While machines and cables certainly have their place in any serious weight lifter's arsenal, a solid foundation of strength and muscle mass is built with compound free weight movements. Here are three of the most basic movements that have withstood the test of time and are mandatory in any routine - the squat, deadlift and benchpress.
Squat
There's no simpler way to say it - the squat is a must in any effective workout program. They may make one feel dizzy, see stars, and puke afterward but no other exercise will come close to adding as much total body mass (with the possible exception of deadlifts). Many novice lifters do not include squats or even train lower body - this is a huge mistake! As well as the obvious effect of having a developed upper body supported by toothpick legs (which looks ridiculous) neglecting lower body training actually impairs upper body growth. Large amounts of testosterone and growth hormone are released during heavy leg exercises like squats resulting in overall muscle mass increase. Not to mention supporting a weighted barbell on one's traps during the entire movement is quite a task for the upper body.
Deadlift
There may be no better barometer of strength than the deadlift. Since no racks or other apparatus is required it is truly a battle of man versus weight. Second only to the squat in intensity, the deadlift is another must in any serious training routine. Although thought to be primarily a back exercise (both upper and lower) a host of other muscle groups are brought into play. These include the traps, forearms, quads, hamstrings, the entire ab region and more. Deadlifts are also an excellent movement for burning fat because almost the entire body is used in one explosive movement (like the squat).
Benchpress
What is the first question asked between anyone that has ever been in a gym - "How much do ya bench?". Although much more weight can be used for squats or deadlifts, more injuries usually result from the benchpress mostly due to over-inflated egos (using too much weight) and poor form. Nevertheless it is fundamental exercise that works the entire chest region as well as the shoulders and triceps. Even the upper back and abs are used as stabilizers throughout the movement -bringing almost the entire upper body into play. No matter what choice of angle (flat-bench, incline or decline) or whether performed with a barbell or dumbells the benchpress is a must for any training routine.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Conflicting Muscle Groups
It is virtually impossible to isolate a single particular muscle group by itself - especially the larger ones. Large muscle groups are best trained with multi-joint compound free weight movements which can require many secondary and stabilizing muscle groups for assistance. For example, the squat primarily works the quads but also greatly employs the calves, hamstrings, lower back and glutes as well as the entire upper body in order to support and stabilize the weighted barbell. This is very important to consider when designing a proper training split to avoid overtraining.
Quads are best trained on a separate day because squats and other overall leg movements (such as leg presses) will be required for maximum growth and much energy will be expended. The only rule of thumb for training quads is the hamstrings and lower back must not be sore or overtrained. Lower back and hamstrings should be trained together since the exercise for best overall development of both is deadlifts. Since deadlifts require almost as much energy as squats they should be performed when the quads are strong.
There are two major categories of muscle groups in the upper body - push and pull muscles. Push muscle groups move the weight away from the body and include chest, shoulders and triceps. Chest training requires both the shoulders and triceps to be strong but shoulder training only requires triceps for the most part. Pull muscle groups move the weight toward the body and include the entire upper back and biceps. The upper back can be trained together with the lower back or with other muscle groups of the upper body but almost all require the assistance of the biceps. There are many variations of upper body splits that work well and it really just takes some trial and error to find the right one (one size does not fit all). And finally the finishing muscle groups - calves, abs and forearms recover quite quickly and can be trained with most other groups but not more than twice per week.
Quads are best trained on a separate day because squats and other overall leg movements (such as leg presses) will be required for maximum growth and much energy will be expended. The only rule of thumb for training quads is the hamstrings and lower back must not be sore or overtrained. Lower back and hamstrings should be trained together since the exercise for best overall development of both is deadlifts. Since deadlifts require almost as much energy as squats they should be performed when the quads are strong.
There are two major categories of muscle groups in the upper body - push and pull muscles. Push muscle groups move the weight away from the body and include chest, shoulders and triceps. Chest training requires both the shoulders and triceps to be strong but shoulder training only requires triceps for the most part. Pull muscle groups move the weight toward the body and include the entire upper back and biceps. The upper back can be trained together with the lower back or with other muscle groups of the upper body but almost all require the assistance of the biceps. There are many variations of upper body splits that work well and it really just takes some trial and error to find the right one (one size does not fit all). And finally the finishing muscle groups - calves, abs and forearms recover quite quickly and can be trained with most other groups but not more than twice per week.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Tips To Keep In Mind For A Solid Training Split
Once a decision is mode on how many days to weight train the next step is to actually create the training split. An effective routine will hit all muscle groups in the body hard while allowing plenty of recovery time between workouts - this can be even more difficult when other physical activities are thrown into the equation (such as martial arts, sports or dancing). While there are many options on how to do this properly, a few important points must be kept in mind.
1. Don't rely too much on machines or cable equipment as free weights are the superior choice for building muscle. Workouts should be built around the three most fundamental compound exercises - squats, deadlifts and benchpresses. All three of those are great for adding size and strength in a short period of time but each one should be done on a separate day due to the amount of energy required for each (especially squats and deadlifts). Other compound free weight movements such as pullups, shoulder presses and bent-over rows as well as intense lower body movements like leg presses can then be added to this foundation. Finishing exercises should always come last in a workout unless a pre-exhaust routine is desired (performing isolation movements before compound ones to exhaust the major muscles first - such as performing flyes before benchpresses).
2. Despite what is written in popular bodybuilding magazines, 20-25 sets for a single muscle group is overkill for a natural lifter. Even large groups like chest or quads usually get a good workout from 6-8 sets performed intensely. For smaller groups such as biceps and calves, 4-6 sets is plenty. The back however will require 8-12 sets because it is responsible for many different movements (horizontal and vertical pulls as well as stabilizing work of the lower back).
3. Be aware of secondary muscle groups involved while training major groups - triceps with chest is one example. Because secondary muscles are typically weaker than the primary groups they assist, they usually are worked to the max and require time between workouts to recover. Therefore it is wise to design workouts with this in mind (in above example, triceps should not be trained he day after chest as this could lead to overtraining).
1. Don't rely too much on machines or cable equipment as free weights are the superior choice for building muscle. Workouts should be built around the three most fundamental compound exercises - squats, deadlifts and benchpresses. All three of those are great for adding size and strength in a short period of time but each one should be done on a separate day due to the amount of energy required for each (especially squats and deadlifts). Other compound free weight movements such as pullups, shoulder presses and bent-over rows as well as intense lower body movements like leg presses can then be added to this foundation. Finishing exercises should always come last in a workout unless a pre-exhaust routine is desired (performing isolation movements before compound ones to exhaust the major muscles first - such as performing flyes before benchpresses).
2. Despite what is written in popular bodybuilding magazines, 20-25 sets for a single muscle group is overkill for a natural lifter. Even large groups like chest or quads usually get a good workout from 6-8 sets performed intensely. For smaller groups such as biceps and calves, 4-6 sets is plenty. The back however will require 8-12 sets because it is responsible for many different movements (horizontal and vertical pulls as well as stabilizing work of the lower back).
3. Be aware of secondary muscle groups involved while training major groups - triceps with chest is one example. Because secondary muscles are typically weaker than the primary groups they assist, they usually are worked to the max and require time between workouts to recover. Therefore it is wise to design workouts with this in mind (in above example, triceps should not be trained he day after chest as this could lead to overtraining).
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Training Splits - The Right Way To Workout
Creating an effective weight training routine can be a very confusing task. With so many different exercises to choose from it takes some trial and error to find and organize the ones that achieve the best results in the least amount of time. Furthermore it is almost impossible to isolate a specific muscle group since many others are also called into play in the process. For example, the benchpress is primarily a chest exercise but also requires tremendous effort of the shoulders and triceps, making it counter-productive to train either of those two muscle groups the day following a chest workout unless overtraining is the desired goal. However it is possible to develop a solid routine that works the entire body to the max while allowing sufficient recovery time for each muscle group.
Some lifters resort to either 2-3 full body workouts or 1-2 upper/lower body training splits per week. Although both of these can be effective, with so many muscle groups to train on a given day it becomes very difficult to completely work all of them since time usually only allows 1-2 exercises per group. The most effective method of training is to split the body into 3-5 different workouts spread out over a 7-10 day period since it allows for both a much quicker session and places more concentration on each area of the body. It is ideal to keep workouts in the 30-60 minute range - after that time cortisol (also known as the "stress hormone") is released causing the lifter to become more sluggish and less productive. Another advantage to this is it muscle groups trained near the end of a full body workout or upper/lower body split are more able to perform at their best, having not been nearly as fatigued from the large number of previous exercises. A good example of this is training the entire upper body in one session. Since it makes the most sense to train the largest muscles first the chest and back would be trained first, bringing into play the shoulders and arms. After struggling to work the shoulders in this weakened state, the arms become completely drained of energy when it comes time to hit them. This problem is further amplified in the full body workout which involves squats and (hopefully) deadlifts - both of those power movements are very energy consuming and any lift performed after will definitely suffer.
Splitting up the body into smaller sessions is far more productive than trying to get it all done in a session or two. It also makes workouts less tedious and more enjoyable. This is what almost every experienced weight lifter (including professional bodybuilders and powerlifters) recommend and do themselves for one good reason - it works.
Some lifters resort to either 2-3 full body workouts or 1-2 upper/lower body training splits per week. Although both of these can be effective, with so many muscle groups to train on a given day it becomes very difficult to completely work all of them since time usually only allows 1-2 exercises per group. The most effective method of training is to split the body into 3-5 different workouts spread out over a 7-10 day period since it allows for both a much quicker session and places more concentration on each area of the body. It is ideal to keep workouts in the 30-60 minute range - after that time cortisol (also known as the "stress hormone") is released causing the lifter to become more sluggish and less productive. Another advantage to this is it muscle groups trained near the end of a full body workout or upper/lower body split are more able to perform at their best, having not been nearly as fatigued from the large number of previous exercises. A good example of this is training the entire upper body in one session. Since it makes the most sense to train the largest muscles first the chest and back would be trained first, bringing into play the shoulders and arms. After struggling to work the shoulders in this weakened state, the arms become completely drained of energy when it comes time to hit them. This problem is further amplified in the full body workout which involves squats and (hopefully) deadlifts - both of those power movements are very energy consuming and any lift performed after will definitely suffer.
Splitting up the body into smaller sessions is far more productive than trying to get it all done in a session or two. It also makes workouts less tedious and more enjoyable. This is what almost every experienced weight lifter (including professional bodybuilders and powerlifters) recommend and do themselves for one good reason - it works.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Privacy Policy for weight--lifting--tips.blogspot.com
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At weight--lifting--tips.blogspot.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by weight--lifting--tips.blogspot.com and how it is used.
Log Files
Like many other Web sites, weight--lifting--tips.blogspot.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Cookies and Web Beacons
weight--lifting--tips.blogspot.com does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
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