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Don't expect 100 % results from a 70% effort.
Your mind will give out before your muscles do. |
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Don't forget to train your core muscles.
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All movement be it athletic or everyday activity rely on these
muscles, obviously more so in athletic performance. These should
be the foundation of any program. The abdominals, lower back
and the hips all can be worked effectively from a standing position
using a medicine ball.
- Assume a shoulder-width, staggered stance( boxer's stance)
and hold a 3 pound medicine ball against your chest.
- Quickly twist your torso left and right, within your comfortable
range of motion. Do as many reps as possible in 30 seconds.
Rest for 1 minute and repeat.
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| Change is a good thing. |
Choose a load that is challenging on the last repetition.
This means that it should be difficult to complete another full
repletion with good form. If you routinely subject the muscle
to new stimulus that it is unaccustomed to, it will adapt to
that stimulus, thus producing better results. |
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| Exercise outside your comfort
zone. |
This is known as progressive overload. If you perform one
to two repetitions over the desired number with good form, then
you need to increase the weight on the next set. |
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| A workout is not a marathon. |
Keep your workouts between 45 and 90 minutes. You are trying
to stimulate muscles not annilate them. |
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| Rest for growth. |
Remember exercise is the stimulus for muscular growth; the
actual change takes place outside the gym. Proper nutrition,
adequate sleep and stress reduction is as important as a well-designed
strength and conditioning program. |
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| Add some spring to your step. |
If you want to improve your vertical you must incorporate
explosive movements. Plyometric or explosive jumping added to
you're your normal strength and conditioning routine. |
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| Booze and you lose. |
Alcohol is converted to fatty acids and thus more likely to
be stored as body fat. It's not your friend if you're trying
to stay lean. Alcohol before bedtime may prevent the deep, growth-hormone
producing stages of sleep. |
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| Drink up. |
Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Water transports
nutrients through the body, helps rid the body of waste, lubricates
the joints, regulates temperature, and helps you reduce body
fat. |
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| Strap on the feedbag. |
You should eat carbohydrates and protein no longer than 30
minutes after you train. |
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| Sports drinks for endurance
athletes. |
Runners and other endurance athletes, who exercise for more
than four hours, should sip 4 to 8 ounces of a sports drink
every 15 to 20 minutes to prevent dehydration. Those who rehydrate
with plain water may experience dangerously low levels of sodium
in the blood stream. |
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| Endurance athletes and Strength
training. |
Distance athlete should consider doing strength training and
endurance training on the same day, but no more than three times
a week. For example doing squats and a running workout on the
same day helps reduce the chance of overtraining. |
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| Eat to grow. |
Eating frequently, like every two to three hours will increase
your metabolism, burn more fat and reduce your appetite. |
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| Your magic number. |
Beginners should choose a repetition range of eight to 12
reps per exercise for resistance training. Intermediate should
choose six to 12 reps per exercise if you have been exercising
consistently for the past six months. You are considered more
advanced if you have been training on a weekly basis for one
year. Your range is one to 15 reps per exercise. |
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| When two is enough. |
A minimum of two workouts a week is needed to elicit a training
response. Beginner/Intermediate; train two to three times a
week. Advanced: three to four times per week is plenty. |
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| Repetition Speed. |
In most training cases try to control your repetition speed
for a one to two second count up and a one to two second count
down. |
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| Free weight rule. |
To recruit more muscle tissue, improve balance, co-ordination,
and stability choose free weights over machines. Machine weight
should only complement the free weight movement. |
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| Stay with the classics. |
Basic weight lifting movements like the barbell overhead squat,
enhance strength in the legs, shoulders, and core while stabalizing
the body. |
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| Big over small. |
Exercise order is important. Always exercise larger muscle
groups before smaller muscle groups, multi-joint before single-joint,
and high-intensity before low-intensity exercises. |
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| Periods of Rest. |
Rest 45 to 60 seconds between sets if your goal is to increase
muscle size. Two to three minutes for bone, muscle and joint
strength. |
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| Mix it up. |
Every three to four weeks change the number of sets, reps,
exercises and rest intervals in your training program to reduce
the chance of overtraining. |
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| Stretch. |
Stretching not only enhances muscle recouperation also improves
the length and growth of your muscles. |
