Strength Training Exercises - What you Need to Know

If you want to feel stronger, get more flexible, achieve better balance and body harmony, and just be able to perform physical activities much better than you do at present, it's time to get into strength training. Strength training exercises activates your muscles to work further than it is used to, which, in effect, is how it becomes stronger.

There are three basic kinds of strength training exercises: abdominal, upper body and lower body exercises. Abdominal exercises strengthen your center, which is supposed to give you optimum control over the rest of your body and keep all your power in check. Exercises for the upper body involve the back, torso and arms, while legs, thighs and hips are developed by lower body exercises.

Nearly all of the exercises will be lifting weights, they will be your weight resistance. This said, you must be aware of risk factors involved when starting out on your strength training program. For example, if you have any diseases or problems with your heart, or even if there is any history of coronary disease in your family, you must get your doctor's permission before you can start a strength training program that involves weight lifting. If you suffer from obesity, chronic hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, asthma always consult your doctor.

You should also talk to your doctor about being ready for strength training when you are recovering from surgery, have had no physical exercise whatsoever prior to your upcoming strength training plans, are pregnant or had given birth less than three months ago. Obviously, after events such as these, you would probably want your body to be much stronger, but jumping into strength training exercises after such a weakened condition would do much more harm than good. Let's get going, but slowly.

It is important to have a strength training program that involves the majority of the muscles in your body. Don't just focus on one part of your body e.g. if you wanted to get a nice six pack. Do this and the rest of your body will suffer. A primary program you can start with would involve the bench press, lateral pulldowns, overhead press, bicep curl and tricep pulldown for upper body; squats, leg extensions and leg curls; and abdominal crunches for your midsection. You can add exercises later on.

There are even programs with combination exercises for people on the go. Such exercises include squats with bicep curls, or with overhead press, lunges with lateral raises, and so on. But these are for later, when you've already achieved some strength and experience in strength training.

Your strength training exercise program should be very basic when you start out. Eight to twelve reps per muscle group is the recommended minimum to help you get your desired results. This recommendation comes from The American College of Sports Medicine. As you progress with your exercises, the amount of resistance that is applied to your exercises must increase as well, but again, don't rush into it. The only way to go is up. You'll be stronger before you know it.