Creatine is, without a doubt, one of the most popular supplements touted by bros on the market today (at least that one can legally use). Bodybuilders and other athletes use it to improve work capacity and increase size. In fact, Froiland et. al. found that about 37% of NCAA athletes take creatine....
Strength etiketine sahip kayıtlar gösteriliyor. Tüm kayıtları göster
Strength etiketine sahip kayıtlar gösteriliyor. Tüm kayıtları göster
Contrast Training: How it Works, and How to Use It for Impressive Gains
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 13:00
exercise, Fitness, Lifting, PAP, Plyometrics, Post activation potentiation, powerlifting, Strength, weightlifting
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I'm gonna let you in on a little training secret: it's called contrast training. It's used by elite athletes to improve power output, and the results are pretty impressive. Contrast training, also known as PAP (post activation potentiation), is the pairing of heavy strength exercises and explosive or...
Changing up Your Rep Scheme
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 12:06
Bodybuilding, exercise, Fitness, Hypertrophy, Lifting, repetitions, Strength, strength training
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If you seek out nearly any fitness-related website for information regarding rep schemes, you'll see something like this:For size, do 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitionsFor strength, do multiple sets of 5 of fewer repetitions at a heavy weightFor muscular endurance, do sets of 20 or more repetitionsWhile this...
Channeling the Mindset of a Champion
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 10:49
Lifting, Mental toughness, Sports psychology, Strength
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You can tell he's a beast, because his shirt says so.This week, a friend of mine Russell is doing a guest post. Russell has been a strength & conditioning coach and personal trainer for the past 6 years, specializing in Olympic weightlifting for 3 of those years. Starting at a movement based gym...
3 Reasons Why Your Poor Mobility is Holding You Back
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 12:18
exercise, Fitness, Lifting, Mobility, Olympic lifting, Power, powerlifting, Range of motion, sports, Strength
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So many lifters are willing to complain ad nauseam about their lack of mobility, but very few of those people are willing to get up and fix it. Most individuals would prefer to deadlift heavy and get their heart rates up than spend about 10-15 minutes addressing their muscular imbalances and chronically...
Your Grip Strength is Limiting Your Other Lifts
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 10:24
Fitness, Grip strength, Lifting, Olympic lifting, powerlifting, Strength, weightlifting
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Have you ever played that game at an arcade where you squeeze these metal handles as hard as you can and it determines how strong your grip is?One of the most understated elements of training is, in my opinion, grip strength.Whether you're gripping a baseball bat, holding onto the pull-up bar, or picking...
Why Comparing Yourself to Others Can Hinder Your Progress
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 09:41
exercise, Fitness, Motivation, Social media, Strength, success
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Competition is an important part of any sport. If you want to be the best, you have to see what those around you are doing and strive to work even harder than them. When done in excess, however, comparing yourself to other individuals may be counterproductive.Social media has made it easier to track...
The Ab Exercise You're Doing Incorrectly
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 11:13
Breathing, core, Core strength, Fitness, injury, Meditation, recovery, Relaxation, Strength
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You work these muscles 23,000 times a day, on average, but chances are, you're using them incorrectly. In our sleep-deprived, high stress lifestyles, many of us are breathing incorrectly several thousand times a day, everyday over the course of our lives.The core musculature like the rectus abdominis,...
Training Simple for Maximum Results
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 09:51
exercise, Fitness, Programming, Strength, strength training
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There is a seemingly infinite list of exercises to work any given muscle group. With websites like YouTube, it's pretty easy to find new exercises on the internet and feel inclined to add them into your routine. The question, however, is are these circus tricks necessary to take your performance to...
The Biggest Mistake You're Making in the Gym
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 09:24
cardio, exercise, Fitness, HIIT, interval training, Sprints, Strength, strength training
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When you walk into any fitness center, where do you see the most people? Most likely they're all crowded around the treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals. The common misconception is that you can achieve the body that you want and get in great shape by spending half an hour to an hour doing "cardio."Day...
Why You Need to Have a Big Butt
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 11:27
Activation, Corrective exercise, exercise, Fitness, injury, Low back pain, Midline stability, Muscle imbalances, pain, Posture, Power, Prehab, Sitting, Spine, squat, stability, Strength
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Having a big butt is certainly preferable for models twerking in rap videos, but it's also extremely important in athletic performance. Weather you're a soccer player, a running back or just simply working out to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you need to make sure you're giving your butt the attention...
Perfecting Your Push-up
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 09:15
Body weight exercises, Calisthenics, Core strength, Fitness, Gymnastics, Strength
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On paper, the push-up seems like a very simple exercise. Surely we've perfected it after all of those years of high school gym class, right? Truth be told, I see a lot of people who execute this exercise incorrectly and inefficiently.
While it may seem self-explanatory, there are actually a lot of little nuances to executing a correct push-
up that many people do not realize. This movement is truly underrated, in that it requires a lot more shoulder strength and core stability than we may think at first glance. While watching someone perform a push-up, I can pinpoint just where their weaknesses are. If someone has a limited range of motion, unstable or weak shoulders, or poor core control, it will be apparent after just a few repetitions.
What does the perfect push-up look like? Here are a few cues:
- Start with your palms a little wider than shoulder width and fingers spread
- Rotate your elbows so that your biceps are facing forward
- Squeeze your butt and tighten your core
- Lower your body until your chest touches the ground
- Keep your elbows at a 45 degree angle (do not let your elbows cave inward)
- Make sure your shoulders do not collapse
- Fully extend your elbows at the top
As always, we want a full range of motion. If you do not have the strength to do a push-up, use your knees. It is better to use a full range of motion on your knees than try to attempt a partial range of motion without them. There is no need to move quickly here--in fact, push-ups are harder if you do them at a slow and controlled pace.
Once you have mastered the standard push-up, you can move on to more advanced variations: pike push-ups (in which your legs are elevated), handstand push-ups (against a wall or freestanding if you feel so daring), one-handed push-ups, clapping push-ups, one-legged push-ups, diamond push-ups, etc. I could go on and on. There are a seemingly infinite number of push-up progressions, so you will never get bored with them!
The push-up is truly unparralled in developing strong shoulders and solid core control. This fundamental gymnastics movement is a great exercise and provides no equipment but yields superior results. Personally, I like to do 20 push-ups every morning when I wake up, and maybe another 20 before I go to bed! Give that a try. You may choose to start with fewer or more repetitions depending on your level of strength. Enjoy!
Step Away From the Bar...Try a Sandbag
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 11:55
Fitness, Midline stability, Motor control, Neuromuscular system, stability, Strength
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Conventional gyms are fully stocked with machines from wall-to-wall, racks of dumbbells and bars with an array of plates to load them. What many globo gyms lack, however, are the more non-traditional items. Toys like tires, sleds, and sandbags provide a whole new stimulus for your brain and your muscles alike.
Let's take a sandbag and a barbell of equal weights, for example. A barbell is a solid, stable object; a sandbag, on the other hand, is much more unstable. Sand may move around within the bag, forcing you to constantly move with it. Try doing a front squat with a barbell and then a front squat with a sandbag.
You will immediately notice a huge difference.
Image courtesy of Men's Health |
Sandbags, chains, ropes, kegs, pipes or balls filled with water, stones, sledgehammers, tires, and a partner (willing, of course) are all great tools to add to your training bag. These objects will really take your training to the next level, because they require significantly more core stabilization than fixed objects.
These tools allow you to challenge yourself in a new way, and they're all very cheap (or free) to use! You can be resourceful and throw some objects together that you would have otherwise allowed to collect dust in your basement.
Plyometrics and Power
Looking to get stronger, fitter, faster, and more powerful? Plyometrics, or fast, explosive movements, are a great way to improve your overall fitness levels and get your heart rate up. Box jumps, jumping lunges, brad jumps and clapping push-ups are just a few examples of plyometric movements. These exercises require no equipment and help you develop explosive power that will ultimately lead to increases in strength and speed.
These movements make use of your fast twitch muscle fibers (as opposed to the slow twitch muscle fibers used predominantly used in strength training) to create as a tremendous amount of strength and speed in a very short period of time.
In a lift like the squat, powerful hips will help you get out of the hole once the weight gets heavy. Exercises like the box jump or broad jump help to develop that explosive power that will ultimately translate to squatting or deadlifting more weight. Likewise, clapping push-ups can really teach an athlete how to develop bar speed on a bench press.
One study at Western Michigan University showed that a 6-week plyometric training program significantly increased the agility of athletes. The amount of power developed in a successful plyometric program can ultimately translate to other activities such as shuttle sprints.
Assuming you really pay attention to the way you perform these movements (focusing on stability), there are numerous benefits to plyometric training. At the end of your next workout, spend about 10-15 minutes on a few, quick sets of explosive exercises. Focus on form, then speed. Once you get the form down, you will see your strength and overall athletic performance skyrocket.
These movements make use of your fast twitch muscle fibers (as opposed to the slow twitch muscle fibers used predominantly used in strength training) to create as a tremendous amount of strength and speed in a very short period of time.
In a lift like the squat, powerful hips will help you get out of the hole once the weight gets heavy. Exercises like the box jump or broad jump help to develop that explosive power that will ultimately translate to squatting or deadlifting more weight. Likewise, clapping push-ups can really teach an athlete how to develop bar speed on a bench press.
One study at Western Michigan University showed that a 6-week plyometric training program significantly increased the agility of athletes. The amount of power developed in a successful plyometric program can ultimately translate to other activities such as shuttle sprints.
Assuming you really pay attention to the way you perform these movements (focusing on stability), there are numerous benefits to plyometric training. At the end of your next workout, spend about 10-15 minutes on a few, quick sets of explosive exercises. Focus on form, then speed. Once you get the form down, you will see your strength and overall athletic performance skyrocket.
- Gehri, Daniel J., Mark D. Ricard, Douglas M. Kleiner, and Donald T. Kirkendall. "A Comparison of Plyometric Training Techniques for Improving Vertical Jump Ability and Energy Production." The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 12.2 (1998): 85. Print.
- Miller, Michael G., Jeremy J. Herniman, Mark D. Ricard, Christopher C. Cheatham, and Timothy J. Michael. "The Effects of a 6-Week Plyometric Training Program on Agility." Journal of Sports Science and Medicine 5 (2006): 459-65. Web.
Squats: the King of All Exercises
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 12:05
Core strength, exercise, Fitness, Power, powerlifting, squat, Strength
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The most aggravating fallacy I hear is "squats are bad for your knees." No, you know what's bad for your knees? Squatting improperly. Sitting is also really bad for your knees, but that's another discussion entirely.
CrossFitter Miranda Oldroyd doing a heavy back squat. |
"Squatting is just one example of a movement that is universally valuable and essential yet rarely taught to any but the most advanced of athletes. This is a tragedy."Aside from its universal application, a properly executed squat will work every muscle from your abdominals and the erectors in your spine all of the way down to the muscles in your feet. Squats are great for increasing total body strength.
So if you want to get better at any given sport, improve your overall strength, and get legs of steel, squats are the way to go! Here are some other amazing benefits of squats, if you aren't sold already:
- Squats help improve hip, glute and hamstring flexibility.
- They increase your overall power output (think about how much power is necessary to get out of the bottom of a heavy squat).
- A recent study showed that squats improved the sprint performance of rugby players
- Another study suggests that squats increase the height of your vertical jump
- They improve core strength
Without squatting, we would not be able to perform simple everyday tasks life requires. It is impossible to sit in our desk chairs without squatting first. We can't avoid doing them, so we might as well embrace them!
- Comfort, P., Haigh, A., et al. Are Changes in Maximal squat Strength During Preseason Training Reflected in Changes in Sprint Performance in Rugby League Players? Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.
- Matuschek, C., Schmidtbleicher, D. Influence of Squatting Depth on Jumping Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.
- Okada, T., Huxel. K., Nesser, T. Relationship Between Core Stability, Functional Movement, and Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. January 2011. 25(1), 252-261.
Work Your Weaknesses
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 12:26
exercise, Fitness, Inspiration, Motivation, Running, Strength, Weakness
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Weaknesses--we all have them. Unfortunately, no one can be an athletic superhero who excels at everything. Everyone has one thing (or multiple things) that gives them knots in their stomachs just thinking about it. For me, it's rowing or running.
Whatever that "thing" may be for you, the worst thing you can possibly do is avoid it. For years in high school, I tried to get out of running the mile because I hated it that much. You know what? I never became a better runner, until now. I do not proclaim to be on the same level as an Olympic sprinter, but I'm certainly miles better (no pun intended) than I was in high school. Now I force myself to do maximum effort sprints at least 1-2 times a week. Yes, there are many times I want to keel over in the midst of it, but I don't--I just suck up my pride and get it done.
There was a very long period of time when I was unable to do double unders (two revolutions of the jump rope for every one jump). Everyday, I practiced and came out of the gym with bruises and whip marks all alone my arms and legs. I may have looked ridiculous, but guess what? Despite all of my welts, I kept on trying. Today, I can finally perform multiple consecutive double unders with relative ease, and I will only continue to progress.
My point is this: in order to truly see progress, you have to force yourself to do what inspires terror within you. If you've never been able to do a pull-up in your life, practice pull-ups every damn day until you get one. Start with a band and focus on the lowering phase. Do whatever it takes to make your weaknesses into your strengths. No change comes without dedication and practice.
I leave you with this wonderful quote from Robert Louis Stevenson:
"You cannot run away from weakness; you must some time fight it out or perish; and if that be so, why not now, and where you stand?"
What is CrossFit?
Within the last year or two, CrossFit gyms have been popping up everywhere. But what is this fitness craze that is rapidly gaining popularity? CrossFit defines itself as being "constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movement,” and their specialty is "not specializing."
I walked into my first CrossFit box a year ago ("box" is what we call a gym), and never looked back. I was intrigued by all of the videos I saw. For me, CrossFit was the transition I needed into the world of heavy lifting. Of course, like many, I was extremely intimidated at first. "I can't do this," I thought to myself as I looked at the workout: 21-15-9 reps of dips, box jumps and push press at 45 lbs. I got it all done in about seven-and-a-half minutes. In under 8 minutes, I got an amazing workout. That concept was revolutionary to me. How could one possibly get such a great, total body workout in such a short amount of time? It just didn't seem possible. Trust me, though, once you find yourself laying on the floor with your heart in your throat, you too will know that it is, in fact, possible.
The idea behind CrossFit is that you're never adapting; each day, the workout is different than the last. One day you could be climbing ropes, and the next day you might be doing front squats and rowing 750 meters. This constant change helps the athlete to expect the unexpected and become more well-rounded. Instead of going through the same, redundant 3 or 5 day split routine, you're always doing a different workout.
For me, CrossFit forced me to lift heavier weights, run faster, and push myself in ways I'd never imagined. From someone who was not an athlete in high school or college, I felt completely revitalized and invigorated. Each week, I pushed myself to new limits. Now, I am in the process of getting my CrossFit Level 1 certification and becoming a coach so that I can push my clients like my coaches have pushed me. I want to show people that, just as I have found in myself, the sky really is the limit. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be deadlifting 220 lbs or running half a mile in 3:20; I would have laughed in your face in high school if you had told me I'd be addicted to this lifestyle, yet here I am.
So many people say "CrossFit isn't for me--I'm not strong/fast enough!" I say, "yes you are." You are much stronger than you think! Whether you're a 65-year-old woman who has never lifted weights before or a 24-year-old elite basketball player, CrossFit is for you. Every workout can be modified and tailored to your needs or abilities. At my gym, CrossFit Annex (and most other CrossFit boxes), your first workout is free! The way I see it, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving it a try.
Training for Strength vs. Training for Size
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 17:58
Bodybuilding, exercise, Fitness, Hypertrophy, Muscle, Programming, Strength
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The process of muscle growth is called hypertrophy. However, based on your training, your muscles will adapt accordingly. There are two types of hypertrophy of skeletal muscle: sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy:
Bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman |
- Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is often coined as being "aesthetic muscle." Without getting too technical, this type of hypertrophy increases the size or the volume of the muscle. Bodybuilders are often known for having this type of muscle. Usually, the training protocol to achieve "size" gains consists of 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps of any given exercise. These sets are performed at a moderately heavy weight, and the athlete rests for less than 3 minutes of rest in between each set.
- Myofibrillar hypertrophy is sometimes called "functional muscle." Myofibrillar hypertrophy creates a more compact, dense muscle. Typically this type of hypertrophy indicates significant gains in strength. A training protocol for strength usually calls for lower repetitions (between 1 and 6) and, depending on the goal of the athlete, between 5-10 sets. These sets are performed at the heaviest weight that the athlete can use with good form. The rest time between sets is often longer than 3 minutes. When an athlete is trying to increase strength, he or she typically looks to find a 1 repetition maximum (1 RM). This means that he or she is trying to lift as much weight as is possible with good form for 1 repetition. When developing a strength training program, he or she would likely perform multiple sets of either 3 or 5 repetitions at a percentage of that 1 repetition maximum. The idea behind this is that, in order to experience real gains in strength, you need to put your body under a heavy stimulus. Without using the heaviest loads possible, you are never going to adapt and lift heavier weights.
Powerlifter Scott Lade |
As you can see, Powerlifter Scott Lade and Bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman weigh nearly the same, but have very different body types. It is important to note, however, that these two types of hypertrophy go hand-in-hand. With size, you will find increased levels of strength, and with strength, you will certainly see the size of your muscles increase. Obviously, this does no mean that bodybuilders are weak, or that strong athletes cannot have big, defined muscles. This is simply meant to guide you when you are developing your own exercise regimen. If you are training more for aesthetics, aim for higher repetitions. If your primary focus is strength, stick with lower repetitions and heavier weight. By sticking to these basic guidelines, you can program a more effective training program for yourself.
Sources:
Sources:
- Poliquin, Charles. Modern Trends in Strength Training. Volume 1. QFAC Bodybuilding, 2001.
- Siff, Mel C. and Yuri V. Verkhoshansky. Supertraining. Colorado: Denver, 1999.
- Tsatsouline, Pavel. Power to the People. Dragon Door Publications, Inc., 2000.
Isolation vs. Compound Exercises
By Fitness ve Body Blogçusu at 10:41
Bodybuilding, exercise, Fitness, Rehabilitation, Strength
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There are two different types of strength-based exercises: isolation exercises and compound movements. Isolation exercises focus on one specific muscle; this can be useful for a few different purposes.
- Rehabilitation of a muscle can be facilitated with isolation exercises. If you have muscular imbalances or under-active muscles, isolation exercises are perfect for strengthening those areas. For example, if you have pain in your hip flexors after squatting, you may have under-active glutes. Isolations like glute bridges or clams can help you reactivate your gluteal muscles and prevent further pain or injury down the road.
- Aesthetics athletes (e.g. bodybuilders or bikini competitors) may utilize isolation exercises to really hone in and focus on one specific area. A lot of these athletes include exercises like lateral shoulder raises and biceps curls in their routines to really define those areas most important to the judges.
Image courtesy of www.precisionnutrition.com |
Compound exercises utilize multiple different muscles. Because more muscles are recruited, compound movements are more efficient. Instead of spending hours in the gym doing multiple triceps and shoulder exercises separately, you can use exercises like dips, push-ups or bench presses to target all of these areas simultaneously. You only need a handful of exercises to adequately train every muscle in your body. Spending hours on isolations exercises is unnecessary when you can spend half of that time in the gym and get just as great of a workout.
Similarly, compound exercises are more efficient from a metabolic standpoint. The metabolic cost of doing squats far surpasses that of doing leg curls and leg extensions. Not only do you recruit more muscle groups, but you are also stimulating more muscle fibers. The more muscle fibers stimulated, the more anaerobic hormones (i.e. testosterone, Human Growth Hormone, etc.) that are released. If you're looking to have a greater caloric expenditure, compound exercises are the way to go.
Finally, compound exercises train multiple different aspects of athleticism. While isolations only focus on muscular hypertrophy, compound exercises function as a great neuromuscular exercise as well: they teach proper bodily positioning, improve range of motion, enhance core stability and balance, in addition to strengthening the muscles.
Depending on your goals, you may find it necessary to incorporate both types of exercise into your fitness regimen. Find exercises that work best for you and stick with them! Ultimately, any type of exercise is great for your body, and as long as you're working hard, your body will thank you.
Sources:
Sources:
- Lutz, G. E., R. A. Palmitier, K. N. An, and E. Y. Chao. "Comparison of Tibiofemoral Joint Forces during Open-kinetic-chain and Closed-kinetic-chain Exercises." The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (1993): n. pag. Web. 02 Sept. 2013.
- Mihalik, Jason, Jeremiah Libby, Claudio Battaglini, and Robert McMurray. "Comparing Short-Term Complex and Compound Training Programs on Vertical Jump Height and Power Output." Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 22.1 (2008): 47-53. Print.
- Wilk, Kevin E., Rafael F. Escamilla, Glenn S. Fleisig, Steve W. Barrentine, James R. Andrews, and Melissa L. Boyd. "A Comparison of Tibiofemoral Joint Forces and Electromyographic Activity during Open and Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises." The American Journal of Sports Medicine 24.4 (1996): n. pag. A Comparison of Tibiofemoral Join... Preview & Related Info. July 1996. Web. 03 Sept. 2013.