Do you often lose in arm wrestling? Or maybe you find it hard opening a jar of jam or moving around some furniture? Seems like you don’t have enough muscle strength.
Muscle strength is the ability of your muscles to exert maximum amount of force for a short period of time. Muscle strength is required to perform activities that include lifting or managing weights (including your body weight).
On the other hand, muscle endurance is the ability of your muscle or a group of muscles to sustain repeated contractions against a resistance or weight for over time.
This basically means being able to do multiple push-ups or squats, without a lot of exhaustion.
So how do you train your muscles?
Here a few points you should remember when dealing with weights:
- Warm up before lifting weights: It is important and always advisable to do warm up stretches before you start any exercise.
- Using the ideal Workout Strategy: Pick a set of workouts that are suitable for you.
- Add more weights and repetitions gradually and slowly over time: Start out slow and increase your intensity levels based on your performance.
- Train every muscle group: Perform exercises that cover all muscles rather than focusing on a single area
- Be careful not to add too many weights: Trying to lift too many weights to fast might results in sever sprains and cramps. Take it nice and slow.
- Don’t work out every muscle group the same day: Alternate days for different muscle groups. One day you could work on the arms while the next would focus on abs.
- Get adequate rest between workouts: Getting enough rest and drinking plenty of water is crucial so that you don’t feel tired or worn out.
Doing less repetitions with more weights will help you increase your muscle strength. Doing more repetitions with lighter weights will help you build up endurance.
Lifting heavy for 3-4 sets with 4-5 reps in each set will help in gaining muscle strength. Lifting lighter weight and doing 20 repetitions in each set for 2-3 sets, improves muscle endurance.
The exercises you choose should work on a group of different muscles regularly which stimulates changes in the muscles. Set aside 20 to 30 minutes a day in which you can take care of your workout. It’s all about the intensity at which you are toning your muscles.
Training with no equipment and mostly the weight of your body is an effective method of improving your muscular endurance. Lifting small amounts of weights for a greater number of repetitions prove to be effective.
You must increase the weights and number of sets gradually over time. Examples of various bodyweight exercises are squats, push-ups, pull ups, planks, sit-ups.
Small amounts of muscular fitness is needed to be able perform daily activities without any stress or fatigue.
Attempting some levels of muscular fitness lessen the chance of developing low back problems, osteoporotic fractures, and musculoskeletal injuries.
Here are 4 major benefits of improving muscle strengthen and endurance:
Increased Capability: You will be able to perform tasks for a longer period of time without tiring or feeling exhausted.
Weight Management: Muscles require more energy than fat tissues and burn more calories around the clock. When you burn more calories, you can eat more without gaining weight, or lose weight faster on a reduced calorie diet. Studies show that you may increase your metabolism by up to 15 percent just by building up more muscles.
Protection against chronic diseases: When you increase muscle mass, you automatically change your body composition, creating a lower percentage of body fat. A lower body-fat percentage can easily reduce the risk of several chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and increased blood-sugar levels, which can ultimately lead to diabetes.
Accident Prevention: You will be less likely to break any bones or suffer serious injuries if you fall on the sidewalk.
Just remember not to take things to fast! You don’t want to end up with muscle cramps or sprains. Start with small sets and weights and gradually increase them when you get accustomed to your workout.
And this brings us to the last components of fitness! Remembering these 5 components will help you in your path to fitness and you will reach your goal in no time at all.
Going from fat to fit is not an easy task, but it is not impossible.
Keep being consistent and regular and of course…
Stay healthy, Think healthy and be healthy!
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