Strength Training FAQ"How much weight should I use?"This is one of the most discussed strength training FAQ. To generate maximum gains you must use as much weight as you can properly raise and lower. Learn "how to" before you worry about "how much". It is how you lift the weight that safely and effectively develops maximum gains in strength. To gain strength you must constantly try and lift more weight and/or more reps. This is called the overload principle. Find a way to make an exercise harder and it will be more productive. "What's better for an athlete... free weights or machines?"If I had a nickel for every time I've been asked that question, I'd be a very rich man. Here goes, what do you like better a FORD or a CHEVY? You choose by trying both of them and making an informed decision. In our gym we have 3 power lift racks and 8 hammer machines. We use BOTH all the time with emphasis on the "free weights". Free weights make you steadier as well as stronger. That's because your body has to balance as well as lift the weights, which works the "core" muscles in your torso. Machines can lock you into a position and isolate a muscle. This is not a bad thing. Myself, I'm a free weight guy: squats, dead lift, bench press. I use a couple of machines for auxilary lifts. Try them both and you decide. If money and storage is a problem, you won't go wrong with "free weights"."Do I need to take supplements? "The strength training FAQ that gets the must heated discussion among athletes is this one. There is not enough room on this page for me to express my opinions on supplements. I can't promise that my answer will not turn into a rant.Today the health food industry is a multi million dollar business. More fraud and half-truths exist in the area of nutrition than any other segment of the fitness industry. We are a gullible public. Athletes are the most gullible. Supplements are not monitored or regulated by the FDA. "Buyer beware" is my motto. Supplements are not more effective than the food you buy at the grocery store. Vitamins do not provide energy. In most cases athletes are not reliable sources for nutrition information. Testimony is an opinion not based upon facts or scientific research. The body can handle most foods in moderation....BALANCE is the key. I'm all for getting your vitamins naturally through the foods you eat as opposed to unregulated supplements. I'm trying to be informative in my answer and not turn this into a rant. Again, only you should decide for yourself. Do your homework. Would you trust your health to the clerk working for commission at the GNC store? "Which exercises should I use?"The facility and type of equipment available will dictate which exercises you perform. If you are training for football you must realize this will involve every muscle in the body. You must perform a wide range of exercises to develop each. Do not make the mistake of performing only those exercises you like or excel at. Do not ignore any body part.In your strength program try to classify exercises into two categories: Multi-joint & single joint(also called isolation) exercises. A multi-joint exercise involves more than one joint. The advantage is that more than one muscle group is brought into play. Strength is developed collectively by a group of muscles. An example of a multi-joint exercise is the squat. This is my favorite exercise for my athletes and for my own training. I call it a "systemic" movement because most of the muscles crossing the joints used for squatting are involved in the exercise. An isolation movement targets one muscle group or one area of the body. The advantage of an isolation movement is that the muscle group executing the exercise is forced to do all the work. The muscle group or isolated area is developed to its full potential. No other muscles are assisting it or limiting its development. Remember the type of equipment available will determine your exercise choices. Seek balance in your training by including multi-joint and isolated movements. Finally, if you are a football player, I suggest you start every workout by training the neck and traps. For athletes in combative events this area is a top priority.
"How can I change my eating habits to improve my athletic performance?"There are actually many things you can do to help your body perform at its maximum capacity. Knowing how to properly hydrate is important. Be aware that over hydrating can be just as dangerous as under hydrating. Stay away from simple sugars, and load up on carbohydrates while exercising. Include proteins if the exercise will last two hours. Don't eat within three hours of competition. If you are interested in learning more about using nutrition to enhance performance go to 15 Ways to Improve Your Athletic Performance Right Now. You can find out more about the topics I mentioned, plus electrolyte depletion, soy vs. whey during exercise, and many more tips on using nutrition to increase athletic performance."Can I reduce my belly fat by doing alot of ab exercises?"Many people think that you can but the truth is "No". Simply doing lots of crunches or other abdominal exercises won't reduce your belly fat. Spot reduction is the belief that you can lose body fat in a specific area by exercising the muscles just beneath the fatty area. Spot reduction has been proven wrong time and time again. In 1984, researchers at the University of Massachusetts found that abdominal exercises alone do not decrease belly fat. In this study men did the equivalent of 5,000 sit-ups for 27 days. The researchers measured body fat in the abdomen, buttocks and upper back during the study. If spot reduction worked, the men should have lost fat only in the abdominal area because the buttocks and upper back are not worked during sit-ups. However there was no change in the thickness of abdominal fat or waist size. Biopsies showed there was no significant change in the diameter of abdominal fat cells either.Abdominal exercises like sit-ups or crunches will tone and firm the muscles, but to reduce abdominal fat requires more than just ab exercise. You need a balanced fitness routine that includes cardiovascular exercise, resistance training, and a sensible diet. You may want to leave the strength training FAQ page to visit Abdominal Exercises or even Core Training if you have an interest is toning your abdominal muscles and building core strength, which is critical for beginning a strength-training program. Leave Strength training FAQ, visit Home Page
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