Ever been asked, “what’s your bench?” “how much do you squat?” well, probably the first more than the latter but that’s anther post. How on this great planet did the bench press become the marker of great strength and superior athleticism from which we use to judge athlete’s and gym goer’s is beyond me. It’s quite crazy if you really think about it. Don’t misunderstand me though, I do believe it has many benefits but to label it as the exercise by which we use to see how strong of fit you are is again…..CRAZY!
Let me pose some questions to you. Who do you think is stronger, a gym rat who can bench press more than 400 lbs or the athlete who can do 100 push ups non stop? Now I know that one is a measure of Maximal Strength and one of strength endurance but my point is that there are many aspects of strength and ways to achieve these levels of strength.
While many people, trainers, and coaches believe that there is only one superior way to train and that anything outside the box is useless. It is my belief that each and every aspect has it’s place and depending on the goal of your training depends on what you pull out of your tool box to fix it.
Here are 5 Tips that you must use in your training program to ensure proper strength, balance, and function.
1. Train in all movement planes possible: I’m not talking about standing on a BOSU ball with one foot, pressing a dumbbell over head, and picking your nose with the other. What I simply mean without sounding technical is moving forward, backward, lateral, up, and down. Muscles rarely work on just one plane as do your athletic movements and daily activities so it only makes sense to train your body in all planes but make sure that your pushes don’t outweigh your pulls and so on.
2. Train standing as much as possible: This just simply means that we need to perform as many of our strength training movements standing rather than lying down or using machine support. Relying on support puts our core to sleep and propriocepton or better known as yourbalance and awarness.
3. Free Weights over Machines: Barbells, Dumbbells, and Medicine Balls are far better to use when it comes to building strength because they allow a natural movement that isn’t predetermined by a machine, they promote muscle balance, a greater ROM (range of motion) and your stabilizing muscles are recruited to help balance out your weight.
4. Be Explosive Each Workout: Olympic lifts have there place in training and sports but given the nature of the athletes and clientelle that most of us deal with those lifts are too technical to teach so instead focus on simpler versions or body weight and med ball training. Training explosively or “dynamically” improves your power output, increases your metabolism, range of motion, and flexiblity. All of these elements are crucial when it comes to athletics and dominating your opponents. In addition to those benefits, moving loads as fast as possible is how we are supposed to move the weight which recruits those type II muscle fibers helping us get stronger and more “EXPLOSIVE.”
5. Focus on Compound Lifts: Tricep kickbacks, concentration curls, leg extensions, and lat pull downs have there place in training but multi-joint vs single joint training is where you will reap the greatest benefits of strength and muscle size. Lifts such as squats, deadlifts, rows, and chins work all of the major muscles in our “primal patterns” but they are also more calorically challenging and elicit a greater endocrine response which results in elevations in testosterone adn HGH or Human Growth Hormone. To sum it up, you will get a greater strength boost and release vital hormonal chemicals for building strength. If muscle size and strength is your goal then these compound exercises must be a primary staple in your strength training regimen.
Try This upper body workout for Monster Mass and Muscle Size!!
1. Grappler Row 4×5-8
2a. Ring Chin Ups 2xmax
2b. Standing Military DB Press 2×12-20
3a.Parallel Bar Dips 4×8
3b.Football Bar Hammer Curls 4×8
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“From the minute I first met Travis I could see the energy, excitment, passion, and knowledge he has for helping athltetes develop the skills necessary to succeed on the field and in life. His gym, FITT Warehouse is an extension of his personality and the training atmosphere is guaranteed to take you to the next level."