable machine downward arms held down with elbows bowed outward. Raise the cable upward and outward was high as possible and bring slightly forward, squeezing the rear deltoid. Return to the staring position and repeat. If you need to, lean your chest forward on the bench for support. Try 3-4 sets, 8-12 repetitions.

10. Seated Rear Lateral Cross Cables

Sit yourself on a bench, and begin by holding the upper kettle handles of a cross cable machine, cross in front of the face. In a sweeping motion pull the cables outward and back. Too make this movement even harder, hold your arms straight out in front of you pulling the cable outward and back squeezing the rear deltoids. Repeat the movement for 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.

Give Your Shoulders Time to Recover

By the end of this routine your shoulders should be so pumped and wasted that combing your hair is out of the question. As it should be with all your body parts shoulder training should be done once a week. Training like this gives your muscles, tendons, and ligaments lots of time to recover and repair themselves. All the assorted back training movements can easily over train this same lobe. So, to make this deltoid muscle a factor in your training try rear delts on back training day. This is especially needed, as the shoulder is the focal for all upper body movements. Work these POWER Blast shoulder secrets exactly in this order, hard, and watch them air up like balloons. Oh yeah, remember to give me one more rep!

November 19, 2006 Posted by ottawaweightlifter | Blogroll, weightlifting | Leave a Comment

beginners advice

AJ Beginners Advice

By Weight-lifter, Anton Hutchinson (AJ)

Hey guys. Now if you want to start bodybuilding, just a beginner or want to start again then this article is for you. In this article I will be telling you 2 or 3 simple but effective exercises for each body part.

Arms
To start off with I will take the arms. The arms are split into 3 areas. The Biceps, the Triceps and the Forearms. I will start with the biceps. The main exercises for the biceps are curls. I would use standing and sitting curls to start off with. Now the triceps are the biggest muscle in the arm and one of the least worked muscles in the body. I love to work the triceps because when well developed it looks really good. So many cuts and muscle just bulges out. Anyway the best exercises for the triceps are the Triceps push-downs and lying extensions. Also dips are a good triceps exercise and also works the chest well. For the forearms the best exercises are wrist curls.

Shoulders
For me, shoulders are the most difficult muscle to train. When doing exercises for the shoulders it puts a lot of strain on you back. Anyway the best exercises are shoulder presses and shrugs. When doing shrugs use a really heavy weight and that will get your shoulders packing on the muscle.

Chest
The chest is the most worked, focused on and favorite muscle for nearly all bodybuilders. The chest is split into higher and lower chest. Now the bench press is the best exercise, however there are variations. A flat bench press then there is the incline and decline. These work the uppers and lower chest area’s. Another great exercise for the chest is the flies. These can be done with the machine or on a bench with dumbbells.

Back
The Back is the biggest muscle of the body, and is separated into upper and lower and then the sides. For the upper part of the back Lateral Pull downs with wide grip. Also seated pulley rows are a good exercise for the upper back. For the lower back the superman stretch is good. To perform this lie down on your stomach with hands and legs stretched straight. The raise your arms up with your lower back as far as you can and hold for a second. Return to the floor and that is 1 rep. Also the reverse extension is a good lower back exercise. For the sides of the back to get the V shape, good exercises are chins and pull downs. Both underhand grip.

Legs
The legs are a great looking body part once well developed. Squats are definitely the best exercise for the legs. Any bodybuilder will tell you that. Anyway Squats are for the quads. The legs have 3 different muscles. Quads, Hams and Calves. Now for the quads we have Squats and also leg extentions. For the Hams the best exercises are leg curls and stiff-legged deadlifts. And for the calves are calf raises both, standing and sitting.

And finally…

Abs
Abs are definitely the muscle which most beginners struggle with. Abs are developed by squeezing the muscle. Also to see your abs you need a low body fat. However abs take a long time to develop and my best gains came from crunches, pelvic tilts and side bends. With these 3 exercises you hit all 3 areas of the abs. With crunches this hits the upper abs. The pelvic tilts hit the lower abs and the side bends hit the obliques which are the side abs. The side bends can be performed in 2 different ways.

Standing with a dumbbell in one hand then lowering it to your knee’s and
Lying on a bench in crunch position with arms at your side’s. Then tilt one way until your hand reaches around your knee and you feel a squeeze then hold for a second, and then return. That is 1 rep.

Ok. So I have given you a few exercises for each body part. Now I will make it a whole lot clearer.

Arms
Biceps:
Standing Curls 8-12 reps
Sitting Curls 8-12 reps

Triceps:
Push Downs 8-12 reps
Lying Extension 8-12 reps

Shoulders
Shoulder Press 8-12 reps
Shrugs 8-12 reps

Chest
Bench Press
(incline & decline) 8-12 reps
Flies 8-12 reps

Back
Upper Back:
Lateral Pull-Downs 8-12 reps
Seated Pulley Rows 8-12 reps

Lower Back:
Superman Stretch 8-12 reps
Reverse Extensions 8-12 reps

Side’s:
Chins 12-15 reps
Pull Downs 10-12 reps

Legs
Hamstrings:
Leg Curls 10-12 reps
Stiff Legged Deadlifts 10-12 reps

Quadriceps:
Squats 10-15 reps
Leg Extensions 10-12 reps

Calves:
Calf Raises
(standing & Sitting) 12-15 reps

Abs
Crunches 15-20 reps
Pelvic Tilts 15-20 reps
Side Bends 15-20 reps

So now with all this information you can now make a program. I definitely recommend working each body part once a week. So here is a 4 day split.

Day 1: Biceps, Back and Abs
Day 2: Hams, Shoulders and Abs
Day 3: Quads, Forearms and Calves
Day 4: Triceps and Chest and Abs

So if you follow this split use the exercises I have shown above and then E-mail me to tell me your results or e-mail me with any questions. AJ@bodybuilders.com

November 19, 2006 Posted by ottawaweightlifter | Blogroll, weightlifting | Leave a Comment

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Contents

History

Basic principles

Progressive overload

Recovery

Intensity, volume, and frequency

Benefits

Common concerns

Is weight training the same as bodybuilding?

Is nutrition relevant for weight trainers?

Do women who train with weights look “bulky”?

Are light, high-repetition exercises effective for “toning” muscles?

Is weight training safe for children?

Can weight training help me slim?

safety

Types of exercises

Isotonic, isometric and plyometric exercises

Isolation exercises versus compound exercises

Free weights versus exercise machines

Aerobic exercise versus anaerobic exercise

Exercises for specific muscle groups

Advanced techniques

Set structure

Combined sets

Beyond failure

Other techniques

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