More often than not, attaining your goal requires you to go back to basics.
If your goal is to build strength, then you have to go back to some basic exercises. Many people cut out these exercises because they believe that they don’t challenge them enough. What they forget is that these exercises are more important for building their core strength than the innovative machines they use at the gym.
When you are looking to build strength you should add more reps of these exercises instead of leaving them behind. You can increase the intensity by slightly changing your position or increasing the number of reps you perform.
These essential exercises are:
1. Pushups
No matter how many different types of presses you perform at the gym, nothing beats the upper body and core workout that push-ups provide.
A push-up, which is executed in perfect form, can aid the development of your core.
Do a perfect pushup
Get into a pushup position and pull your head back to align it horizontally to your body. Look straight forward. Your hands should be parallel to your shoulders. Make sure you’re balancing on the tip of your toes.
Your spine should be as straight as possible. Dip down and right before your body touches the ground, bring yourself back up again. Remember to exhale before you dip down. Getting the position right will raise the intensity of the push-ups significantly
Your spine, stomach, chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps and a whole lot of other muscles will feel the strain of the push up; mainly the muscle groups of pectoral muscles and anterior deltoids are affected.
There isn’t an exercise out there that is more multi-purpose than a pushup. So make sure that it is a part of your daily workout routine. Increase the reps as your progress but keep it a part of the regime.
2. Pull ups
Most of the exercises in your workout routine consist of pushing or pressing.
You have to balance your muscles with pull ups. They help build trapezius muscles and are key to stabilizing the shoulder muscles.
The process of performing a pull up is simple enough, doing one may not be.
Grab onto the pull-up bar and ensure that your grip is tight. The goal is to bring your chest up to the bar or bring your chin up over the bar, why they are also known as chin ups. Mind you, if you’re not used to doing chin ups, you may feel a little demotivated initially but keep at it, you’re doing your body a favor.
The movement will strengthen your upper back and your core, giving you plenty of strength for your athletic endeavors. Pullups are especially beneficial for women, who should add them to their routine.
Major muscle groups used during pull-ups are Latissimus dorsi, Biceps br, chii and Infraspinatus.
3. Split Squat
Many coaches and trainers believe that simple squats are enough for core development.
But you also have to think about building agility and athleticism.
That is why you should opt for split squats instead.
You will have to split your legs by taking a step in front of you and hold that position. Dip down like you are doing a lunge and repeat the movement with the other leg.
All the stabilizing muscles inside your legs will be firing because you will need to keep yourself steady the whole time.
The split squat is good for building lower body strength and stability and flexibility of thigh muscles. The targeted muscle groups for this exercise are biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus.
4. Goblet Squat
Goblet squats are perfect for people who struggle with performing squats with a bar.
Hold a dumbbell in your hands right in front of your chest and take a normal squat position with your feet shoulder length apart.
Because you are holding the weight in front of you, it will offer more resistance to your core muscles and it will have to work harder to keep up with the movement of the exercise.
Muscle groups targeted by goblet squats are Quadriceps, Gluteus Maximus, Soleus and Hamstrings.
5. Lateral Squat
Lateral squat is another exercise that helps you build your core strength.
Why so many squat exercise? Because each one targets a different set of muscles.
Lateral squats stretch your groin and inner thighs.
Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width, push your hips back and lean towards your right or left while holding your hands perpendicular to your chest.
The muscle groups mainly targeted with this exercise are glutes, quadriceps and adductor muscles.
Strength and power are the main benefits of performing all of the exercises mentioned above. You have to keep the balance and make sure that your upper body and lower body receive the equal amount of attention.
This will aid your core development and give you the strength you need in your next fight or match. Balance your training with the perfect meal plans.
1 Comment
Thanks so much for an amazingly informative piece. I loved it.