Strength training challenges your muscles more than your usual workouts. Progressive strength training strengthens and tones muscles while increasing their mass. With the guidance of a professional personal trainer and a complimenting diet, strength training can begin to show results in a short span of time. However, there are some things you can also follow to make sure you’re getting the most out of these sessions, some of which are as follows.
Do Proper Warm-Ups And Cool Downs
Make sure you allow at least 5-10 minutes for warming-up and cooling down to make the most out of your strength training. Warm-ups prepare your body for the demands of strength training workouts, which makes it easy to stay engaged for longer. Cool-downs allow your body to safely transit from training back to a steady-state of rest.
If you’re following a strength training routine directed by a professional or personal trainer, the proposed workouts will begin with warm-ups and end with cool-downs. However, if they are not included in your own workout plan, it can cause potential stress and strain on your muscles. This can make it difficult for you to train longer.
Choose Body Form Over Weight And Intensity
Many strength trainers focus heavily on the weights and intensity levels but ignore their form or posture. If you’re using the incorrect form while you strength train, no matter how long you do it, it can result in slow gains and can even prompt injuries.
Align your body properly and move smoothly through each exercise. Many experts also recommend starting with lighter weights or lower intensities and then gradually increasing them when your comfortable with it.
Maintain A Tempo
Inconsistency is a major reason why people don’t get the most out of their strength training. It’s normal to feel tired halfway through strength training as our muscles run out of energy, which reduces your stamina. Reducing energy levels can make it difficult for you to complete your workout routine as scheduled in your program, which can in turn lead to delayed results and plateau.
Combating this is only possible by working out at the right tempo. It gives you balance, coordination, and keeps you in control consistently until you complete your set of workouts. One simple way you can maintain a tempo is by counting one to three when lowering a weight, holding for 2 seconds, and then again counting to three while raising it to the starting position.
Pay Attention To Your Breathing
Your breathing techniques are a key element that helps you make the most out of your strength training. It supports the exertion of the exercise and allows you to lift more with better control. Not breathing properly while strength training may even lead to hernias.
As you might know, strength training targets the major muscle groups: chest, back, legs, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and the trunk/core. During strength training, these muscles require more oxygen than the daily minimum. That is why fueling the muscles with the required level of oxygen through proper breathing is vital to keep you in control until the completion of your workout.
Failing to maintain proper breathing can easily make you tired and put you off consistency, not allowing you to get the most out of the session.
Apart from these, you may have heard most personal trainers emphasizing the importance of quality sleep to get the most out of the time you spend at the gym. This is especially true for strength training. Poor sleep not only prevents you from maximizing the benefits of a strength training session but also weakens your body’s ability to come back stronger in building muscles.
