Dumbbell training plays an important role in developing muscular strength and stability. Dumbbells allow you to work through a more natural and complete range of motion and will require greater motor unit recruitment within the muscles trained....
The incline bench press targets the clavicular portion of the pectoralis major muscle. The clavicular head of the pectoralis major develops the most during incline press work. The clavicular attachment is the upper chest. The sternal attachment is...
Our body compensates and forces the proper muscles to flex when we lift or move an object. Regardless of the object, your body goes through a complicated process to access the specific needs, and in microseconds, it responds by giving it the...
The volume and intensity of your weight-training program are the two variables that contribute to your success in the gym. If your intensity is to low, you will not get any results, and if it is too high you will fatigue and overtrain. The same...
Your bench press can stall for many reasons, including poor technique. A specific muscle or muscle group may need strengthening, you may not have enough bar speed to accelerate the bar through a sticking point in the bench press or you may just...
Muscles attach to bones, allowing you to move by pulling the muscle fibers together, letting them slip apart or holding them steady. This attachment, made possible by tendons, gives your body the ability to remain still, to push and to pull. The...
Crossfit is a method of training that proscribes random exercises with the goal of increasing strength, conditioning, agility, endurance, and many other physical skills. There is no exercise that makes Crossfit unique, but rather the method in...
The most significant differences in a workout for strength as opposed to growth are the rep ranges in which you train. Lower-repetition workouts might not be ideal for gaining size, but are the way to increase strength. For hypertrophy, or muscle...
Weight lifting causes a profound affect on bones and muscles. These structures get stronger and bigger as a result of the stresses placed on them. In addition to these morphological adaptations to exercise, the components of the nervous system...
Your central nervous system, or CNS, is the primary messenger system of your body, consisting of your brain and spinal cord. You cannot exercise it directly, but exercise affects various aspects of many messenger systems, including the peripheral...
Athletes who compete in powerlifting contest the squat, bench press and deadlift, and the winner is the lifter with the highest total, counting only his best lift in each class. Lifters are divided by age bracket, gender and weight class....
Your body is made up of a number of systems including your nervous system, digestive system, cardiorespiratory system, skeletal system and muscular system. Each system works in concert with the others so that you can perform a wide variety of...
In the history of strength and muscle building, the quest for the optimal number of repetitions to perform remains unresolved. Some have argued that low reps build strength and mass, others that high reps stimulate the muscles more, and others for...
Opposing muscle supersets, more commonly known as antagonistic supersets are a great way to train for building muscle, increasing strength and losing fat. According to Charles Poliquin, owner of the Poliquin Performance Center, this way of...
Many things contribute to muscular power, and even though muscle size is the most obvious, there are other factors that are even more important. Possibly the most critical is the central nervous system, which is responsible for the transmission of...
Strength training is especially important for senior citizens due to the fact that muscle strength declines by 15 percent per decade after age 50 and 30 percent per decade after age 70. According to an article published by the journal "American...
While no official Russian powerlifting program exists, several methods are frequently used by Russian powerlifters. The most common are known as Sheiko -- after Russian coach Boris Sheiko -- a series of high-volume programs that build your...
Most sports, including team sports like soccer, sprinting sports such as swimming, endurance sports like cycling, and power sports such as Olympic lifting require some sort of speed training. The specific demands of each sport differ, but in all...
The muscular system has a number of functions, including movement, generating heat when you are cold by shivering, moving blood and lymph around your body and protecting your internal organs. Muscles can also provide a source of fuel during...
Many people seeking to test their strength will max out on the deadlift. While pulling a limit lift both taxes you and builds strength, care must be taken to ensure that good technique is used at all times. The deadlift places a great deal of...
The processes of fat loss and muscle gain goes hand-in-hand because having more muscle mass in your body will increase your fat-burning potential. However, many people who wish to lose weight do not understand this basic concept, and many diets...
The human body is made up of organs grouped together into systems. Body systems include the digestive system, the circulatory system, the skeletal system and the muscular system. Each system functions in synergy with the rest of your body to...
Despite popular opinion, the National Strength and Conditioning Association reports that strength training for youth is not only safe, but highly effective. The National Strength and Conditioning Association further illustrates that children as...
The amount of time required to increase your maximum bench press to 100 lb. can vary considerably depending on your fitness level. Practicing proper bench pressing technique and regularly strengthening the chest and other secondary muscles used in...
Traditionally, people do weight training to build bigger muscles and get stronger, not for weight loss. However, weight training should be part of any weight loss program because it will not only help you increase your fat-burning potential, but...
According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, weight lifting is often falsely believed to have harmful effects on children's growth. The association actually believes that weight lifting can be quite safe for children and is...
Cycling requires a tremendous amount of strength and endurance in the legs, and a well-designed resistance training program can enhance performance as well as prevent injury. According to Exploratorium, the hamstrings and and quadriceps provide...
Before you design your benching workout plan, you need to know your training goal. Bodybuilders are mainly concerned with increasing muscle size and maintaining body symmetry. Benching for strength requires a slightly different plan of attack than...
Anaerobic training includes high-intensity training methods where the energy source is not dependent on the use of oxygen. Sprinting, high-intensity resistance training, and a number of sports rely on anaerobic training for top performance. The...
Pyramid drills help build skills for defense in basketball. Learn how to run pyramid drills from a former college basketball player in this sports video.
