Hammam for health. Turkish hammam: the benefits and harms of an oriental bath. What are the benefits of hamam and can there be any harm from this procedure? A Finnish sauna or hammam is healthier

Find out how to increase muscle strength, important tips for beginners and advanced athletes, competent recommendations + videos from experts.

Strength training is fundamentally different from most workouts in the gym, where most people work to increase muscle size or burn fat, that is, all efforts are aimed at adjusting the figure, strength is given secondary importance.

Strength training, on the contrary, has only one goal - how to increase muscle strength and develop physical power. So how can you truly master the power of titanium?! Read on for 6 important rules!

1. Performing basic and isolation exercises

To develop strength, they are actively used, special attention It’s worth paying attention to the golden three - , and , these are the three pillars of creating athletic power.

Other basic exercises are also actively included in the work -,, and so on. It is the use of these multi-joint exercises that forces the majority of muscle groups to work, and the more muscle fibers loaded simultaneously, the higher the strength indicators.

2. The importance of approaches

Training programs for developing strength are a feature of powerlifters. Have you ever seen how they work in action?! Not in competitions, but in training. A healthy man once appeared in my gym, he occupied the bench press, I acted as a backup, counted 7 working approaches, and how many warm-up approaches were unknown, as I later found out - he is the champion of Ukraine in powerlifting, the maximum weight on the bench press is 200 kg. without equipment.

So, strength training includes up to 10 in one exercise!!! Moreover, the heavier the weight, the fewer repetitions performed. Performing such a maximum number of approaches contributes to the perfection of the neuromuscular connection and the development of the technique of performing exercises until it becomes automatic.

3. Distribution of load on muscles

In fitness and bodybuilding, to maximize muscle development, the load is concentrated on a specific area. For example, when performing a bench press, you need to direct the entire load into the muscle, actively pump it with blood and deliver greatest number nutrients to further boost growth. All other muscles are given less attention so as not to distract the payload.

In strength training, it’s the other way around; for squeezing weights, the chest is actively used, and of course the chest is no longer a priority, pumping up the pecs is no longer a priority, the goal is only to lift the weight as much as possible. To do this, you need to include absolutely all possible muscle areas in action.


4. Number of repetitions

For the development of strength, they set the level at which they will do from 1 to 6, increasing the number is more aimed at growth muscle mass. Why is this happening?!

In strength training, it is very important to injure the element of muscle contraction - the myofibril, then, after resting a little, get the effect of supercompensation (this is a phenomenon when the body, having spent energy, tries to exert even more effort for the next load, thus increasing strength).

In the process of increasing muscle volume, the process is different, the number of repetitions is 8-10, here the main objective- drive muscle acid and pump it well with blood, which is why they are often used, which are useless for developing strength.

5. Rest time

In this case, there is no specific period, usually 3-4 minutes are used for muscle growth, 1-2 minutes for burning and developing endurance, and for developing maximum body strength - the rest period lasts from 4 to 10 minutes.

It is very important to fully recover, in this case the body itself will tell you when it is ready to work further, otherwise if you strictly adhere to a certain time limit, then feeling tired, you will not be able to cope with the planned weight and the standard phrase will burst out from the depths of your soul - it didn’t work!


6. Work to failure

Work up to , is extremely rarely used in powerlifting, when heavy weight, refusal increases the risk of injury of the exercise, tired muscles slightly lose concentration, and under the influence of huge weights, ligaments and joints are overloaded, a slight loss of coordination occurs and therefore the risk of injury increases.

Working to failure is often used when pumping muscles, but as stated earlier, this method is suitable for pumping muscles, not for increasing strength.

Finally, I’ll say especially to beginners, are you still wondering how to increase muscle strength? Then remember that you shouldn’t constantly work on strength, otherwise it’s easy to make money, alternate working on strength and mass, and before in summer add cardio loads and increase the intensity of the training to 12-15 repetitions, this will make the muscles more prominent, defined and significantly reduce the layer of fat deposits.

Many novice athletes are interested in learning how to increase physical strength in a short time and which ones exist special exercises for this. It turns out that with the help of simple techniques it is quite possible to significantly improve your physical fitness and perform more difficult strength exercises.

  1. It has been noted that one color or another can influence a person. Thus, it has been proven that the color red increases the performance of an athlete training in the gym. To do this, you need to choose a training suit that is bright red, which is especially helpful when bench pressing. This shade stimulates the working motor skills of the body. By the way, champions different levels in weightlifting they most often perform in scarlet tights.
  2. Those who only want to increase muscle strength so that they acquire relief need to train intensively. To do this, you need to perform exercises not with a lot of weight, but with one that is 75-80% of the maximum possible. Thus, you can perform from 6 to 10 repetitions. It is necessary to do the exercises until muscle tremors occur. The more approaches you perform, the more glycogen will be processed in the muscles. However, after each series of movements performed, it is necessary to give the body a rest so as not to exhaust the muscles and provoke muscle tissue tears.
  3. You can also significantly increase your strength by proper nutrition. In addition to meeting the minimum needs of the body, it is necessary to supply it with more calories than are consumed per day. In this case, the amount of protein should exceed the amount of unsaturated fatty acids. Thus, it is optimal for an athlete’s body to consume at least 3 grams of protein and at least 5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight every day. Products in the diet should be natural and fresh.
  4. To increase arm strength like professional boxers, among other things, you will also need to rest properly. It is necessary to properly plan time intervals for resting strained muscles. It is imperative to rest not only between sets of exercises, but also to properly organize your daily routine. In order for muscles to become stronger and have time to recover after training, the number of hours allocated to sleep per day should be at least 8. In addition, hormones that make the body stronger function at night, namely androgens (testosterone, etc.). Without proper sleep, the body will not be able to rest sufficiently and recuperate for subsequent workouts, which means building muscle mass will be more difficult. In addition to night sleep, you can also rest for 1.5-2 hours during the day.

Golden rule: don't exercise outside the gym

If an athlete directs all his energy to increasing muscle strength in the gym, this does not mean at all that outside the gym he should take advantage of every opportunity to pump himself up even more. Experienced trainers advise not to dissipate your energy and not to spend calories outside the walls of the gym, since at this time plastic and nutrients are burned in vain, and they should be aimed at building muscles.

If physical work Still, it cannot be avoided (for example, a man outside the gym works as a builder or loader, and his duties involve lifting weights), so that excess calories are not consumed and muscle mass grows, it is necessary to increase the amount of food eaten. Portions, accordingly, should be larger; snacks can be added to main meals.

Tricks to help increase strength

To do more sets, experienced athletes recommend cooling their hands. To do this, before class, you can put half gloves in the refrigerator or simply hold a few ice cubes in your hands immediately before the bench press. Scientific research have proven that cold dulls fatigue, and men can lift more weight because of it.

Motivation never hurt anyone. To increase your strength, you can watch films about bodybuilders, look at photographs of bodybuilders and consult with experienced athletes.

Others no less useful tips on building muscle strength can be found on our website in the section.

What weight of barbell to increase strength with?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), an intensity of 60-70% of 1RM is needed for resistance training to increase maximal muscle strength in people with low to moderate levels of fitness. Roughly speaking, if your maximum barbell weight with which you can squat once is 100 kg, then the most effective training weight for increasing strength is 60-70 kg.

Scientists confirm: according to the results of a meta-analysis (Rhea et al, 2003) optimal intensity for untrained (less than a year of continuous training) 60% RM.

Significant increases or decreases in weights relative to 60% RM should not be used. The effectiveness of training in untrained people decreased at an average training intensity of 80% 1RM.

People with high level ACSM recommends an intensity of 80-100% 1RM to increase strength.

Basic work for experienced: 70-80% of PM

The legendary Soviet weightlifter Yuri Vlasov (Zozhnik compiled) talks about the principles of strength training by Soviet weightlifters: “Increasing the load leads to continued long time(structural and functional) changes that serve as the basis for progress in strength skills. Of course, strength grows at the same time, but not too quickly. Then increasing the intensity allows you to quickly achieve new results. However, high work intensity in itself does not lead to deep adaptation of the body.”

Should I lift to failure?

We have figured out the weight with which to effectively perform exercises. But is it necessary to do the exercise “to failure”? In most cases, performing repetitions to failure is not recommended by experts (including to reduce the risk of injury).

Soviet weightlifters performed the bulk of the work from 1/3 to 2/3 repetitions of the repetition maximum (when working with a range of 70-90% of the 1RM). That is, if they could squat the barbell to failure 3 times, then they performed either 1 or 2 repetitions, but not all 3.

For weights greater than 90% of the reps performed only single repetitions. For weights lighter than 70%, the number of repetitions is usually 1/3 of the maximum possible.

Fitness expert Sergei Strukov gives the following disadvantages work until failure: the technique of performing exercises is inevitably violated, therefore, in those exercises where failure is used, either some “technique reserve” is needed or a situation in which changing the technique will not cause injury.

However, failure is inevitable in some approaches when the load is gradually increased. Doing the exercise with safe technology to failure is periodically included in training to clarify the results of the training and, possibly, to stimulate further adaptation in experienced athletes.

Variable load: do not constantly increase the weight

The variability of the load also needs to be increased in parallel with the increase in fitness.

For example, Pavel Tsatsouline, a trainer and author of books on kettlebell training living in the USA.

Previously, the basic scheme among strength athletes was “three weeks of increasing loads with one week of rest,” but back then in the Soviet Union it was practiced only by beginning athletes. Professional Soviet weightlifters did not increase the load every week so that after 3 weeks they would be as exhausted as possible, and then do something completely different in the 4th week. The intensity of the training changed unexpectedly, but not so dramatically.

Professor Arkady Vorobyov found out that unexpected changes in load during training have greater influence than anything else. A classic experiment by a researcher from his group, A. Ermakov, showed that “jumping” loads were 61% more effective than training programs with a planned gradual increase load .

Targeted and auxiliary exercises

Based on preliminary testing, 1-3 exercises are selected as “target” exercises in which it is necessary to increase strength first. This is mainly squats, deadlifts, presses with free weights.

The rest of the exercises in the training program are auxiliary. They performed with less intensity, often with big amount repetitions, rest between approaches is also reduced. Such a design increases the variety of the training stimulus and probably leads to greater net strength gains.

One of the most common mistakes: excessive load intensity in accessory exercises.

There is no need to test your body's strength from training. In targeted exercises, an attempt is made to increase the weight in the sets. no more than once every two weeks. It is considered that the load should be increased if one or two additional repetitions can be performed in the required intensity zone (for example, 8-10 RM) in two workouts in a row.

Auxiliary exercises are performed strictly within the prescribed repetition scheme.

Rest between reps

Strength training manuals suggest that for maximum growthstrength needed long rest intervals (3 minutes)between approaches, and for maximizing muscle growth Between sets it is recommended to rest for about 1 minute.

However, until recently, there were no studies proving this point of view. Relatively recently, the famous “fitness scientist” Brad Schonefeld spoke about a study of the dependence of the growth of strength and muscle volume on the amount of rest between approaches.

Group of 21 young man was randomly divided into 2 subgroups: one rested 1 minute between sets, and the second - 3 minutes. All other components of the training program remained unchanged. The subjects trained in a standard bodybuilding-oriented style, performing 7 exercises and working all the major muscle groups of the upper and lower parts bodies.For each exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions were performed, while the training itself took place 3 times a week for 8 weeks.

Participants were tested before the study and immediately after completion. The bench press and squats were used as test exercises to determine the growth of strength indicators (indicators were determined based on the growth of 1RM).

When analyzing changes based on the 1RM test, The group that rested longer (3 minutes) had significantly higher increases in maximum strength in both the bench press and squats.

conclusions

Now let’s summarize the above in a short list Recommendations for maximizing muscle strength:

Working weight : for beginners - 60-70% RM, for experienced ones - main work 70-80% RM, rarely - 80-100% RM.

Number of repetitions : for beginners - you need to finish the exercises 1-2 repetitions BEFORE failure and not do the exercises to failure at all. Experienced athletes also do the main work in training up to 2/3 repetitions to failure, rarely to muscle failure.

Load change : unexpectedness of load changes (within certain limits) gives best effect. You cannot just increase the load all the time; rest and periods of decreasing the load are necessary.

Rest between sets : Research shows that resting 3 minutes between sets is noticeably more effective than resting 1 minute between sets.

Sources: alterbb.com, bodyboss.ru, Brad Schoenfeld: What is the Ideal Rest Interval for Muscle Growth? Implications from Our Recent Study.

Train your muscles with free weights. Exercise machines can also be helpful, but focus on free weights first. This means working exclusively with barbells and dumbbells. Free weights work many of the stabilizing muscles responsible for balance and control of the body. This means that you will work a lot larger number muscles other than those you are targeting in the workout. This will result in the appearance and definition of muscles throughout the body, rather than the growth of one large lump solely on the target muscle. Because of the additional stimulation you receive, your muscles will grow faster. Professional bodybuilders almost exclusively use free weights.

  • Take a weight that is approximately 80% of what you can generally lift. Try to lift it as many times as possible.
  • Do it exclusively or mostly complex exercises until you achieve a clear physical build. This includes the bench press, bending over, squats, deadlifts, and pull-ups. There is no need to start isolated exercises until you have developed your body as a whole (they can probably be tried after 6-8 months of training).
  • Decide what you will work on and when. On a certain day, if you wish, you can work out the muscles of the whole body, but this is very tiring. It will be most effective to split your workouts into 3 days a week. On one day you can work on your chest, shoulders, and triceps; in the other - with the back and biceps; in the third - with legs and abdominals. This way you will not overload the muscles being worked.

Train intensely, but not excessively. To grow muscles, you need to train intensely. Try to perform more repetitions each time or take more weight, otherwise the muscles will not see the need to grow. If you constantly do the same thing and lift the same weight, you will ruin your chances of getting a muscular body.

Use correct technique and form correct form bodies. This foundation of bodybuilding is most often forgotten. You can always see people using the wrong technique and getting the wrong body shape. This not only does not promote proper muscle growth, but also increases the risk of injury, which is sometimes so serious that you can simply forget about the gym in the future. Irregular shape The body develops when people try to lift too much weight (whether out of vanity or ignorance). As a general rule, always lift the weight with strict concentration on the specific muscle you are trying to target with the exercise. Feel its contraction and stretching. Lift the weight slowly, without rushing. Never throw weights jerkily, especially when pumping biceps and bench presses.

Keep an accurate record of your training progress. Record the weight used and the number of repetitions of the exercises. When performing the same exercise on next week refer to the notes and increase the weight just a little (by the smallest amount possible). The smaller this value is, the better.

  • Change your eating habits. Aim for 3 full meals and 2-3 snacks per day. Instead of water, coffee, tea and diet soda, drink smoothies, milk or juice.

    • The diet should consist of 2000-3000 calories (depending on your own weight). Moreover, approximately 50% of them should be carbohydrates, 35% proteins, 15% fats. Even fats should be present in the diet, since all components consumed by a person have their positive effects.
    • Avoid eating fried foods and sweet desserts. Sometimes you can treat yourself to a piece of cake or ice cream (sometimes is the key word).
    • Do not eat carbohydrate foods 4-5 hours before bedtime, they will be stored in the body as fat.
  • Everyone dreams of being fit and beautiful hands. Exercises with dumbbells will help you achieve this goal.

    You can have a slim figure without going to the gym, by exercising regularly and purposefully.

    It is necessary to practice increasing loads gradually: ignoring this principle can lead to injury. Make a training plan and don’t put it off - the sooner you start implementing it, the faster you will notice the results!

    A little anatomy

    The target arm muscles that require loads are the biceps and triceps. These muscles are not strongly involved in Everyday life. Without receiving load, they acquire a jelly-like consistency. This applies to both men. If you work them out with the help of effective strength exercises, you can increase the volume of muscle mass, form relief and get rid of both thick and too thin limbs. If you want to make your limbs smaller and thinner, you need to stick to.

    Strength training is at the forefront of effectiveness for the arms and shoulders. It must be remembered that in these exercises The shoulder joint is subjected to heavy load, which can be easily injured. Therefore, you need to strictly follow the recommendations for execution technique and work through each movement before using even a small weight.

    A training set of 10 exercises

    The presented complex will help to work out and strengthen as effectively as possible. It is popular and chosen by a large number of people for its simplicity and accessibility. It can be performed at home and outdoors. Execution on fresh air will provide double benefits!

    1. Swing your arms

    This exercise is also for the shoulders. You should definitely start with this complex to strengthen your limbs.

    We stand straight and alternately make vigorous swings with our arms up.

    We perform ten exercises with three approaches.

    2. Various types of push-ups

    They are in first place among. Work out harmoniously muscle groups, making your shoulders and arms beautiful and thin. Variations of this movement with your own weight allow you to increase and decrease the load, as well as shift its emphasis to various areas muscles.

    practiced most often to warm up target muscles before training. Taking a step away from the wall, we do push-ups with our hands located at chest level maximum amount once.

    1. We hold dumbbells with a straight grip, feet shoulder-width apart, and tilt the body forward. The body position should be comfortable and stable.
    2. Bend your elbows and pull the dumbbells up along the side of your thigh.

    Repeat as many times as possible.

    4. Dumbbell Curls

    Simple, but one of the... The biceps receive most of the load.

    1. We perform it while standing, stretching our arms with dumbbells in front of our chest.
    2. We make movements in the elbow, bending and unbending it.
    3. We keep our hands parallel to the floor - Only the elbow works.

    To begin, do as many repetitions as possible. This movement helps a lot.

    5. Standing Dumbbell Press

    Perfectly works the entire shoulder girdle.

    We stand straight, press the dumbbells up, while the body maintains a straight line, and the arms should be parallel at the maximum point.

    We perform the maximum possible number of repetitions.

    6. Plank

    The best exercise to perform at home, popular among beginners and professionals. By holding an isometric and static pose, it burns calories and strengthens the abs.

    Works the muscles with an emphasis on the arms. Strengthens the forearm. Many people perform this exact exercise at home to prevent the accumulation of fat deposits.

    1. We lie down on the floor and rest on our toes and palms.
    2. The body, extended in a line, forms a bar. We breathe freely and measuredly. Hold this position for a minute.

    We repeat three times. This is great.

    7. Curls behind your head with one dumbbell

    Works the triceps. The muscles in this area are usually those who exercise little physical exercise. This exercise also gives strength to the muscles.

    1. Holding one dumbbell in both hands, lift it as high as possible.
    2. Let's start by the head. The movement occurs in elbow joint, the remaining parts and bodies are static.
    3. We focus on how they stretch thoracic region and the inner surface of the forearm.

    8. Bent-over dumbbell raises

    We work the forearms and back. The load also goes to the extensor muscles and latissimus dorsi. Helps.

    1. We hold the dumbbells with our palms facing inward.
    2. Bend your torso, bend your knees slightly for stability. We maintain the natural anatomical curve in the lower back!
    3. We lower our arms with dumbbells freely.
    4. With help shoulder joints we spread and bring our hands together. The body is motionless, only the shoulders work.

    We repeat eight times.

    Attention! Sudden movements can't be done. This may result in sprain or injury!

    9. Jumping rope

    This is a universal exercise for the main muscle groups. Jumping puts a good load on the inner side of the forearm: it is usually not easy to work out!

    We jump at a fast pace for ten minutes.

    The exercise is in great demand and is included in many gymnastics complexes with an emphasis on the arms. It is this kind of intense cardio exercise that will help.

    10. Arm rotation

    You can complete the complex with this exercise, removing the load from your arms and relaxing your muscles. Such a hitch will allow you to avoid it the next day. Also used for stretching and developing flexibility.

    1. We stand straight.
    2. Slowly and smoothly rotate your hands clockwise.
    3. We tilt the body and do small shaking with our hands.

    How to train your hands and fingers?

    Many novice athletes, when training their arms, underestimate the role of hand and finger strength. However, by working the extensor muscles, overall arm strength can be achieved.

    It is generally customary to focus on the shoulders and forearms. But if you pay attention to training your hand, the strength of your forearm will increase.

    Experienced trainers pay attention to the fact that the wrists also help to properly hold the weights and increase the impact of strength exercises on the shoulders and forearms. Classes are conducted in several areas.

    Compressive force is developed using expander and tennis ball. By squeezing and unclenching them, as well as twisting the expander in the form of a figure eight, you can achieve good results strengthening the hand. You can train anywhere several times a day.

    On a note! A thick barbell or bodybar will help improve your holding power. Pinching power in your fingers can be developed by holding the plate away from the barbell with your fingertips.

    • Number of exercises. For beginners, the number of exercises performed should be minimal. You need to focus on your feelings. Muscles cannot be overloaded; loads must be added gradually.
    • Training mode. Only strengthened muscles can be trained in a regimen of twelve to fifteen exercises with three repetitions! This figure is average - it can be increased or decreased depending on your physical training, age, weight and other individual characteristics.
    • Time mode. To avoid overloading your muscles, you need to exercise every other day. Muscle must recover, so daily training cannot be practiced.
    • Proper diet- your first assistant. Availability of protein products slow carbohydrates will help build slim figure and a masculine silhouette.

    Attention! Remember that all advice is advisory in nature. When performing exercises, focus on your individual sensations. If an exercise clearly doesn’t suit you, eliminate it.

    In order to have toned and defined muscles, you need to create a training plan and constantly follow it. You can use the arm-focused routine described above, and also consult with a sports doctor or trainer and develop individual workouts for yourself. It is important to remember that missed classes bring you back and force you to start all over again. Regular and targeted training will help you notice pretty quickly positive results and reach your goal!