Strength Training 101

By: Michael Sampson

Posted: 3/16/10

Often a goal many people strive for is to have the perfect body. One of the methods individuals often use to work towards that goal is strength training.

Weights or other forms of resistance are used to contract the muscle which creates small micro tears in the muscle fibers, which explains soreness after physical activity. Then your body works to recover and repair the muscle by using nutrients to heal the torn fibers. After a period of recovery, those muscles become bigger, stronger and more flexible.

Now, it is important to understand certain exercises corresponding to each muscle group.

For chest or pectorals, pressing exercises such as the bench press, incline press, and pushups are great exercises for beginners.

For shoulders, military presses and side lateral raises work perfectly in sculpting perfectly capped shoulders.

For arms, curl exercises works great for biceps. The triceps play a big role in many pressing exercises as well and using a closer grip such as when doing pushups or on bench presses can really work that area pretty good.

For your back, any pulling exercises such as pull-ups work well.

And for legs, doing squats are king.

Now, when performing any of these exercises its important to use good technique when. That means, not choosing crazy poundage until you have nailed down the technique and obtained basic strength.

Often I see individuals performing dumbbell curls and even bench presses in the quest for size. While those exercises may work, it is important to not neglect squatting and dead lifting as well.

Squats and dead lifts are exercises that are the most strenuous and produce the greatest anabolic or muscle building effect on an individuals body. If it is your goal to become bigger and stronger, those exercises should be in your arsenal as well.

Probably the most important key to strength training besides physical lifting is eating well and resting enough.

A diet with a good balance in protein, healthy carbohydrates, and healthy fats such as whole eggs and extra virgin olive oil will help assist in your recovery period. Without sufficient protein intake, no matter how much you lift, you will never get bigger and you may get smaller and weaker as a result.

So for those lifting in order to gain size, it should be a goal for you to eat at minimum of a gram of protein per bodyweight spread over 4 to 5 meals per day. Protein sources include eggs, chicken, beef, whey powder, etc.

Rest is very important as well. Six to eight hours of sleep is needed to assist the body in recovery. Muscle groups need at least two days of rest after physical activity to be fully recovered. Working a muscle group when it isn't fully recovered could have very negative effects on progress towards your goals.

For a beginner, lifting three to four times a week is good enough to help you achieve those goals.