Hot answers tagged strength
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, ...
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 ...
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Yes! Squatting -- as part of a proper regimen of exercise, eating and rest -- can lead you to lift huge weights, improve lung capacity, or reduce body weight. The squat exercises the body's largest muscles and is one of the most basic functional movements. Until the invention of sitting toilets, squatting was a daily necessity for all humans even into old ...
8
I would consider your cycling and running to be completely inadequate as far as the amount of training, especially if you would like to be competitive in your age group. Your swimming is probably fine.
My best recommendation would be to go to a site, such as trifuel or BeginnerTriathlete.com, and take a look at some of their free 16 or 20 week training ...
6
Given your involvement in 'combat sports', I would recommend an exercise that gives you the explosive power/rotational power needed to deliver devastation - the sledgehammer .
Here's links to RossTraining articles about it:
http://rosstraining.com/blog/2007/02/20/good-old-sledgehammer/
...
6
This process of lifting a heavy weight several times, then immediately doing the same exercise with lower weight for many reps, is called strip or drop sets. (They go by some other names, listed here.) It is primarily a bodybuilding method, since they are geared towards training a muscle group to failure for the purpose of increasing muscle size instead of ...
5
If you are training outdoors, when you train is largely dependant on the weather. For example, I'm from Dallas so in the summer I have to weigh lower temperatures and higher humidity in the morning versus higher temperations and lower humidity in the late afternoon/evening. In a more temperate climate, you may not have that issue.
When I run sprints or a ...
5
Just like spot weight reduction, there is no such thing as spot strength building. From what you describe, the two most beneficial exercises are deadlifts (http://stronglifts.com/how-to-deadlift-with-proper-technique/) and farmer walks (http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=4959113). Both will build the off-the-ground power you need, the grip strength ...
5
Looking at the letter of the question, no, you could do deadlifts instead. But in the spirit of the question, yes, you really should do a compound lift involving your legs and back. Try to pick at least one that you can do safely and without pain (front squat, back squat, ball squat, hack squat, standard deadlift, sumo deadlift). If absolutely none of them ...
5
For arm wrestling your going to want to work out the shoulder and arm muscles.
Chair dips(Triceps)
Narrow grip push ups(Triceps)
Chin ups and Inverted Chin ups (Biceps)
Push ups (Shoulders)
Superman (Shoulders)
General overall upper body strength will help. These exercises work more than one muscle which should only help and not harm your case. If it ...
5
You'll find that there are several options for programming (the combination and scheduling of exercises, sets, and reps that you do), and they all accomplish a set goal. Many successful programming incorporate the concept of As Many Reps As Possible (AMRAP), which only differs from going to failure by saving a rep in the tank.
High volume assistance work ...
5
One of the first rule of training periodisation is that to maintain your gains during a recovery phase, you need to keep the intensity level high. So you can reduce the frequency or the overall load but keep the intensity high during your workout. Keeping your strength training workout once a week will allow you to maintain your strength level without ...
5
Dumbbell work instead
Without access to a barbell, I'd dramatically change the programming from what Starting Strength offers, using dumbbells as heavy as possible for as few reps as possible. I'd have to give up on the heavy squats and deadlifts that really make novice linear progressions work, but that's OK. I'd focus on general athleticism, meaning that ...
5
I had the same problem a few weeks ago when I was looking to make my routine a bit more well rounded.
At the moment I am doing:
Pike Press, depending on how you do them, they may have more focus on your chest than on your back. Compare them with Pike Push Ups. The closer your feet are to your hands the more focus you get on your shoulders, so both ...
5
The answer to "what should a beginner do to physically prepare for X activity" doesn't change very much whether you're training for chainsaw-wielding, tennis, or martial arts: first get strong while doing your chosen activity, then add power and slightly sport-specific tasks, and add conditioning if your sport doesn't do enough to tire you out. If you're ...
5
John,
Dave Liepmann is correct. However, the concept is called Isometric hold vs. Full Range of Motion.
Full Range of Motion exercises are more functional and have been shown to reduce stress on the joints. In this case, it's the shoulder the the elbow joints. Isometric hold has been shown to recruit more muscle fibers, but also increase stress on the ...
5
Recomposition really is only possible or visible when your body is within certain phases of its life.
The Beginner: The beginner is so far untrained, that any regular training will have a significant impact on their muscle mass even when you are eating for losing fat.
The Obese: The obese person has so much fat, that any serious change in diet will cause ...
4
People get injured lifting with their back because their backs are weak. Not using one's back is one solution. Strengthening one's back is a better solution.
The point of stiff-legged deadlifts is to start light and slowly progress to weights that are challenging--that is, heavy for you--but still solidly doable. This is a safe way of loading the back in ...
4
Many will tell you the best time to do HIT is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The theory being that a lack of readily available carbohydrates will ‘force’ your body to burn fat.
A secondary benefit is the metabolic boost that comes with HIT (or any exercise for that matter). Doing HIT in the morning means you’ll experience your ‘boost’ ...
4
You already have some good answers so I'll just add to keep in mind specificity of exercise.
Specificity of exercise means that if you want to get better at cycling, you should cycle. If you want to be able to run fast, you should train for speed etc. And if you want to be able to squat, lift, and carry you should train specifically to squat, lift, and ...
4
Static exercises such as planks are isometric contractions, which basically is an exercise where the muscle length and joint angles don't change.
Commonly it's believed that these kinds of exercises have some strength benefits, but also help tone and shape the muscle. I know a few coaches in various sports that use it to prefatigue muscles before workouts, ...
4
Different situation, but exactly the same prescription as this answer. Lift, get bigger, then after you have a basic level of strength, train for your specific task of carrying things.
Take up Starting Strength or another all-around heavy compound lifting program (squats, deadlifts, presses, chin-ups) and supplement with farmer's walks and Atlas stone ...
4
So I decided to come back and write a little more on rotational strength and power; specifically from a throwers background.
To really develop serious trunk and rotational power we would dedicate ourselves once a week to rotational specific (sport specific) movements in the weight room which not only helped increase trunk flexibility but also really got ...
4
I would recommend keeping with the same routine and reducing intensity through lighter weights or time (aerobic), put a little more time in warming up and cooling down and don't hesitate to push yourself a bit. Typically you don't lose much strength/stamina within 2-3 months - but a lot has to do with why you took a break and how active (or not) you were ...
4
These guys are in the Swedish national team in Shorinji Kempo. They compete in Embu (sort of form) In this video they won the European competition. They are now practicing for the world championship next year. They only do exercises for speed. They want to be faster since the Japanese are smaller and faster then they are.
They do thrusters at about 60% of ...
4
You do want to be doing the reps as quickly as possible, but if as quickly as possible is half a second for the positive and negative phases, you need to be lifting heavier weights. I wouldn't worry too much about the exact time, but if you're lifting heavy weights that will promote strength gain, you probably are looking at around 2 seconds up and down.
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Here's a few mostly body-weight exercises. If you want to add a lot of mass to your legs, you really do need to push some heavier weight. I did bodyweight strength training for about 2 years straight using some of the exercises below and gained about 1.5 inches to my thighs in the first 6 months or so.
Nothing compares to barbell squats for adding size. But ...
4
While I cannot say that my answer is from the standpoint of an authority, as I'm not really an authority, I can share what I think about the weightloss vs recomposition problem.
Most people say they want to lose weight, when in fact they just want to look good naked. To an unexperienced person, weight loss = fat loss = looking good naked. So they ask "How ...
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