Strength training for health benefits needs consistency in working out. The principle is straightforward- to start working out and stay motivated to keep doing it. That covers eighty percent of your well-being.
Weights are not compulsory – Most people have this misconception that strength training has to be done with weights, which is not valid, said James Steele, a scientist at Solent University. A 2011 study by James and his colleagues showed that any weight or machine could increase strength equal to strength acquired with little or no equipment at home. He works out with dumbbells and a pull-up bar in his backyard. In 2016, a study proved that a regular arm curl and the one with weight gave similar outcomes. There was no difference in muscle gain, but the weight added a bit more strength than the simple one. In 2017, it was found out that push-up and bench press give similar outcomes when done with the same weight.
Even the strengthening of bones doesn’t need any weight. The force applied during strengthening exercises caused by muscle contractions is themselves enough for healthy bones.
Trick – You don’t need to follow all muscle strengthening exercises; you have to hit some particular muscle groups. For example, instead of arm curl or leg extensions, which hits significantly fewer muscles in isolation, do push-ups or squats, which strikes many forces together. This not only reduces the workout time but also improves effectiveness. So, try doing push-ups, squats, lunges, and bench press, said Shannon Kim Wagner.
In situations like a pandemic, going to the gym is very dangerous. There come the importance and utility of an equipment-free workout. There are many body weight exercises that are perfect for hitting every major muscle of the body and some excellent varieties that make you stronger. Working out with more movement will get you more powers.
The faster you get strong lower body muscles, the more difficult it will be to progress without weights. But bodyweight is surprisingly helpful when you do the exercises for more reps. Activities like single-leg squat can be very challenging when you do it for longer. Firstly, select your workouts and then do it with full safety. For example, if you choose squat, sit as far as you are comfortable and then get up straight. Train yourself with more movements, which will burn more calories and grow more muscles.
Intensity is the key – Intensity is more important than reps. Steele’s group study showed that you should work out till it causes momentary muscular failure – you can’t do another broker. When your exercises cause this kind of strain, then it is useful to build up your strength. Your stamina decides how many reps you need in a particular activity to exhaust yourself, not some random number in a workout program. You may be able to do thirty push-ups while you may do just ten hand curls with heavy dumbbells.
A single set is adequate – You should concentrate on more reps only if you are an athlete. Otherwise, one set of every exercise will serve the purpose. Steele himself does a single set of activities. In a study, researchers divided thirty-four people into three groups. The first group did one set of seven exercises, the second performed three stages, and the third party did five sets for eight weeks. The outcome showed similar strength gains of all the groups, which means more reps made the workout unnecessarily longer.
Regularity – If you do strength training twice a week, then maintain it; even if you do it once it will be beneficial but not doing it after a week will hamper the progress. Steele said that setting up unrealistic goals can only upset you. Set-up a routine and keep up the pace; you will be amazed to see that your body can perform a lot more than you think.
Learn to grow – Progressive overload is very important in a workout. It’s a concept of adding a bit more strain every day. Adding a little everyday adapts your body to increased loads; it more mental than physical. It is also essential to keep track of your achievements and exercises. Adding more every day means to raise a rep or add another weight.
At this point, weight exercises get a bonus over bodyweight exercises as you can add weights in weight training. But improvements in bodyweight exercises are easy to track.
Working out is not that difficult; select your exercises and do them till you fail to do another rep. Don’t complicate it unnecessarily by setting up high expectations. Being a beginner is not bad; it is better than giving up. When we see people getting more fit day by day, our complexes tell us not to get into the same pool. But it is never late to start, and it is not what people think about you; it should be what you feel about yourself. Remember that when you workout, you spread awareness about health and fitness, so never stop spreading positivity among people.
Here is a guide for your upper body –
https://strengthtrainings.com/2020/12/20/build-your-upper-body-today/
Here’s how to gain mass –
https://strengthtrainings.com/2020/12/20/gain-mass-with-these-workouts/
