Power training. Working on ourselves: cardio training and strength training

Power training mean physical exercises performed with additional weights and aimed mainly at developing muscles. Specially designed strength exercises strengthen existing muscle potential, form a beautiful and slender figure by burning bulky fat cells, and help maintain the body in such excellent condition.

Strength training is an exclusively male activity. Despite the fact that exercise with heavy weights is considered a man's activity, it is women who need it more. After all, the female body, in general, contains about 25% fat and only 15% in the male body. The male hormone testosterone is responsible for the rapid growth of biceps and triceps. Due to its low levels and high levels of the hormone estrogen, muscle mass in women forms much more slowly than in the stronger sex. Often girls are afraid that heavily pumped muscles will not look very feminine. There is nothing to fear here: unless you take special medications and biological supplements, a woman is unlikely to become like a bodybuilder.

Men and women need different training programs. In fact, men and women have the same muscles, but due to higher hormonal levels, men have larger muscles.

Women who lift weights gain large, massive muscles. Women simply do not have enough testosterone levels to increase muscle mass so dramatically. Most women will only regain the muscles that they have lost due to lifestyle, poor nutrition, impaired metabolism, etc. The maximum result is 2-3 kg of muscle mass.

Exercising on exercise machines can increase the size of the mammary gland. Unfortunately, it is not. Quite the contrary, intensive exercise, especially those that solve the problem of getting rid of fat deposits, will reduce the size of the mammary gland for the simple reason that the female breast is glandular tissue plus adipose tissue. Weight training is not able to increase the size of adipose tissue, and therefore the breasts too. However, weight training can change the shape of the pectoral muscles, over which the mammary glands lie, giving them a completely different shape. Well-designed workouts lift the chest, form a straightened posture, visually improve the shape of the mammary glands, and this is exactly what you should strive for.

If you fast and exercise in the gym, you can lose two to three sizes in a week. Most likely, you will faint from nervous and physical exhaustion. Strength training and a strict diet are incompatible. Be sure to eat a balanced diet to get enough essential nutrients. You can't do any sports on an empty stomach. An hour and a half before the start of your workout, eat some protein product with vegetables. At least drink a ready-made protein shake. If you want to lose weight, after training, lean on fruits and vegetables; if you want to build muscle, then on meat and dairy products.

Strength training is contraindicated for pregnant women and those with varicose veins. There are a lot of different strength loads. During pregnancy or any illness, you can only perform certain exercises. For example, if you suffer from varicose veins, barbell squats are contraindicated for you. And during pregnancy, you need to exclude all exercises with dumbbells and barbells. But you can exercise as much as you like on strength training machines with backrests. The main thing is that the spine and lower back are supported by some kind of support. But at 6-7 months of pregnancy, it is better to stop exercising in the gym. In any case, before starting training in the gym, always consult with both your trainer and your doctor.

Strength training consists only of lifting barbells and dumbbells. The types of strength training are very diverse. These include various exercises with dumbbells, barbells and a body bar - that is, with free weight, and exercises on exercise machines, and even push-ups and squats, familiar from school physical education lessons. Thus, almost all exercises that are aimed at developing and strengthening the muscles of the body can be classified as strength training.

To lose excess weight you just need to stick to a diet. Diets are usually based on limiting the number of calories consumed. This will reduce muscle mass and metabolism. Exercise better and you'll lose weight more painlessly.

You can also do weight training at home. Of course you can. But to do this you need to learn how to do the exercises correctly. So first, find a good trainer who will show you how to handle dumbbells and a barbell (and, if you have one, a machine) and help you create an individual training plan and calculate the load.

The more often you train, the faster the results are visible. Unfortunately, here quantity does not always translate into quality. Too frequent and intense loads will only cause injuries and sprains. To rest, complete muscle recovery after a good strength training requires two days. So, going to the gym every day is not necessary. And a professional trainer will help you achieve better results in a short time.

In one workout you need to work all the muscles. Not true. To achieve better results during one session, professional trainers always advise focusing on one muscle group. For example, if you work out several times a week, then in the first workout, pump up your chest and arms, in the second, pay attention to your back and abs, and in the third, work on your legs and buttocks.

To lose excess weight, it is enough to do only aerobics. The statement is partly true. In the beginning, of course, aerobic exercise will be enough. And then, as you lose weight, the skin will begin to hang helplessly in folds. After losing weight, you need to gain muscle mass. Probably everyone who is losing weight knows the disappointment when, despite a strict diet and aerobics, weight loss suddenly stops, and it’s time to start going to the gym. And your metabolism will immediately speed up, and excess weight will begin to decline again. Muscle tissue requires much more calories than fat tissue. So those who want to lose weight cannot do without strength training.

Specific exercises can remove fat from specific areas of the body. It is impossible to make fat disappear only from certain areas of the body, it depends on genetics and body composition.

After strength training, muscles always hurt. Any pain should disappear about a month after starting training. If they do not stop, it means that some exercises are not suitable for you. Consult a trainer and change the load.

The effect of weight training will appear only after half an hour of continuous training. Exercising continuously for hours in the gym is strictly prohibited! Muscles can only withstand “their” load, and no more. When you get tired, your muscles begin to work half-heartedly. And there will be no benefit from further training.

After strength training, it is necessary to immediately begin aerobic training. You shouldn't do this. After serious work in the gym, you shouldn’t immediately run to aerobics. The muscles, and the whole body, need to rest for at least 24 hours. And then calmly go to aerobics classes.

After working out in the gym, the fatigue is so strong that you don’t even want to think about sex. To the delight of the stronger sex, this is not at all the case. During training, the body actively produces the hormone testosterone, which is actually responsible for sexual desire. So training not only does not interfere, but, on the contrary, improves your sex life.

Muscle will turn into fat if you stop exercising. Muscle does not turn into fat. If you stop exercising, you will naturally lose some muscle mass. If your diet stays the same, you are likely to gain more fat cells. Calling this a “transformation” would be a stretch!

Any movement we make—whether we walk or drive a car—uses muscles. Muscles are a unique structure. They can contract and relax, thereby producing energy. Muscles are metabolically active, i.e. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate (the number of calories you need) at rest and during sports training. With proper training—strength exercise—the muscles become more pliable, stronger and increase in size.

Strength training is an integral part of a proper sports training plan. They are so important that they immediately include 2 components (out of 5) of Physical Fitness: muscle strength and muscle endurance.

But if you don't know anything about strength training, how do you start? Straight from this article! This review article will tell you everything a beginner needs to know, and will also offer some recommendations for experienced athletes.

Definition

Strength training is a set of sports exercises with a constant increase in weight load, aimed at strengthening the musculoskeletal system.

Other names

Weight lifting, iron training, bodybuilding, resistance training.

Advantages

Regular strength training increases the size and strength of muscle fibers. They also strengthen tendons, ligaments and bones. All these changes have a positive effect on your physical condition, appearance and metabolism, while reducing the risk of joint diseases and muscle pain.

Muscles are metabolically active tissues. This means that the more muscle mass you have, the faster your resting metabolic rate. Therefore, strength training is a critical part of the weight loss process. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you can't judge by weight alone. You can burn fat and increase your muscle mass and strength, but your weight will remain the same or even increase.

Without regular strength training, muscle size and strength decrease over time. An inactive person after 20 years loses 250 grams of muscle mass per year. After 60, these losses double. But this can be completely avoided. With constant strength training, you can live your entire life with stable muscle mass and periodically restore lost muscle tissue.

Basic principles

Strength training is based on four basic principles.

Tension principle:

The basis of strength training is creating tension in the muscles (or muscle groups). Tension in the muscles is created by working with loads. Loads are weights (dumbbells, barbells, etc.), exercise machines, elastic bands, or your own body weight (push-ups, for example). Read more about the three ways to load muscles:

Gymnastics (own body weight):
You use only your own body weight to train your muscles. However, this method is ineffective for deep muscle training and strength development. However, gymnastics perfectly trains the main muscle groups and is quite sufficient to maintain the level of muscle strength. Examples of exercises: push-ups, pull-ups, squats, abdominal swings, Pilates.

Overload principle:

This principle states that for progressive muscle training, the load must be constantly increased, forcing the muscles to work harder and harder. The main task is to prevent the muscles from getting used to constant weight.

Everyone starts with a certain level of load. In order to become stronger, it is necessary to constantly increase the load on the muscles, forcing them to adapt to new conditions. The muscles gradually begin to grow. There are two main types of force overloads, depending on the type of muscle contraction:

Isometric means "same length". These are high-intensity muscle contractions that do not change their length. In other words, your muscles work very intensely, but they themselves remain motionless (there is no lengthening/contraction of the muscles). Isometric exercises are good for variety and also for maintaining fitness, but they do not allow you to increase strength because they do not work the muscles enough. For example: maximum force in relation to a stationary object, such as a wall, or holding a certain position with force. Exercises: yoga, incline board, etc.

Isotonic means “same effort.” When you lift weights or work with a resistance band, your muscles contract and lengthen in response to the given load. This happens with every repetition. However, the force produced by the muscles will vary throughout the movement - the greatest force occurs when the muscles are fully contracted. Unlike isometric exercises, isotonic training helps build strength.

Point effect principle:

It says that only the muscle or muscle group that you train will be “pumped up.” Those. If you constantly do elbow curls, your biceps will become bigger and stronger, but no other muscles will be affected. Therefore, when strength training, it is important to focus on all major muscle groups.

Power loss principle:

If you haven't trained for a long time, then all your strength gains will be lost. Muscles will weaken in less than 2 weeks!

Basic Elements: Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type

Always remember the basic principles of any training - Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.

Frequency: Number of workouts per week.
Each muscle group should be trained at least 2 times a week and a maximum of 3 times a week if you have the time and desire. Training once a week is quite suitable for maintaining shape, but it is clearly not enough to “pump up” muscles. Be sure to rest 1-2 days between workouts for the same muscles or muscle groups. Rest days allow your muscles to recover from the small tears that inevitably occur during strength training—that's how you get stronger. For example, if you perform a full set of exercises on Monday, then you need to rest until Wednesday or Thursday (1-2 days). If you decide to split up your strength training and train your upper body, for example, on Monday, and your lower body on Tuesday, then there is nothing wrong with that, since different muscle groups are working.

Intensity: How much weight/load
This is a rather difficult moment and if you are a beginner, you will have to spend some time on trial and error. The intensity of the workload should make you sweat. When you perform the last repetition, the muscles should be tired and loaded to such an extent that it is no longer possible to do another repetition. Many people don't follow this principle because they don't know that it is the correct way to strength train. They just lift the weight a set number of times and that's it.

For example, if you are going to pump your biceps by bending your arm with dumbbells at the elbow 10 times, then you should not stop at exactly 10 repetitions, but continue the exercise until you feel complete muscle fatigue and cannot do another repetition. You can continue to do further repetitions (at least 25) or simply increase your weight until you feel maximum fatigue on the 10th repetition. Remember that there are different types of loads: weights, tubes and sticks, your own weight, additional inclination, simulators. What weight/load you work with is directly related to the number of repetitions.

Time: Number of reps and sets
One repetition is an action from the starting position to the final position and back. Most people do about 8-15 reps. A set is one set of repetitions (e.g. 8-15). Most people do 1-3 sets with rest in between.

How many repetitions should you do? There are two approaches, depending on what you want to achieve - develop strength or increase your endurance and tone. If you are working on developing strength, then experts recommend doing fewer repetitions (8-10). And since you'll be doing fewer reps, you'll need more weight to get tired by the end of 8-10 reps. If you are working on endurance and tone (to reinforce your aerobic training), then it would be better to perform 10-15 repetitions. Naturally with less weight.

The ideal number of approaches is a constant cause for controversy and disagreement. In principle, it is correct to adhere to the rule of 1-3 approaches. Research shows that doing 2 sets is not particularly different from doing one. And doing 3 approaches is no better than two. The only difference is 1 or 3 approaches. If you perform the exercise correctly (to the point of maximum fatigue), you can maintain and even increase strength by doing just 1 set. But if you have free time, then the best option would be to start with 2 approaches.

Be sure to rest 30-90 seconds between sets. This time is best spent stretching your muscles, catching your breath, and taking a sip of water.

• In addition to resting between sets, there is another training option (especially useful for those who are limited in time) - CYCLE TRAINING. With this approach, instead of resting, you simply start training other muscles. Those. you do, for example, pumping up your biceps, and then move on to your triceps without rest. In such a cycle you can include either 2 exercises (and repeat the cycle 1-3 times, and then move on to the other two), or your entire workout. The main advantages are maintaining heart rate (it turns out just like in aerobics) and saving time.

Type: What activities count as exercise?

Try to train all major muscle groups: arms, neck, torso, back, legs. Remember that in addition to the visible muscles (biceps, core, abs), you also need to train the inverse muscles - triceps, back, lower back and hamstrings. Don't forget about the obliques, hips, abductors (abductor muscles) and adductors (adductor muscles). It is necessary to work out the upper and lower parts of the body equally well. Don't focus on one muscle group and neglect others. This can lead to uneven distribution of muscle mass, and consequently to injury and pain.

Cautions:

Correct body position:

Performing exercises from the correct positions is very important, as this helps to isolate and focus the entire load only on certain muscles. And besides, correct positions help prevent injuries.

• The trainers are more suitable for beginners. Everything is already prepared for them to perform the exercises correctly. Many simulators even show which muscle groups work and how to perform the exercise correctly.
• Working with weights requires more training and skill. After training on the machines, you will have enough experience and knowledge to start training with different weights. When working with weights, correct body position is extremely important! It is best to work with weights in front of a mirror and use special benches. Constantly monitor the accuracy of the exercises, the position of the body and joints. Control your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. Your back should always be straight and your abs tense. If you work with heavy (for you) weights, then be sure to ask someone to watch you and back you up.

Correct breathing:

When doing strength training, you need to breathe properly. Many people “like” to hold their breath, which is actually very dangerous (blood pressure increases) and wrong. During aerobic exercise, we breathe more frequently and quickly. The same should happen during strength training.

Only then will the muscles receive enough oxygen and be able to remove all harmful substances. This increases the efficiency and productivity of your training! We will teach you:

• During the strenuous phase of the exercise (lifting weights), exhale sharply and completely.
• During the easy phase of the exercise (lowering the weight), inhale deeply.

Try to maintain this rhythm throughout the entire exercise and in each approach. At the beginning you will have to control yourself, but very soon it will become a habit. The main thing is don’t hold your breath!

Cardio exercise, supplemented by serious strength training, will lead to weight loss for the fattest women and men, even at home! The right diet and hard exercise will burn all the fat while your muscles acquire a beautiful, sculpted shape.

The benefits of strength training

If you train under the guidance of a competent trainer, then lifting dumbbells, working on exercise machines and other loads will have an extremely positive effect on the body of any person. With the right approach, the benefits of strength training can be listed endlessly. This:

• improvement of metabolism;
• a strength training program for weight loss that gradually burns fat;
• increasing the strength of bone tissue;
• healing of joints due to the release of special lubricant;
• increasing flexibility and endurance of the body;
• strengthening the cardiovascular system;
• lowering blood sugar levels in diabetics;
• reducing the likelihood of cancer;
• increasing stress resistance and performance.

For women

There is a misconception that strength training is not suitable for girls and women, because it can turn a fragile creature into a pumped-up, masculine body. This is wrong. Strength training for women is as beneficial as fitness. They help you lose weight, create a slim figure, become stronger and more resilient. Many representatives of the fairer sex note that along with muscles, self-confidence grows.

For men

Being the owner of a beautiful body today is no less important than dressing fashionably. Flabby muscles in men are not welcome at any age. After 24 years, representatives of the stronger sex begin to naturally lose muscle mass by an average of 1% per year. Therefore, strength training for men is recommended to maintain a masculine appearance and health.

Speed-strength

When, in addition to strength, you also need to develop speed, high-speed strength training helps athletes. It is needed not only for those who engage in running sports. Speed ​​work helps maintain your speed-strength abilities, while slow strength work degrades them or leaves them unchanged. Slow work leads to muscle hypertrophy. And what you could previously do at one speed will now be done much more slowly.

Here are a few main rules that will not allow you to lose your own strength and speed skills:

• The amount of work performed at a slow pace should be minimal.
• Slow strength exercises should be replaced by faster ones and performed with less weight.
• You need to watch your rest intervals: if you want to avoid muscle hypertrophy, exercise fast and hard.

Circular

A great way to completely disconnect from the outside world in the gym and at the same time burn fat with triple the force is circular strength training. Its second name is “fat burning”. The point is to work all muscle groups in a short period of time. This exercise does not occur in sets, but with alternating different exercises. One circle includes from 4 to 7 types of exercises. You can rest between them for a maximum of 30 seconds or not rest at all. Taking a break is allowed only after the end of the circle.

A circuit training set of strength exercises has many benefits:

• No boredom like during slow reps.
• Calorie burning is 30% more active.
• In combination with cardio exercises, circular exercises will burn subcutaneous fat even faster and increase muscle power.

Group

Exercising not alone, but together with a group, has a number of advantages. They are more accessible and more motivating to work. Group training can be of different directions. Among the most popular are:

• Body Shape. This complex is similar to aerobics in that it increases endurance, but in addition, it affects large muscle groups, which leads to figure correction.
• Super Sculpt. This program promotes the development of all muscles and helps create a toned figure. Depending on the technique, it can be similar to aerobics using weights.
• Upper body. These are workouts for those who want to combine exercises for the muscles of the upper body: abdomen, shoulder girdle, chest, back. The waist will become thin, the arms will be muscular, the chest will be higher. Suitable even for beginners.
• Low body. These classes work the stomach, lower back, buttocks, and legs.
• Bums. This is a 30-minute workout that makes your butt muscles firm.
• Pump training. Barbell training to strengthen all muscles of the body. Suitable for those who want to add some drive to their routine.

Warm-up

To avoid unpleasant consequences, you need to prepare for the lesson. To do this you need to warm up. A proper warm-up will do the following:

• It will tone the muscles and protect against ruptures of “cold” tissues.
• It will increase cardiac activity and increase blood flow to the muscles, raising the pulse.
• It will alert the central nervous system and avoid stress for the body.
• The athletic performance of warmed muscles turns out to be significantly higher than in cases where no warm-up was carried out.
• The coordinated work of all body systems allows you to achieve maximum results.

Types of strength exercises

Strength exercises are special movements that are aimed at increasing muscle mass. They are distinguished by the type of resistance, that is, by the method of applying force to the muscles. Exercises can be divided into three types:

• Without weights, that is, those that involve only using the weight of your body. These include push-ups, pull-ups, and squats. The more correctly and carefully they are performed, the greater the effect.
• With weights and external resistance. In exercises of this type, the athlete uses barbells, weights, dumbbells, and elements of exercise equipment.
• Isometric. The main thing in these exercises is tension, dynamic or static, for some time. For example, when lifting and holding a load.

Nutrition

Strength training requires proper nutrition, otherwise you can achieve the opposite effect, such as stretch marks, loose skin and stubborn fat. Nutrition after strength training is especially important. It is advisable to eat during the first hour. This neutralizes the effect of hormones that are produced during exercise and act destructively on muscle tissue. It is important to combine carbohydrates and proteins, excluding fats. Meat should be lean (chicken fillet, veal), egg whites, cheese, low-fat dairy products. It is very healthy to eat fish, but not fried fish.

Contraindications

If there are no very serious diseases, such as disorders of the cardiovascular system, then contraindications to strength training will apply only to individual exercises. So, with varicose veins, you need to minimize the load on your legs and perform exercises while lying down or sitting. If you have myopia, you should not lift weights or exercise upside down (rest on your elbows). To avoid injuries to sore joints, you need to avoid heavy weight loads, static or jumping. For 2 weeks after a cold, load yourself only 50%.

Video

Just as in the gym you can’t do without a trainer who will tell you what and how to do, so at home you can’t do without video lessons. From them you will learn in detail about the technique of movements, with what intensity and order to perform, what to combine and alternate with what. Strength exercises at home can be no less effective than working out in the gym, because many of them do not require equipment.

Strength training is a set of sports exercises whose purpose is to strengthen the musculoskeletal system.

What is the difference between cardio training and strength training?

Unlike cardio (or aerobic exercise), which primarily focuses on strengthening the cardiovascular system, strength (or anaerobic) training helps increase muscle mass. The fact is that any movement you perform, whether walking, climbing stairs, driving, or just standing, uses certain muscle groups. Muscles have the ability to contract and relax, and in doing so they produce energy. Muscles are metabolically active structures, meaning the more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate (the amount of energy needed) at rest and when moving.

What are the benefits of strength training and how will it benefit you?

With regular and properly selected strength training:

The size and strength of muscle fibers increases;

The skeletal system, ligaments and tendons are strengthened;

The risk of joint and muscle diseases is reduced;

The level of metabolism increases.

All this has a positive effect on overall physical fitness, appearance and activity level.

Why is strength training so important?

It has been proven that over time, without sufficient and regular strength training, muscle strength and size decrease. If a person does not maintain a sufficient level of activity, then after 20–25 years of age, on average, he loses 200–250 g of muscle mass in one year, and after 50–60 years of age, the loss doubles. Along with a reduction in muscle mass, bone density also decreases and metabolism decreases, which can negatively affect a person’s health.

By developing a habit of strength training, you can maintain optimal levels of muscle mass throughout your life. This healthy habit will not only help you stay in attractive physical shape, but will also reduce the risk of accumulating fat mass, the excess of which is associated with ailments such as atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, etc.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that excessive involvement in strength exercises can bring not only benefits, but also harm, especially if the training program is compiled without taking into account the individual characteristics of the trainee. Strength exercises involve working with both your own body weight and additional weight (dumbbells, barbells, weights, etc.), so this type of exercise puts additional stress on bones, joints, ligaments, and large vessels.

Before going to the gym, you should consult a specialist, especially if you have diseases of the musculoskeletal system, have previously had any injuries, have diseases of the cardiovascular system, or have ever sought help from a neurologist or psychiatrist. Beginners should also undergo a minimum medical examination.

To create an individual training schedule, you should hire a competent trainer who can assess your level of physical fitness and teach you how to perform the exercises correctly. When lifting weights, it is very important to have someone to insure you.

What types of strength training can be used?

Gymnastics that uses your own body weight to train muscles. This type of strength training is perfect for beginners, as it perfectly trains the main muscle groups and is quite enough to maintain optimal muscle strength. Examples of such exercises can be: various push-ups and pull-ups on the bar, squats and lunges, abdominal pumping, etc. This type of activity is ineffective for deep muscle training, but to maintain general tone and a flat stomach, ordinary gymnastics will be quite enough.

Working with a fixed weight.
This training method allows you to strengthen all major muscle groups and involves the use of a fixed light weight throughout the entire exercise cycle. For example, if you perform an exercise with 2-3 kg dumbbells to work the triceps (flexion of the arm at the elbow joint), then the weight of 2-3 kg remains constant throughout the entire training cycle. A light weight load is used to perform the exercises. These can be dumbbells, expanders and some types of exercise equipment.

Variable load allows you to work the muscles deeply and contributes to a faster increase in muscle mass. With this training method, the load changes directly during the exercise. Some types of machines use different incline angles and gravity to create different forces when lifting and lowering the weight.

What are the basic principles of successful strength training?

For effective muscle training, the load must be increased methodically, forcing the muscles to work harder and harder. The main task is to prevent the muscles from adapting to constant weight.

Variable load allows you to work the muscles deeply and contributes to a faster increase in muscle mass. With this training method, the load changes directly during the exercise. Some types of machines use different incline angles and gravity to create different forces when lifting and lowering the weight.

When strength training, you should pay attention to all major muscle groups. This is necessary for uniform increase and development of the muscle frame.

Periodicity.
For most people, there is no need to do strength training every day. The optimal frequency is 2–3 times a week. Another option is to work on different muscle groups on different days. It is advisable that strength training alternate with cardio exercises. However, you should remember that by taking too long breaks between workouts, you risk not only slowing down the rate of muscle gain, but also losing the results achieved: the muscles will begin to weaken after 7-10 days.

How to choose the right weight?

Determining the initial weight level is a rather complex issue. If you have just started changing your life with the help of strength training, then be prepared for the fact that it will take some time to select the initial weight and intensity of work. The general principle is to focus on the feeling of fatigue. At the same time, when performing the last repetition, you should feel that the muscles are tired and loaded to such an extent that it is no longer possible to do another repetition.

The number of repetitions directly depends on what weight or load you are working with. For example, if you are doing an exercise to strengthen the triceps, then by extending your arms raised above your head at the elbow joint with dumbbells weighing 2–3 kg 10–15 times, you should not stop at exactly 10–15 repetitions, you should continue the exercise until you You will feel complete muscle fatigue and will not be able to do another repetition. The next time you perform this exercise, simply increase the weight of the dumbbells until you feel maximum fatigue by the 8th to 10th rep.

How many repetitions should you do?

There are two approaches, depending on what you want to achieve: build strength or increase endurance and tone. If you're looking to build strength, you should do fewer reps (8-10) with heavier weights. If you need to increase endurance and tone, then it would be better to perform more repetitions, but with less weight.

What is the optimal number of approaches?

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Nothing inspires you more than photos of fitness models? Do you want a toned figure with defined muscles? Then you're in the right place for strength training. Strength training is one of the main types of physical activity. The difference between strength exercises is the active use of resistance (free weights and strength machines). Group strength training involves only free weights.

These workouts are aimed at increasing strength, elasticity and muscle volume.

Strength training helps to launch and accelerate anabolic processes in the body. The basic principle of energy production is the anaerobic (oxygen-free) breakdown of glucose in the muscles and glycogen in the liver. In fitness centers, group strength training includes those classes where the “heavy artillery” of sports equipment is used when performing exercises, in particular: barbells, dumbbells and weights. “Heavy” sports equipment is relative, since everyone has the right to choose their own working weight.

Therefore, how strong such training will be depends on several factors.:

• Instructor's working method
• The level of preparedness of those involved,
• The desires of those involved to “work for strength.”

Strength training usually includes:

BODY SCULPT

PUMP IT UP- a strength type aimed at working out the main muscle groups. During the exercises, various equipment is used: barbells, dumbbells, weights. Pump It Up helps build strength and overall endurance. Suitable for those who are prepared.

- strength training aimed at working the muscles of the upper body: arms, back, chest and abs. It is carried out using sports equipment: barbells, dumbbells, body bars, medicine balls, etc. Suitable for all levels of fitness. More information about.

LOWER BODY- strength training to work the muscles of the hips, buttocks and abdominals. The load is carried out from medium to high intensity. Despite this, the training is positioned as classes for people with any level of physical fitness. Detailed article about Lower Body.

CIRCULAR- strength training aimed at developing all muscle groups, as well as strength, endurance, coordination and balance - the basic motor qualities of a person, which he constantly uses in everyday life. The essence of circuit training is that the equipment is arranged in a circle. Everyone takes their place. The instructor times the time and everyone does their own exercise. The allotted time passes and the positions of those involved quickly change. This happens until the circle ends - until everyone returns to the exercise from which they started. Circuit training is recommended for intermediate and high levels of fitness.
METABOLIC EFFECT- strength training aimed at burning fat through intense exercise. In the scientific community and fitness industry this effect is known as EPOC or Oxygen Debt(oxygen debt), and exercises done in a specific way will help prolong this effect for hours and even days after these exercises have been performed.
ABT- a type of strength training that is aimed at working the muscles of the legs and abs. During the exercises, various strength equipment is used.

BODY PUMP- strength training using a barbell with an adjustable weight. The exercises that make up the training program are aimed at improving muscle strength and relief without excessively increasing muscle volume. For intermediate and advanced levels of fitness. Detailed article about Body Pump.

HOT IRON(from the English “hot iron”) is a strength training session during which mini-barbells and step platforms are used, and the session itself is performed to music. The main goal is to develop strength endurance. The workout is effective for losing weight. Hot Iron has a direction designed for people with spinal problems. For different physical levels. preparation. More information about