Strength training programs are a combination of diet, cardio and weight lifting and while all of these aspects are important, the most necessary of all three components is weight lifting. Weight lifting exercises require precision and repetition if they’re going to be effective.
They’re an important component of any strength training program regardless of what your goals are. If you want to lose weight, tone muscles or build muscles, you need to lift weights.
In fact, the need to lift weights is a constant while other factors change more drastically depending on your strength training goals. For instance, if you’re trying to build muscle, you’ll need to begin eating a high protein, high calorie diet.
Ingesting about one gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight is standard during a strength training program to build muscle. This sort of diet requires around 3,500 calories and the use of some protein supplements.
Conversely, strength training to lose weight necessitates that you eat a lower calorie diet and don’t ingest quite as much protein.
As different as these two programs are, the one thing they have in common is the exercises performed. No matter what the program’s goals, it will always involve the same exercises from bicep curls to seated rows to push ups.
Two weight lifting exercises that every strength training program should include are the bench press and shoulder press. Both upper body exercises, these work diverse muscle groups and allow you a lot of control over the weights and motion since they don’t have to be performed using a machine.
The shoulder press can be performed seated or standing so choose which you prefer before continuing. Once you’ve decided, the exercise can be performed with dumbbells or barbells.
I perform it standing with barbells. Begin with feet shoulder-width apart and heave the bar up to rest in front of your shoulders gripping the barbell with your palms facing outward. Lift the barbell up over your head and stop with it in line above the back of your head.
Release slowly to the starting position and repeat. The shoulder press works your delts and builds core strength that can improve your abs.
The second exercise is the bench press. Performed on the back with a barbell, the bench press absolutely requires a spotter. Do not perform this lift by yourself.
Once you’ve selected your weight and have a spotter, grip the barbell with your palms facing outward and lower it to your chest. Pause with the barbell close to your chest and then lift it up above the chest until your arms are almost fully extended. Don’t lock your elbows during this exercise.
Repeat this motion the desired number of times and then return the barbell back onto the pins. The bench press works the pecs and a number of supporting muscles such as the triceps. It is a rewarding exercise that, when practiced under the right conditions, produces great results.
These two weight lifting exercises are a great addition to any strength training program. Be sure to practice them with the correct form and you’ll find that they’re far more rewarding than any weight lifting exercise performed on a machine.
