Hi Friends,
I hope everyone is getting back 100% into the routine,work,train,sleep repeat!
If you are on the way to settle you training program to improve your fitness or even to get ready for a running race, always the first step is get strong.
And the positive reasons are unlimited !
¥ Prevent any risk of injury: including strength exercises to your week routine will help you to get strong joins and increase your muscle endurance.
¥ Pain On : Start other types of exercise before get strong, it could cause stiffness and long term muscle pain during your workout. Example: If you run a 10km without had done non core exercise, you could experiment low and core pain as you will be engaging for long time this muscle ,which it has to be ready for it. The same as if you practice another activities( rowing, boxing, aerobic,etc).
¥ Bones got a benefit : Strength exercise will increase bone density and will prevent osteoporosis on the future. Working the muscle strength,bones are involved with the activity too,which will help you to get a strong body and long healthy life.
¥ Get on shape: the most popular goal but not the most important , it is follow a training routine to tone your figure and get the shape you are looking for ,including another activities like cardio or stretching exercise to balance your workouts.
Once knowing this benefits, there are different types to work it, no only with dumbbells ,which is one the most common. You own body it is one of the best tools and the most recommended for beginners , in my opinion or when you are on a trip with no access to fitness equipment, it is a great option!.
No too far way, even knowing this , I did a mistake too!After a 10 days without running due to feeling ill, I was over-confidence yesterday at NRC speed session,which I paced regularly. I paced 7.30min/ mile doing 24 intervals of one minute. My cardio was completely fine and muscle on point until suddenly I suffered a cramp on my hamstring..auch! I should be running for a few days and some strength exercise too before that,lesson learned!
Here we goo with the first example of full body basic exercise to start with,which include 3 exercise focus on the low body and 3 more focus on the upper body( plank is considered full body ) ,engaging with the core too !
-Beginners : 3 x 10 reps / 45 sec rest
( plank as static drill, you will hold for 30sec)
-Intermediate : 4x 15 reps / 30 sec rest
(plank on hold 45sec)
-Advanced: 5x 20 reps / 20 sec rest
(plank on hold 1min)
-How many times a week? You can start with 3 times a week during 2 weeks ,including cardio and core exercise to start your training journey!
Points to consider before start: Even with your on body weight you can get injured,that’s why it is important to do it with the right technique .My own “laws” are:
a) Straight back and neck always
b) Joins 90 degrees when it is required
c) Active your core and keep it strong all the time furing the execution.
Plank : this the low of the 90 degrees by excellence in my opinion. Keeping straight your back, hips and knees,draw a nice 90 degrees with your shoulders,elbows and ankles.
As we know are different levels:
1.Plank on arms 2.Plank on hands (standard) 3.Plank on bench
2. Squat: On stand position,get down you hips until you quadriceps are parallel to the ground drawing 90 degrees with your knees and this ones can’t get over of the top of your feet .You back will be on 45 degrees nice and straight. Back again up and repeat!
3.Push-up : Plank as stating position, bend your elbows until you get them on 90 degrees ,keeping straight body and getting almost 2 fingers closer to the ground and…lift up!.
4. Dip triceps : facing up plank in a bench,get down with your hips until your elbow are on a safe 90 degrees.Next step…back up!
5. X lunge: Maintain one of your leg as control point and do 3 lounge with the opposite leg in different planes of motion (front,side and back). Swap side when you complete the reps.
6.Gluts up in plank : Swap leg up as soon as you touch the floor with the opposite leg.
This exercise has plenty of modifications to increase the level of difficulty,so it will be really easy to progress you level of fitness from this points with small changes.
Level 3 (advanced) plank on bench
Level 3 (advanced) Push up on bench
Level 3 (advanced) dip triceps on bench
So no excuses and just do it!
