Boost Your Muscular Strength with These Tips

Posted by royal fonso on October 26th, 2018

The benefits of Muscular Strength Training have been widely reported for years, but apparently few of us are listening.

Most Americans are not meeting the minimum recommended amount of muscle strengthening exercises, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Yet, the people who do meet those requirements are reaping the benefits: They report fewer chronic diseases, like diabetes, obesity, and cancer, and are probably more physically fit, too.

So what is the bare minimum we can do to get a little stronger? According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, adults should do muscle-strengthening activities — like lifting weights — that are moderate or high intensity and involve major muscle groups at least two days a week.

The study explained that when performed regularly, strength-training exercises can help to increase skeletal Muscular Strength Training, power, and endurance, which in turn can help to improve your blood pressure, metabolism, physical abilities, self-esteem and more.

Strength training doesn't have to be intimidating. Personal trainer Don Roy, owner of Drive Health Clubs in Chicago, shared three exercises to help you get started.

Perform 5-10 repetitions of each exercise and complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes.

1. Body-weight squat

This lower-body exercise focuses on the quads, hamstrings, and gluts, but also promotes proper hinge mechanics.

"Considering we stand up and sit down all day long, this is a very important pattern to ensure the overall health of the lower body," explained Roy.

Take a slightly wider than shoulder-width stance. While keeping your weight in the center of your feet, hinge and sit back until your hamstrings are parallel to the floor. If this depth is too much then shorten your range of motion.

2. Pushup

"Most people think this is primarily an upper-body exercise, but because it creates tension throughout the entire body, it becomes much more," Roy noted.

This move targets your chest, shoulders, triceps, lats, core, and gluts. While tensing the entire the body, lower to the floor while maintaining a plank position. Press back up to the starting position.

3. Prone Cobra

This exercise works the muscles in the backside of the body. While lying face down, start to pull your upper body and legs off the floor.

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royal fonso
Joined: October 25th, 2018
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