Training for drive

Strength Training

Strength training is basically utilizing resistance, whether it be weight plates or resistance bands, to muscular contraction in order to advance muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments. A muscular contraction is simply a shortening of a muscle (flexing your bicep is an example of a muscular contraction). Now that we know what strength training is, let's discuss the popular and highly debatable topic of training for strength.

Strength Training

In order to build strength, you must Lift Heavy Weight. Unless you are an absolute beginner, you will not gain strength by continuously doing bodyweight exercises such as pushups, pullups, and squats. While these exercises are all effective for building muscle, they are not necessarily the best way to build strength. In order to build strength, you must overload your muscles.

Training for drive

Overload

Overload is the act of subjecting your muscles to more resistance than they are used to, which in turn allows you to increase strength. By only doing calisthenic exercises such as pushups, you are all the time subjecting your muscles to the same resistance (unless your body weight significantly fluctuates) thereby inhibiting your goal of expanding strength. Pushups and body weight squats are great beginner exercises, however, for person going after serious strength increase, weight training wins hands down.

In order to overload your muscles safely and effectively, you must increase resistance and intensity gradually but steadily. For example, let's say your one rep max (1Rm) on bench press is 200 lbs. If every one of your workouts consists of bench pressing 135 lbs for 10 repetitions, you are not going to build strength very quickly. However, if during every workout or every other workout you increase resistance, even by as diminutive as 2.5 lbs, you will increase strength much quicker. Makes sense right? One of the most highly effective methods to get strong is periodization, which I interpret in great detail in an additional one article.

So how do I overload my muscles in order to achieve impressive muscle strength? Great question! Since the talk is so overall and there are de facto hundreds of weight training workouts I could show you, I have decided to list a few popular ones that have worked for me and many others. If you would like to learn about more strength training techniques, exrx.net is an excellent reserved supply with hundreds of exercises together with pictures!

• Doubles - This is a great weight training workout that can consequent in essential muscle strength. We will use bench press for example. In order to do doubles, you must first know your 1Rm. After you find out your 1Rm subtract 40 or 50 pounds from that and start there. Then, you will achieve 5 sets of 2 repetitions, expanding the weight by 10 lbs each set until you reach the max weight you can do for 2 repetitions while still maintaining good form. Then, once you reach the max weight you can do for 2 repetitions, drop the weight by 15 pounds each set and achieve 4, 6, and finally 8 repetitions. Make sense?

So, this is what the breakdown of the doubles workout would look like for person who has a 1Rm of almost 260. Remember, you can modify the weight slightly if you are unable to achieve the prescribed amount of repetitions for anyone set you are on.

1st set - 2 reps @ 210

2nd st - 2 reps @ 225

3rd set - 2 reps @ 240

4th set - 2 reps @ 260

5th set - 4 reps @ 240

6th set - 6 reps @ 225

7th set - 8 reps @ 210

• Pyramid - Pyramid weight training is a excellent way to increase strength in exercises such as squats, bench press, dumbbell press, curls, shoulder press, pullups, and many others. In a pyramid weight training workout, instead of expanding weight each set, you would instead start with a lower weight the first set, a heavier weight the second set, then drop back down to a lighter weight the third set. This type of weight training causes muscle obscuring which is essential for expanding strength and pushing past plateaus.

Here is an example of a pyramid weight training routine:

1st set - 4 reps

2nd set - 6 reps

3rd set - 3 reps

4th set - 6 reps

As you can see, there is much room for range in this weight training routine. Just make sure you stay in the 4 to 6 repetitions range which will more effectively increase strength than high repetitions ranges, such as 12 to 15.

• Forced repetitions - Forced repetitions are all the time assisted by a partner. A forced repetition is performed when an private lifts more resistance than he can handle, however, a spotter assists with lifting the weight to secure the full repetition. For example, say you can only bench press 225 lbs for 2 repetitions. A spotter could assist you in performing more than 2 repetitions. That is carefully forced repetitions.
• Partial repetitions - A partial repetition is performed exactly as it sounds. Let's use squats for example. Instead of performing a full repetition, a partial repetition could be performed by squatting half way down or even a 1/4 of the way down. The same goes for bench pressing. Partial repetitions can often times help you get past a "sticking point." A sticking point occurs when there is a known frailness in a inescapable portion of the repetition. For example, when bench pressing, some citizen struggle with the last few inches of the lift. A partial repetition could be used to break straight through that sticking point.

Rest in the middle of Sets

Unlike person weight training specifically for hypertrophy and endurance, strength training athletes implicated primarily with expanding strength require much more rest time in the middle of sets. Although highly debatable, many experts believe the optimal rest period in the middle of sets for expanding strength is 3 to 5 minutes. However, this will differ for all individuals. Obviously, exercisers who have been training for strength for many years will require less of a rest period than amateur weight lifters. I have found that after 3 minutes of rest, I can ordinarily lift the same amount of weight for the same amount of repetitions as the previous set.

Rest and Recovery

Adequate rest and saving is crucial when trying to gain strength. Permissible rest and saving can de facto make or break your progress! Some citizen believe that weight training at 100% intensity with minimal rest and saving time in in the middle of workouts is the best formula for expanding strength. While these citizen may significantly increase strength, they are also expanding their risk for injury as a consequent of overtraining! Additionally, many studies have shown that overtraining can de facto sell out strength.

There is much turn over over how many days of rest in in the middle of workouts is essential to fully recover and induce supercompensation (adaptation to a training load). As a beginner, you may need 72 hours or more of rest in the middle of sessions that train the same muscle group. Unfortunately, there are just too many variables to narrow it down to a exact amount of days that each person requires to fully recover. My rule of thumb is at least 48 hours of rest in the middle of sessions that train the same muscle group or when my soreness has fully subsided. After taking off from weight training for a few weeks, I typically rest up to 96 hours in the middle of sessions! Also, taking at least 1 day off per week has been shown to greatly increase strength and induce recovery.

Final Note

Wow! We discussed a lot of material! Let's recap some of the main points.

1. Lift Heavy Weight - Progressive overload is one of the most effective methods for expanding strength.
2. Stick to a 4 to 6 repetition range.
3. Rest at least 3 to 5 minutes in the middle of each set.
4. Allow at least 48 to 72 hours of rest in the middle of each weight training session that uses the same muscle group. Remember though that some citizen will require more rest while others will require less rest.
5. Always consult a physician before starting any weight training agenda or practice activity.

Training for drive