Most men are looking to improve their physique. Whether this be simple adding some tone and definition to muscles that are starting to hide beneath layers of fatty tissue, or packing in enough muscle to bulk up comparative to professional body builders. No matter what level of muscle mass a man is looking for, the most popular and effective exercises to strengthen, tone and build are the same.
These exercises are known as the “big four” and they are the cornerstone of any weight training program. The first of the “big four” is the squat. Squats are vital for lower body training. When beginning a squat you should push your hips back as far as possible. Keep your back arched. At This point you should be feeling a bit of stretch in your hamstrings. Then it is time to bend the knees and squat as low as possible while keeping good form. Making sure squats are executed in this manner allow squatting of maximal weights. You should always be careful not to descend too rapidly, or to overextend the torso.
The second of the four exercises is the dead lift. This exercise works many upper and lower body muscles. When doing dead lifts the legs should be narrowly separated. The back and hips should always be kept straight, especially when reaching down for your weights. Keep your shoulders aligned over your knees.
The third, and most widely recognized exercise of the “big four” is the bench press. This exercise works upper body muscles, but focuses on the pectoralis major muscle. Proper technique with this exercise require keeping your lower back very arched, and your shoulder blades squeezed together. Your range of motion should be shorter for heavier pressing.
The last exercise of the group is the shoulder press. As the name implies this exercise develops the shoulder muscles, however, it also helps develop and strengthen core muscles of the back and abdominal area by moving your center of gravity, causing these core muscles to work to stabilize the spine.
There has always been much debate over if it is better to use free weights or exercise machines. The answer on which to use depends on what you are wanting to achieve with your training. Weight training machines offer controlled resistance and muscle group isolation. This can be good for rehabilitating injured muscles, or if you are looking to maintain your current muscles without “bulking up” so to speak.
Machines are also handy if one is working out alone, to reduce any danger of accidents that may happen when lifting free weights without a spotter, or someone present. For the person who wants to continue building their strength and muscle mass, however, free weights are the better choice hands down. Free weights not only work the targeted muscle groups, but they work the core stabilizing muscles as well, helping with better balance and stability.
Avoiding injury and over exertion are key factors of a successful weight training program. Making sure to warm up before your work out is imperative to prepare your body. Although the ego may say push harder, lift more, the body can be in sharp contrast to the idea. Slowly working up the amount of weight that is being lifted will help to keep your muscles in a steady state of growth. Working with overly heavy weights for too long can not only injure the muscles, but cause you to plateau and stop gaining strength. When adding weight start by just adding 10 pounds at a time.
A good rule of thumb is if you can do more than 6 reps, your current weight is too light. If you can’t do four reps, your weight is too heavy. The optimal amount of reps for muscle building is 5 per set. The usual number of sets for heavy lifting is between 1 and 3. Over doing this number leads to improper techniques being used as you become more fatigued. This in turn leads to not only poor results for your hard work, but can be seriously damaging to your body. You always want to push the body to grow, but not to the point of damage.
There are many reasons people choose not to work out at the gym. The cost of membership, the lack of privacy, the inconvenience of making time to go. All of these are reasons many individuals end up never even beginning a weight training routine they have thought about trying out. Luckily, do reap the benefits of a complete and solid weight training workout, you never have to set foot in a gym.
Others may be under the impression that to actually get a good workout at home you will need to purchase a lot of expensive, heavy equipment that will end up cluttering your home. Although certain fitness machines can be great for certain things, you can actually achieve better muscle building results without them.
In order to build strength and muscle you can work with as little as two sets of dumbbells or barbells (one heavy set for things like squats and lunges, one lighter set for curls and raises). Add a bench to that and you are all set to go. For those who would like to take it a step further you can purchase rack of weights to allow for adjustment and increase of pounds over time.
Set up your weights and bench somewhere that you can focus and be comfortable. Set up a time for your workout and stick to it! Creating a pattern of always working out at the same time helps your body to fall into the habit of daily exercise. The longer you push yourself to fall into the habit, the easier it will be to continue. When you have selected your time and set up your weights you are ready to begin.
You should always warm up first. Your warm up should consist of 5 to 10 minutes of light cardio. This will help get your muscles ready to work, while preventing injury. As you move on to heavier lifting it is also a good idea to do some warm up lifts using half of your normal lifting weight. The four most popular and effective strength training exercises are dead lifts, shoulder presses, bench presses and squats. These exercises work the large groups of muscles that help promote overall strength. Other exercises such as lunges, curls, tricep extensions and lateral raises are also good choices for a well rounded routine.
When working out at home you will need to always keep your mind on safety. Never do any strenuous or heavy lifting if you are alone. Make sure your equipment is in safe condition. Never skip the warm up or cool down period of your exercise routine. Your muscles need to stretch both before and after lifting. Research the exercises that are in your routines to make sure you are using the proper technique. Failing to do lifts properly can result in poor results and injury or death.
If at all possible it is a good idea to seek the advice of a professional weight training coach to make sure your completing the lifts properly. Never continue lifting if it is painful. The idea is to push your muscles until they tire out, not until they hurt. Never try to over work your muscles. Not only will this lessen results, but the soreness of an overworked muscle can deter you from sticking with your routine.
The most important thing to remember is your get from your workouts what you put into them. Your home weight training workout can offer you just as good a workout as an expensive gym, but you have to stick with it, be safe and constantly strive to improve.
