Strength Training

Strength training is all about trying to out-do yourself when comparing to the last time.

WHAT IS STRENGTH TRAINING?

Strength training is exercising with the goal of increasing your physical strength. Having a lot of muscle doesn’t necessarily mean being really strong. That is the only difference you need to know at a very basic level. If you look at some of the best power lifters, they often look like just another fat guy. But they are incredibly strong. Strength comes from years of practice and progressive overload. Muscle too comes from the same principles basically but it's a lot more complex than that. Strength training is crucial when it comes to losing weight and changing your body, even if you're a beginner. It's one of the oldest disciplines and an important part of an overall fitness routine. So, If want to reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass and burn calories more efficiently then strength training is for you. The old adage goes "use it or lose it" applies here. Muscle mass naturally diminishes with age. If you don't do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose, you'll increase the percentage of fat in your body. Strength training can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass at any age. There are two kinds of strength:

Relative Strength

The amount of force exerted relative to one’s body size, or how strong you are for your size. Gymnasts or rock climbers need strength, but not at the expense of an increased bodyweight: it makes their sport harder. Relative strength is building maximal strength while controlling calorie intake and/or adding cardio so you don’t increase your bodyweight.

Absolute Strength

The maximum amount of force one can exert, regardless of their muscle or body size. Olympic Power lifters need strength, but thier bodyweight has to match that strength. More bodyweight means bigger muscles and thus more strength. Absolute strength is about becoming a strong person regardless of bodyweight.

Beginners should focus on strength training. You can always build muscle later on. The foundations of your fitness goals comes from strength training to a very large degree and there is a lot to be said about muscles and it`s all about ADAPTATION!

Benefits of Strength Training

Builds muscle

The stronger you are, the more muscles you’ll have. Strength training is not bodybuilding however: building muscle is a byproduct of exercising, not its goal.
Burns fat

Burn calories, keeps your metabolic rate high under strict dieting and tends to make you stick to your diet better.
Increases health

Increases endurance, bone density & testosterone levels. It strengthens your joints, lowers cholesterol & improves your sleep. You’ll notice nutrition is important to get results in strength training. All leads to a healthier body & lifestyle.
Builds Character

Teaches you persistence, sacrifice, self-control, responsibility & builds self-confidence. You’ll get out of strength training what you put into it.

HOW DO YOU BUILD STRENGTH?

Stress. Exercising stresses your body. Your body doesn’t like stress & adapts by getting stronger & building muscle.

Progressive Loading

Your body quickly adapts to stress. Increase the resistance systematically to avoid plateaus.
1 Step Back, 2 Steps Forward

Eventually you’ll stall. You can’t increase the resistance forever. Decrease the resistance for a while, then increase it again bursting through your plateau.
Speed

The faster you move, the stronger you’ll be. You’re using more muscle fibers & can use momentum.
Power

Power is the ability to accelerate: going from a dead stop to fast. The quicker you can achieve top speeds, the stronger you’ll become.

There are different methods available to build strength. Here’s a non definite list

Types of Strength Training

Weight Lifting

The use of dumbbells and barbells are the easiest method to build strength. Start light, focus on technique & add weight systematically. The more weight on the bar, the stronger you get. Example of weightlifting exercises are the Squat, Bench Press, Overhead Press, Barbell Row & Deadlift.

Bodyweight

Force you to use your own bodyweight as resistance. Can be hard at first if you lack sufficient strength. Examples of bodyweight exercises: TRS system,Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Dips, Pistols & Push-ups.

Machines

Machines balance the weight for you. This makes them easier & less effective than free weights or body-weight exercises. Machines also force your body into a fixed movement pattern. Position yourself wrong using a lot of weight & you risk injuries.

Be sure to check with your doctor before you start lifting weights if you have any medical conditions, injuries or illnesses.

Sets, Reps and Weight

To determine how much weight you should use, start with a light weight and perform one set. Continue adding weight until you can ONLY do the desired number of repetitions. The last rep should be difficult, but not impossible and you should be able to keep good form.

Lose body fat and build muscle

Use enough weight that you can ONLY complete 10-12 repetitions and 1-3 sets (1 for beginners, 2-3 for intermediate and advanced exercisers). Rest about 30 seconds-1 minute between sets and at least one day between workout sessions
Muscle gain

Use enough weight that you can ONLY complete 4-8 repetitions and 3 or more sets, resting for 1-2 minutes between sets and 2-3 days between sessions. For beginners, give yourself several weeks of conditioning before you tackle weight training with this degree of difficulty. You may need a spotter so don't be afraid to ask.
Health and muscular endurance

Use enough weight that you can ONLY complete 12-16 repetitions, 1-3 sets, resting 20-30 seconds between sets and at least one day between practice sessions.

What should you start first?

It depends on your goal, strength or hypertrophy, you can train different muscles for different goals. Start slowly. Never lift with bad form. Challenge yourself but intelligently so not be injured. However, before you think about strengthen, you should straighten your body first.

Straighten before strengthen

The key to achieving the healthiest and fittest version of yourself is your posture or postion. It’s the position of our bodies that causes various aches and pains. If your body is out of alignment, its not recommended to start an exercise program because the misalignments are habitual. If you begin an exercise program, you will reinforce the misalignments and eventually cause injury. It doesn't matter the form of exercise you choose whether it's walking, running, strength training basketball or any other. Bringing your body back into alignment is paramount if you want to train effectively, efficiently and pain free.

full view

The images above displays the human body has 8 major load-bearing joints. These load-bearing joints are designed to stack vertically and to align horizontally. From the side view, you should be able to pass a line from the earlobe straight down through the ankle. Looking at the front view, notice the perfect symmetry between the right and left sides. In both the front and side views, notice the vertical, straight lines that intersect the load joints – the ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders. Again in the front view, notice the right angles between the load joints and the corresponding joint on the other side. If you are in pain, and/or lacking physical performance, chances are your posture does not look like the blueprint above. Your deviations from this design posture are what’s causing your pain. With deviations, the chains of muscles (kinetic chain) are fragmented. They are no longer in the position they are designed to be in. When the muscles are not doing their respective jobs properly, pain ensues. It’s the position, not the condition, that is causing your pain! The source of your pain is not usually the site of your pain. Here is a link to exercise to improve your posture

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