Bodybuilding Tips, How To Perform A Safer Workout Routine
1) Warm-up. This may sound like the king of cliches, but guess what? A large percentage of the gymrats out there, especially the younger ones, are so eager to hit the bench press that they skimp on or ignore the warm-up altogether. This is a big mistake.
Properly warming up will raise your core temperature, get your metabolism into gear and "pre-lubricate" the joints in preparation for the actual workout. Simply put, your body is ready to tackle the big weights.
A warm-up should consist of 5-10 minutes of moderate cardio work on a treadmill, stationary bike or other such device. Investing a little time with light stretching will also help prepare for the weights. It is also helpful to take the weights and perform 1-2 light sets before your "real" sets begin.
2) Stretch. Not taking the time out to properly stretch will lead to the muscles shortening over time and that will make you significantly less flexible. This might seem like a minor detail to some, the development of weakened and inflexible tissue will lead to potential injuries and lifestyle problems.
If one of your supporting muscle stiffens or ends up becoming shortened, you will notice that is causes interference with the normal performance of your exercises. This may not seem like much of a problem at first, but if you train increasingly improperly over an extended period of time, you will end up putting a lot of extra unnecessary stress on joints, ligaments and the secondary muscle groups. The cumulative effect of this could prove problematic to say the least.
Stretching between your sets flushes out the presence of lactic acid and its byproducts while also bringing forth fresh nutrients. This makes you stronger for the next set you seek to perform. Then, the post-stretching will help you recover in a faster manner in between workouts. The bottom line here is when you stretch slowly and without any bouncing, for 30 seconds or more, you will reduce the potential for stress on your joints.
3) Control. There is great temptation with loading up on heavy weights and cheat your way to the conclusion of a set. Controlled cheating is an intensity boosting technique many prominent bodybuilders advocate.
Cheating should always be avoided until the end of a normal set so as to perform a few "bonus" reps. When you need to sway or use momentum at an early point in the set, you are using far too much weight.
Another aspect of control to employ will center on avoiding any means of bouncing, jerking or partially moving through the sheer force of necessity. In other words, when you stop halfway down in the negative phase of a biceps curl due to being unable to handle the exercise you are using way too much weight.
4) Strong Abs. The midsection is the core of the body and that is why it is also the stabilizer that holds all muscle groups together. When you lack a solid midsection, your ability to stabilize other lifts is in questions.
Weigh your options on a barbell military press. From your feet to hips, you will pretty much be standing straight. When you lean backwards in order to stay balanced while pushing the barbell upwards and the only form of protection your spine gains is from the abs. In reality, ab tension is critical for a safe starting position.
5) Safety Precautions. People buckle their seat belts when they get into their car not because they expect an accident to happen. They do so just in case one occurs their injuries will be minimized. Take this attitude into the gym with you.
Likewise, attempting heavy barbell bench presses to failure without a spotter is little more than Russian roulette. You can even up the ante by using "monkey grip" (thumbs on the same side as the rest of the fingers) for the added thrill of potentially dropping 300 lbs on your face.
None of this is too difficult to comprehend and all of these 5 steps can help reduce the chances of an injury from occurring. - 17273
Properly warming up will raise your core temperature, get your metabolism into gear and "pre-lubricate" the joints in preparation for the actual workout. Simply put, your body is ready to tackle the big weights.
A warm-up should consist of 5-10 minutes of moderate cardio work on a treadmill, stationary bike or other such device. Investing a little time with light stretching will also help prepare for the weights. It is also helpful to take the weights and perform 1-2 light sets before your "real" sets begin.
2) Stretch. Not taking the time out to properly stretch will lead to the muscles shortening over time and that will make you significantly less flexible. This might seem like a minor detail to some, the development of weakened and inflexible tissue will lead to potential injuries and lifestyle problems.
If one of your supporting muscle stiffens or ends up becoming shortened, you will notice that is causes interference with the normal performance of your exercises. This may not seem like much of a problem at first, but if you train increasingly improperly over an extended period of time, you will end up putting a lot of extra unnecessary stress on joints, ligaments and the secondary muscle groups. The cumulative effect of this could prove problematic to say the least.
Stretching between your sets flushes out the presence of lactic acid and its byproducts while also bringing forth fresh nutrients. This makes you stronger for the next set you seek to perform. Then, the post-stretching will help you recover in a faster manner in between workouts. The bottom line here is when you stretch slowly and without any bouncing, for 30 seconds or more, you will reduce the potential for stress on your joints.
3) Control. There is great temptation with loading up on heavy weights and cheat your way to the conclusion of a set. Controlled cheating is an intensity boosting technique many prominent bodybuilders advocate.
Cheating should always be avoided until the end of a normal set so as to perform a few "bonus" reps. When you need to sway or use momentum at an early point in the set, you are using far too much weight.
Another aspect of control to employ will center on avoiding any means of bouncing, jerking or partially moving through the sheer force of necessity. In other words, when you stop halfway down in the negative phase of a biceps curl due to being unable to handle the exercise you are using way too much weight.
4) Strong Abs. The midsection is the core of the body and that is why it is also the stabilizer that holds all muscle groups together. When you lack a solid midsection, your ability to stabilize other lifts is in questions.
Weigh your options on a barbell military press. From your feet to hips, you will pretty much be standing straight. When you lean backwards in order to stay balanced while pushing the barbell upwards and the only form of protection your spine gains is from the abs. In reality, ab tension is critical for a safe starting position.
5) Safety Precautions. People buckle their seat belts when they get into their car not because they expect an accident to happen. They do so just in case one occurs their injuries will be minimized. Take this attitude into the gym with you.
Likewise, attempting heavy barbell bench presses to failure without a spotter is little more than Russian roulette. You can even up the ante by using "monkey grip" (thumbs on the same side as the rest of the fingers) for the added thrill of potentially dropping 300 lbs on your face.
None of this is too difficult to comprehend and all of these 5 steps can help reduce the chances of an injury from occurring. - 17273
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