Introduction
See the Glossary
for definitions of terms used in this document.
Equipment
Reminders
Spotting,
Safety Features
Spotting is where
another person assists you in the exercise to keep you from dropping the weight
on yourself (bench press, military press) or to keep you from falling down with
a large weight on your shoulders (squats).
With the bench press, serious injury can result if you lose control of a
large weight and it falls on you. Same with squats. If
you lose your balance with a large weight you can seriously injure
yourself. The squat rack has a safety
frame which will remove most of the risk with squats but there is no protection
on the bench. There are pins below the
pedestals on the bench where you can rest the weight if you can't push it all
the say up. Make sure you move yourself
from under the weight as soon as you put it on these pins to avoid injury.
Stretching
Never stretch a cold muscle.
Use only proper stretching techniques
Do not
stretch your back and leg muscles by bending over and touching your toes!!
Less is more
If you have to stretch, stretch after exercise, not before.
Warming up
You must warm up before you exercise. By warming up, you open up blood vessels and
more blood – oxygen, nutrients – flow to the muscles. The blood vessels also carry away waste
material – such as lactic acid – away from the muscles during exercise. Muscles are more supple,
pliable and less prone to injury when more blood is flowing through them.
Joints also have lubricants that allow the
two opposing bones to rub against each other with much less abrasion and
wear. This lubricant is more effective
when it is warm. Rotating the joints
(wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, etc.) warms up the body's natural joint
lubricants.
Machines Vs. Free Weights
You will notice a big difference in
exercising on free weights compared with weight machines. I recommend free weights whenever possible
and safe. Machines can be a good
substitute when performing those exercises which you don't feel comfortable
performing by yourself such as bench press and squats. Free weights provide much better resistance
for the body because the body supports the full weight and thus more of the
body's muscle groups are exercised. This
gives better results. Obviously there
are some muscle groups such as hamstrings and calves that cannot be exercised
without machines, so use them when necessary.
Weight
Belts, Knee Wraps and Other Weight Lifting "Aids"
The idea of creating strength is to damage
the muscle during the exercise, then relying on the body to repair the muscle
damage. This is the process of making
the body stronger. Weight belts, knee
wraps and other weight lifting "aids" are useful in competition
because they make lifting easier and allow you to lift more weight. This, however, defeats the purpose of
exercise, which is to train the body as intensely and strenuously as possible
for the best results. I don't wear anything
except my sweats and a good pair of shoes during my workouts. Some bodybuilders, Arnold Swarzenegger
for example, didn't even wear shoes, even for squats. Power lifters commonly do not wear shoes
during dead lifts in competition because shoes force them to bend down further,
making the lift more difficult. A good
pair of lifting shoes can be beneficial in preventing injuries to the arch of
the foot as long as the shoes help keep the weight distributed properly on your
feet. There are shoes designed for this
purpose, which are available on the web.
Breathing
Rule # 1: there is no rule. Some lifters "blow the weight up"
i.e. exhale on the intense part of the exercise, pushing up, against the force
of gravity (the "press"), e.g. pushing the weight off the chest in
the bench press, and breathing in on the return, e.g. lowering the weight to
the chest in the bench press. Do what
feels most comfortable and don't be afraid to breath
when you need to. I normally "blow
the weight up" but on some exercises, I breathe in on every other
press. I certainly take as many breaths
as needed during an especially intense set.
Overtraining
and Intensity
Very simply: Don't overdo it! If you are doing any intense form of
exercise, the muscles need time to recover and rebuild (unless you use
steroids, which are illegal). Many
world-class power lifters are now eschewing steroids and competing in drug-free
competitions. They recommend a reasonable
recovery period that allows the body to repair the damage done to muscles
during intense exercise, like weightlifting.
When I say "damage", I mean the natural process of the body
getting stronger through exercise. At
the same time, you won't get the same gains in strength unless you train with
intensity, i.e. the heaviest weight you can lift to muscle failure. How do we reconcile these two opposing
principles?
A good way to do this is to perform a
cycle. For example, with squats
week 1 150 lbs
2 sets of 10 reps
week 2 200 lbs
2 sets of 10 reps
week 3 315 lbs
2 sets of 10 reps
week 4 350 lbs
1 set of 10 reps
week 5 375 lbs
1 set of 5 reps
week 6 400 lbs
1 rep (maximum lift)
When lifting heavier weights, make sure you
take some warmup sets, say 1 set of 10 at 200
lbs. A cycle allows the body to recover
from intense workouts. Don't lift too
heavy too fast. Work up too your most
intense and strenuous workout slowly.
After you have reached your maximum point
take some time off. One rule of thumb is
1 day off per month and 1 week off every 3 months or so. You will probably find you'll be taking time
off anyway because of sickness or other conflicts so layoffs won't be a
problem. Don't train intensely with a
cold and certainly not when you are seriously ill. Don't lift every day. 3 times a week is enough. That's what I do. I also do aerobics on 3 other days of the
week when I'm on my peak workout schedule.
This may be a bit too hard on the body but it works O.K. I always take a day off each week to
rest. So should you. Let the body recover. If your body tells you it's
too tired, or you feel soreness, back off the weight or the number of reps.
Take time to get back into exercise after a
layoff. My rule of thumb is if you have
taken a certain time off from your most intense workouts, take double that amount
of time to work up to that same level.
Otherwise you will experience soreness, muscle strain or other more
severe damage. Listen to your body: if
it is in pain, there is something wrong you need to attend to. Don't work an area of your body that is in
pain.
Diet
Through exercise the muscles become damaged
and need materials to repair them. I
recommend a zone-favorable diet with plenty of protein, good carbohydrates and
good fat. Good carbohydrates are most
fruits, vegetables and nuts. Bad carbohydrates
are bananas, papayas and guavas, grains, cereals and potatoes. Get a zone diet book and follow its
recommendations. Also, vitamin
supplements are very important, the most important being vitamin C. If you take no other supplement, make sure you
take vitamin C. Also strongly
recommended is a good multiple vitamin with plenty of
minerals, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin E.
Other supplements can also help with exercise like conjugated linolaic acid.
Warm up slowly (initial warm-up):
Weight
Lifting Exercises
Power cleans – The best
overall exercises, stimulating the arms (deltoids, triceps, biceps, trapezious, lower arm and grip), upper and lower back, (latissimus dorsi), buttocks,
quadriceps, calves, and hamstrings. Just
about all the muscle groups
The exercise should be performed in one
continuous motion up the chest level, and one continuous motion to return the
weight to the floor. Make sure that your
back is arched concave to straight, i.e. if a line is drawn from the shoulders
to the buttocks, the middle of your back should not pass through this line.
A variation of this exercise is to simply
bring the weight up as high as you can but not resting it on the chest.
Squats
- you will need a squat rack with a safety bar to keep you from falling
with the weight on your shoulders and an Olympic size barbell.
Bench Press
NOTE:
Avoid serious injury when using heavier weights by getting someone to
spot for you.
Place the bar on the bench pedestals. Add any weights, not overloading one side
without balancing with weight on the other.
Lay down on back. Bring the
weight off the pedestals and push the weight up. Bring the weight down and repeat.
Dead
lift - the next best overall exercise. Like the power clean, you pick the weight up
but only bring it to waste level, straightening the back, and then returning
the weight carefully to the floor. Note
the arch of the lifter’s back and the head with eyes looking up.
DO NOT
DEADLIFT THIS WAY!!!!!!
Bent over barbell rows
Start this exercise with your knees slightly bent and your abs leaning against the upper thighs, tightly contracted. With your back parallel to the floor, grip the barbell with a shoulder-width grip.
With the barbell griped tightly, begin the weight lifting exercise by pulling the bar up toward and into your lower chest/upper abs. Use your arms to initiate the weight lifting movement, but do not swing the upper body upward. Once the bar touches your lower chest, lower the weight down toward your feet until your arms are fully extended.
Tip: This weight lifting exercise should be done in a smooth movement: no jerking! Try varying your weight lifting grip; see what works for you—wide or narrow.
Shrugs
Place a barbell on the floor in front of you. With a foot stance
of about 16 inches apart, bend down and grasp the bar with both hands about 24
inches apart. Stand erect with the bar hanging in front of you at arm's length.
Inhale and drop both shoulders down to the front as much as possible. Exhale
and raise your shoulders up as much as possible. Inhale and return to the starting
position. Keep your back straight.
upright
row
Stand upright holding a barbell in front of
your thighs
with an overhand, shoulder-width grip.
Maintaining an upright posture, lift the
bar upward along your body, leading with your elbows to bring the bar toward
your chin. At the top, your elbows should be pointing toward
the ceiling. Flex your shoulders for a moment, then
straighten your arms to lower the bar back to the start.
Dips
Grasp the bars of a dip apparatus with a
neutral grip (palms facing down and toward your body), hands about
shoulder-width apart.
Lift yourself up to a straight-elbow position, supporting your weight
with your arms. Direct your focus straight ahead and keep both elbows pointed
rearward at all times.
Inhale and hold your breath as you lower your body under control until your upper arms are about parallel
to the floor. Stop just short of feeling a stretch in your shoulders and chest
to keep the emphasis on your tri's.
As you approach the bottom position, continue holding your breath and
quickly push yourself back up by contracting your triceps to extend your
elbows.
Exhale as you pass the most difficult point of the up phase, then continue to the fully extended elbow position.
Pause momentarily and repeat for reps.
Keep your body as vertical as possible throughout the exercise. Your
legs may move back slightly.
Preacher Curls
Pullups
You have a good idea of what a pullup
is. Use the bar that you've placed on
the top of the squat rack and place it on the top pin. If you're just starting and can't do a pullup, do the following
Side
Feet shoulder
width apart and knees slightly flexed (allows for greater stretching to the
side) lightweight dumbell in one hand with opposite
hand behind head (can be performed with no weight and arms relaxed at your
sides), slowly lower to a comfortable side bend position. Return to starting
position by contracting the oblique muscles on the opposite side. Repeat on the other side.
Dumbbell Fly
Holding a pair of dumbbells, lie
face up on a flat bench
with your arms fully extended above your chest. Your palms should face each
other
Slowly lower the weights out to
your sides, trying to maintain a slight but constant bend in your elbows
throughout the motion. Continue lowering until you feel a good stretch in your
chest, then squeeze your pecs
to bring the dumbbells back to the starting position. When you reach the top,
squeeze for a moment and then repeat.
Standing Calf Raises
Stand holding a barbell balanced over your
traps, or use a standing calf raise machine. With the balls of your feet on a
raised surface, such as a step, and keeping your knee straight, lower your
heels to stretch your calves.
Then
press upward on the balls of your feet as high as you can.
Muscles
Used
Hamstrings, gluteals
Movement
Flexion of the knee
Technical
Points
Precautions
lift - Movement of the weight by the body, a motion where
a weight is lifted, pushed or pulled, e.g. squats, dead lifts, etc.
repetition - One performance of a lift.
set - A series of repetitions. For example, 3 sets of 10 repetitions means
to repeat a lift 10 times, rest, repeat the lift again 10 times, rest, repeat the lift again 10 times.
workout - A set of lifts, reps and sets.
concave back - If a line is drawn from the shoulders
to the buttocks, the middle of your back should not pass through this line.