Archive for the ‘Strength Training’ Category
Possible Cause of Chronic Muscle Soreness During Strength Training
Are you in into strength training and wonder why you constantly suffer from chronic muscle soreness and dull pain?
When you go and visit the physician or physiotherapist on suspicion of an injury or muscle tear, they could not find anything wrong with you. Nothing shows up in scans and tests. And yet, you find that you tend to fight constant muscle soreness, pain and even overall feeling of tiredness. What could be the cause?
The possible cause- toxins that got trapped as you built your muscles. These trapped toxins causes chronic discomfort and pain. Let me elaborate further and let’s see if my explanations make sense to you:
The cause of toxin accumulations in muscles and organs could be attributed to one or more of the following factors:
1. You do not have the habit of drinking enough of water or hydrating yourself. Keeping yourself sufficiently hydrated is crucial to ensure toxins are removed efficiently from your body.
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How to Make the Best Out of Your Weight Training
When it comes to weight or strength training, which one you think will be more effective?
A. Doing 2 sets each time 2 times a week, or
B. Doing 1 set each time 3 times a week (every alternate day)?
The answer- you will benefit more from 2 sets (or better still 3 sets) each time twice a week than one set every alternate day.
Strength training- danger of overtraining one muscle group and ignoring the rest
Many gym goers focus on only certain particular part of their bodies during strength training. This is very dangerous because it will result in muscle imbalance- and on the long run, increases the risk of injury on other underdeveloped muscles. Example:
1. Focusing on the biceps and ignoring other parts such as shoulders (deltoids), chest (pectorals) and back (trapezius). The aim is for a muscular looking arms.
2. Focusing on the stomach by doing a zillion push ups either on the floor, using the weight machine or a stability ball but ignoring the back muscles and lower back (erector spinae)- dangers of lower back injuries because push ups will strain the lower back (the bending and impact) and a weak lower backs make it very susceptible to injuries
3. Focusing on the pectorals (chest) but ignoring the shoulders and back muscles- ever notice guys that seemed to have defined chest muscles but is hunched in a very funny way? And their shoulders form a reversed “V” shape? This is because the focus is too much on the pects and ignoring the back/shoulder muscles. But ignoring those muscles, the person will be more prone to getting his rotator cuff (back joints) and shoulder muscles injured when he keep lifting those heavy weights.
For purpose of illustration, let me focus more on how dangerous it is to focus on bicep muscles and igoring other part. I will use a real life example- my own brother.
Go for the Real Thing- Differenciate Fact & Fads of Exercise
When I first started developing interest in fitness, health and proper eating, I came across so many conflicting information. The same magazine can say conflicting things- one month they say a diet is bad, then few issues later, they say that research had found that taking that diet is good. There are so many books- just walk into a big bookstore and you will find so many different books with different information and ideas about what works and what doesn’t.
You’ll probably see books or title in magazines like:
- just 8 minutes a day to flat abs and greater looking you
- easy workouts that help you to lose weight
- mind power to lose weight
- easy exercises you can do for fabulous abs
- etc, etc
If what that is mentioned actually worked, then the publisher can close down because everyone will be happy because they are at their ideal body weight.
And yet, month after month, these magazines sell so well.
8 Common Misconceptions & Fears about Strength Training
Weight or strength training is a very important component of an exercise program. Many people who work out in the gym or start any exercise program always only focus on the cardio.
If you are one of those weight machine phobic folks, does any of the below describes you?
- you have no interest to look like a body builder
- the fear that you will bulk up (especially the ladies)
- I can show you a lady who is bulkier through lifting weights
- you are afraid of getting injured easily because you have heard of a so-and-so who had sustained an injury through lifting weights
- you would like to try but don’t know how to do it
- you feel intimidated by the machines and by the more muscular species occupying the weight room
- you have tried strength training and do not like it. You’ll much prefer cardio
- you do not think it is necessary because your auntie, grandpa, etc had exercised all their life and still stay healthy- those days, most people don’t do weight training.
Ok, let’s discuss each point in more detail and clear the misconception once and for all, shall we?
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Abdomen Crunches Alone Will Not Give You a Flat Tummy
More and more people are discovering that abdomen crunches and sit ups alone just will not flatten the tummy. Because of so many conflicting info that I’ve received, I’ve decided to try if it works. It doesn’t, as evident on a previous Tummy Project that I have tried- focusing on crunches. Now, I am no longer doing crunches- not on the stability ball, the abdomen weight machine or on the floor. And I am seeing better results.
There’s an article writen in Daily Muscle: Strong, Sexy Abs, Why Don’t I See Them? provides an excellent explanation on the only way to make your tummy smaller is via cardio and controlled food intake. Similar explanation is given by IntenseWorkout: Abdominal Exercises (The Truth).
And through my personal experience, what is mentioned in both articles above are very true. Here are the changes I’ve made and I see much better results compared to 70 crunches that I used to do:
How to Get Rid of Tummy Fat
Some experts said that there are no such thing as spot reduction- that even though you do a zillion sit ups, you will not get a flat stomach. I have seen results in friends that contradict that claim.
- A colleague of mine, well, I must say he is a bit fanatic (and he knows it)- he and his friend do a whopping 500 sit ups at the gym about 3 times a week. Even his class instructor warned him he is taking that a bit too far. However, I could that his stomach really did reduce, despite that he never reduced on his food intake.
- Another male colleague also gets a flat stomach through doing sit ups.
But please note that the above will only work if you incorporate cardio. If no cardio, tonnes of situps will not work.
For guys, it’s easier. The abdomen area is the first place that they gain fat but is the fastest to go whenever they reduce their food intake and/or exercise.
