Which can be used even with beginners. At the initial stage, your own body weight is enough to perform them, and it is fundamentally important to master the correct technique. Complicating elements (additional resistance, weights, unstable platforms, etc.) need to be added after the technique is mastered and your own body weight becomes insufficient for further progress in results.
1. Squats
A squat is a movement similar to sitting on a low stool. The squat is one of the best exercises for the lower body. Work while squatting gluteal muscles, muscles back surface thighs, quadriceps, calf muscles. It's important correct execution to prevent too harsh impact on the knees and back and prevent injury.
The movement is driven by the hips, not the knees. It is necessary to keep your knees over your ankles, and your feet should point forward when bending your legs. Don't let your knees move forward of your toes. The entire foot should be supported on the floor, the weight of the body moving towards the heels, so that the gluteal muscles do the main action, and not the hip flexors and quadriceps muscles. You need to actively contract the gluteal muscles and turn on the stabilizing muscles. The upper body should be stabilized with a slight natural curve in the lower back, shoulders dropped and turned back.
If your client's heels come off the floor when performing a squat, then most likely they are overextended. triceps shins. To eliminate this tension, you should place something under the heels (for example, weights from a barbell - see photo), which will allow the heels to return to support. To correct tense calf muscles, you need to add stretching of these muscles to your training program.
2. Lunges
A lunge is an exaggerated form of walking. Lunges are also considered one of the best exercises for the lower body. When performing lunges, the main muscles of the lower limb, as well as the pelvic muscles, work. From the basic stance, one leg is placed forward approximately 30 centimeters, the knees are strongly bent and then extended, lifting the body up, the legs return to the position together. The lunge can be performed forward or backward, and can even be done in place if space is limited.
The ideal technique is to upper part The body is held vertically with the shoulders down and turned back. The feet should be parallel to each other, the knee of the “front” leg should not “go beyond” the toes. The pelvis should not rotate, both anterior superior iliac spines should be directed forward (as if iliac bones- these are the headlights on your car and you are driving straight ahead).
Your own body weight is quite enough for most people; lunges are quite challenging with the correct technique and without additional weights. But at a subsequent, more advanced level, you can use additional weights in the arms/shoulders.
3. Push-ups
Push-ups are another fundamental functional exercise that is based on a basic movement often found in everyday life - pushing away from something. Push-ups develop pectoral muscles, arm muscles and stabilizing muscles lumbar region spine.
Push-ups are a very popular exercise, but very few people understand the intricacies of the technique and perform them correctly. But this is the exercise that is worth learning - it is extremely effective.
When doing push-ups in the classic version (hands stand narrowly on the floor), you need to keep your elbows as close to the body as possible, you need to push straight up, without completely straightening your elbows at the top point of the movement (and, moreover, without making a sharp straightening movement at the end - which, to unfortunately, they do it very often, until it clicks elbow joint). The entire body from head to toes should be absolutely straight - an imaginary straight line should pass through the ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle. To prevent the middle part of the body from sagging towards the floor, you need to tense the stabilizing muscles and pull in the stomach.
Oddly enough, the speed of execution does not play a big role in achieving the training effect. It doesn’t matter whether you do 20 slow push-ups in a minute or 60, the result will be the same as long as you do it correctly.
Push-ups have a huge number of possible options - both in the direction of complexity and in the direction of easier. If push-ups with straight legs on the floor are too difficult, you can make it easier by placing your hands on a higher support. For example, you can start doing push-ups from a wall (the easiest option), then from a lower, stable surface (table, chair, etc.) until you can finally do push-ups from the floor. What you should not do is use push-ups on your knees, as this option makes it very difficult to feel the alignment of the entire body and the stabilizing muscles will not be sufficiently involved in the work. It is better to immediately get used to push-ups with a completely straight body, let there be a higher support at first. It can be gradually reduced as you get used to it.
You can also make push-ups more difficult in many ways. For example, you can put your feet on a raised platform, or you can put your feet on a fitball (unstable support), which will cause more stress on the muscles that will additionally be involved in maintaining balance. To increase the load, you can also lift one leg or additionally raise your opposite arm; an even more complex option is the same with legs on a fitball.
4. Pull-ups
The pull-up is an example of an exercise in a series of pulling (or "pulling") movements that are the opposite of push-ups (push-ups). - a very effective exercise, it affects the muscles of the back, arms and muscles that stabilize the spine. In addition, it can be performed almost anywhere, you just need to find a crossbar or horizontal bar (if desired, this is not difficult).
When pulling up, you need to make sure that the entire shoulder girdle is tense, your shoulders should be turned back and down. And this position of the shoulders must be maintained at all stages of movement. This will reduce the possibility of injury and allow you to perform the deadlift more comfortably and efficiently by tying the entire shoulder girdle together. The movement should be performed with full amplitude, but should be avoided overextension when straightening the arms.
The deadlift places high demands on the strength of the upper body, so not everyone can initially perform this movement independently and correctly even once. This is especially true for women. Therefore, you need to specifically learn how to pull yourself up.
It's better not to use it for this special simulators, in which assistance is provided by resting the knees on the platform. The problem is that in this version the lower body is in a relaxed state, not allowing the overall strength of all to be expressed simultaneously. components body, called functional strength. (Similar to push-ups, which should not be done on your knees, but rather start with a higher support, but keep your legs straight).
Instead, it is better to use the help of a partner providing support from below, as shown in the photo, or, if there is no one to help, it is better to put something under which you can press with your toes to make the exercise easier.
Particular attention should be paid to performing the yielding part of the movement - lowering down. (also called eccentric - negative phase of movement). You need to go down slowly. It seems less difficult than doing quick pull-ups over and over again, but it requires constant muscle tension, which develops correct technique and makes the execution increasingly free and easier.
For greater participation in the movement of the biceps (biceps brachii muscles), the hands need to be rotated so that the palms are directed towards the face (underhand grip). This position of the hands will allow you to distribute a large load on the biceps and chest muscles while simultaneously straining the whole body.
In any embodiment, the legs and the whole body must be stretched and tense: the body should not dangle or sway, there should be no “bouncing” movement - this is what it looks like when they try to compensate for the lack of strength with inertia from the swaying of the body.
It is wrong to strain your neck and chin to reach the bar - this may cause painful sensations in the neck and shoulders. It is necessary to ensure that the movement is performed using the strength of the arm muscles and shoulder girdle.
5. Rotations
Rotations are movements that we constantly make in life, turning our torso. Rotation movements must be included in functional training in order to reduce the likelihood of back injury during body rotation. Almost all so-called “shots” of the back occur at the moment of combining some kind of effort (lifting something) with a rotation of the torso. Even the elementary movement of getting out of the car sometimes ends with “grabbing your back”: one leg is on the ground, the other is still in the car, the body is still bent at the hip joint, and the movement out of the car to the side and up is accompanied by a slight twisting - in the absence of functional connections in This movement can cause a back injury.
There are a lot of rotational exercises. Here we will analyze only one thing, the basic one. This exercise involves resistance to spinal twisting and improves strength and stability. deep muscles stabilizers.
Attach a rubber band to a stationary object at waist height, such as a door handle. Grasp the rubber band with both hands and slowly stretch it, rotating the torso without simultaneously rotating the pelvis (the pelvis remains motionless!), the muscles that stabilize the lumbar spine should be constantly tense. Control the vertical position of your torso. Then turn in the other direction, standing with the other side to the place where the rubber is attached.
These are just 5 of the most basic functional exercises that can be used with clients of any level of training, choosing the desired variation, degree of difficulty, number of repetitions and combination with other types of training during the training period.
Performing exercises in fitness and bodybuilding is not easy. When doing exercises at home, there is no spirit of competition, motivating “magic kicks” from the trainer and shiny new iron. Yes, you will have to be especially ruthless towards yourself, because a cozy home atmosphere is in no way conducive to intensive work. But once you start, you won’t be able to stop, and this slight muscle tremor will become a pleasure. Regular physical exercise + proper nutrition= inevitable result, and you will definitely come to it. But there is one important nuance. Only correct technique doing the exercises will give you the body you want. Do you want to achieve maximum effect? Stay tuned.
Or maybe these exercises are for training?
No, no and no again. Of course, if you choose to train in the gym, then training at home may be unnecessary: the muscles do not have time to recover. But if the gym in your own living room is the only type of exercise, do not give up on this idea!
By choosing the right exercises and fitness at home, you become independent. You don’t need to spend money on a subscription, travel time, or wait for your turn to use the exercise machine. You do not have to be tied to the work schedule of the sports club, and training will be possible at any time of the day or night. Make a schedule, increase the intensity, and go to your ideal body!
Performing exercises: learn all the subtleties from A to Z
In the home workouts section you will find the maximum useful information for those who are committed to serious work. The most effective bodybuilding exercises are presented, both with and without equipment. Even if you only have dumbbells at your disposal from the entire arsenal of iron, you can achieve results. Exercises with dumbbells lead to desired effect pretty quickly.
Choose an exercise in several ways:
- difficulty level
- equipment
- muscle groups
- mind (basic and isolation exercises)
A convenient filtration system will allow you to right choice. And the rating of the most effective exercises at home (based on the results of the popular vote) will give even more confidence.
Doing exercises at home: take action!
On the page with exercises there is not only a description of the technique of performing the exercise, but also advice from a practicing trainer. Photo and video training will help you avoid possible errors. Study and act without delay.
Within a couple of weeks after you start doing exercises, fitness and bodybuilding will become as necessary for you as air. The body will get used to the load, and you will begin to enjoy each workout more and more.
“Real strength comes from the head. She makes you walk even when your body wants to fall.” Bear Grylls
We have translated several important knowledge from scientific language into human language that will help you grow muscles as efficiently as possible.
We believe that almost everyone who reads fitness texts understands that exercise can increase both strength and muscle size. However, there is a clear difference between strength training and training aimed specifically at increasing muscle size.
How muscles grow
Weight training itself does not cause muscle growth. But the load received during training causes fatigue and stimulates physiological mechanisms, which, mainly during rest, cause the muscles to increase. Growth occurs as a result of increased thickness muscle fibers and fluid volume in muscle cells.
The ability to gain muscle mass depends on gender, age, weight training experience, genetics, quantity and quality of sleep, nutrition and fluid intake, and even stress levels can affect the ability to gain mass. For example, work overload or insufficient sleep can significantly reduce muscle growth, despite proper training and nutrition.
Mechanical and metabolic stress
There is no doubt that if you lift iron regularly and correctly, this leads to an increase in muscle volume and strength, however, scientists still have not decided what exactly causes muscle growth.
Training causes two specific types of stress: mechanical (micro-tears in the muscles - read more: "") and metabolic (triggering chemical repair processes due to the energy expended by the muscles), and they both can provide the necessary stimulus for muscle growth.
The challenge for research is that both mechanical and metabolic stress act in tandem, and isolating the effects of each separately on muscle growth is not easy.
“Slow” and “fast” muscle fibers
To design an exercise program to maximize muscle growth, you need to understand physiology.
There are two main types of muscle fibers: slow-twitch and fast-twitch. Fast-twitch fibers are larger in diameter than slow-twitch fibers and, accordingly, occupy a more prominent place in your muscles.
“Slow” fibers are also classified as aerobic, due to their high oxidative abilities, which enable them to contract over a long period of time. They are best suited for long-term activities that require minimal effort (such as long-distance running).
Fast-twitch muscle fibers have a high excitation threshold and high speed conduction signals and are better suited for fast efforts (which is why runners short distances look like athletes compared to stayers). In other words, these are the fibers you need to successfully jerk a heavy barbell.
Repeated effort method. If you want to grow, do sets to failure
It's not enough to just lift weights at high reps unless it causes muscle failure. The body stores and uses energy very efficiently, so repeating exercises at a constant load can limit the amount of mechanical stress (roughly speaking, they will tear badly) and metabolic stress (little growth hormones will be released) on the muscles and minimize the results of the workout.
Simply put, to maximize muscle growth, it is advisable to do exercises until muscle failure (I can’t do it anymore!)
3 types of training
Scientists Zatsiorsky and Kremer in 2006 identified three fundamental types of training: the maximum effort method, the dynamic effort method and the repeated effort method. The first two methods are good for their purposes, but are not the most effective for muscle growth.
1. Maximum effort method
This method uses significant weights to increase the activity of “fast” muscle fibers (which we wrote about in more detail above). Roughly speaking, the maximum effort method is associated with lifting the maximum possible weight (and therefore a small number of repetitions per set).
The main stimulus from the maximum effort method is mechanical (aimed at creating micro-tears in the muscles), myofibrillar hypertrophy with a significant increase in strength and a moderate increase in muscle mass.
The maximum effort method is effective for developing strength, but not the most effective remedy increasing muscle mass.
2. Dynamic force method
When training using the dynamic effort method, no Weight Limit, with the main emphasis being on moving the weight as fast as possible to stimulate motor units.
This method is most effective for increasing the rate of force development and contractile power required in many sports or dynamic activities. However, it does not provide enough mechanical or metabolic stress to the muscles needed to stimulate growth.
3. Repeated Effort Method
The repeated effort method does not involve maximum loads, but the need to do exercises until muscle failure occurs (when it is no longer possible to perform any further repetitions in the set).
The last few repetitions, which have to be done through the burning sensation, can involve all the fibers in the contraction. target muscle and cause significant overload. When using the repeated effort method, slow motor units are activated at the beginning of the approach, and as they tire, the “fast” muscles will also be activated.
The method of repeated effort and performing an exercise to failure is most effective for muscle growth, says science. It is important to work until failure. If the load is insufficient or the approach is not performed to failure, stimulation of the “fast” motor units (as you read above, they are the ones that mainly give volume to the muscles) does not occur or the necessary metabolic conditions that promote muscle growth are not created.
Sleep and recovery are just as important as training and nutrition itself.
Rest is the most underrated element of training. No matter how long you endured the pain of those last reps or how diligently you ate up the protein and calories in your diet, it's not as important as the time it takes for nutrients and hormones to promote muscle protein synthesis after exercise.
Exercise and food are an important part of the equation muscle growth, but not all. Adequate recovery is very important - it is necessary to give the muscles enough time to replenish glycogen reserves and undergo the processes of reconstruction and creation of new muscle tissue.
The recovery required for muscle growth is 48–72 hours between training sessions for a particular muscle group. This scientific argument, by the way, speaks in favor of split training - when each muscle group receives the main load, for example, once a week.
Inducing mechanical and metabolic stress during your gym training will only make sense while the hormones and substances necessary for muscle growth are released during REM sleep. This means that a full night’s sleep is important for muscle growth after training. Inadequate sleep and recovery will ruin your efforts in the gym and at the dinner table. Moreover, lack of sleep can increase adrenaline and cortisol levels, which can also reduce the ability to form new muscle tissue.
Lack of sleep, poor appetite, long-term illnesses, and loss of growth as a result of exercise are all symptoms of overexertion that can significantly impact a person's ability to achieve their fitness goals.
“Underrecovery” is another reason to think about overexertion. “To promote muscle growth, rest time is necessary ( active recreation), providing the opportunity to fully recover,” says Schoenfeld (2013).
Training program for gaining muscle mass
Number of repetitions
Science suggests that for maximum muscle growth, select the weight so that you can do 8-12 repetitions until muscle failure - it’s good that almost every trainer in the gym seems to know this simple fact. True, now, unlike you, not everyone knows why exactly.
Amount of rest between sets
Short to moderate rests between sets (30 seconds to 2 minutes) can cause significant metabolic stress.
Number of approaches in each exercise
According to scientists, performing 3-4 approaches provides the most effective mechanical tension for all muscles involved.
Travel speed
Scientists recommend performing movements with maximum effort faster - 1-2 seconds (for example, lifting a barbell), and the eccentric phase of the exercise (for example, lowering a barbell) for a longer period (2-6 seconds). Slower execution of the eccentric phase is necessary to ensure sufficient mechanical tension - it is this “easier” phase of movement that is most important for muscle growth. “From a hypertrophy perspective, eccentric contraction has a greater impact on muscle development. In particular, eccentric exercise has been associated with greater increases in protein synthesis” (Schoenfeld, 2010).
Free weights or exercise equipment
Scientist Schoenfeld argues that each type of weight plays a role in optimal muscle growth: “Free weights that involve large number muscles help increase muscle density, while the stabilization provided by the machines allows individual muscles to be more stressed.”
Preparing for serious training
When training for muscle growth with a large metabolic and mechanical effect, it can cause serious muscle damage and is recommended for people with at least one year of training experience.
It is necessary to start with a dynamic warm-up, loading the core muscles (abs, stabilizer muscles and others) to prepare muscle tissue to the stress of high volume training.
Exercise order
It is preferable to start training with complex movements with free weights to include maximum quantity muscles (for example, barbell squats, deadlift It’s best to do this at the beginning of the workout), and during the course of the session, gradually move on to exercise machines that affect individual muscles.
Extreme exercise
The last exercise in each workout must be performed in a weight-loss machine: after all repetitions of the approach to failure, the weight is reduced and the maximum possible number of repetitions must be done with it until failure.
Weight loss approaches can cause significant mechanical and metabolic stress, as well as significant discomfort, and should be performed at the end of the session.
It is important to dose the load that is necessary for you, because “overload” can be no less harmful to muscle growth than “underload.” For example, in the program recommended by scientists for muscle growth (see below), cardio load is limited. According to Schoenfeld, "too much energy expenditure can reduce muscle growth."
The exercise program presented below is based on the latest scientific research related to increasing muscle mass.
Attention: RM – repeated maximum
Day 4. Rest or low-intensity cardio exercise
The most important, culminating part of the training is the main part of the training. It includes the most necessary exercises for a particular sport that improve the primary sports characteristics athlete
The main part of the training is included in the section
Quite often the core portion of a session is referred to as the whole workout, and this is somewhat true because it is the most important training element, the core. But in a global sense, the whole training consists of many other elements.
During the main part of the classes, you can train any sports qualities, the main thing is to choose the right set of exercises and methods of performing them, depending on your goals. You are limited only by the fact that you cannot be the best in everything - you definitely need to choose a specific goal or at most several goals and train to achieve them, without scattering yourself on everything. As an example, you can train to achieve maximum muscle volume and strength results, but then you should not fully develop endurance, speed and other qualities. Of course, you can try to be universal, but then the level in all characteristics will be lower.
How to do the main part of the workout
To begin, determine the purpose of the activity based on the specific sport or your own preferences. Next, select exercises that will help you achieve your goal. Also select the methods of performing the exercise (intensity, speed of execution, severity of the load).
The recommendations outlined above can be summarized as creating a training program. Accordingly, in order to begin performing the main part of the training, you need to have a clear training scheme that will meet your goals. Your coach will help you create a similar scheme or program. You can compose it yourself if you have some knowledge in your sport.
How long to do the main part of the workout
The main part of the workout should last from 30 to 90 minutes.
We are talking specifically about the main part of the training, and not about the entire workout, which can last much longer due to other elements.
In many sports, it makes no sense to train for more than 30-90 minutes, since the body will be very damaged and exhausted. In fitness, in bodybuilding, in all speed-strength sports, in martial arts, they always train within a given period of time. However, in some other sports where endurance plays a role vital role, athletes exercise for much longer, up to 4 hours per workout. Long-term training is also applicable in powerlifting, where there are long pauses between approaches, and the amount of work that needs to be done is quite significant. In fact, you can train for up to 4 hours in absolutely all sports, but this applies if you practice professionally or strive for it.
Let's sum it up
General
The main part of the training. Brief information:
- The main part of the training is the most important element classes, core.
- During the main part of the training, the athlete improves the most necessary sports qualities for him. The degree of importance of certain qualities depends on the type of sport or the specific goal of training.
- To complete the main part of the lesson you will need a well-written training program.
Warm-up
Be sure to do this before the main part of the workout. Although these are 2 different training elements, they are absolutely inseparable from each other. Unfortunately, quite a lot of beginning athletes neglect warming up, afraid to waste time and energy, so they immediately begin the main part of the training. But in fact, you need to do a warm-up, because it has a lot of useful and irreplaceable properties.
