Hot answers tagged strength
26
Age and genetics are the major factors in testosterone generation. It peaks in your 30s and drops steadily thereafter. There are some things you can actively do to increase testosterone level, but the effects will be miniscule compared to what your age and genetics have already given you.
Kraemer et al, 1991; Kraemer et al 1990:
High volume, multiple ...
16
Probably not. Training for powerlifting (completely strength-oriented) involves avoiding failure, keeping the number of reps low, and resting a lot between sets, none of which are really conducive to "burn" during a workout or soreness afterwards.
Pavel Tsatsouline gave this answer to a similar question during an interview:
One thing is for sure, you ...
15
Certainly there is a correlation between muscle mass and strength, but there is more to the story. Two reasons why muscle mass and strength may not be completely congruous are:
Muscle fiber density
Muscle utilization
Density:
Your muscles are composed of four different types of fibers (slow-twitch, and three forms of fast-twitch). These fibers have ...
14
Many muscle groups are involved, including hand, arm, chest, shoulder, back strength... it really depends on where your weak link happens to be.
I would suggest first making sure that you can do regular flat-hand pushups with good form. Once you can do that, then try raising up onto all five fingers. Once you have those down, you can start taking fingers ...
14
I suggest you read this article from the Australian Institute of Sports.
About halfway down the page it has a section titled: Protein – are vegetarian diets adequate?
There is too much info to quote there so I'll put it in point form, but I suggest you read the whole article:
Although most vegetarian athletes meet or exceed recommendations for total ...
14
Practical Programming's Answer: 1-3RM For Strength
From page 79:
Strength, a basic objective of training and an important component of power performance, is gained using lower repetitions (1 to 3) with heavier weights (90 to 100% of 1RM).
Notice that in this context, Rippetoe is using a narrow definition of strength that does not include power, ...
13
Here's a few links to some great body-weight exercises that I use regularly:
Beginner Body Weight Workout
Advanced Body Weight Workout
Prison Workout
13
From the most stable to the least stable, you have:
Machine
Barbell
Cable
Dumbbell
Machines are the most stable. They work a major muscle and neglect the the small stabilizer muscles. On the other end of the spectrum, you have dumbbells which require a fair amount of stabilizer muscles. One is not better than the other. It all depends on what your goals ...
13
It sounds like you've been focusing too much on high repetitions. 15-20 is an extremely high rep range for weightlifting. High reps don't increase strength. You need to do much more weight at lower reps to increase strength. After doing a low rep routine for several months, you should be able to have enough strength to do more than 15 bicep curls.
Here are ...
13
Unless you are already strong, this is the wrong plan. Putting bodybuilding before strength training does not make any sense.
Strength Then Bodybuilding
Virtually everyone in the strength and bodybuilding community agrees: one becomes a bodybuilder by developing a base of strength and mass first, then targeting specific muscles and body-composition work. ...
12
This is absolutely a good approach. You get to build up some muscle, and you don't damage your metabolism the way you would with severe calorie restriction.
I think it is worth doing a little myth-busting. A pound of muscle will burn more calories per day, but only about 6 more calories and you'll likely eat a little more to compensate. However, the ...
12
Another key point is this is largely a hamstring exercise as much as it is a lower back exercise. With proper form your lower back is not the only muscle group working to help you stand up. Another thing to think about: your lower back is just another muscle group, that through strength training will become stronger and greatly reduce the likelihood of ...
12
Work on strengthening your core muscles and back. Arm strength won't help you much if your core starts tipping over. You need to push yourself up with you core and lower back and hold it there.
One way to work on balance is to spread your weight by separating your legs and feet outwards (like a center split) when you hold your lower body up. It's a similar ...
12
Max push-ups, Max plank, Max pull-ups
The no-equipment requirement is forcing the measurements towards strength-endurance tasks instead of true strength. Push-ups require some strength as a prerequisite, and strength definitely affects ones ability to do more push-ups in a limited amount of time, but a maximum number of push-ups is a test of strength, ...
12
I cannot provide a link to an official analysis of the training/instruction program of an elite military facility. What I can do is tell you of my own personal experience with it.
You mentioned the lack of regeneration and rest, and you are absolutely right. The idea behind the selection process is to completely maim you psychologically and put you to the ...
11
This is an example of a Weight-Assist Machine. The woman in the photo is using it for dips, but this particular machine also supports Chin-Ups. Some Gyms and Fitness Centers have these. The one where I work out has one, and with it, I'm able to get 10 reps instead of my normal 3.
11
The importance of rest cannot be overstated. Your case is the perfect example of why rest is needed. In the beginning of the book, I believe the author stated that, even though the book is called "Starting Strength", he expected the reader to be in good physical condition. Even if you are in good condition, perhaps your body is not use to the types of ...
11
The Four Hour Body examines a couple "protocols" for increasing testosterone, albeit with the goal for increased sexual performance rather than muscle development:
Protocol 1: Long-term and Sustained
Fermented cod liver oil + vitamin-rich butter fat - 2 capsules
upon waking and before bed.
Vitamin D3 - 3,000-5,000 IU upon waking and before ...
11
There are 4 types of muscular development:
strength - exerting your maximum possible force for one rep
power - exerting force for short periods of time
mass - increasing the size of the muscle
endurance - ability of cardiovascular system to supply oxygen to muscle
Don't
Developing strength won't help the clap push-up, because you usually want to do more ...
11
There is a difference, in that you are changing the load on your core. Squats are not "just a leg exercise" as many people assume that it is. There are several variations of squats, and they each have their place.
If you choose to do dumbbell squats, I highly recommend Goblet Squats. Instead of the weight at your sides, it is in front of you. This ...
10
Unless you've been using steroids and/or have a history of heart conditions in your family, I don't believe that having a lot of muscles is a risk factor for heart problems.
You gain muscles by working out, so while you were building up your muscles, you also built up your heart!
Simply put, unless you notice any limiting factors during working out (like ...
10
You don't need to lift weights every day. Your muscles need recovery time.
If you do want to lift every day, you'd rotate so that you're exercising different muscle groups on different days.
You should let any specific muscle group recover for 2-3 days after working it. If you're exercising your whole body at each workout (which is more normal for ...
10
Weight training has been going on for well over 100 years using basic tools like barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells (originally cannonballs with handles attached). The reason you don't see much active research on the matter is a combination of the following factors:
What works has been handed down from coach to student over the years.
Research is only ...
10
Good form is for safety. Deviating from good form means that you think that the situation is so high-stakes that it warrants risking your safety. So armed with knowledge, you can choose your own adventure.
You need to be careful with taking cues from YouTube. It's possible that the people you watch have different goals than you, like hypertrophy rather than ...
10
It's good that you do deadlifts, but the next best size builder are straight up free weight squats. Please do not be overconfident the first time you do free weight squats to full depth. Get used to the movement with an empty bar and the work up to it. I was able to do machine squats at over 400lbs, but when it came to free weight squats I couldn't even ...
9
When I was in the Army, we did wide-arm push-ups, elevated push-ups, diamond (close-hand) push-ups, push-ups with resistance (someone putting pressure on your back or a sandbag on your back) and push-ups on our knees.
The variations in resistance, targeting different muscle groups, and working towards a burn-out all contributed to breaking the muscle down ...
9
Different rep schemes produce different effects on the body. If you use enough resistance so that you can only do 3-5 reps, you'll primarily develop strength and power. If you use a lot less resistance so you can do 30 reps, you are primarily developing muscular endurance, pain tolerance, etc.
Moreover, you should track how many reps you can do and what ...
9
According to Rippetoe & Kilgore,
As a general rule, women do not have the same level of neuromuscular
efficiency as men. This is probably due to the differences in hormonal
profile and the much lower levels of testosterone.
It's also worth noting that a pound of muscle has the same absolute strength in either gender. The mass is distributed ...
9
As an absolute beginner, I highly recommend reading Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength book. It outlines 5 basic lifts that will exercise just about every muscle in your body. Those exercises will make you very strong. The book itself breaks down the lift step by step, and also provides some troubleshooting to help you get it right. I've written an intro ...
9
What
Compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, presses and chin-ups are better than isolation or machine exercises like curls or leg extensions for building useful strength. You might also have success with gymnastic strength training, like Coach Sommer's Building the Gymnastic Body.
How
If using weights, lift heavy with fewer repetitions will build the ...
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