You’re thinking about getting into shape, and you want a plan. First, since you have some weight to lose, you want to participate in some cardiovascular exercise. Once you’ve lost a few pounds and found a decent diet that helps you lose weight and gain muscle, you’re thinking of some muscle gain. Beyond exercising in the gym or wherever, you’ll want a macro-nutrient rich diet. After this, you’ll probably be looking to make the most of your regime, and this requires some weight. Resistance training is a good route to go down for gaining muscle. Not only is weightlifting good for your heart, it’s also good for the mind. If you’re wanting to be a strength trainer or power lifter, this is the only option. Below I’m going to list the best resistance exercises for muscle gain. These are the best workouts.
The Best Workouts…
Bench Press
The Bench Press is essentially an open chain version of the push up. It works all the same pushing muscles – the chest, shoulders and triceps. There is however less need for the core muscles to work to keep the spine locked in neutral throughout the movement as the rigid bench provides support. You could substitute the bench for a stability ball (as many personal trainers do). In order to make the exercise less stable; however, this added instability actually negates the advantage that the bench press has over the push up. This namely being that the load being used in this exercise is easily adjusted.
Form factor is key when doing these exercises. You don’t want to injure yourself or tear a muscle.
As the load is increased, all the muscles involved in the movement are required to work a little harder. The prime mover muscles (in this case the chest, shoulder and triceps) work harder to create the movement. Also, the muscles that stabilize the active joints (in this case, the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder joint) work harder to protect and stabilize the active joint(s). As the load increases, more muscle is stimulated to thicken and tone. It’s also there to strengthen and to burn the calories that will contribute to weight and/or fat loss. You must consider that while adding instability to exercises may require some core muscles to work a little harder, it actually limits the effectiveness. This occurs with many exercises as the benefits of progressively adding load on the prime movers and joint stabilizers are minimized.
Deadlift (The Best Workouts)
Along with squats, the deadlift is a serious contender for the “Mac-daddy” of all resistance exercises award. The deadlift actually combines two primary movement patterns – the squat and the pull. (As a weight is pulled into the body, and lowered at the same time as a squat is performed.) When appropriately loaded, the deadlift uses more muscles than any other resistance exercise. It uses all the lower body muscles, and the majority of the upper body muscles. As such, it is great for burning calories, firming, toning and developing muscles. Beyond this, it’s great at building strength and size, and it’s great for losing weight. It all depending on how it is performed.
Work low and slow to your goals. Don’t feel a need to start lifting too much too fast. This will only hinder your progress and injure you.
The deadlift is certainly more complex than the squat, and as such, may make it unsuitable for beginners. Nevertheless, it can be modified to suit different people. For beginners, the bar can be raised off the ground to lessen the depth the person needs to squat down to reach the bar. Then, for more advanced lifters, progressively more load can be added to full range deadlifts.
The Best Workouts…
Squats
The Squat is quite possibly the ‘Mac-daddy’ (i.e. the best) of all resistance training exercises. It uses all the major muscles in the lower leg, thighs and hips. When performed correctly, it uses numerous muscles in the upper body to help protect the spine (when load is rested on the upper back and/or shoulders). Since it uses a lot of muscle, it is great as a calorie burner to help weight loss and toning. When progressively heavier loads and greater training volumes are used, it is possibly the best exercise for building strength and size in the lower body muscles.
Having a spotter is always good for lifting a heavier weight, especially if it’s your first time doing an exercise or a heavier weight than usual.
Squats replicate a primary movement pattern that most people use variations of everyday. (Whether it’s getting in and out of a chair, using the toilet, or picking items off the ground.) There is a version of squats available to suit every person. Whether it’s supported body-weight squats for the beginner, or heavy barbell squats for the more advanced people – the movement is the same. The only variance is the way the movement is loaded and the depth which is safe for each person.
Lunges (The Best Workouts)
Using the same muscles as the squat, the lunge also replicates a primary movement pattern. Whenever you walk up and down stairs, up and down hills, or even if you’ve just simply walked, you’ve used a version of the lunge. Like squats, there is a version of the lunge that is suitable for most people. There are limited depth supported lunges for beginners, and full depth lunges loaded with dumbbells or barbells for more advanced clients. Lunges can be used to help burn calories and firm or tone muscles, or they are also a great exercise to build strength and size in the lower body.
Even if the exercise doesn’t require as much weight, it doesn’t mean you can’t make incredible gains from it; much of the weight comes from the body. You also have to make sure to not hyperextend your joints.
One point with lunges though: they are essentially squats being performed on one leg. You should be very weary about adding too much load too soon. This is because the majority of people’s weight goes through one leg during the lunge, as opposed to both legs with the squat. Then there is much more loading with a lunge than with an equivalently loaded squat.
The Best Workouts…
Barbell/Bicep Curl
In the same vein as the tricep pushdown, there is the barbell curl. Many males (especially younger ones) consider having well developed biceps (or “guns”) as being critical to being strong and demonstrating being in peak “male” condition. By performing both the barbell curl and the tricep pushdown while standing, core stabilizing muscles will be used too (especially as the loads get heavier). This helps to keep the spine safely locked into neutral position.
Keeping the back straight with good posture aids in good form with exercises such as these. If you’re looking to progressively overload, a little bit of teetering is okay to get the last few reps in.
Now, in terms of building size and strength in the biceps, aren’t the best. The big pulling exercises such as chins, bent over rows and lat pulldowns are certainly more effective. This is because heavier loads are able to be lifted, thus providing a greater stimulus for strengthening and building the biceps (and other muscles). However, nothing produces a localized “swelling” and illusion of growing the biceps more than some barbell curls. So, for any client that wants to develop their guns, a few sets of barbell curls at the end of a training session is certainly functional.
The Best Workouts…
Tricep Pushdowns (The Best Workouts)
The tricep pushdown is an isolation exercise that really only works the tricep muscles. So, how on earth is this a “functional” exercise? Well, if your definition of functional is truly linked to the major goal of working one muscle, this becomes a functional exercise. One of the areas many women want to firm and “tone” is the back of the upper arm. Now sure, any big pushing exercise like push ups will be more effective for this purpose. It will burn more total calories than the pushdown and stimulate the triceps as well as others.
Isolating the muscle is key to making sure you’re working a specific muscle or set of muscles; you’ll feel the muscle in question being worked. Try your best to focus as your workout so it becomes more natural the more you do it.
So, for pure effectiveness, the push up or bench press wins. However, throwing a few sets of pushdowns in at the end of a workout (after push ups or bench press) helps. In order to really “feel” that the areas most important to you are being targeted, do this, and it’s very functional. It’s probably more psychologically than physiologically, so don’t worry if it seems otherwise. If it contributes to you feeling a specific area working and wanting to come back to repeat training sessions, then it is a functionally great exercise.
Push ups
The humble old push-up is a closed chain exercise that uses all the big pushing muscles of the body. This namely being the chest, shoulder and triceps. It also requires core muscles to work to maintain a safe “neutral” spine position throughout the movement. This means that a lot of muscle is used during this exercise. Also, since the exercise is closed chain, that muscles will work a little harder to try to overcome the immovable barrier being pushed against.
Exercises like push-ups can be hard on the joints, even though you’re only lifting your body weight. Depending on how much you weigh and your muscle mass, body weight can be a lot. You can ease the joints by using an exercise ball, soft surface, etc, to ease the pressure on your joints.
So push-ups are great exercises for burning calories to achieve muscle firming and toning, weight loss, strengthening and muscle building. This all again depends on how the exercise is performed. The push up can be modified to suit any client — full push ups can be performed for the more experienced. Push-ups can be performed with the knees on the ground or against a bar/wall to make the exercise easier for beginners.
The Best Workouts…
Sit-ups/Crunches
Crunches are where you sit and lift up with a more limited range of motion (arms are typically crossed), while sit-ups are wider and use more muscle. They have crunch machines for this as well, and this helps beginners get the job done better. Crunches and sit-ups are the most well known of all the midsection exercises, but there are others that aim for other muscles. You have bicycles and even side crunches to help with the obliques.
Form doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to be good enough.
While crunches and sit-ups may not be widely considered highly important for muscle gain, it depends. Many folks will think (maybe) that doing a set of these ab exercises will overcome their belly fat and reveal their midsection. It doesn’t, and following this, you’ll hear from professionals that you only need diet/cardio for that six pack. Although both do come in handy, yes, losing weight is more crucial; however, you can gain muscle that helps with your appearance with ab exercises. All you have to do is burn the fat, but yes, you can, add muscle and then lose weight, etc. Don’t discount abdomen exercises, because you can also add weights on your stomach to increase size. It isn’t necessary, because body weight — depending — can always be more than enough, but it doesn’t necessarily burn fat. Understand all of this before thinking you’ll have a six pack while morbidly obese.
The Best Workouts…
Chin-ups/Pull-ups (The Best Workouts)
Using all the big pulling muscles of the body, you can succeed. Yes, using all the back muscles, the shoulders and the arms, the chin or pull-up is a great exercise. They are good for firming, toning, building and strengthening all these muscle groups.
Balance and symmetry and important when it comes to lifting weights, especially if you want optimal gains. Symmetry is important, and when you exercise, learning balance, especially with gymnastic exercises, is very important for further muscle control and vascularity.
As chin-ups also use a lot of muscle, they are a great exercise for burning calories and assisting in weight loss. Also, like the previous exercises, the chin or pull up can be modified to suit most people’s abilities. Stronger or more experienced people can perform full chins (as shown above), and weight can be added to make the exercise even harder. Less experienced gym-goers can perform pull-ups onto a lower bar. This is keeping their feet on the ground, and making it far easier. Thus, minimizing the total amount of bodyweight they have to pull directly upwards.
Lat Pulldown (The Best Workouts)
A great alternative to the chin or pull up is the lateral pulldown. This exercise works all the same pulling muscles, and it’s probably more suited to beginners. This is because the load is easily adjusted and maintained. The lat pulldown is known as an “open chain” exercise. This is opposed to all the previous exercises. (All of which are known as “closed chain.”) Closed chain exercises are exercises where you push or pull against a fixed or immovable object. Whereas open chain exercises are when the resistance that is being pushed or pulled against actually moves.
Range of motion is important. Know how to properly use a machine and read the instructions before doing so. Do your research, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Closed chain exercises have the edge over open chain exercises in terms of effectiveness. This is because the body cannot overcome the fixed object in closed chain exercises. The neuromuscular system actually works a little harder to overcome it than it does with open chain exercises. It does so by working a little harder there is quite simply more benefit.
The Best Workouts…
Bent Over Row (The Best Workouts)
Another great pulling exercise is the bent over row, This exercise uses all the big pulling muscles of the chins, pull ups and lat pulldown. As the bar is pulled up to the torso, it moves away from the center of mass, thus pulling you forward and off-balance. This places a greater demand on the “core” muscles to stabilize the body during this exercise. Again, the more muscle that is used, the greater the beneficial effect of the exercise.
Breathe every rep, and don’t be afraid to use explosive power to help out with those last few sets. When you breathe, be sure to breathe out going down, and breathe in going up.
If you’ve ever worked out, you know the rush you can get from doing so. It can be a pain, but as they say (as cliche as it is), “No pain, no gain.” If you start slow and steadily work up to a workout you like, you’re more than likely going to find it enjoyable. It’s almost like a drug, and you will get results; you’ll get addicted to them. It’s not like you have to do every exercise here, but try them and see what works for you. These are some of the best, if not the best weightlifting exercises for resistance, strength and power. Get in the gym or stay at home (at least for now), and get workin’. You don’t need a gym per se, so if you’re really looking to work out, start now.
The Best Workouts…
Beginner Guide: outsideonline.com
Bench Press is a great breast workout.Deadlifting is great for your rear end.Squats are good for helping empty the system.Lunges are great for catching prey.Barbell/Bicep Curls are good for those alone.Tricep Pushdowns are good to push others away.Push-ups are good for intimacy with mother earth.Sit-ups are good to kiss someone’s behind during their squats.Chin-Ups/Pull-Ups are good for growing wings.Lat Pulldowns are good for latitude.Bent Over Row is good as long as you’re not bent over too far.- Now you need to rest for at least a few days!
Blog Page: creatorconquer.com
Godspeed!
The best resistance exercises for muscle gain…
