Strong upper-body and lower-body muscles can improve many functional and sporting activities. You need muscular endurance for sports such as running, rowing and cycling. Muscular strength is essential for gymnastics, tennis and sprinting. Pushing, pulling, stair-climbing and standing up throughout your day will be easier as your fitness improves. The American College of Sports Medicine notes that you should include two days of strength training per week to decrease your risk of chronic disease.
Tighten Your Core
Suck your navel toward your spine to maintain correct posture during any exercise. Slight abdominal tension places your arms, legs and pelvis in the most efficient position for walking, running and standing. This is especially important when you are holding or supporting a barbell, dumbbells or machine weights.
Alternate Training Sessions
Your muscles need time to repair and grow. Do not do a leg workout on Monday, then plyometric or jumping exercises on Tuesday. If you do a chest and back session on Tuesday, complete a bicep and triceps session on Thursday or Friday.
Training According to Your Goal
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, if your goal is to improve your muscular endurance, you need to do 15 or more repetitions per set of every exercise. To build muscle mass, you need to do six to 12 repetitions per set. If you want to increase your muscular strength, you need to use a heavy enough weight that you can only lift for one to six reps.
Purse Your Lips
Exhale through pursed lips or clenched teeth when lifting heavy weights, commonly referred to as the Valsalva maneuver. According to the book "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning," the Valsalva maneuver will help you lift through the sticking points of an exercise. This slow release of pressure from your chest and abdominal cavities will help you push and pull heavy weights.
Work Opposing Muscles
Work opposing muscle groups to maximize your time in the gym. Do chest and back exercises on the same day. Perform exercises for your legs and shoulders together. Complete exercises for your biceps and triceps during the same workout session. For instance, when you are bench pressing for your pecs, your back muscles are resting. When you do dumbbell rows, your chest muscles are resting.
Change Your Routine
William McArdle and colleagues, in their book, "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance," advise resistance training must be divided into small cycles to reduce over-training and alter workout variety. Your muscles adapt to your training programs. Vary your workouts every few weeks. This can be done by changing the exercises, decreasing your rest periods, increasing the number of sets you do and changing the muscles you pair together.
Include Pulleys, Bands and Machines
Paul Chek of the Corrective High-Performance Exercise Kinesiology Institute advises that free weights engage your joint stabilizing muscles, reducing your risk of injuries. Include cable pulleys, resistance bands and weight machines to prevent boredom and training plateaus. Perform exercises using these devices toward the end of your workout. The American Council on Exercise reports cross-training with different equipment will help you stay motivated and interested in working out.
References
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity and Public Health Guidelines
- American College of Sports Medicine: Progression Models in Resistance Training for Adults
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle; 2000
- "Equal But Not The Same, Considerations for Training Females"; C.H.E.K. Institute; 1997
- "Personal Trainer Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 1997
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