Bodybuilding Tips, How To Perform A Safer Workout Routine
1) Warm-up. This may sound like the king of cliches, but guess what? A large percentage of the gymrats out there, especially the younger ones, are so eager to hit the bench press that they skimp on or ignore the warm-up altogether. This is a big mistake.
1) Warm-up. This may sound like the king of cliches, but guess what? A large percentage of the gymrats out there, especially the younger ones, are so eager to hit the bench press that they skimp on or ignore the warm-up altogether. This is a big mistake.
A proper warm up leads to the increase of the body's core temperature which opens the door for your metabolism to get into high gear. This also aids in lubricating the joints which is also incredibly important. Basically, you will be getting your body ready to get into top shape prior to lifting heavy, excess weight.
Your warm-up should consist of 5-10 mins of moderate cardio on a treadmill or stationary bike, 5 minutes of light stretching and, as you get ready for the weights, 1-2 light sets before your "real" sets begin.
2) Stretch. Failure to stretch leads to a serious problem: your muscle bellies may shorten over a period of time and this will make you less flexible.A lack of flexibility will lead to a malformed appearance as well as scores of other common problems that are best avoided.
If a supporting muscle stiffens or becomes shortened, it will start interfering with the normal groove of your exercises. Not a big deal at first, but over time you train increasingly "wrong" and put a lot of extra stress on joints, ligaments and unintended secondary muscle groups. The cumulative effect over a couple of years can throw some serious curveballs at your bodybuilding efforts.
Stretching in between sets will flushes out lactic acid byproducts while also delivering fresh nutrients to the body which, in turn, allows you to be stronger in the next set. Post workout stretching also allows you to recover a lot faster in between workouts which may prove to be another excellent plus. Just be sure to stretch slowly and in a controlled manner to make sure you get positive results.
3) Control. Yes, there is a great deal of temptation with loading up on heavy weights and then cheating your way through the completion of the set. Controlled cheating may be a tried-and-true intensity boosting technique pro bodybuilders employ but one needs to avoid it in traditional workouts.
Cheating should only be done at the end of a normal set to squeeze out a few "bonus" reps. If you have to sway or use momentum from the second rep on, you're using too much weight.
Another aspect of control is avoiding any type of bouncing, jerking or partial moves forced by necessity. In other words, if you stop halfway down in the negative phase of your biceps curls because you wouldn't be able to curl up otherwise, you're using too much weight.
4) Strong Abs. The midsection is the core of the body and that is why it is also the stabilizer that holds all muscle groups together. When you lack a solid midsection, your ability to stabilize other lifts is in questions.
Weigh your options on a barbell military press. From your feet to hips, you will pretty much be standing straight. When you lean backwards in order to stay balanced while pushing the barbell upwards and the only form of protection your spine gains is from the abs. In reality, ab tension is critical for a safe starting position.
5) Safety Precautions. You don't buckle up in your car because you expect to crash. You do it so just in case one occurs your injuries will be minimized. The gym works the same way.
Likewise, attempting heavy barbell bench presses to failure without a spotter is little more than Russian roulette. You can even up the ante by using "monkey grip" (thumbs on the same side as the rest of the fingers) for the added thrill of potentially dropping 300 lbs on your face.
None of this is too difficult to comprehend and all of these 5 steps can help reduce the chances of an injury from occurring.
1) Warm-up. This may sound like the king of cliches, but guess what? A large percentage of the gymrats out there, especially the younger ones, are so eager to hit the bench press that they skimp on or ignore the warm-up altogether. This is a big mistake.
A proper warm up leads to the increase of the body's core temperature which opens the door for your metabolism to get into high gear. This also aids in lubricating the joints which is also incredibly important. Basically, you will be getting your body ready to get into top shape prior to lifting heavy, excess weight.
Your warm-up should consist of 5-10 mins of moderate cardio on a treadmill or stationary bike, 5 minutes of light stretching and, as you get ready for the weights, 1-2 light sets before your "real" sets begin.
2) Stretch. Failure to stretch leads to a serious problem: your muscle bellies may shorten over a period of time and this will make you less flexible.A lack of flexibility will lead to a malformed appearance as well as scores of other common problems that are best avoided.
If a supporting muscle stiffens or becomes shortened, it will start interfering with the normal groove of your exercises. Not a big deal at first, but over time you train increasingly "wrong" and put a lot of extra stress on joints, ligaments and unintended secondary muscle groups. The cumulative effect over a couple of years can throw some serious curveballs at your bodybuilding efforts.
Stretching in between sets will flushes out lactic acid byproducts while also delivering fresh nutrients to the body which, in turn, allows you to be stronger in the next set. Post workout stretching also allows you to recover a lot faster in between workouts which may prove to be another excellent plus. Just be sure to stretch slowly and in a controlled manner to make sure you get positive results.
3) Control. Yes, there is a great deal of temptation with loading up on heavy weights and then cheating your way through the completion of the set. Controlled cheating may be a tried-and-true intensity boosting technique pro bodybuilders employ but one needs to avoid it in traditional workouts.
Cheating should only be done at the end of a normal set to squeeze out a few "bonus" reps. If you have to sway or use momentum from the second rep on, you're using too much weight.
Another aspect of control is avoiding any type of bouncing, jerking or partial moves forced by necessity. In other words, if you stop halfway down in the negative phase of your biceps curls because you wouldn't be able to curl up otherwise, you're using too much weight.
4) Strong Abs. The midsection is the core of the body and that is why it is also the stabilizer that holds all muscle groups together. When you lack a solid midsection, your ability to stabilize other lifts is in questions.
Weigh your options on a barbell military press. From your feet to hips, you will pretty much be standing straight. When you lean backwards in order to stay balanced while pushing the barbell upwards and the only form of protection your spine gains is from the abs. In reality, ab tension is critical for a safe starting position.
5) Safety Precautions. You don't buckle up in your car because you expect to crash. You do it so just in case one occurs your injuries will be minimized. The gym works the same way.
Likewise, attempting heavy barbell bench presses to failure without a spotter is little more than Russian roulette. You can even up the ante by using "monkey grip" (thumbs on the same side as the rest of the fingers) for the added thrill of potentially dropping 300 lbs on your face.
None of this is too difficult to comprehend and all of these 5 steps can help reduce the chances of an injury from occurring.
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