Archives 2020

Train Smart: Instant Ways to Improve 6 Exercises

Settings are not for the weak. In fact, small improvements can sometimes produce big results. Incorporate these tips into your session today!

You have a great diet, a fancy training program , and enough motivation to train all that is needed. You go to the gym, you start to get results, and you feel great, like you could somehow lift a million kilos. Do you think or imagine that you’re doing everything right? Think again.

It doesn’t matter if you’re new or a veteran in the gym, there are always additional adjustments that you can incorporate into your workouts that will improve the results of your exercises, taking them to a higher level.

Instant ways to improve 6 exercises

By implementing the following adjustments to your exercises, you will improve the intensity, your results and avoid boredom in the gym.

1. Leg Press Upgrade: Move your feet

As a long-term basic leg exercise, the leg press can help you turn baggy jeans into tailored pants for quadriceps . While there is nothing wrong with technically doing the leg press with your feet in the center of the platform, placing your feet a little lower (toward the bottom of the platform) can give you a more intense workout for your legs. quadriceps.

If your routine already includes the deadlift, this small change in the Leg press will add more balance to your program – you won’t overwork your hamstrings or prevent your quads from not working enough.

2. Improvement for Deadlift: Spread the legs more

To increase the intensity, try using a wider stance while performing the Deadlift. This pose is most effective for targeting the inside of your thighs and glutes. As you expand your posture, point your toes slightly outward to ensure good form and a comfortable movement pattern.

Keep all other elements of the Deadlift in place as you normally would: Raise the bar with your back straight and focus on squeezing your glutes and pushing your hips forward as you straighten up. Work on keeping your lower back rigid.

Mejora para el Peso Muerto

3. Improvement for push-ups on the floor: Pause

Although push-ups are one of the best movements you can do to build your upper body and to gain strength, they are often overlooked in favor of heavy exercises. (We know it’s hard to look in the mirror and do push-ups at the same time.)

So make your push-ups even more difficult. Advanced techniques include close grip pushups or pyramid push-ups, incline and decline push-ups, one-arm push-ups, etc. So, no matter what variation you are doing at the moment, pause at the bottom of the movement.

Pausing during push-ups will force the muscles to contract more than normal, increasing the total time that the muscles remain under tension. By pausing at the bottom your trunk will also participate. Keeping your back straight at all times will prevent back pain.

Mejora para las Flexiones de brazos

4. Improvement for abdominal crunches: Hands over head

Everybody wants awesome abs. Doing crunches correctly can help you achieve them.

Many people allow their arms to do the exercise when their abs should be doing the work. Placing your hands on the sides of your head generally increases the chances that you will swing forward and use that momentum to help you do your abs. Although crossing your arms in front of your chest may prevent you from pushing yourself, it doesn’t add much resistance to the exercise.

For best results, keep your arms above your head when doing your sit-ups. Make sure you can’t use them for balance or that you allow them to help your abdominal muscles do the work.

5. Improvement for funds: Mejora para los fondos Get out of the bank

If you normally include bank funds in your exercise routine, consider switching to parallel funds.

Unless you’re a beginner and haven’t built a base strength level, dipping between two parallel bars will put a lot more stress on the triceps than doing the exercise by placing your hands on a bench.

If you’re trying to build some incredible triceps, parallel dips are the right way to go. By not leaning forward, you keep the load on your triceps and not on your chest.

6. Improvement for Triceps Extensions: Use the small bar

Another amazing exercise for the triceps is the Rope Triceps Extension. The problem with this exercise is that some people may feel pain in their hands and wrists as they begin to work with more weight.

To help ease this pain, use the Triceps Extension bar. This bar offers a more stable pushing surface, allowing you to direct more force in a straight line toward the triceps, relieving stress on the wrists and joints.

When using the barbell triceps extensions, you will have the option of using a supination grip or a prone grip. Each one stimulates the triceps in a slightly different way. Incorporate both grips into your workout for optimal results.

The benefits of BCAAs in Bodybuilding

amino acids are the building blocks of muscle protein . Getting adequate amounts of amino acids is difficult for those who exercise. Exercise burns amino acids quickly. Failure to replenish the body with adequate amino acids can make hard working people almost no progress. That is why the importance of taking a BCAA.

supplement

Amino acids are most used in free and branched chain form. These amino acids do not require digestion and enter directly into the bloodstream for immediate use by muscle cells. BCAAs also provide 70% of the body’s nitrogen needs.

What is the difference between essential amino acids (BCCA) and non-essential amino acids?

Essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body. You should get them from whole protein-rich foods or a combination of plant-based foods.

Non-essential amino acids are synthesized (manufactured) by the body itself from other existing amino acids. They can be produced on their own from vitamins and other amino acids.

Beneficios de los BCAA en el culturismo

The term “non-essential” can be misleading as all amino acids are essential for metabolism and some non-essential, such as glutamine, can become very essential in the event of illness or trauma.

The essential fatty acids of branched chain (BCAA) are of special importance to athletes because they are metabolized in the muscle, rather than in the liver. Here’s how it works: After protein is digested, they are broken down into individual amino acids, these amino acids can be used to build new proteins or be burned as fuel for energy.

aminoácidos

The BCAAs in bodybuilding

Bodybuilders who want to avoid losing muscle size and strength will find BCAA supplements very useful . Keep in mind that an adequate level of BCAAs will not make you Superman, but it will allow you to avoid some of the negative effects of BCAA depletion, including poor recovery and stagnant training.

If you already have an adequate level provided by your diet, you are really going to be able to see the benefits. In addition to getting enough protein to eat, make sure you’re getting enough quality calories on a daily basis and getting plenty of rest and recovery. Consuming adequate amounts of calories and carbohydrates will help you preserve BCAAs.

The higher the glycogen storage, the more likely BCAAs are used for muscle growth and the less likely they are to be oxidized for energy. Rest and recovery directly help BCAA storage for muscle growth.

5 benefits of BCAAs

Now is the time for good things What can BCAA supplements do for you? Science has shown us that BCAA supplementation can have positive effects on the body. These effects include:

1. Increased recovery

Perhaps the greatest benefit for athletes who train hard is the increased metabolic recovery that follows supplementation. Most athletes experience a decrease in muscle soreness after exercise with BCAA supplementation. This means faster recovery from exercise-induced protein damage (remember, your muscles grow when they are damaged), which in turn means greater size and strength. With a greater recovery you will be able to reach your goals more quickly.

2. Improved resistance

BCAAs can serve as a nitrogen donor in the formation of L-alanine, which provides the body with glucose after glycogen stores have been depleted.

BCAA supplementation allows you to maintain the intensity of your training, the endurance and the energy that is normally lost by a decrease in your diet. Anyone who has been on a very low-carb or low-calorie diet for extended periods of time can certainly appreciate this.

3. Stimulates protein synthesis

BCAAs by themselves have been shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis independently. In other words, they have shown the ability to induce muscle mass gains, even in the absence of weight training.

Studies have shown that BCAA supplementation increases hormones: testosterone, growth hormone and insulin .

4. Stimulate fat loss

Supplementation of BCAAs has been shown to activate significant losses of body fat in the viscera. Located in the deeper layers of the body and in the subcutaneous fat, visceral fat tends to be resistant to diet and is difficult to lose. In a study conducted, 25 bodybuilders were divided into 3 groups: a diet high in BCAA , a diet low in BCAA and a controlled diet. The bodybuilders maintained the diet for a month. The results showed that those on a high BCAA diet lost more fat than the others.

When present in large amounts during exercise, the body detects these high levels of BCAAs in the blood which is usually a sign of excessive muscle breakdown. So the body stops wearing down the muscle and uses more fat for fuel. At the same time, the extra BCAAs in the blood stimulate insulin so that the BCAAs are delivered directly to the muscle.

How much BCAA should I take?

Dosages for those who exercise are 5 grams of leucine, 4 grams of valine, and 2 grams of isoleucine per day to prevent muscle loss and increase muscle gain.

The UCJC Conference on Advanced Physiotherapy successfully ends

The Physiotherapy department of the Camilo José Cela University has held a Conference on Advanced Physiotherapy from June 22 to 24, 2020, in an online format and totally free in which different teachers from degree in Physiotherapy from UCJC and in the different postgraduate training offered by Camilo José Cela University.

On Monday June 22, Dr. Gracia M. Gallego, director of the degree in Physiotherapy, offered the opening of the Conference and the first presentation related to instrumental physiotherapy: ” Ultrasound-guided approach to the psoas tendon with electrolysis ”, betting on a technique offered by the Master in Instrumental Physiotherapy at UCJC .

Tomás Fernández’s presentation was titled ” Ultrasound diagnosis of muscular lesions on the posterior aspect of the thigh “, in which he showed in a very didactic way how the UCJC approaches the ultrasound diagnostic assessment , being a tool of great potential for physiotherapists.

The presentations related to sports were made by Fernando Reyes, Sergio Toba and Roberto Murias, the three teachers in the undergraduate and in the University Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy and Readaptation in Sports at UCJC . Fernando Reyes es, who is also co-director of the Master in Athletic Training and Therapy at UCJC, presented the presentation on ” Core training in sport “, Sergio Toba told us about the ” Assessment and treatment of ankle sprain ”, and Roberto Murias on the“ Flossing Technique ”, a new tool that is introduced in the University Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy and Readaptation at the UCJC Sport in its 2020/21 edition.

From the subject of gynecological physiotherapy, and also sports, Dr. Elena S. Rodríguez made her presentation on the ” Urinary incontinence in elite sport ”.

Dr. María Benito and Raquel Delgado focused on the subject of osteopathic manual therapy, both teachers in the degree and in the Master in Integrative Osteopathy of the UCJC, offered some presentations that were entitled ” Approach plantar fasciosis osteopathic ”and“ Temporomandibular disorders and dental occlusion ”respectively.

´Victoria E. Garnacho, professor in the degree and director of the Expert in Comprehensive Pediatric Physiotherapy at UCJC, gave us a presentation on the “ Manual treatment of visceral alterations in infants under 24 months of age ”.

On the last day of the conference, other topics such as pain and entrepreneurship were discussed. Dr. Edurne Úbeda gave a presentation on the ” Therapeutic approach and exercise in fibromyalgia “, and Juan A. Valera one on the ” Anatomorphological and functional changes induced by cervical pain ”.

Finally, Dr. Jesús Guodemar, a professor in Physiotherapy, focused on entrepreneurship in physiotherapy with the presentation: “How to be an entrepreneur in physiotherapy?” This talk, co-organized with the new Degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Management at UCJC and with its director, Professor Camila Polensvaig Kominsky, allowed students and professionals in physiotherapy to learn about new management models in health and entrepreneurship models to physiotherapy.

It was also he who closed the conference thanking them for the enormous participation and assistance that they had. A great initiative that allowed to bring physiotherapy closer to students, graduates and people who want to know if this beautiful profession could adapt to their professional future.

7 mistakes beginners make at the gym

Socializar en el gimnasio

The gym can be super intimidating: a sea of ​​cardio machines, tons of people lifting weights, intense spinning classes, and lots of machines with little pictures trying to show you how to use them. There are many mistakes that beginners make when they enter a gym and also some more advanced ones, so in this article I will describe 7 of the most common mistakes. These tips will help you reach your goals faster and without injury.

Big mistakes that are made in the gym

Making the mistakes that follow will keep you from reaching your goals. They won’t help you get stronger or better! It can be very difficult to venture out of your comfort zone when you feel like everyone is watching you, judging you, or you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. So here are my tips and tricks to avoid the most common mistakes beginners make and get a great workout.

Errores que cometen los principiantes

1. Lifting weights with your ego

This is by far the biggest mistake anyone can make when at any level of training. Lifting with your ego is the act of lifting or pushing too much weight without being aware of what you are doing and incorrectly in the hope of impressing your friends, the opposite sex, or a more experienced person.

Even though your friends may think you lift a lot of weight and think you are cool, you are generally putting yourself in a dangerous position and injuries can appear at any time.

Keep in mind that most women are not interested in how much weight you can move and on the other hand, an experienced bodybuilder will laugh and not be impressed by what you do, as he is well aware that Lifting weights using perfect form is more beneficial and much more difficult than weight lifting like crazy.

2. Lack of hygiene

The gym is a place where hundreds of people a day are sweating and share the same facilities. This makes the gym a perfect place for the spread of bacteria.

It is essential to ensure that you have good hygiene. This means that when using a machine or bench you take some time to clean it up when you’re done. When using the bathroom wash your hands. Have a little common sense.

Would you like to sit on a bench that was drenched in sweat? No, Why does anyone have to? Do your part and help stop the spread of germs and being health conscious. The last thing you want to do is get sick and miss workouts. Remember that the best way to teach is by example.

3. Socialize in the gym

Your number one goal when hitting the gym es to get a great workout. I understand that the gym is a place where people usually go not only to train, but also to socialize. Make sure socializing doesn’t hurt your training.

I see too many beginners in the gym taking too long between sets, as they chat, while someone else is waiting for that machine that you are using every 8 min. Also remember that other people are there to exercise and that this machine can be crucial to their training.

Socializar en el gimnasio

There is no way to focus on training if your mind is elsewhere. What I say to beginners is find a friend or friends who have the same goals as you.

When you’re in the gym, the talk is fine, but never to the point where the flow of your training stops. A lighthearted joke is fine, but socializing too much won’t lead to any results.

4. Do only cardio

Beginners often think that the only way to lose fat is to spend a lot of hours on the treadmill and elliptical machines. This could not be further from the truth! Resistance training has been shown to be more effective and when combined with cardio, it is a winning combination!

I don’t think it’s good to do one or the other. Although weight lifting may be more effective in helping you lose fat and gain muscle, cardio is still important because it improves your cardiovascular health and endurance. There is room for both of you to work together on a healthy workout plan. For my workouts, I usually add 10-20 minutes of cardio to the end of my resistance workouts.You have to do both for optimal health!

5. Thinking that more is better

The old rule of “not always more is better” is also true in weightlifting.

Many beginners believe that by doing more repetitions, more exercises and lifting more weight they will be better at gaining muscle gains … let me tell you that it is not like that, you are not really doing anything with this type of training, the only thing that you’re going to get a few injuries and a terrible overtraining.

All beginners should start out by employing a fraction of a full body workout and using a maximum of 4 exercises for the largest muscle groups. At this point, your rep range should be between 8-10. Rest periods should not exceed 90 seconds.

It would be beneficial to rest only 60 seconds between sets, but not everyone can do this …

Finally, the amount of weight you lift should not always be increased every week or every month. You should be able to easily perform an exercise using proper form at a certain weight for a couple of weeks before climbing. You don’t just have to add weight for the sake of trying more.

6. Not having a training plan

When you set foot in the gym you should always have an adequate training plan of what you are going to do. I recommend to all beginners to keep a journal and write everything in it. You must have your workouts divided, know which muscle group you work each day, a cardio program and also a detailed record of the results of the training, including series, repetitions and weight.

Beginners fall into the trap of not planning their future, they wait until they go to the gym and do anything.

7. Forget about nutrition

Now, I know that in this article I’m supposed to talk about the gym only, but I always have to mention nutrition when asked for beginner advice. Nutrition is 80% of the puzzle. You can make a perfect training plan, using the best form and the highest intensity, but unless your diet is healthy, we will get nowhere.

Training and nutrition go hand in hand. You cannot be successful with just one.

14 steps to build muscle mass faster

Ejercicios de piernas

Are you working hard to achieve your muscle building goals this year?

I’m really sorry for your effort …

There is often a point where the results of taking a “pretty good” approach to diet and exercise begin to fail. Once you get to that point, it’s time to get serious if you want to continue building muscle mass and breaking your fitness goals!

Here are 14 essential steps you can take to sharpen your efforts and continue to progress.

14 steps to develop muscle mass more quickly

The steps in this article cover both diet and workouts but also a couple of things you can do outside of the gym to build muscle at a faster rate:

1. Keep track of everything

Keeping a detailed log of your food intake and your workouts is probably the best way to track your progress. How much protein are you getting, the number of reps you can do for a specific exercise … these are all the things you need to track.

Desarrollar masa muscular más rápidamente

If you are not progressing and building muscle mass, then your log will probably show you why.

2. Focus on compound exercises.

Compound movements basically incorporate multiple joints in your body and therefore target multiple muscles. Because of this they are MUST-HAVE and making them the staple of your training routines is guaranteed to help you build muscle faster.

Examples of these exercises include:

  • Bench press.
  • Pull-ups.
  • Squats.
  • Deadlift.
  • Lizards.
  • Parallel Funds.
  • Shoulder press.

¡Comienza a hacer más ejercicios compuestos!

Start do more compound exercises!

3. Make sure you’re getting enough protein.

This was probably the first step you took to make sure you started building muscle. But sometimes it is very easy for people to lose their diet and also forget to account for their weight gain.

You should consume 1.6 grams of protein for every kilo of your body weight every day. If you weigh 70 kilos, your goal would be to consume 112 grams of protein per day.

However, how many of you started building muscle, gained a lot of weight, and then forgot to increase your protein intake?

Always remember to get enough protein.

4. Lose some body fat before concentrating on building muscle.

Studies have shown that it is more difficult to build muscle when your body fat percentage is high. For example, someone with a body fat percentage of 20% would probably struggle to build muscle tissue as fast as someone with a body fat percentage of 15%.

These same studies explain that when obese people consume large amounts of calories to gain muscle, they end up gaining more body fat compared to lean people.

That is, eating a higher number of calories than normal is likely to result in lean people gaining more muscle than body fat compared to obese people who are more likely to gain more body fat than muscle.

The point is, you should try to focus on reducing your body fat percentage before building muscle.

5. Maintain the rep range and rest times established for hypertrophy.

The way you train your muscles is very important and how you do it will depend on your overall goals.

There are 3 main ways to train:

  • For strength.
  • For the volume.
  • For the resistance.

The number of repetitions you do in each set and the amount of time you rest between sets will depend on which of the 3 goals you are focusing on.

As a general rule:

  • For strength: 4-6 reps, 3-5 minutes rest between sets.
  • For volume: 8-12 reps, 60-90 seconds rest between sets.
  • For endurance: more than 12 reps, 30-45 seconds rest between sets.

Debes descansar entre series.

You must rest properly between series.

6. Work on improving your testosterone levels.

It is well known that testosterone levels play a role in the health of your body and an increase in testosterone levels is likely to enhance muscle growth.

There are many things you can do naturally to improve your testosterone levels. However, how much these things actually affect the amount of muscle you are building will likely depend on your testosterone levels that you had beforehand.

For example, once men reach their 30s, their testosterone levels begin to decline. If they hit a relatively low point, increasing your testosterone levels naturally could make a big difference.

There are many ways to do this, but the best example is to start eating foods that increase testosterone.

7. Eat more on your days off

Even though you are burning more calories on the days you exercise, your body will recover and grow on the days you don’t. Which means that on your rest days, you’ll need more calories for your body to recover.

So, use your days off to eat BIG!

8. Make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep

When you are asleep, you are in a higher anabolic state. Your body takes advantage of this opportunity to repair your muscle tissue at an optimal rate.

In other words, your muscles are recovering at a much faster rate while you are asleep compared to when you are awake.

That is, remember to sleep for 7 to 8 hours so that your muscles recover properly. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body will never fully recover and you are unlikely to grow or progress with your goals.

9. Make weekly strength improvements

Sometimes people don’t make progress simply because they forget to set goals. Before hitting the gym, set your goal of doing a little more.

Then aim for that goal for next week. That is why it is very likely that you will test your limits, because you told yourself that this is what you were going to do.

10. Never skip the days you do legs

The day you do legs is feared by most. Not only because most people like to focus on the most notable features of the body, but also because leg exercises seem to be the most painful of the muscle groups to work with.

And that’s probably because your legs are the largest muscle group in your body.

Exercising your leg muscles also causes a huge increase in testosterone production in your body. As I mentioned before, testosterone is crucial for building muscle not to mention a lot of other things.

Therefore, skipping this muscle group from time to time is probably the worst thing you can do for your muscle growth.

Ejercicios de piernas

Never skip the days that make legs!

11. Eat 4-6 meals a day.

If you are someone who generally needs to eat a lot to gain weight but has a hard time consuming a lot of food in one sitting, then eating 4-6 meals a day is your best bet.

You can reduce the amount you eat in your main meals and move it over to your additional meals. By eating regularly you are not only solving your problem of eating enough, but you are also giving your body a constant source of protein throughout the day.

Just take the times when you would normally eat something and turn them into small, healthy meals.

12. Look for some beneficial supplements.

When used correctly, supplements can be a great addition to an already healthy diet and solid training plan.

Whey protein is probably the most widely used supplement for post-workout recovery.

13. Stop doing too much cardio.

If you are struggling to gain weight, see how much cardio you do each week. Too much cardio and you’ll end up burning your muscles for fuel.

It’s probably also a good point to mention that if your metabolism is naturally high and you struggle to gain weight of any kind, you won’t want to do a lot of cardio.

If you have an incredibly high metabolism, then your body will naturally burn more calories, so cardio is the least of your problems!

14. Learn to rest for a week from time to time

Resting is not so bad, you know? And I’m not talking about the rest days you take during the week. I’m talking about taking a complete break from exercise for a week or so.

Have you ever had a car where the battery has slowly drained, and a few days you turn on the stereo before starting the car and … It won’t start.

It’s good to recharge, especially when you’ve been running low every week for the last few months.

Summary

Just to recap, these are the 14 steps to building muscle faster in a nutshell:

1. Keep track of everything.
2. Focus on compound exercises.
3. Make sure you’re getting enough protein.
4. Lose some body fat before concentrating on building muscle.
5. Maintain the established rep range and rest times for hypertrophy.
6. Work on improving your testosterone levels.
7. Eat more on your days off.
8. Make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep.
9. Make weekly strength improvements.
10. Never skip the days that you do legs.
11. Eat 4-6 meals a day.
12. Look for some beneficial supplements.
13. Stop doing too much cardio.
14. Learn to rest for a week every now and then.

Has this article helped you in your quest to build muscle mass faster? Leave a comment below.

Cardiovascular exercise

Most professional bodybuilders follow a seasonal and off-season diet (on / off), since it is almost impossible to have a slim, defined body and want to gain a considerable amount of mass muscular. One of the main keys to achieving a defined body is cardiovascular training . There’s a science mixed in with cardio to amplify your results, just like resistance training.

If you are a professional bodybuilder you will know the importance of cardio in the months of preparation before a bodybuilding contest since we could not enter a stage and win without it. Some bodybuilders do two hours of cardio a day, one in the morning and one at night.

Over the past 15 years cardiovascular training has received a ton of cues as the premier center for fitness, weight management and cardio-respiratory health. Cardiovascular training has many benefits. Helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease from factors such as obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

El ejercicio cardiovascular

Intensity low or high?

The yin and yang of the exercise world are aerobics and strength training. “Aerobics” refers to low intensity, extended time workouts that are intended to use up calories and burn fat. Strength training is high intensity. When it comes to combining aerobic exercise with strength training, the main mistake people make is that they use a progressive overload tactic in their aerobic workout.

A great form of cardiovascular exercise is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). She does this in intervals, and should be between 15 and 20 minutes. An example would be sprinting for 20 seconds and then brisk walking for 40 seconds before repeating the desired number of times. Or you could try the bike or the rowing machine.

Aerobic or anaerobic?

You must burn calories at a higher rate than you consume to lose weight. Aerobic calories burn fat while you inhale oxygen. Anaerobic calories burn glucose by converting it to starch in your muscles, known as glycogen. The accumulation of lactic acid as a side effect of anaerobic activity generates a burning sensation in the muscle. To lose fat the most, it’s pretty clear to focus on aerobics rather than anaerobic activities.

Swimming For cardio

Swimming is a very good cardiovascular exercise since in addition to improving your aerobic conditions (endurance), it mobilizes all the important muscle groups, such as shoulders, back, legs, arms. As swimming is an aerobic exercise that you can do for a long time and it also mobilizes large muscle groups, it allows us to burn many calories in one session. It also helps to tone (strengthen) the muscles involved, especially the back muscles, the deltoids and to a lesser extent the legs.

But a study from the University of California has revealed that swimming is less effective than cycling or running to lose weight. Over a six-month period, cyclists lost an average of 9 kilos, runners 8, and swimmers gained 2 kilos. The researchers suspect that the difference is in the activity itself. The water expels heat from the body, so dieting swimmers may have eaten something else to compensate for the heat loss.

Likewise, as an adaptation mechanism to exercise, swimmers have a higher percentage of body fat than other athletes. This is explained because the body responds to the specific stimulus of the sport, keeping fat, so as not to lose so much heat and thus feel warm, in addition to improving the body’s buoyancy.

That is why the choice of activities has to be appropriate in order to achieve your goals. On the other hand, the swimmer, due to his activity in the water, needs to perform muscular strength exercises to improve his power and thus be more effective in the pool.

Best duration time to burn fat with cardio.

Although it may be a great way to start, generic timing programs are ultimately going to limit you. At first, you need to tailor your cardio training, based on your goals, skill level, body type, and metabolism. You have to watch your body’s reaction to make progress once you’ve started taking action. There is no “best time” for the duration or frequency of cardio, other than the amount it takes to get the results you want.

5 dumbbell exercises for leg training

When planning an exercise program it is important to consider the whole body to obtain maximized results and prevent injuries that can marginalize your progress. While there are many different training plans and programs, a common solution is to dedicate different days to different muscle groups to maintain specific routines and give them time to rest while you work on other areas. Common groupings include abs, arms, legs, and back.

What equipment do you need to train legs at home?

Arm, shoulder, back and abs home workouts can be accomplished quite easily and without much equipment depending on your regimen. However, the day that you do legs can sometimes present a problem to exercise and get results. While it is commonly said that effective leg training requires a squat rack and barbell equipment, the space required to have such equipment could be a limitation.

Entrenamiento de piernas

However, many of the compound workouts that exercise the major muscles of the legs (hamstrings, calves, glutes, and quads) can also be done with a set of dumbbells. Doing leg exercises using dumbbells offers many advantages, including less space required for storage and use, versatility in a multitude of workouts that target different muscle groups, and scalability when using an adjustable dumbbell set. Dumbbells also offer a safer way to perform certain exercises, as many barbell workouts require you to hold the weight on your shoulders, making it difficult to quit the workout or drop the bar if something goes wrong. With the dumbbells you can simply release them to avoid injury.

Many home gyms don’t have heavy enough dumbbells. This is especially true for advanced and intermediate lifters. If an adjustable base weight set isn’t heavy enough for your training level, look for an additional set of dumbbells that will allow your weights to meet your training needs. A weight bench can also be a great piece of equipment to have in your home gym. It can be used during many of your training days for a variety of muscle groups. With an adjustable weight bench, you can adjust incline, drop, and other angles that add even more variety to your exercise routines.

Exercises to do when training weights

For the day you train your legs, give yourself at least an hour to complete the different workouts. Not sure where to start? Consider the following 5 compound workouts designed to increase the strength and muscle mass of your legs.

1. Dumbbell lunges

3 or 4 sets of 10 repetitions. Lunges primarily work the quadriceps but also work the calves, hamstrings and glutes. As you stride, always make sure to keep your back straight and prevent your knees from sliding into your toes during the movement to avoid stress on the knee joint.

  1. Select an appropriate but challenging dumbbell weight and stand straight while slightly bending your knees. Hold the dumbbells at your sides.
  2. Step forward with one leg and keep the other leg in place. Keeping your balance, squat at your hips while keeping your back and torso straight.
  3. Begin to regain position by returning to your initial position.
  4. Repeat these steps, alternating the leg with which you take the initial step.

Looking for an added challenge in your dumbbell strides? Take a step back instead of forward for a more challenging balance.

2. Dumbbell squats

3 or 4 sets of 10 repetitions. You have several options to choose from when performing dumbbell squats. The most common is what is known as the goblet squat or front squat. While this compound exercise works all of your major leg muscles, it can also strengthen your shoulders and core depending on how you hold the dumbbells.

  1. Stand up straight with your legs shoulder-width apart.
  2. Hold a weight vertically by one end. Here’s where you can add some variation: hold the dumbbell in the center of your chest, higher, or further out for a different shoulder and core workout.
  3. Squat up straight into a sitting position with your hips aligned with your knees.
  4. Return to your starting position while keeping your back straight.

* The front squat can also be performed with kettlebells, which makes kettlebells a great piece of equipment to have at your home gym.

3. Dumbbell step ups

3 or 4 sets of 15 repetitions. This is a compound workout that requires a weight bench or elevated platform. The step ups can also be intensified by raising the platform. During all movements, keep your back straight and your eyes looking forward.

  1. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side and stand straight in front of your weight bench or elevated platform.
  2. Raise the knee of your right leg, step onto the platform, and firmly place your foot on the raised platform.
  3. Using your foot firmly planted, push up and lift the rest of your body.
  4. Plant your left foot on the platform and stay in that position.
  5. Step back with your left foot and then the other to return to your starting position.
  6. Repeat the movement, alternating the starting foot.

4. Dumbbell Deadlift

3 or 4 sets of 10 repetitions. The deadlift is an excellent compound exercise that targets the hamstrings but also works the other major leg muscles. However, it is an exercise that requires a lot of attention in its execution, since a poorly executed deadlift can cause serious injuries. One of the most important things when doing the deadlift is to keep your back straight and not bend it. Keeping your eyes up can help prevent this. Another great step in this exercise is to bend at the waist without moving the hips back. This moves tension from the hamstrings to the lower back, which can also lead to serious injury.

  1. Stand up straight with your knees slightly bent. Keep the dumbbells at your sides. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
  2. While keeping your back straight, lean toward the waist. As you lean in, your hips should move back if you are using proper form. Your knees should not move at this point and you should lower the weights onto your feet.
  3. You should feel tension in your hamstrings. Keep lowering the weights until you can’t lower yourself comfortably
  4. Without bending your back, lift the weights. Keep your eyes up and lift the weights in a straight motion to your starting position.

5. Dumbbell Hamstring Curl

3 or 4 sets of 10 repetitions. This is another workout that requires an exercise bench to perform. Hamstring curls are an isolation workout, meaning they only target your hamstrings. During this exercise, try to keep your upper body and legs as still as possible and make sure that the weight of the dumbbells you select is not so heavy that it causes your body to sway.

  1. Select your weight with the dumbbells and place it on the floor at the end of the bench.
  2. Lie face down on the bench and align your knees with the end of the bench. Fully extend your legs so they hang over the edge of the bench.
  3. Using your feet and keeping your upper body and legs rigid, lift the weight between the arches.
  4. Bend your knees and focus on moving the weight with your hamstrings, flexing the dumbbell in a controlled motion.
  5. Pause when you have raised the dumbbell to a comfortable position and then lower the dumbbell to the starting position.

When planning your exercise program at home, remember that rest days for your muscle groups are equally important. Give yourself 4-5 days between leg workouts to allow yourself a full recovery. During rest days, switch to other muscle groups and consider adding a day for cardio.

3 key mistakes with standing crossings with pulleys

varios ángulos para hacer el ejercicio

Bad training habits are difficult to break especially if you are not aware of them. Of course, it cannot always lead to injury, but certainly these mistakes can make movements less effective . I particularly see the same mistakes all the time with pulley crossover, a very simple type of exercise to train the chest.

Be honest: Are you guilty of any of these three most common pulley crossover mistakes? If so, don’t worry because I’m going to provide you with a remedy for each of them. So you can be on top of what you need to do next time you do this cable exercise to train your chest.

Key errors with standing crossings with pulleys

1. Arm opening / closing

All the movements you do in chest exercises have only one thing in common: The elbows should be fixed in a slightly inclined position during the entire movement of the exercise. Take into account that the degree of curvature in the elbows does not vary in the opening and closing during the repetition, it must remain in the same position during the movement of the exercise, giving rise to a great movement in the shape of an arc as if you were hugging a barrel or tree.

cruces de pie con poleas

One of the main mistakes we make when training the chest with the openings is keeping the arms too rigid, since in this way we think that the work is much more intense and we concentrate much more on the chest, when it is not. What happens when we have our arms outstretched when performing the chest openings is that we divert much of the tension that should be concentrated in the chest to the biceps, which will be the ones that will withstand all the push of the exercise. To avoid this, what we must do is bend the arms slightly at the elbows in order to concentrate much more on the chest.

Solution : Go lighter in weight and rehearse the movement with the pec-deck machine with your arms fixed in a slightly inclined position and do the exercise from this point.

Apertura/cierre de los brazos

2. You keep your feet together

Crossing is particularly difficult when your feet are together because you are not well positioned to absorb changes in your center of gravity. This additional level of difficulty leads some people to believe that they are doing better, but they are not.

The crosses are for training the chest not for the whole body. Anything that makes movement more difficult, especially when it comes to maintaining balance, is detrimental to your ability to perform quality reps and feel good for the muscle contraction.

Solution : Stagger your posture with your legs slightly apart so that you can feel in a stable position and can focus on what is happening with your chest.

Mantienes los pies juntos

3. You don’t use multiple angles to do the exercise

One of the great things about the crossover cable is that it is not fixed in one position on the pulley. By moving the pulleys to any position from high to low and changing the angle of the torso inclination we will be working different beams of the pectoral. At the top it will favor the lower part of the chest, while the crosses from a lower part will favor the upper part of the chest. Doing repetitions from the middle will work the central part

Solution : Mix a little! Various angles between various high points, low points, and last in the middle.

varios ángulos para hacer el ejercicio

What is crossfit?

Over the years, a program has grown in popularity in bodybuilding and in strength training that has generated a lot of buzz among doctors, experts fitness, personal trainers, professional athletes and more – It’s the CrossFit system. This methodology has aroused as much interest and controversy in recent years as many of the other strength and hypertrophy training programs. The only problem is, there are a lot of people wondering if CrossFit exercises is just a fad or if it really has benefits in the long run.

In simpler terms, CrossFit can be defined as a strength and conditioning system that is designed to promote both broad and specific fitness. The system combines a wide variety of exercises to ensure that a total fitness level is achieved, ensuring a balance in the body. This is achieved through a combination of training in:

  • Lifting heavy objects or training with weights.
  • Sprint or distance races.
  • Gymnastics.

El crossfit

The Domains

In order to get the most out of the CrossFit routines , athletes who want to practice it will have to be moderately trained or trained to be able to fulfill their “10 domains”

  • Cardiovascular and respiratory resistance
  • Stamina
  • Strength
  • Coordination
  • Flexibility
  • Power
  • Speed ​​
  • Agility
  • Balance
  • Accuracy

CrossFit was created to work across each of the 10 domains. According to CrossFit, this is accomplished through changes in neurological and hormonal adaptations through all metabolic pathways in the body.

Due to the nature of the conditioning and crossfit exercises involved, there must be an established training program that exists in the individual’s life. Anyone who wants to get into Crossfit will have to be able to comply with the basic exercises or routines that involve these 10 domains without difficulty. As such, it is widely believed that the CrossFit training system is not for people who have never exercised before. Senior, professional, and critical athletes routinely state their opinion on this matter, warning new athletes to stay away from the system.

Those athletes who participate in CrossFit often perform exercises that involve running, rowing, jumping or climbing rope, lifting and moving heavy objects, including carrying objects long distances, performing power lifting maneuvers and techniques of Olympic weightlifting. Part of the training involves the use of free weights, gym rings, pull-up bars, and a wide variety of exercises that use a lot of body muscles, such as the squat.

Crossfit is not an individual training system

CrossFit is commonly found in many affiliated gyms around the world. The company, CrossFit Inc, certifies trainers and licenses the CrossFit name and program to gyms that wish to join. These affiliates are free to develop their own training systems, teaching methods, prices, etc

Crossfit classes are offered to members of affiliated gyms. Classes include a general warm-up session, skills development for participants, and then a high intensity workout lasting 20 to 40 minutes. These affiliated centers or gyms often create a ” routine of the day “, targeting specific muscle groups in the body or training across multiple domains. In an effort to increase interest and generate competition among athletes, affiliates have been known to use scoring and reward systems to motivate class participants.

CrossFit offers training through its system of conditioning outside of affiliated gyms, and many athletes have known how to use the free workouts and instructions available through the CrossFit website although many testify that without the proper equipment and training Currently, it is difficult to perform the exercises properly.

The problem of crossfit exercises

The emphasis of CrossFit training , for anyone involved, is on speed and total weight lifted – the emphasis is not on technique. This can be positive and negative at the same time. If you focus too much on lifting the weight no matter what, it can lead to injury in the long run. Many people believe that training this hard achieves better results and that is why so many people like this system.

CrossFit is designed to increase muscle mass in an explosive and balanced way throughout the body. Despite the results that many have seen using the CrossFit program, there are still many fitness and medical experts who have trouble deciding whether it is good or bad, particularly due to the lack of guidance that beginners have.

It’s very easy for beginners to dive headfirst into the stressful routines of Crossfit, and the results could be detrimental. This is especially true for people who have not worked actively in several years. Anyone skilled in medicine and exercise knows that an unqualified person cannot participate in this system without harming himself – at least that is the conclusion that the experts have reached.

Other experts consider that the intensity of crossfit exercises not only represents an easy risk for inexperienced athletes, but also for people who work regularly or those who are more advanced. Anyone who vigorously lifts too fast without a proper warm-up (and often even a good warm-up) is at risk of temporary and even permanent injury.

The big topic of debate returns to lifting technique, where exercises with this formless intensity have much greater potential to cause injury, especially to the joints and back.

5 × 5 workout to build muscle mass

Dwayne johnson

5 × 5 training is one of the most popular types of training among weightlifters and bodybuilders.

If you’ve been training in lifting heavy weights for some time, we’d bet you’ve had time to train using the 5 × 5 training scheme but Have you been using this style of training correctly?

5 × 5 workouts are a style of training that is best suited to the development of an Olympic strength athlete (powerlifting), but this does not mean that you cannot used for high performance strength training and weight lifting. In fact, many coaches will use a 5-set, 5-rep scheme for mass and strength development.

In this guide, we’ll break down the fundamentals of 5×5 training and help you understand why and how you can use sets and reps to increase the size and strength of your muscles. Let’s get started.

Entrenamiento 5x5

What is 5 × 5 training?

You may have come across this article in your never-ending quest for great high performance workouts, don’t worry, that’s why we’re here. All strength training works with sets and reps.

Generally speaking, reps are the number of times you complete the same exercise within a workout, while sets determine the number of times you rest and continue your reps.

A 5 ​​× 5 is 5 sets of 5 reps. The easiest way to understand how a 5 × 5 works is to use an example.

Bench press – 5 × 5

  • Series 1 – 5 reps with 60 kilos
  • REST
  • Series 2 – 5 reps with 70 kilos
  • REST
  • Series 3 – 5 repetitions with 80 kilos
  • REST
  • Series 4 – 5 repetitions with 80 kilos
  • REST
  • Series 5 – 5 repetitions with 70 kilos

In this example you can see that after each set of 5 reps, you will take a short break (usually 1.5 to 2 minutes), increase the weight, and then move on to another set.

Notice that the weight slowly increases and then stabilizes. There are many different methods for weights during a 5 × 5 training scheme; Some would say that you should maintain the weight consistently (always 70 kilos), but this depends on your personal goals and your body.

A 5 ​​× 5 workout is the simplest workout to complete 5 sets of 5 reps for any particular exercise.

5 × 5 training to build muscle mass

Most people who enter a gym do so because they want to make changes. Some people want to lose weight and feel healthier, while others want to gain weight, train with weights, and build a stronger physique.

Building mass with a 5 × 5 workout comes down to three phases:

1. Understanding hypertrophy

Hypertrophy = Increase in muscle cell size.

To stimulate hypertrophy we need to use high resistance (heavy weights) or keep the muscle under tension for a long period of time. When it comes to a 5 × 5 workout, we are not really using high volume (high reps), so we cannot stimulate hypertrophy over time under tension; however, we can do it through high resistance.

Over time, you can gradually increase the weight of each exercise. In this way, you can stimulate size and muscle development without entering the territory of injury or having to complete numerous repetition workouts to gain strength.

2. Do the more complicated exercises

5 × 5 workouts work because you are doing the hardest exercises possible. There is no point going into the gym and training 5×5 on bicep curls.

Traditionally, your 5 × 5 training would look something like this …

NOTE : Please note that many, if not all of the exercises listed above are compound exercises. This means that they are exercises that move through multiple joints and recruit large muscles. Think about getting the most out of your money with each exercise.

3. Train with weights intelligently and progressively

The last and perhaps the most important aspect of a 5 × 5 workout is your ability to create a progressive workout. There is no point in completing this training for a week. If you are training to gain muscle mass, you should consider that it will take several months of training with weights in a smart and progressive way.

Here’s how you can create 5 × 5 progressive workouts:

a. Write down your weights

This may seem obvious, but it will really help you see where and when you can increase the weight of each exercise.

b. Take a few weeks to rest

Every 3-4 weeks or once a month, it is always a good idea to allow your body to rest well. You don’t have to stop exercising but you should allow your body to complete easier workouts that will give you adequate time to recover.

c. Increase the weight in repetitions 3 and 4

You have 5 sets of each exercise. This means that you have time during your training to play with the weights and find what is right for you. Any set should be demanding but you should never train for muscle failure. The best way to increase weights and increase resistance is to make sure that most of the heavy lifting occurs in sets 3 and 4.

Considerations for a 5 × 5 training

No training program is perfect and the 5 × 5 is no exception to this rule. Understanding that you are only targeting the largest muscle groups with compound movements means that you may miss complex aspects of your training.

Before jumping into a 5 × 5 workout, there are some important considerations to keep in mind.

1. Don’t forget the simple exercises

Many people focus on training with compound exercises and heavy weights and forget about the real need to train the smaller muscles that stabilize and protect your strength.

Make sure to allocate at least 1-2 days per week to simple workouts. This way you can work the smaller muscles and movements, such as the core and mobility of the calf.
2. Gaining mass always comes from a caloric surplus

Weight training can help “boost” growth, but without extra calories, you may not see major differences on the scale. Make sure to eat a diverse variety of foods and maintain a caloric surplus to build mass and strength.

3. Brain over muscles

The most important concept to keep in mind is that you should always stick to smart training over heavy training. Some of us can get carried away, perhaps even being a bit competitive with a training partner.

Your goals are your own goals: be smart and train with progressive strength and smart workouts, trust us, this will help you in the long run.

Dwayne johnson

Summary

The 5 × 5 weightlifting technique is one of the most comprehensive ways to build strength and size. If you are looking for a simple and effective way to gain weight, a 5 × 5 workout is one of the best ways to achieve this goal.