Written By: Mickey Mehta | Updated : November 25, 2015 11:23 AM IST
Strength is an important aspect of fitness and is the key component of power, performance and muscular endurance. Even your daily routine of climbing stairs, running, picking up grocery bags and other weights, requires strength. So, strength is important for everybody.
When properly done, resistance training or weight training provides ample scope for rewarding results like fat loss, toned muscles, increased strength, reduced risk of osteoporosis, enhanced bone density, muscle, tendon and ligament strength, improved balance and self esteem. It also enhances sports performance and prevents injury. Also read - best strength training moves.
What is resistance training?
Resistance training is movement against resistance. For the body to become more shapely, the muscles have to become stronger. And this happens only when taxed with an overload. The quality of the overload or resistance determines the value of the exercise.
According to the laws of physics, everything we do involves movement which is met by some kind of resistance. Running provides resistance, so do swimming, jumping, etc. Any type of muscle-powered movement is met by resistance in the form of air, water or gravity. Sometimes progression needs to be made by adding resistance in the form of weights, like dumbbells, barbells, other free weights, resistance bands to the arms, legs or torso when exercising with body weight alone becomes insufficient. When you overload or exercise with weights, it is called weight training. Read - are resistance bands better than weights?
There is a common myth that using weights by women tend to make them look large and unfeminine. It is virtually impossible for women to develop large muscles. This requires an adequate amount of male hormone, especially testosterone and women do not have sufficient amounts of this hormone nor do they have the genetic potential to become overly muscular. Women who train with weights or using your own body for resistance do so to shape and tone their bodies.
Strength exercises for the legs and the glutes: Squats, lunges, standing calf raises, step ups.
For core strength and stability: Abdomen crunches, plank and side plank pose, bridge pose, bhujangasana, setubandhsana, navasana.
For upper body and arm strengthening: Push-ups, dumbbell curls, triceps extensions, dips.
Stretches: Hamstring stretch, quad stretch, upper trunk stretch, tadasana, side stretches, calf stretch.
Exercises with equipment like resistance bands and tubes, medicine balls: Trunk twist, side bends.
These exercises are best done under guidance. Warm up at the beginning of the session and rest at the end of the training session.
Guidelines for resistance training:
At the end of the day, please remember each body is made differently. Do not get obsessed with the body because this will make one go to any length to achieve a certain look. One setback is enough and the body goes for a toss. You should focus on your health. I recommend using your own body weight, use of parallel bars, tubes, terra bands, medicine balls, etc. So devise a fitness program accordingly. Be realistic and have achievable goals and stay Mickeymized!
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