poniedziałek, 5 października 2015

How Adding Two Largely Neglected Exercises Have Allowed Me to Gain 15lbs of Muscle This Year

2011 has been a good year so far! Why? Well it is mostly because I have already put on 15lbs. Most of it is muscle as I am very careful with my diet. Keep in mind that prior to this, I'd been struggling to gain even a single pound. For lack of a better word, I'd hit a seemingly insurmountable 'plateau'.So what made the difference? Why am I 15lbs heavier today than I was just two months ago? Why are my arms just over an inch thicker? Why do my trousers fit so tightly around my thighs and I've had to start investing in a new wardrobe?Well, it seems my secret lies in a radical decision I made at the beginning of the year. As part of my new years resolutions, I decided to attend the gym a LOT more. I then joined an Olympic weightlifting club after a friend invited me to a session and I was instantly hooked.I liked the atmosphere, the encouragement and the discipline. Everyone was your teacher and they all offered input on how I could improve my form. A single set of squats would be scrutinised by 6 different people. In truth, the changes weren't many as a lot of the exercises I am doing now, I was already doing before joining the club. But a few minor changes made the difference. So my first tip is this;1. Join an Olympic weightlifting club or get a partner. You can push to the very limit and not fear getting stuck under the bar. You can perform that one extra half rep. You just go that bit further. The other benefit to this (if you join an Olympic Weightlifting Club) is that you learn how the pros lift their weights. My coach happens to be a former world champion and was British Champion for 8 years in a row. It's safe to say he knows a thing or two about proper weight lifting and strict form.I joined the club nursing a troublesome left thumb and left wrist injury. Both injuries have completely vanished. Why? because I was taught how to lift weights in a more graceful manner. In a way that didn't exacerbate the injuries I was already carrying. I do accept that some injuries will not allow you to work around them. But my point is, through my ignorance and that of the 'personal trainers' at my gym, I was working out in a way that worsened my injuries. Therefore, I had to learn how to lift weights all over again. it was a humbling experience.2. My second tip is an important but largely neglected exercise: the Powerclean. Some of you wonder why I may have picked this and not the clean and jerk. The Clean and Jerk is too involved. You can do a set of 4-6 power-cleans in the time it takes to do a single well executed Clean and Jerk. Besides, it's way too complex for the average trainee.So why the powerclean? Because if done properly, it can do wonders for your physique. Shoulders and traps can be the most frustrating muscle groups to work on as they can be utterly non responsive. Incorporating power-cleans into your routine can return positive results within a few months.Power-cleans are quite difficult to master. The hip movement has to be explosive and the arms mustn't bend during the shrugging part of the exercise. Also, trainees need to have very supple wrists. If I've completely lost you, go on YouTube and perform a search for the term 'powerclean' and it will all make sense.3. My third tip is another largely neglected exercise: the front squat. Why do so many people neglect the almighty front sqtat? Because it is so difficult to do. For novices, Front Squats can be downright painful because the bar rests on your shoulders with your wrists in a supine position (clean grip) acting as a support. Therefore, they need to be very flexible. Other trainees may find the 'arms crossed' grip more comfortable.However, most trainees will not have that flexibility right off the bat and will need to perform flexibility drills on their wrists to improve wrist mobility. Overlooking the minor drawbacks, the front squat is particularly good for leg development as the majority of the weight is emphasized on the legs (the lower back takes some of the load during a back squat). This is especially good for anyone with any back/spinal issues.An added benefit of the front squat is the core stability training. The need to keep your torso erect works your abdominals and the heavier you go, the harder they work and the stronger they get!So what I've given you is a very condensed version of what has made 2011 especially successful for me. I deliberately simplified my suggestions so that they could be applicable TODAY.Go out and incorporate power cleans and front squats into your routine and watch what happens. Of course, you still need to seek advice on strict form (not just good) and you will still need a comprehensive, balanced and effective muscle building program.I also do not discount my diet for one second. I can eat a lot of food. I'm careful with what I eat. I try and avoid carbs, I eat a lot of nuts plus I LOVE greens and beans. In other words, I'm very careful with my food and so should you be. Without it, a lot of my hard work in the gym would have been rendered useless.

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