Strength training workouts promote muscle growth and sculpt your physique. There are dozens of weight lifts; some target a specific muscle while others work entire groups of muscles at once. Choosing appropriate weightlifting techniques can be daunting given the array of options. For most lifters, a variety of lifts targeting all areas of the body achieves the best results.
Significance
Strength training is a beneficial physical activity for men and women of all ages. The most obvious benefit to weightlifting is building stronger, leaner muscles. MayoClinic.com reports that strength training also promotes bone strength, boosts weight loss, improves attention and lowers your risk of injury. Choosing lifts that target several body groups increases overall muscle mass and makes your body appear leaner.
Types
There are two major classes of weight lifts: compound exercises and isolation exercises. According to Muscle Prodigy, a compound exercise works multiple muscle groups simultaneously by requiring movement at two or more joints. For example, a squat is a compound exercise because it works your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes, lower back, trapezius and abdominal core. Isolation exercises, on the other hand, target just one muscle group by requiring movement in only one joint. Leg extensions are isolation exercises because they only work the quadriceps.
Effects
Weight Training Advice recommends performing compound exercises for maximal fitness results. Exercises that work multiple muscle groups rapidly increase muscle size and overall strength. Working multiple muscle groups simultaneously decreases your risk of injury by preventing you from overworking a single muscle. Compound exercises are especially important for weightlifting beginners who need to steadily build strength to see results. While compound exercises provide a full-body workout, isolation exercises are also beneficial. Supplement your workout with isolation exercises to sculpt and tone specific muscles.
Considerations
Begin your workouts with a series of compound exercises, such as squats, bench presses, lunges, deadlifts, push-ups, pull-ups or shoulder presses. These exercises should form the core of your workout. Toward the end of your workout, perform isolation exercises to target a particular muscle. Bicep curls, tricep extensions, leg extensions, calf raises, lateral raises or hamstring curls are examples of isolation exercises. Perform these lifts last to completely fatigue a muscle and promote muscle growth, according to Muscle Prodigy.
Misconceptions
Weightlifting is an excellent way to build muscle mass, but it cannot replace aerobic exercise. Aerobic activities, such as running, biking, swimming or step aerobics, boost cardiovascular activity and promote fat burning. Weightlifting increases muscle size but does not reduce fat levels as effectively as aerobic exercise. A combination of strength training and cardiovascular activity helps your body shed pounds from fat and build lean muscle.
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