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Resistance training is often the missing piece in the training puzzle. People get intimidated by entering gyms that are full of bulked up body builders. Some, through not knowing how too, or they worry that they will hurt themselves or make themselves look foolish or just through lack of education, will never venture into the gym. But the beauty of resistance training is that we do it every day without even knowing we do. Everyday we lift, bend, pull and grip numerous objects and attain the benefits. So there are some great alternatives that will build muscle and make us stronger especially for those who are novices.
Obviously, athletes need specific programs that will enhance their sporting performance but here are some forms of resistance training that everyone can do.
Body Weight Resistance Training
This is an excellent form of resistance training because we just use our bodies. The most common forms are the pushup, squat and chin up!
Pushups: There are so many variations of these excellent upper body chest and arm builders. For those not strong enough start with pushups on knees. Position of the arms will vary the muscles being used so try different positions. Keep the torso rigid and then make sure you touch the floor with your chest. For more resistance then progress to full pushups on the ground. Use hands and feet as your contact area and again torso rigid and touch your chest to the ground. Further progressions include putting your feet up on the bench and hands on ground, feet on bench and hands on dumbbells of lifts. Try further variations of: Close Grip Pushups for the Triceps, Pushups on knuckles which martial artists are excellent at, Spiderman pushups performed on your finger tips, Clapping pushups , clap as you explode up, Stability Ball Pushups performed with either the feet or hands on the stability ball and a favorite, Partner pushups, where you perform one then your partner, then you two then your partner two and keep going till one concedes.
Squats: Number one on the list is the single leg squat. It’s amazing how many people have trouble with this one. You stand on a block, stepper or on the ground. You then perform the single leg squat as low as you can. Try to keep your knee from bending further than your toes. Sit back and put your weight onto your heel. The ultimate single leg squat is called the Pistol and means you go right to the ground and return to the standing position. This is only for the elite performers amongst us!
Genie squats: These are performed by crossing your arms at shoulder level like I Dream of Genie and then squatting down. The arms must be kept level as it then ensures your back remains in the right position. If you have trouble with these try sitting on a chair then genie squatting to stand. This is the correct way to do these. Simply reverse and sit back down. Next try just to touch the chair and return to the standing position.
Stability Ball Squats: Place a stability ball behind your lower back and against the wall then squat down using the ball to aid your descent. Variations include single leg stability ball squats.
Chin-Ups: If you do not have anywhere to chin go down to your local park and to the monkey bars. Chins are hard but they give great results and you will improve quickly. Perform partner chins for those who cannot perform their own. Assist by holding the ankles of crossed legs or lifting from the upper back. Use a box to lift yourself if and slowly add more resistance.
Take Home Message: Anyone can perform some type of resistance training and do it anywhere with little or no apparatus. The benefits include increased muscle mass and increased metabolism. Now that’s a great health improvement!
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