Strength Training Exercises
The best exercises for strength training must fulfil the following criteria:
1. It must recruit the highest amount of muscle fibres.
2. It must involve the major multi-joint areas in the body. These include the hips, the legs, the shoulder girdle and the back.
3. It must be functional; meaning the exercise can be customised to support a wide variety of physical activity.
Thus, the best strength training exercises will allow you to lift the most amount of weight by putting your body in correct biomechanical positions that recruit the highest amount of muscle fibres.
Studies have consistently shown that the best strength training exercises are the following:
1. Squats
Squats target the largest muscles in your lower body: quadriceps, gluteus muscles, hamstrings and calves. It also engages the entire core section to stabilise your upper body and support the lower back.Squats have been identified as the best exercise to keep your body in a constant muscle building environment. This is because it has been found to generate the highest amount of oxygen in your blood.
2. Bench Press
The Bench Press is the most popular exercise for building the entire chest. But it doesn’t stop there. With proper technique, the Bench Press will develop your shoulders, triceps and lat muscles.The core is actively engaged in the Bench Press because you have to stabilise your upper body by tightening the abdominals and anchoring your legs on the floor. In fact more advanced techniques will even develop your legs in the Bench Press!
3. Deadlift
The Deadlift is a total body exercise. While the Deadlift primarily works the large muscles of the back from top to bottom, it also hits the legs, glutes, hamstrings, rear shoulders, forearms, traps and the biceps. The Deadlift also recruits the abdominal muscles to stabilise the lower back.The Deadlift is particularly challenging because you are literally starting the exercise from a dead stop. It does not have the advantage of the “Kinetic Chain” such as the Squat and the Bench Press where forces are already applied to the bar upon descent.
4. Overhead Press
The shoulder is a ball and socket joint which makes it vulnerable to injury. This is why you should not lift heavy when doing dumbbell lateral exercises.However the Overhead Press allows you to apply heavier resistance on the shoulders by utilising the shoulder girdle, arms, upper back and the core section to help you press a loaded barbell straight up.
The Overhead Press works the entire shoulder area but with special emphasis on the anterior head of the deltoids. It also hits the upper chest, upper back, traps, triceps and the abdominals which have to remain tight throughout the exercise.
These strength training exercises are basic and functional. You use these muscles in everyday life and these exercises can be applied to different activities.
They are also effective because there are varieties that will allow you to overload and overcome strength plateaus.
