FitSugar

Lifting Tip: Start at the Bottom and Work Your Way Up

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:00:10 -0700

When strength training, there are so many exercises, and so many muscles to work, how do you know where to begin? Start from the bottom of your body and work your way up.

Since your legs are your largest muscle group, these moves require more work than exercises that target your upper body. Take advantage of your high energy at the beginning of your workout and tackle exercises like squats, lunges, and leg lifts that tone your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. The next part of the body to work is your core, doing moves like crunches, planks, and Superman Lifts. Then you're ready to work your arms and upper back with moves like push-ups, tricep dips, and upright rows. Following this order ensures that you won't miss working any part of your body, and you'll have the stamina to get through everything.

Lifting Tip: Relax the Muscles That Aren't Working

FitSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:00:02 -0700

When I see people strength training at the gym, and working hard to lift a heavy weight or do those last few strenuous reps, it's hard not to notice their face scrunching up. If this sounds like you, the next time you lift, remember to relax the muscles that aren't involved in the exercise. It's the muscles in the face, neck, and shoulders that are most often engaged when they don't need to be. Tensing your jaw or shrugging your shoulders up to your ears won't make you any stronger. If you're working that hard that you can't help engage other parts of your body, then maybe the exercise you're doing is too difficult for your ability, or the weight you're lifting is too heavy. It may not seem like a big deal, but it all relates to having improper form, and that can lead to injury, which is a huge deal.

To make sure you're keeping your body relaxed except for the muscles you're targeting, ask a friend to watch you or look at yourself in a mirror.

Lifting Tip: Keep Your Head Straight

FitSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:00:55 -0700

Correct form and posture are essential when it comes to strength training. It not only helps prevent injury, but it's also necessary to ensure that you're working your muscles effectively. What you want to avoid doing is cranking your head to take a peek at the muscles being worked, because you can end up straining your neck or upper back.

If you have a tough time not glancing at your "guns" while doing bicep curls, I definitely advocate watching yourself in a mirror. That way you can keep your head in line with your spine, and also admire how ripped you look. Or you can videotape your entire strength-training session if you really want to study and perfect your form.

Lifting Tip: Don't Be Married to Your Dumbbells

FitSugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Hopefully you've been adding strength training into your cardio and stretching routines. While dumbbells are great tools to use to target your muscle groups, they're not the only tools. Try to explore other options such as weight-lifting machines at the gym, medicine balls or kettlebells, inexpensive resistance bands, different sized exercise balls, and you can also do exercises that require no equipment at all.

Switching up the equipment you use will inevitably work other muscle groups, and because they make your muscles work in different ways, you'll be strengthening them more thoroughly, which could prevent injury. It's also smart not to stick to repetitive motions, since that could also result in a pulled muscle. Strength training is definitely important, and varying your equipment is a great way to make your time worthwhile.

Lifting Tip: Change Up Your Speed

FitSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:34:12 -0700

Just as it's important to challenge and confuse your muscles by using different weight-lifting equipment, you can increase the benefits of weight training even more by varying the tempo, or speed, of your reps.

While very slow repetitions challenge the endurance strength of the muscle, it's important to incorporate a variety of tempos into your workout, including medium and faster-paced speeds. Change up your speed by doing three sets: one slow, one medium, and one quick. Or vary your speeds on different days. You can also change the speed within each rep. Lift slowly and lower quickly for a set and then do the opposite. Using these varying tempos challenges the muscles with different rates of tension, increasing the benefits of strength training and making you stronger. Tempo variations work well with exercises that use dumbbells, resistance bands, medicine balls, machines, or no equipment at all.

Lifting Tip: Work One Arm or Leg at a Time

FitSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

When strength training, whether using weights, machines, resistance bands, or no equipment at all, it's common practice to work both arms or legs at the same. So next time you do your routine, try working all your reps on one arm or leg at a time.

In some exercises when you move both arms or legs together, you can cheat by letting your dominant side do the brunt of the work, so this technique allows you to concentrate on strengthening both sides equally. This workout may take you twice as long, but your heart will keep pumping through your entire workout, which means you'll actually burn more calories overall.

Lifting Tip: Warm Up With 10 Minutes of Cardio

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:00:21 -0700

If you have a regular fitness routine, you may prefer alternating between days of cardio and days of strength training. On your strength training days, don't just jump right into your squats and lateral raises. Do a little cardio before you lift. Warm up for five minutes of easy cardio such as speed walking or jogging, and ramp up your pace for another five minutes with running, biking, or jumping rope. It's just enough to get your blood flowing and your heart rate up, and will also warm your muscles and tendons. This increases your muscles’ elasticity, allowing you to endure a longer workout, and prevent injury.

Lifting Tip: Don't Just Use Momentum

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:58:41 -0700

Most of us don't have a ton of time to spend working out, so we try to cut corners and save time whenever we can. One way may be to zip through your reps when strength training. The problem is, when you do your exercises quickly, momentum becomes the driving force to move you through your reps. This means you're not targeting your muscles as effectively as you would if you just slowed down. So the next time you do your toning routine, pause a few seconds between reps. It'll be more challenging to your muscles, so you may not be able to do as many reps in the same amount of time, but you'll actually be doing a better job at strengthening the muscles you're working.

Lifting Tip From Lacey Chabert

FitSugar — Fri, 22 May 2009 10:00:00 -0700

I don't think Lacey Chabert strong arms anyone in the movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, but the actress believes in staying strong. She has a great trick for remembering to strength train: keeping free weights visible at home. She explains her rationale for not putting away her dumbbells like this,

If you just have them around the house, I've noticed you walk by, you do a little bit. It helps. While you're watching TV, while you're eating - that's my favorite time!

Great tip Lacey! I totally agree that keeping dumbbells, exercise balls, resistance bands, and your yoga mat out definitely inspires a little extra exercise throughout your day. It's tough to walk by and not use them.

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Lifting Tip: Form Is More Important Than Weight

FitSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:00:00 -0700

When strength training, it may seem that if you use a heavier set of dumbbells, you can save time on your sessions. More weight means fewer reps, right? Well, not exactly. Form is more important than how much you can lift. So if you're struggling with 10-pound weights when doing your bicep curls, you'll end up hunching your back and pressing your hips forward, which could result in a pulled muscle or other injury. Also, correct form will ensure that you're targeting the specific muscle you're trying to work in each move.

A good rule of thumb is to choose a weight that tires your muscles out after the 10th or 12th rep. By the end of your set, you should still be able to maintain correct form. If you can't, do fewer reps or choose a slightly lighter weight.

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