I don’t know about you but I’ve always thought that increasing weight on the bar is the most important component in weight lifting in terms of building muscle and increasing strength. It’s a great indicator of strength improvement and it has been the basis of my entire fitness philosophy for maybe 20 years. But a…
How to improve shoulder health, and build a great chest without the bench press How much do ya bench? Everyone loves to bench press. It is a very effective exercise for building overall upper body strength due to the amount of weight you can use to overload your muscles. But it has shortcomings too. It…
Preventing Shoulder Injuries is difficult. The human shoulder has the greatest range of motion in the animal world but is also at a higher risk of injuries. To strengthen the shoulder, one needs to focus on major components such as the rotator cuff, deltoid, and biceps/chest tendon. Proper scapular control, flexible lat and pec muscles, and strength in multiple planes of movement are crucial for shoulder health. One exercise that can help is the Superman exercise which develops rhomboid muscles and lower trapezius.
The ATG split squat is an exercise popularized by Ben Patrick of the ATG system, used to restore knee function and reduce pain. It’s also highly beneficial for low back and hip health since it targets tight hip flexors that can lead to compensatory spinal flexion. Additionally, the exercise develops unilateral strength, fixes imbalances, and can be performed anywhere. For maximum benefits and safety, proper progressions should be followed. The couch stretch is an intense but effective way to stretch hip flexors, address left/right asymmetries, and alleviate back and hip pain.
As Ronnie Coleman once said, “Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but don’t nobody wants to lift no heavy ass weights.” However, lifting weights doesn’t mean you have to be a bodybuilder. It’s an investment in your health, and just 30-60 minutes of appropriate resistance training per week can help increase muscle mass, slow aging, and shield you from injury and sickness. Resistance training can also help fight sarcopenia, the progressive loss of muscle or adverse muscle changes that accrue over a lifetime, and protect you from neurodegeneration. So, don’t be afraid to lift those heavy ass weights – your body will thank you later.
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