Body Building Guru

Strength Training For Women

Strength training is the use of resistance against muscle contraction and is used to develop strength, endurance, bone density, muscle mass and the strength of the muscles, ligament and tendons. Both men and women can undergo strength training as it is one of the most dynamic trainings that can help you cope with the stress of day to day life. It not only helps develop strength but also helps shed excess body fat, increases the body’s metabolism and increases your overall efficiency in every aspect of life.  Specific strength training programs have been designed that lay emphasis on the purpose of training and its end goal. Strength training is an essential aspect of several training regimens such as weight training, bodybuilding, resistance training, football conditioning, baseball training, golf training, hockey, running etc. There are various strength training programs and routines available for individuals belonging to various age groups such as strength training for kids, teens, elders etc. Strength Training for Women is a specific branch of strength training that aims at improving the overall health of women and helping them to maintain a well toned body.

Strength training is the fastest way to improve muscle streneth and endurance by using free weights, weight machines, resistance bands and body weight. It is great for women and enables them to perform various daily chores without exerting much effort. Women can develop a great body and improve their overall health by just exercising 2 to3 times a week for 20 minutes.

Benefits of Strength Training For Women:
There are several benefits of strength training. These include:
•    Strength training increases the body’s metabolism.
•    It increases muscle mass, thereby enabling the body to burn more calories leading to accelerated weight loss.
•    It increases bone density or the capacity to absorb calcium and other minerals more efficiently.
•    It increases the body’s resistance to injury.
•    It provides relief to patients suffering form osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, menstrual cramping in women and lower back pain.
•    It improves the overall health of women enabling them to perform various activities effortlessly.
•    It helps maintain a well toned body.
•    It improves the strength of the musaulature and connective tissue (ligaments, tendons, cartilage and joints).
•    It relieves joint pain.

Myths about Strength Training For Women:
One of the greatest misconceptions revolving around strength training is that women start bulging or end up with injuries by performing strength training exercises. But this is not true. It is very difficult for a woman to bulk up due to the fact that women have high levels of the female growth hormone, estrogen that is naturally secreted in their bodies. Strength training improves the muscle strength, endurance and body tone. As the body begins to develop lean muscle, the process of fat loss is augmented and the body becomes more firm.

Tips for performing strength training exercises:
Warm Up: This is the most important aspect of most training regimes. It is essential to warm up before performing any hardcore strength exercises in order to get the blood flowing to all body parts. 5 to 7 minutes of warm up increases the pulse rate and increases the transfer of oxygen to all the parts of the body. Warm up exercises include jogging, aerobics, a mild cardio routine, skipping etc. This should be followed up by a stretching routine that reduces the risk of injury before moving to the heavy weight exercises.
Overload: The principle of overload revolves around gradually increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of the workouts. It requires you to gradually increase the weight and number of reps while performing any exercise.
Selection of exercises: You must select at least one exercise to train each major muscle group including the muscles of the chest, triceps, biceps, quads, hamstrings, calf muscles and abdominals.
Sequence of exercises: It is recommended that you exercise the larger muscles and then move to the smaller ones for maximum gains. This is because at their time the muscles are not fatigued and performance is at its best.
Trainer: It is essential for you to take expert advice from a professional trainer in order to avail maximum benefits from your training program. Strength exercises require the application of the right techniques, the absence of which might result in an injury.

Before enrolling yourself in any strength training program, it is essential for you to consult a registered medical practitioner in order to determine if your body is capable of handling the pressure involved or not. You must also discuss any ailments you might be suffering from such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, asthma, cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis etc. with your doctor prior to joining any program.

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Strength Training For Runner

Strength training plays a significant role in increasing the body’s strength, endurance, bone density, muscle mass, strength of the muscles, ligaments and tendons and decreases susceptibility to injury. It is the use of resistance against muscle contraction and is a combination of various exercises belonging to different segments of exercise such as weight training, resistance training and isometrics. Strength training increases the overall performance of athletes in various sports such as bodybuilding, weightlifting, power lifting, football, running, hockey, baseball, golf, racket sports etc. Strength training for runners augments their overall strength of the legs as well as the upper body, develops endurance and trains them for supplying explosive power usually required at the start of sprints.

Strength training is an important part of the training regimen of runners as high intensity workloads are easily manageable, greater muscle strength decreases the risk of injury or strain by minimizing the stress on the connective tissues including the ligament, tendon, bone or cartilage which plays a fundamental part in maintaining the health of bones and progressive strength and resistance workouts strengthen the connective tissues making the support system more robust.

Benefits of strength training for runners:
There are a number of benefits for runners to undergo strength training that have been scientifically proved:
•    As per research, 6 weeks of consistent weight training can significantly reduce kneecap pain, a painful situation faced by most runners.
•    It also reduces the risk of other injuries such as low back pain and nagging hip.
•    It strengthens the muscles, bones and connective tissue and reduces the severity of injury other than increasing the body’s resistance to it.
•    Strength training augments the performance of athletes enabling them to carry out the activity with increased accuracy and consistency.
•    It helps athletes build speed, power, strength and stamina.
•    It enhances posture and increases balance and flexibility.

Strength training for runners— chalking out an appropriate plan:
It is important to develop periodic cycles for athletes to avail maximum benefits. Training is divided into macro and micro periods in order to increase the efficiency, intensity and training volume of runners. These levels vary in order to achieve peak levels of fitness in the desired time. The micro cycle is usually a year long for most athletes and is aimed at acquiring maximum levels of fitness for peaking performance. A macro cycle is split into several smaller development cycles or periods called mesocycles. Each mesocycle has a specific developmental goal and lasts from a few weeks to a few months.

Strength training program for runners:
For any progressive strength training program to be successful, it is essential for   enthusiasts to be consistent, hard working and determined in order to reach their goals.

Trainer: It is essential for you to take guidance from a licensed trainer in order to achieve maximum gains. Most strength exercises need to be performed by applying the right technique.  A trainer will guide you on how to work the different muscles of the body in order to achieve maximum gains. Technique plays an important role in all strength exercises, the absence of which can result in a fatal injury or muscle pull.
Exercises: Most strength training exercises can be performed by using a combination of free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, stability balls etc. Some of the exercises include lunges, squats, dead lifts, crunches, curls, superman, shrugs, dumbbell rows, good morning lift, stomach down lift etc.
Selection of exercise: You must select at least one exercise for training each major muscle group such as the chest, triceps, biceps, quads, hamstrings etc. It is recommended that you start your session by working out the larger muscles first and then move on to the smaller ones. This results in maximum gains as the body is energized.
Full range of motion: It is essential for you to apply full range of motion while performing each rep in order to maximize the intensity of your workouts.

Before enrolling yourself in any strength training program, it is essential for you to consult a registered medical practitioner in order to determine if your body is capable of handling the pressure involved or not. You must also discuss any ailments you might be suffering from such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, asthma, cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis etc. with your doctor prior to joining any program.

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