Elevate Your Fitness with Weight Training Exercises

The highly efficient approach that is used to develop strength, grow muscle, and overall fitness is called weight training. By incorporating weight training exercises into your workout routine, you can reap numerous health benefits and have a more comprehensive workout regardless of whether you are an experienced gym-goer or a beginner. In this article we shall explain the principles of weight lighting and identify some key exercises that can help improve your fitness level.

Understanding Weight Training

In weight training exercises, muscles are challenged and strengthened by means of resistance such as body weight, free weights, resistance bands or even machines. During the process, the muscles are overloaded progressively so that they adapt with time thus becoming stronger.

Benefits of Weight Training

Muscle hypertrophy (growth) which occurs when muscles fibers break down during lifting resulting in their repair & growth; thus, increasing muscle mass (Kraemer 2006). The improved muscular strength leads to higher power output and better functional performance in life’s activities like sports (Kraemer 2006). A person’s resting metabolic rate increases by doing weights workouts constantly thus helping him/her lose fat; hence, manage his/her weight.

Stronger bones and lower risk for osteoporosis will be achieved through proper strength training. A leaner body composition can be achieved by helping a person get a more chiseled physique through adding stamina work to their usual exercise program such as running on the treadmill or riding on a stationary bike.

Vital weight training exercises

Compound movements:

Squats: This targets the quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

Deadlifts: It focuses on your posterior chain including lower back, glutes and hamstrings.

Bench press: This activates your chest, shoulders, triceps.

Pull-ups/Chin-ups: Another exercise that targets the back muscles especially the lats, biceps and shoulders.

Overhead Presses: Pushing against resistance in a standing position aid in strengthening of shoulder muscles as well as upper chest and triceps too.

Isolation movements:

Bicep curls: Primarily targets the biceps.

Triceps extensions: These are mainly meant for the triceps.

Leg curls: Specifically works on your hamstring muscles only.