Strength Training

5 Weightlifting Accessories

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Whether you’re just doing strength training or are a professional body builder, there are accessories designed to make your lifting safer and more effective. Not everyone uses every accessory available, but it’s a good idea to be familiar with what’s out there so you can choose what you need. Weight gloves. One of the most common weightlifting accessories is a pair of gloves that allow ...

Weight Lifting for Kids

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Can weightlifting harm children? If not, is there any benefit for kids in strength training? These questions have been debated for years because of concerns that certain physical activities can interfere with a child’s epiphyseal plates – more commonly called “growth plates.” It was believed weightlifting could cause these plates to close prematurely, stunting growth. The most recent studies, however, do not confirm this, and ...

Use strength training to lower your BMI

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If you’re looking to lower your BMI, a strength training (weight lifting) regimen is probably at least as helpful as diet and cardio. While simply not taking in as much fat from your food obviously helps to lower your overall body fat, weight lifting gives you an added advantage because it helps create lean muscle that actually burns more calories, even when you’re at rest. ...

The pros of weightlifting with machines

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When it comes to weightlifting, you have a choice before you: free weights, or weight machines? Both have advantages and disadvantages, and it will depend on what you’re trying to achieve – and on your financial situation. Free weights are generally less expensive than weight machines – or memberships to gyms where you have access to weight machines – but there are very inexpensive weight ...

Weightlifting as cross training

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Not only is weightlifting a great sport or health activity in and of itself – it’s also great as cross-training for any other sport you’re into. Whether you engage in a general weightlifting routine to enhance your overall health and strength or target certain muscle groups you use in other sports activities, the benefits are very good. This is why weightlifting is part of the ...

Losing weight through weightlifting

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Most people turn to cardio workouts for fat-burning and weight loss, rather than weightlifting. It is true that muscle is heavy and by increasing muscle mass, you increase your weight. But a weightlifting routing can actually be designed to help you burn fat, speed up your metabolism and ultimately lose weight. The “Resting Metabolism Rate” (RMR) is the speed at which your body burns calories ...

How to do the squat

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The Squat is an excellent exercise for building strength in your lower body and legs. It’s important that you learn the correct method for doing squats, so that you don’t strain or injure your muscles in the process. The squat should make your muscles feel stretched and challenged, not pained. Incorrect technique can also cause you not to get as much benefit from the exercise ...

Weightlifting Equipment Basics

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Weightlifting is one of the least expensive and most simple forms of exercise to take up because it really doesn’t require any particular equipment. You can lift cans of beans to work your biceps and triceps, lift heavy books to work your shoulders, etc. The only think that makes the equipment worth investing in is the comfort of handles that make it easy for your ...

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