4 Major Factors to Improve Your Strength Training
Using these steps in your strength training routine will improve your strength and help keep you injury-free!
Image via: United Strength Gym
There are many components that go into strength training and doing it properly to ensure optimal performance and strength. What’s more, is incorrectly training can lead to injury, such as muscle, joint, and spinal injuries. United Strength believes in constantly educating its members and clients to avoid injury and maximize the results of your workouts. That’s why we’ve put together this quick list of important factors to improve your weight training from start to finish.
Four Major Factors to Improve Your Strength Training:
1. Proper Warm-Up
2. Proper Form
3. Breathing
4. Mind-Body Connection
1. PROPER WARM-UP
Make sure you take the time to properly prime your body before immediately going into a major lift. This can be light cardio and dynamic stretching.
2. PROPER FORM
Make sure that you are set up correctly on each lift, such as your feet placement, spine alignment, hand positioning, etc. Again, this will ensure you avoid serious injuries.
3. BREATHING
It’s common for people to hold their breath when first getting into working out and weight training, but it’s important to train your body to take deep breaths and hold/release accordingly to your lift. This helps to ensure your body receives the maximum amount of oxygen it needs to perform. Not only does it support exertion but it aids in injury prevention as well.
Proper breathing:
Inhale before you begin to lift.
Exhale during pressing movement/exertion.
Inhale again when returning to your starting position (lowering phase).
4. MIND-BODY CONNECTION
Make sure you focus on activating the proper muscle groups you are trying to work, instead of just going through the motions. For example, focus on feeling pull-ups in your back, not in your arms. Interestingly, when you pay attention to creating a contraction on a certain muscle/muscle group, "the brain calls upon a greater percentage of high-muscle fibers to complete the task.” This allows you to gain greater strength in focused areas of the body.
Are you looking to improve your strength-training game? Consider choosing one of United Strength’s personal trainers to guide and encourage you!
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