For a powerful upper body and developed arms, the pull up is one of the more effective exercises. Use good form for as long as you can then rest and do more. Be patient. You might use up some time to get this exercise but the wait will be well worth it.
If you are not sure how to do the exercise properly, ask your friendly personal trainer at Transform Personal Training
If you desire to lose fat or change your body, one of the most important things that you need to do is to lift weights.
Cardio and diet are just as important, but changing the way that your body looks is achieved by strength training. If you have no idea what strength training can do to your body, here is a quick run down to get you started in a strength training program:
• Help increase your metabolism
• Strengthen your bones
• Increase your muscular resistance
• Help you avoid injuries
• Increase your self-esteem and confidence
• Improve your balance and coordination
Once you decide to start strength training, you might find yourself at a loss on what you should do next, as well as the kind of exercises that you should do and how. Generally, your routine will largely be based on your fitness goals, the equipment that is available, and the time that you can spare for your workouts.
Strength Training Basics
If you intend to set up your own program, you need to have an idea of some basic strength training principles. It is these basics that will teach you to ensure that you using enough weight, the right sets and reps, and that you are always progressing with your workouts.
• Overload: In order to build muscle, you have to use more resistance than your muscles are accustomed to. However, you need to lift weight that you can complete with the required number of reps. You should be able to finish the final rep with difficulty but still in good form.
• Progression: You need to regularly increase your intensity in order to avoid plateaus. Do so by increasing your weight, changing your resistance type, changing your sets or reps, or changing your type of resistance. You should be able to make the transition in a week or month’s time.
• Specificity: Train for your goal. So if you want to increase your strength, you need to come up with a program that is designed to do so. If losing weight is your main goal, you will have to use rep changes that will target different muscle fibers.
• Rest and recovery: Your rest days are equally as important as your workout days. During your rest period, your muscles will grow and change.
Strength Training Tips
Before setting up and getting started with your routine, keep these points in mind to ensure that you get a safe and effective strength training workout.
• Warm up: Do this before you start lifting weights. This will help get your muscles warm and prevent injury. You can do so with a light cardio or doing some bodyweight exercises like pushups and squats before moving on to heavier weights.
• Slowly lift and lower weights: Do not use momentum to lift your weights. If you need to swing just to get the weight up, then you are using too much weight.
• Breathe: Do not hold your breath while lifting weights. Use your full range of motion throughout the movement.
• Stand up straight: Keep close tabs on your posture and include your abs in all your movements to protect your spine and keep your balance.
Are you now ready to get started with a strength training program? If you are still not sure, contact the best personal trainer in Chicago at Transform Personal Training for more information.