What Is Strength Training?

Strength training is the name for any exercise that uses resistance to work a muscle or a group of muscles to the point of fatigue by actually creating microscopic tears in the muscle fibers.   As the muscles heal and recover, they build strength and endurance.  The all new Terrell Owens Super Strong Man resistance bands are the perfect way to strength training without weights.

Follow these recommendations before starting a strength training program:

• Eat right. The body does not respond well to a good workout coupled with poor nutrition.

• Change the workout by varying the reps and types of exercise.  This prevents the muscles from adapting and not being able to increase in strength and endurance.

• Do not exceed a resistance level that causes poor posture. Exhale while pulling the resistance bands, inhale when releasing them and never hold the breath.

• Exercise the entire body by training opposing muscles equally, that is, both arms, both legs, both shoulders, not just the left or right.

• Be realistic. It is best to plan to train a specific muscle group2 days a week and actually do it, than to plan to train that same group 4 days and find it hard to meet the goal.

• Don't overtrain. The body cannot recuperate between workouts if you overtrain.  Remembers, those tiny microscopic muscle tears need time to heal.  Signs of overtraining include headaches, nausea and rapid heart rate upon waking up.  I you start feeling run down, take a break for one or two days.

Strength training increases bone strength, helps burn fat by raising the metabolism, reduces the risk of osteoporosis, and improves joints stability. Other benefits gained with strength training include improved insulin sensitivity, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and improved mood.

The key to achieving these benefits is to know how to increase resistance safely while continuing to maintain good form and posture. Put simply, as you get stronger you’ll need to increase the load on the muscle to continue to achieve a strength-building benefit. When you’re able to perform a certain number of repetitions in a set easily, it is time to increase the resistance again or increase the number of reps.

It may be tempting to leap to a higher resistance before the body may be ready. However, increasing resistance too quickly can be dangerous and counterproductive. Maintaining the proper form is crucial to preventing muscle strain, and it is the first thing sacrificed by attempting to pull too much resistance. Furthermore, increasing resistance improperly may cause you to be too sore to continue the strength training program.

The old adage “no pain, no gain” is misleading and potentially dangerous. By increasing weight or resistance gradually and safely, you’ll be able to minimize soreness while maximizing the benefits of strength training. It is normal to feel some muscle soreness after a strength-training workout. However, soreness lasting more than 2 days after a workout means that the muscle has been over-worked.

On the other hand, people should not be afraid to challenge themselves. Working out at the same weight for too long reduces the benefits of strength training and can be boring. This is a major reason why people stop working out.

Increasing muscle strength requires regular strength training, adequate rest and proper nutrition.  Muscles should be allowed to rebuild over at least 48 hours; do not train the same muscle group two days in a row. Overtraining can actually cause muscles to decrease in size and can easily lead to injury.  

Bodylastics T.O. Super Strong Man 254 lbs of strength training resistance Includes: 7 elastics from 5 to 30 lbs, 4 handles, 4 ankle straps, 1 door anchor, 1 user manual, 1 Terrell Owens Workout & Diet Guide, 1 Circuit Training DVD, 1 travel bag FREE BONUS: Lifetime access to StrengthBandUniversity