Strength Training - Strength Training Journal

High Intensity Interval Training or Endurance Training?

The question is, which is the better one? First let’s get to know about the two types before we try to answer that question. In High Intensity Interval Training, abbreviated HIIT, you involve in some intense physical activity that is punctuated by periods where you do less intense activity, which may even mean rest.

Looking at endurance training, it is training where you do physical activity for a longer time without pausing. Both these types of training can improve your fitness.

High Intensity Interval Training

An example of a HIIT is where you run at top speed for one minute then continue walking after that for two minutes. This routine can be repeated for as much as 15 minutes. In this time span this activity could spend more calories than if you hit the treadmill for one hour!

If that is not enough, doing HIIT for two weeks can improve the capacity of your lungs as six to eight weeks of undergoing endurance training, according to a study by the American College of Sports Medicine conducted in 2011.

Other benefits of HIIT besides improving lung capacity are:

More calories are burned than with endurance training
Calories are burned even after 24 hours you do the workout
Better development of your heart
No equipment is necessary
Burns fat and not muscles

It is possible to do HIIT anywhere, since it is basically high intense activity for a short span of time preceding a period of recovery, with the whole cycle being repeatable.
One disadvantage with HIIT is the limit of 2 to 3 exercise per week; most people need a day or two of recovery time for complete recovery.

Endurance Training

When talking about calorie burning, endurance training can be as much effective as HIIT; however an increased amount of time is required to burn the same amount of calories. An example of a counterpart of the run/walk activity for endurance training is where you run continuously for about one hour at a steady pace. It is basically lengthy activity at a constant pace as compared to short and highly intense activity.

In endurance training, you are always doing aerobic activity, unlike in HIIT training sessions of 10-20 minutes duration, so in total you will be spending more quantities of energy. So this means that if you have weight loss and fat burning as your main goals, you would find endurance training preferable over HIIT. On the other hand, HIIT is quite helpful in preventing your body from gaining weight better than endurance training.

The other benefits of endurance training besides fitness as a result of increased metabolism include the following:

A healthier heart
Stronger joints
Increased efficiency of the respiratory system
Increased cognitive abilities
Better stamina

Endurance training may not be much of an option for you if you are in a shortage of time in your lifestyle, because you need to spend some time doing that. Alternatively, HIIT requires less time allotment than endurance training. In any case, choosing either one is better than not choosing at all and watching TV instead.

Why Women Should Lift Weights

Many women not familiar with the benefits of weight lifting tend to stay on the cardio side of the gym and avoid the weight lifting part for fear of developing too muscular of a body frame. When done properly, weight lifting will give them a more defined and toned body, but without the worry of “bulking up”; it just won’t happen and here’s why.

Muscle development is largely due to the amount of testosterone in the body. Men naturally have significantly more than women, so they tend to develop bigger muscles. Women have a small amount of testosterone naturally, but not enough to create large muscles.

Even women that try to pack on the bulk have a very hard time doing it without resorting to testosterone supplementation. So put that fear aside and start hitting the gym to gain these benefits from weight lifting:

1. Faster metabolic rate

Women work out at weightlifting for a number of reasons, however, one common thread is to lose weight. We all know that to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in and one way to burn more calories is to speed up your metabolism.

As you lift weights, you create tiny tears in the muscle fibers of the muscle group you are exercising. To repair these tears, the body must burn more calories than it would otherwise if you did not have the tears. And you are burning calories while working out.

2. Greater muscle definition (but without the bulk)

Another plus – it takes more calories to fuel muscles than it does body fat – 9 calories per pound of fat per day verses 2 calories per pound of fat (both at the resting metabolic rate) – so while you won’t bulk up, your muscles will become more defined or toned and your body fat will decrease. So you get the immediate benefit of your body burning calories to help repair itself and a long-term benefit of your body requiring more calories to fuel the extra muscle definition.

3. More functional strength

As your muscles develop you get stronger. Everyday tasks that used to wear you out, such as vacuuming, laundry and carrying in groceries, are suddenly easier. Also stronger muscles reduce your risk of injury if you participate in sports or other physical activities.

So fear weights no longer! Start a weight lifting program and enjoy the benefits of an increased metabolism, greater muscle definition and easier everyday activities. Your body will thank you for it.

What is “The Overload Principle” in Strength Training?

overload-principle What is The Overload Principle in strength training, and why should you care? The overload principle is a fact of strength training, and you probably want to pay close attention, because it can be harnessed to deliver bigger, better and faster results. Basically stated, the overload principle says that your body cannot be adapted the way you want unless it is overloaded.

The American College of Sports Medicine, without using a bunch of fancy medical terms, explains simply that this means your muscles must be stimulated to greater than normal activity if they are to grow. When you properly apply the correct amount of muscle overload, you begin to see results far more rapidly. In addition, they last for the long term, where in the past you may have felt that you were simply wasting time with your strength-training workout.

While you may not have thought that scientific concepts and formulas were at the basis of proper strength training, whether you are aware of what is going on or not inside your body, your muscles understand and respond properly when the overload principle is applied correctly. And the good news is that whether you are a beginner or veteran weightlifter or strength trainer, you can increase muscle size, bulk and power by incorporating an ongoing overload formula into your strength training regimen.

This is great news to those of you who are just beginning strength training. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, and begin overloading your muscles, you will begin to see the desired results quickly. If you are not used to lifting 10 pounds very often, then lifting 10 or 15 pounds with only a couple of weightlifting sessions a week will begin to show improved muscle definition and strength almost immediately.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association points out that while the overload principle works for veterans as well as beginners, it may take creative and progressive overload to see a dramatic improvement. If you have already begun to sculpt your body and you strength train regularly, you are going to have to increase the overall load your body lifts in your workouts to benefit from this body adapting fact.

Experienced weightlifters and strength trainers can shorten the amount of time spent resting between sets and increase reps and sets to harness the power of this principle. Just remember, when you consistently and progressively increase the amount of weight, the repetitions per set, and the number of sets you perform in your strength training workout, you harness the incredible power of the overload principle, thereby improving muscle mass and strength.

How Can Strength Training Help You To Reach Your Weight Loss Goals?

Although most people see them as separate, training for strength and training for weight loss can be the same thing. Sure, dedicated strength training requires special considerations, as does dedicated weight loss training. But the two can feed into each other. So if you’re hoping reach specific weight loss goals but are more interested in strength training, don’t fear. You can achieve both results through your weight training alone. Here’s how.

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Factors to Consider Before Setting Up a Home Gym

A home gym can be the answer to your health and fitness prayers and can be cheaper in the long run than a gym membership. It can also be very convenient and time saving because you don’t have to wait in line to get on a piece of fitness equipment. And you don’t have to brave the weather conditions outdoor. Owning a home gym offers comfort and convenience. Nevertheless, setting up a home fitness center can be a minor challenge. There are a number of decisions to make and things to consider. Here’s what to take into consideration when putting together your own home gym.

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How to Choose the Right Size Kettlebell for Women and Beginners

Kettlebells look small but they sure do pack a punch. Most Kettlebells are made of metal and some are now coated with vinyl plastic. Understanding what size Kettlebell to purchase is your first step towards strengthening and toning your body. If your goal is to lose weight or to just become more active, then beginning a Kettlebell training program is a fantastic start!

If you look back over the history of the Kettlebell, you will see that Russian soldiers used them to condition and strengthen their bodies. They typically used heavy weights right from the beginning.

For someone who is not accustomed to being active lighter weights are recommended. If you have never done any form of resistance training then the right size kettlebell for beginners are less than 10lbs. Using a lighter weight will allow you to perfect your techniques for each move and this is very important. If you do not use the correct form then you won’t receive as many benefits from your workout.

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Advanced Kettlebell Exercises

No doubt once you start training with Kettlebells, you will be hooked. This type of workout is so quick and effective who wouldn’t love something that produces results so fast.

As you become more comfortable with using your Kettlebells, you will want to start adding more advanced moves and exercises into your routine. Advanced moves in Kettlebell are also referred to as Extreme Kettlebell exercises.

The extreme or advanced Kettlebell exercises will also use different terminology. These exercises will include terms such as clean, snatch, jerk and swing. You may or may not be familiar with these.

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How to Gain Muscle

Gaining muscle mass can be a challenge especially if you don’t know all the proper techniques. Many people think all you have to do is lift heavier weights to develop big muscles. What they don’t realize is that strength training is only one part of the equation. In 3 simple steps, here’s how to gain muscle:

Train the right way.
Eat the right kinds of food in the right quantities.
Get enough rest.

How to Gain Muscle with the Right Training Program

There’s only one way to force your body to build more muscle, and that’s by lifting weights to put stress on your muscles, break them down, and give your body time to recover. For big and fast muscle gains, follow a muscle-building workout that progresses through the weeks. If you are concerned about putting on fat, include 10 to 15 minutes of cardio workout before and after your strength training routine to help burn body fat.

How to Gain Muscle by Eating Right

If you want to add muscles to your body, you need to eat more calories. However, it’s not enough to take in just any kind of calories. You also need the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat.

The rule of thumb is to consume one gram of protein daily for every pound of body weight. But if your goal is to gain muscle, you should eat twice the amount or 2 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. Muscles are made of amino acids and proteins. If you want bigger muscles, you have to provide your body with the necessary building blocks.

You also need carbohydrates and fats to help build muscles. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. Without carbohydrates, you won’t have the energy to go through your intense workouts. Nutrition experts recommend consuming 2 grams of carbohydrates for every pound of body weight. If you don’t get enough carbohydrates, your body will break down muscles to provide the energy it needs to function properly. You wouldn’t want this to happen.

The body also needs fats for proper metabolism and to help your joints and muscles recover. Eat healthy fats found in fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, etc.

How to Gain Muscle by Sleeping and Resting

Most people think that muscles develop while they work out at the gym. This is a common misconception that happens to be one of the reasons why people find it hard to grow bigger muscles. Lifting heavy weights puts stress on the muscles and causes them to tear. It is while you sleep and rest that the body works to repair the muscles and tissues. The body rebuilds the muscles and makes them bigger and stronger while you rest.

It is a common mistake to train hard every day without rest days in between workouts. Hard-gainers, or people who find it extra-challenging to gain muscle mass, often train too long and too hard. Any workout that takes over 45 minutes will actually hinder your progress. Choose the right exercises and perform them with proper form to get the best results. Don’t forget to get the calories and rest that you need to build and develop a muscular physique.

Advantages of Compound Exercises versus Isolation Muscle Routine for Bigger Muscle Gains

During your workouts you’ll use both compound and isolation muscle routines. A squat exercise is a good example of a compound muscle routine while a bicep curl exercise is an example of an isolation muscle routine.

Compound muscle routines are meant to work a muscle group or several muscles. A squat exercise involves your lower muscle groups like your hamstrings, your calves and your gluts, but also exercises your core muscles. In comparison, isolation muscle exercises work a muscle group or a single muscle, hence the name “isolation”. The bicep curl only exercises your bicep muscle.

In order to achieve your best muscle gains you need to focus on the compound exercise routines. When you use more muscle groups you burn more calories. You’ll also get a faster workout for all your major muscle groups than if you do a large amount of isolation muscle workouts. Training with compound muscle exercises keeps your heart rate higher for longer periods of time too.

You may resort to isolation exercises if you have an injury or if you need to balance out your muscle profile. For example, it’s very common for one arm to have larger muscles and better definition than the other. You may have to work on the opposite arm to ‘catch it up’ to the other arm. Tricep kickbacks and bicep curls are a handful of types of isolation exercise to improve that imbalance.

The main reason compound routines work for best muscle gains are because more of your whole body is forced to work. Your body adjusts by building larger muscles within the muscle groups you are training.

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Popular Myths and Misconceptions about Muscle Growth

There is a lot of myth and confusion about the body building industry in general and what you should do to promote lean muscle mass growth. In fact, these misconceptions are often reasons given by people who simply have no desire or intention to improve their physical well-being. If you’re one of the experienced competitors, then you’ll need to comprehend the facts in order to refute these false rumors. In this article you will find some of the more prevalent points of confusion.

1. In order for rapid muscle growth to occur you have to work out for several hours each day.

The fact is that a man’s body just doesn’t benefit from hours of strenuous exercise. After the initial hour, the level of testosterone in his body drops. Testosterone is a hormone responsible for promoting muscle growth and burning up fat calories. On the bad side, the muscle building hormone cortisol kicks into high gear when you over train. Cortisol is the hormone that causes you to store body fat and encourages the loss of muscle. This is one time when doing more work doesn’t help your cause one bit.

2. When body builders stop weight training their muscle turns into fat.

Beep! Wrong answer. First, you have to recognize that muscle and fat are two totally distinct tissue masses. Believing that muscle develops into fat is like thinking that glass evolves into wood. Just think about what happens when a body builder stops working out. First, their training is cut back or stopped. This means that their muscle growth ends and actually, muscle begins to atrophy, or shrink. Body builders’ metabolism decelerates and they burn less calories. Combined with this their dietary plan may come back to bad dietary habits. What really is happening is that the muscle is shrinking and is replaced by fat mass. Muscle does not turn into fat.

3. Your fat turns into muscle when you weigh train.

See #2 item above. Fat and muscle have two completely different tissue structures. When you combine aerobics, weight training and a better diet, your body grows more muscle than it does fat. Fat does not turn into muscle.

4. You can eat whatever you want as long as you exercise.

When you consume more calories than you burn, those calories turn into fat. If you exercise 8 hours a day and burn up 13,000 calories, but spend 3 hours eating and drinking 14,000 calories, those extra 2,000 calories turn into fat. Whatever you don’t burn off turns is stored as fat.

Those are the top myths most heard by professional body builders.