Strength training for
specific muscle groups can be done either by performing weight training
exercises or by performing exercises where your bodyweight provides the
resistance. Bodyweight exercises have the advantages of no related costs and a
lower risk of injury than weight training, but weight training allows you to
more effectively focus on increasing strength of specific muscle groups by
isolating them (i.e. the majority of work is done by the specific muscles which
are targeted.
Here are some exercises
which utilize bodyweight. The exercises are categorized according to the main
muscle groups utilized:
Calf Muscles:
Calf Raises
Legs and Hips:
Lateral Stride Jumps
Burpees
Star Jumps
Squat-Jumps
Back:
Chin-ups
Back Extensions
Abdominals:
Crunches
Sit-ups
Sit-ups with trunk
rotations
Leg Raises
Chest and Arms:
Inclined Push-ups
Declined Push-ups
Wide-arm Push-ups
Shoulder-width
Push-ups
Close-arm Push-ups
Tricep Dips
For all bodyweight
exercises it is important to begin with a manageable number of reps. It will
take time for your muscles to adapt to the specific movement an exercise
demands, and over-extending yourself is likely to cause injury, which will cost
you more time than you would have spent by easing into the exercise.
If you prefer weight-training,
here is a selection of the more effective exercises for key muscle groups:
Calf Muscles:
Barbell/dumbbell
calf-raises
Legs and Hips:
Leg extensions
Hamstring Curls
(WARNING: Use low weights as the tendon in the back of your knee can
strain easily and take around a month to fully heal)
Squats (WARNING: This
is a complex exercise and the procedure should be fully understood before any
attempt at the exercise is undertaken. Incorrect technique, especially rounding
of the back, can result in disc herniation in the lower back. This is a very
dangerous and long-term injury)
Leg Press
Back:
Lat-pulldowns
Bent-over Rows
Chest:
Bench Press
Inclined Bench Press
Declined Bench Press
Dumbbell Flys
Shoulders:
Seated Front Presses
Seated Back Presses
Lateral Dumbbell
Raises
Arms:
Bicep Curls
Dumbbell Tricep
Extensions
Wrist Curls
Reverse Wrist Curls
If you don’t know how
to perform some of the exercises, type the name of the exercise into your
search engine and you should find results showing you how to do them.
For all
weight-training exercises you should begin with a manageable weight and work
your way up. This will allow your muscles time to adapt to the new movements.
Strength training
should never be done for 2 consecutive days in a row. A rest period of at least
24 hours should be taken between each session, because it is during rest
periods that muscle grows and becomes stronger.
Well, that about wraps
up this section.
Click Here to go to
the anaerobic training programme.
If you have already
studied the anaerobic section then I have nothing more to teach you.