21 Aug Top five tips to get most out of your weight workouts

There are just about as many different opinions out there as to the best way to lift weights as there are different exercises you can do.
Based on my experiences as a weight lifter, personal research and time spent talking to other athletes and trainers here are my top five suggestions that will help maximize your time in the gym.

Dumbbell Bench Press

Do dumbbell bench presses – Many trainers feel these are the single best exercise to do for your chest and even better news is that they don’t put as much stress on your shoulders as standard flat bench presses. The dumbbell bench presses involve the delts less, thus emphasizing the chest muscles more. Try incline of flat bench dumbbell presses.

Squats, squats, squats – If your back and knees will allow it, many fitness experts agree that squats are the single most important exercise you can do.

Make sure to use proper form, keeping your back as straight as possible as you go down and don’t go past parallel. Good form is the key on squats. Work with a trainer or ask an experienced lifter for help if just starting. Start out light and get the form down, possibly doing sets with 95 pounds or 135 on the Olympic bar until you get it down. Start out doing 10-12 reps for sets of three or four.

If you’re just starting out, you should be able to gain strength quickly. For intermediate lifters, a good way to increase your maximum squat is to do heavy weights and low reps – 5 sets of 5 -on occasion.

Alternate routines – Change up your bench sets regularly. This will avoid hitting plateaus and develop endurance as well as strength. Mix in days where you do higher reps with lighter weights – even hitting burnout sets. Follow it with days where you go real heavy, such as three sets of three.
Also, mix in incline and decline dumbbell chest work as well.

Remember to always stretch well, especially the shoulder muscles. Also, make sure to counter-balance bench pressing by working out shoulders (front and back) on opposite days.

Plank Ab Exercise

Do the Plank – Most people know about sit-ups, ab crunches and even using exercise balls for sit-ups, but the plank is arguably the most underrated ab exercise.

For the Plank, lay face down on the floor or use an exercise mat or other flat surface. You can do them comfortably most places. Place the elbows and forearms underneath your chest. Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms and keep your back flat and hips parallel to the ground.

It’s important to keep your back in a flat alignment – don’t let it sag or prop up too high. Looking straight ahead will help you keep your back straight
Basically, you’re lifting yourself up to a parallel position and supporting yourself.

It doesn’t sound that hard, but try holding that position for 1-2 minutes at a time. It will give your abs a great workout. The Plank not only works strength, but will help build your muscle endurance.

Put off the big stretch – More and more research shows that you should only stretch lightly before a workout. You’re more flexible post workout and that’s a better time to go into real deep stretches.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com