CUSTOM FITNESS

We are coming to the end of the year, and people are training hard to lose some fat and weight to enjoy the end of year celebrations, and some have just postponed working hard at their bodies because they don’t have enough time. In the New Year, this Blog will relate more to Hardcore training, the muscles, and the proper way to eat. But for now how many people out there in the gym really know what they are doing, or the muscles that they are training? Do they know that some exercises aren’t only for one specific muscle group? What about the different techniques and methods? Do people know the other factors that could intensify a workout?

The sustainability muscle groups of the body have already been discussed, and there also have been comments about, what some consider methods of jerking, bouncing and swinging. But when you are working out do you really know what muscle group is being trained? As said before, people think they are working out their six-pack when they are doing their core (Strength from the Inside Out), but now you know that is untrue. So what are you working out really when you include a certain exercise in a muscle group routine?

For example, what is the inverse peck deck used for? The muscle group back, shoulders, or both? In this case what is being worked on most depends on the height of the seat, but depending, certain muscles can aid (synergists) in movement which means they are also being worked. Some equipment present specific markings, such as the bars, such as when doing the flat bench press, people make sure that their grasp is on top of these. So is a basketball player at 7 ft tall with long arms grasping the bar in the same place as a 5.5ft person also working out their chest? A shorter grasp on any bar, where the elbows when lowered come close to the body is considered a triceps exercise. If you are not adjusting the machines and equipment to the size of your body, you might not be adequately targeting the muscle that it’s intended for, or even the right muscle. This is why you should pay attention to what you feel being worked when you are doing an exercise, and depending on the position of a certain body part or of the equipment being used, you can intensify your workout because you know where to feel it. You can maybe also change the intensity just by changing the type of grip (supinated, pronated, or alternate) or the width and position of your feet (wide, shoulder length, inward, outward) but this might jeopardize your form, and also may target other muscles of that group.

Did you know that you can change your workout routine without changing the exercises used? There are methods that a routine can be intensified such as by doing them in supersets, or even reducing or increasing the rest interval time in between sets. That is why so many when they spend hours on the gym floor complain they don’t get results. They do rest in between the sets, but each time interval is of a different time period. And there is also the fact that some take the time to socialize in between sets. This is affecting the intensity of the workout, and thus the results. If you really are paying attention to timing you should be fatigued and sore by the last rep of the last set of a muscle group. Pay attention to timing which also includes paying attention to the rest days in between muscle group workouts because you could be not giving the synergists enough rest.

Did you ever question what is better? Fast or slow movements when doing exercises? People usually speed up the exercise because they are too heavy on the weights. With this they aren’t getting the full contraction of the muscle, they aren’t keeping the right form and doing the whole ROM, which probably makes them use other muscles to perform the movement, and aren’t even feeling the workout. This is just to prove that they can train with a heavy weight. In order to work all the muscle fibers of a certain group, the slower you can go the more fibers are recruited, and if you are able to keep it continuous the intensity is higher. If you pause at the end of the concentric phase (shortening of the angle of the joint) or at the eccentric phase (increasing the joint angle) it is also considered rest. If you maintain the right tempo you will feel the workout of a muscle group more.

These are just some of the ways that a workout can have more intensity besides changing the routine. You can also add to these different methods of training, such as supersets, pyramids, opposite muscle group workouts and more. Each individual has to get to know his own body, and advance weight lifters are still always learning new things about their own bodies and the way that is best to train the different muscle groups. So don’t be a copycat. Some exercises that you see in the gym might not work for you. If you don’t know how to do something, look for professional help especially if you are not experienced. To learn about how to train properly is to maintain form, use different methods, time properly, most important of all make sure you know what muscle you are training and if you are doing it appropriately. But don’t forget not to jerk, bounce or swing.