Compound Movements and an Efficient Workout

One way to build muscle and make your work out more efficient is to use compound movements. What’s a compound movement? A compound movement is an exercise that utilizes two or more joints in performing the movement. Squats are a compound movement because they utilize your ankles, your knees and your hips. Bench presses utilize your wrists, your elbows and your shoulders. Chin ups are the same way, wrists, elbows and shoulders. Muscles & Joints Compound movements are efficient in your exercise routine because when they involved more than one joint, they often involve more than one set of muscles. … Continue reading →

What Can You Do Right Now? (Strength Training)

Do you have about 30 minutes? Good. I have something you can do right now to help promote better fitness and strength in your everyday life. No, you don’t need any weights or weight training equipment. Instead, put on some comfortable clothes and a pair of comfortable shoes and let’s get started. Let’s start with a calf stretch. It’s important to warm up your muscles before you dive right in. Extend your right leg and press the toes to a wall or sofa. Don’t press forward, but instead squeeze your right leg and just fully extend the knee. You should … Continue reading →

Do You Want Big Muscles?

When you think about exercise and fitness, do you think about big muscles? Do you concentrate on a workout that builds muscle and strengthens the body? Do you a chest that would do Atlas proud? If building muscle is your priority, then it’s important for you to understand everything you can about muscle strength, strength building and more. Hypertrophy Bulky muscle is caused by muscle hypertrophy. So what is it, you ask? Hypertrophy is what happens when muscle cells thicken, but don’t get longer. Your muscle cells may divide and create more, this can also create a thick appearance without … Continue reading →

Weight Training: Progression and Overload

We talked about exercise principles yesterday and the importance of doing it right the first time in order to promote your success. One of the principles we discussed was the concept of overload. I know from at least one reader’s note that I wasn’t exactly clear on what overload is, so today I want to talk about progression and overload. Overload Your body is designed to adapt to stress and to load. For example, when you’re pregnant, you get progressively heavier. You don’t go from being 1 month pregnant to 9 months pregnant overnight. This important because the progressive gain … Continue reading →

How to Weight Train for Running & Cycling

Last week, we discussed the fact that runners and cyclists need to weight train in order to maximize their performance and to get the most out of their workouts. Running and cycling are both aerobic training sports and while they can help you stay fit and lose weight, you don’t train your muscles up evenly and that can lead to injuries. I got a note from a reader after that blog that wanted more information on how to weight train if you’re already running and cycling, so this is an attempt to answer that request prior to our Dear Heather … Continue reading →

How to … Strength Train

So we’ve been talking about strength training and that will naturally lead into a discussion on how to strength train. First and foremost, as with any new fitness program that you want to start, you should pay a call on your physician and get a physical. You also want to make sure there are no underlying causes or reasons that you shouldn’t be lifting weights and if there are any areas where you should have a care with your weight lifting. Start Slowly & Lightly If you have never weight lifted before – you want to start slowly and you … Continue reading →

Strength Training – Understanding More About It

When it comes to getting in shape, we have discussed that you need to balance a trio of activities including flexibility, aerobic and strength training in order to develop your body to its fullest potential and to build good health across the board. Each part of the trio is an important component to your overall health. Aerobic exercise teaches your body to and your muscles to utilize oxygen with greater efficiency. Strength training builds the muscle mass in your body and helps you to burn calories more efficiently. Flexibility training teaches your body to be suppler and gives you greater … Continue reading →

Weight-Training and Weight-Training Safety

When it comes to working out, we explore the different options in order to give ourselves the best opportunities at health and fitness. Weight training is just such an opportunity. The primary rule of any weight training you do whether you are a beginner or more advanced lifter is to be safe. So let’s talk about weight training and weight training safety. Never Lifted Weights Before? If you’re a beginner who’s never lifted weights before, you need to work with a teacher or a personal trainer to learn how to lift weights correctly. The majority of injuries related to weight … Continue reading →

Let’s Talk About Our Muscles – Lower Body

Hey there, we talked about our upper body and the musculature found there yesterday and today, we’re going to take a look at our lower body and understand the muscles we have there. It’s important to understand our muscles so we can identify what is the best way to work those muscles to achieve our goals. Let’s start with our core, this area includes our: Rectus abdominis Internal and External Obliques Gluteus maximus The rectus abdominis is the muscle that runs from just below your chest to the top of your pelvis. This is the area that allows you to … Continue reading →

Let’s Talk About Our Muscles – Upper Body

We talk about strength building and we talk about doing bicep curls and triceps presses, but we don’t always talk about why we need to do these things and so let’s take a few minutes to discuss our muscles themselves. We’re going to focus on the upper body for now. Among the key muscle groups in our upper body are the: Deltoid Pectorals Biceps Rhomboids Trapezius Triceps Latissimus Dorsi Forearm Erector Spinae If you are thinking gesundheit, don’t worry. I felt the same way during my initial studies. But each of these muscle groups is important and you can do … Continue reading →