The physical fitness you want so much, with that sculpted, strong and resilient body, is just a strength training workout away! See how to join the modality, which can be done with your own body weight and without equipment.
Strength training is a favorite among those who want big, defined and toned muscles, since it involves working with heavy weights and few repetitions. As the name suggests, this modality develops strength and makes the body more resistant, with the help of progressively increasing the weights.
Although it is best known for weight training in the gym, this type of training can be done in different physical activities, such as Pilates and CrossFit, and even sequences at home.
The benefits, in fact, are many, for both professional and amateur athletes. In addition to improving posture and sleep quality, this exercise contributes to greater agility, balance and motor coordination.
It is no coincidence that it is recommended for anyone seeking quality of life, good shape and better performance in sports. Want to know everything about strength training? Read this article and find out!
What is strength training?
Strength training challenges muscles to develop through a counterforce, such as lifting weights and pulling bands, that is, it encourages the body to use more muscle fibers to meet the resistance created by the exercises.
In it, all parts of the body can be worked in a group or individually, such as arms, shoulders, chest, back, legs and hips.
This is exactly why there are no contraindications regarding the height or body type of those who practice it, but it is still very common for people to confuse strength training with hypertrophy , but they are not the same thing!
Strength training VS Hypertrophy
Hypertrophy makes the muscles bigger and the body look “buff”, while strength training makes the practitioner stronger, but not necessarily in that super defined shape.
Confusion between the two types of training is common, as they have similar results – which include increasing muscle and strength – but don’t be fooled, as each has a specific emphasis.
This means that those who invest in strength do not necessarily need to achieve that fully grown body, after all, the advantages go far beyond “getting big”. Stay tuned!
5 benefits of strength training
Strength training helps a lot with flexibility and mobility, which impacts physical capacity at any age, and prevents the body from becoming stiff and rigid, as well as avoiding joint pain and preventing falls.
See below five benefits for those who choose this modality.
1. More muscle mass
Who doesn’t want to exchange fat for lean mass, right? Strength training is ideal for this, as it promotes an increase in muscle power and changes its fibers, making these two factors work together in movements, which leads to mass gain.
2. Gain resistance
Since the training consists of applying forces that are contrary to those of dumbbells, weights or elastic bands, resistance is stimulated. This means that muscle groups develop in such a way that they can withstand greater forces for longer periods of time, which also improves physical conditioning and cardiorespiratory fitness .
3. Better quality of sleep
Did you know that the quality of your sleep is closely associated with muscle strengthening?
According to a examine posted in the magazine Preventive Medicine Reports in past due 2020, carried out with 23,000 adults who performed electricity education in Germany, robust and resistant muscle mass assist you sleep well, with fewer episodes of insomnia. There’s nothing higher than being capable of lie down and fall asleep without difficulty for a good night’s rest!
4. Low risk of injury
Even the fittest professional and amateur athletes are susceptible to overloading their muscles and ending up injuring themselves due to excessive stimulation. Strength training reduces this risk by making the muscles more prepared for high-performance practices.
5. Posture in the right places
Body alignment is affected by a number of reasons, such as sitting all day or having weakened bones and muscles, which can lead to a hunched back and a crooked posture.
Practicing this type of training strengthens bone and muscle composition, as well as other tissues that support the body, and also contributes to good posture, which greatly helps in executing movements.
If you want to improve your physical condition so you can excel in your sports performance , take note of the following tips to start off on the right foot!
How to increase muscle strength?
Strength training has some rules that must be followed to achieve the desired result: you must respect a certain volume of sets and repetitions, intensity, rest intervals and frequency throughout the week.
Understand better the variations in strength training and how each of these factors influences the result!
Opt for simple series
Sets are the times you repeat the same exercise, and small details in the way they are put together have a big impact on the final goal.
Those who do training with multiple sets, which consist of two or more sets with the same load, develop more hypertrophy, and those who opt for simple sets, performed only once, tend to improve strength.
Do fewer reps, with more weight
Reps are the number of times you do the same movement, like 10 squats or 15 sit-ups.
A common question is how many repetitions to gain strength: strength training works with an average of eight repetitions per exercise, with higher weight loads, as the objective is to make the muscle stronger and more resistant.
Sets with more than 10 repetitions tend to deliver another result, that of hypertrophy . Therefore, this is a very important point when choosing exercises.
Adjust the intensity of the exercises
The higher the intensity, the more weight you lift in each exercise. This weight is adjusted for each person and their fitness level.
Some athletes work better with less intensity and more repetitions – although this type of practice promotes hypertrophy more than increased strength –, while those who are more trained tend to opt for more intensity, with fewer repetitions per exercise.
Take rest breaks
The rest period is the rest time between repetitions and sets. To gain strength, a rest period of 30 to 60 seconds between sets is recommended, a time that forces the muscle to adapt, increase its capacity to transport energy and grow.
Between exercises (repetitions), rest should be 3 to 5 minutes, as the recovery of this energy reserve is greater and stimulates strength.
Attention to frequency
Frequency is how your training is organized: how many days per week and which exercises and sets are performed each day.
One workout can be just for the upper body and one for the lower body – workout A and workout B – and you can do the first on Monday, the second on Tuesday and rest on Wednesday, for example. Either way, it’s worth having them organized in cards.
Typically, practitioners alternate at least two sets throughout the day to let their muscles rest.
They must consider the athlete’s fitness level to determine the frequency of training for each muscle group. The most trained tend to work their upper and lower muscles alternately, twice a week each, and they have excellent results.
Those who are still developing their physical capacity end up doing the sequences at least three times a week, fitting the cards according to what is possible and the levels of muscular fatigue .
Phew! With all this information at hand, it’s much easier to organize your training, right? Check out the next topic for more valuable tips!
How to do strength training?
Strength training sets have few repetitions and, when it becomes easy and light to perform the movements in each exercise, it is time to increase the load. This is because the muscle will only develop when it is “challenged”.
If the load is too comfortable, it’s time to switch to progressive training to see greater results, since training progression serves precisely to increase intensities and observe the evolution of each practitioner when increasing the loads or changing some exercises to more advanced versions.
Another important recommendation has to do with the number of activities on the same sheet and, therefore, in the same training session, as this practice demands a lot from the body and can tire the muscles, making recovery difficult.
In fact, to avoid injuries , it is recommended that each training session be repeated every two to four weeks.
Finally, it is important to emphasize that there is no point in dedicating yourself solely to strength training without worrying about nutrition: the results will only be intensified with the support of a balanced diet capable of facilitating muscle building, with carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
That said, now it’s time to create your workout. Shall we?
How to set up a strength training workout?
When it comes to strength training, bodybuilding is usually the first thing that comes to mind. This is the most traditional method, as it involves working with dumbbells, machines and weights, exercising the muscles and helping you achieve the lean mass and definition, strength and endurance you’ve always dreamed of.
But it is not the only way and other practices can have the same effects, such as calisthenics training . Check out some interesting options!
- Calisthenics exercises: pull-ups, parallel bars, planks and push-ups
- Functional exercises: with kettlebell, medball, TRX, Swiss ball, ladder, ropes, etc.
- Olympic lifting: snatch and clean and jerk
- Basic lifting: squat, deadlift, and bench press
- Crossfit: a circuit of high-intensity activities to improve physical fitness, including a wide variety of exercises
These training options include free weights and even your own body weight to stimulate your muscles, as well as elastic bands and medicine balls – and the means don’t matter if you can achieve the same end, right?
5 exercises for strength training
Looking for some versatile options for your strength training? Try the five exercises listed below.
1. Deadlift
The deadlift works the anterior thigh muscles and the glutes, and can be performed with a barbell (with or without weight) or dumbbells.
- Stand up straight and place your arms outstretched at your sides.
- Spread your feet about hip-width apart and bend your knees.
- Hold the bar with both hands shoulder-width apart.
- Lower it until the bar reaches the level of your shins, almost touching that area.
Your arms should “pass outside your knees” when you squat, okay?
2. Pull-ups
This exercise is very good for strengthening the biceps , forearms, shoulders and back, also helping with posture alignment.
- Look for a high pull-up bar at a park or equipment like a crossover.
- Hold the bar with your hands aligned with your shoulders.
- Lift your body upwards using the strength of your arms until your chin passes the bar.
- Hold the position for a second and return to the starting position.
Repeat the exercise as needed.
3. Flat bench press
This activity works the muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps, as well as providing good calorie burning.
- Lie on the straight bench and rest your feet on it or on the floor.
- Keep your back against the bench.
- Hold the barbell or dumbbells with your palm facing forward.
- Spread your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Slowly lower the bar towards your chest, with your elbows forming a 90° angle.
- Push the barbell or dumbbells up with your elbows almost extended.
- Return to the starting position.
Do a reasonably comfortable number of reps and rest between sets.
4. Close-Bent Over Row
The bent-over row is considered one of the best exercises for strengthening the back, as it works the entire back and the trapezius region.
- Place your feet parallel to your shoulders and keep your spine straight.
- Bend your knees slightly and keep your neck aligned with your spine.
- Contract your abs, open your chest and pull your shoulders back.
- Hold the dumbbells in the middle or the barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your torso and pull the weights in a rowing motion.
Be careful not to stick your butt out and put strain on your lower back while rowing, okay?
5. Dips on the parallel bars
Push-ups on the parallel bars work the shoulders, chest and triceps, and can be done with added weight using a vest or belt.
- Hold the bar with both hands.
- Stand still with your elbows extended.
- Lower your body as you bend your elbows to a 90° angle.
- Return to the starting position.