Body Building Exercise
There two types of weights to use during your training. Free weights,
which are barbells, dumbbells and hand weights; weight machines are the
other type. Machines help you to isolate and work on specific muscle.
However, for the purpose of bodybuilding, free weights are best because
you do all the work and thus get all the benefit. Additionally, there
are 2 types of exercises to make use of ensure an effective workout,
isolation and compound. Isolation exercise does just that – it isolates
one muscle to perform a particular movement. A couple of examples of
this would be bicep curls or leg extensions. Compound exercise makes use
of more than one muscle to complete the exercise. Such as pull-ups,
squats and the bench press.
The obvious benefit of doing isolation exercise is that you can target
one muscle to benefit one part of the body. For example, I would want to
target my oblique muscles and whittle away my love handles. Yes, I know.
They are the bane of my existence. Dumbbell Side Bends are great for
this. Stand with both arms at your sides. Hold a dumbbell in one hand.
Lower the dumbbell down to almost knee level on one side of your body.
Breathe in and use your oblique to lift the dumbbell until you are
slightly leaning to the other side. Complete 12 reps on each side.
The benefit of compound exercise is that you can work more than one
muscle at a time which leads to a much quicker result. There are several
reasons that compound exercises are generally more recommended. Working
more than one muscle at one time equals burning more calories during
exercise. It also keeps your heart rate up and provides cardiovascular
benefits as well. Now, with the same dumbbells, we can workout our thigh
muscles and gluteus maximus – or for the rest of us…those buns! Stand
erect with both arms at your sides holding dumbbells in each hand. Feet
should be shoulder width apart. Take a step forward while bending at the
knee until the thigh is parallel to the ground. The back leg drops down
perpendicular to the floor and balances on your toes. Be careful not to
let your front knee go past the tip of your toes and overstrain your
knee. Bring your back leg forward and return to starting position and
repeat the exercise alternating legs. It is just that simple! With one
motion, you have worked two muscles and compounded your results! How
great is that?
Depending on your fitness goals, both of these types of exercises can
benefit your training programs tremendously. However, make sure to get
guidance on the proper form and correct use of free weights from a
personal trainer at your local gym to lessen the chance of injury and
increase your success rate. Ensure that you are eating a proper diet and
getting plenty of rest during recovery while building your muscular
physique. See you at the gym! |
