FitSugar

Lift Tip: Check Your Form Regularly

FitSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:00:00 -0800

You've been working out with hand weights for a while now, and no doubt you had perfect form when you first learned your favorite exercises.

Ahhh. . . but repetition is a slippery slope and often when we repeat exercises, we slowly stop paying attention to form. Over time, bad habits have a way of working themselves into your routine. This being said, it is a good idea to check your form every once in a while. There's no need to watch yourself every time you do your bicep curls or side arm raises, but once every few week or so, watch yourself in a mirror to make sure you're keeping up with that perfect form.

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Bicep Curl Rehab

FitSugar — Thu, 03 May 2007 03:30:00 -0700

One of the most common arm strengthening moves is the bicep curl. At any given point you can find someone doing bicep curls at the gym. Problem is, that at any given point you can also find someone doing them wrong by cheating. Let's identify a possible cause of the problem and figure out how to fix it...

How to Identify a Cheater: Bending the upper body forward (or backward) at the waist makes the bicep curl a lot easier (and more harmful to your back, mind you) because the swaying allows momentum to do the work when it should be your biceps doing most of the work.

Rehab: Stopping your upper body from swaying forward and backward is the key. To do this, stand against a wall and make sure your back is in contact with the wall throughout the entire movement. You can also try sitting on a bench with a back, but don't push through your legs!

Fit's Tip: If you find that you still want to sway, even when backed up against a wall, then chances are that you're using a weight that is too challenging for you. Lower the dumbbell weight and work on your form.

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Lifting Tips

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:30:00 -0700

Since strength training has been added to the new exercise guidelines you might be looking for a little guidance. Here are a few tips to help.

The new guidelines recommend strength training 2 days a week. The days should be non-consecutive since you need to give your muscles time to recover.
Warm up with some cardio before lifting by spending 10 to 20 minutes on the treadmill, elliptical or your favorite piece of cardio equipment.
The new guidelines also recommend that you do 8 -10 lifting moves each strengthening session. You should work all your major muscle groups: legs, arms, chest, back, abs, and glutes.
Start with the larger muscles and progress to smaller muscles. So start with your legs - with hamstring curls and leg press (to get your quads) or hold free weights in your hands for some squats and lunges. Then move to your arms.
Work your chest and back before working your biceps and triceps. Every time you exhale, pull your deep abs to your spine so you are multi-tasking and supporting your spine too!
Save the abs for last. Since you do the majority of ab exercises on your back it is a nice way to end a session. And honestly, are you really going to stand back up after being on the ground.
Don't forget to stretch to cool down. You want the new muscles you are building to be flexible!

Lifting Tip: Vary Your Lift Speed

FitSugar — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:15:00 -0700

Just like it is important to challenge and confuse your cardiovascular system by doing interval training or using fartlek techniques, you can increase the benefits of weight training by varying the tempo of your reps.

While very slow repetitions challenge the endurance strength of the muscle, it is important to incorporate a variety of tempos to your workout, including medium speeds as well as super slow. You can also lift slowly and recover quickly for a set and then reverse by making the return much slower. Using these varying tempos challenges the muscles with different rates of tension, increasing the benefits of strength training.

To track your tempo count while you lift. For example, use a steady count of four to complete a bicep curl, and a count of one to lower the weight (not letting the arm flop). For your second set, or the second half of your first set, reverse and bicep curl on one count and lower for four counts. Tempo variations work well with both free weights or machines.

Remember, variety is the spice of life!

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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: Complete the Full Range of Motion

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Whether you're using dumbells or a weightlifting machine, you aren't doing yourself any favors by cheating. So make sure that for every rep, you complete the full range of motion for the exercise.

If you're using free weights, this means returning to your starting position after every rep: If you're doing bicep curls, lower you hands all the way down and bring them all the way back up. To get the most complete range of motion when using a weight machine, you should lower the weight so it almost touches (but doesn't quite touch) the weight stack below.

If you're not sure what the range of motion should be on a particular exercise, ask a trainer at your gym. But whatever you do, don't just go part of the way. If you find you can't complete a full rep, it probably means you should switch to a lighter weight.

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Lifting Tip: Stop Before You Lose Form

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:15:53 -0800

If you've been lifting weights and looking for good results then be sure to keep a few things in mind: Try and lift to the point of muscle fatigue; however, stop before you feel yourself losing proper form. If you continue lifting with poor form, you're not only putting stress on your joints but also increasing your risk of injury. Pushing will not give you the results you're working so hard to get in the first place. If you find that you can't keep your form after only a couple reps, lower the weight until you get strong enough to maintain form.

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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: Stand When You Lift

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

When you're strength training, there are definitely certain multitasking moves where you sit, kneel, or lie on the floor or a balance ball. I think that is fine, but for all other upper body exercises, be sure to do them standing instead of sitting on a weight bench. Standing makes the exercise more challenging to your entire body. Plus, standing helps ensure that you are working with proper posture and not hunching over. This is better for your spine and works your core too.

Fit's Tips: To make an upper body exercise even more challenging, try balancing on one leg at a time. Or better yet, stand on a BOSU for serious challenge while doing your bicep curls.

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