There is probably no athlete who is not interested in developing his strength and power. These features seem to have a function that determines the level of results achieved in most sports. So how do you ensure power in the gym, all in one weight set and beyond? We present useful exercise tips here.
For most exercisers, muscle power is identified with typically strength sports competitions. The opposite is true. Power and strength are one of those motor skills that, along with endurance and speed, should be shaped by every athlete – regardless of the type of discipline.
The difference is naturally in the proportions of the occurrence of training shaping these features. Both theorists and practitioners of sport agree on the positive values resulting from the implementation of power training.
No wonder that power training is an extremely important component of any strength training. Sometimes, even the most important. Especially when the quality of this feature can determine the sports results in a given discipline. To achieve the right effects of power development, therefore, you should compose a training that will effectively increase not only our power but also strength and endurance.
Power training – how does it work?
Fatigue, eating habits, body structure, and composition, as well as the level of advancement of the exerciser, his (or her) age, and sex, may affect the strength.
However, nothing affects power building like a well-structured, regularly performed training, in which we will increase the load now and then. An important rule in power training is to ensure proper progression.
The exerciser should systematically overcome gradually increasing training loads proportional to his capabilities. And it’s not necessarily the ones we can only find in the gym.
For effective power training involving the muscles of the whole body, only 2 dumbbells are enough (well, maybe a few of their pairs of different severity – progression, remember?).
How to use them? How to plan and perform full power training? What exercises should be included in it? What to take care of when performing them? Check out 5 exercises for power engaging the entire body muscles.
1. Quad board
Begin the exercise with your hands and knees on the floor (parallel knees under your hips). Pull your arms back, firmly pressing your fingers and hands to the floor, engage your abdominal muscles and lift your knees above the floor. Keep your back straight and your hips down. Hold the board from 20 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Renegade row
Start exercising in the pump position. Tension your body strongly and pull the weight with one hand, supporting the body with the other. Raise your arm slightly higher than your torso and slowly lower the weight back to the floor.
You can do the exercise alternately or stay on one hand for 10-15 repetitions, then change to the other side. You can do an exercise modification with your knees on the floor.
3. Squat sumo with dumbbells
Start with a squat in the sumo position with dumbbells between your legs. Keep your feet firmly on the floor, keep your hips down and straight.
Keep your abdominal muscles tense while moving your body to an upright position, while pulling up the dumbbells.
Keep your elbows under your wrist and your dumbbells above your shoulders. Push your hips back when you fall back to the starting position. Do 10-15 reps
4. Sitting dumbbells
Start in a seated position with your legs stretched forward and your torso straight. Keep your stomach and hips stiff to keep your upper body stable during pressure.
Keep your elbows under your wrist to extend your arms above your head. Slowly lower the weight while keeping the body upright, swap arms. Do 10-15 reps on each shoulder.
5. Side handles with dumbbells
Stand in a wide sumo position with the weight in front of your body. Push your hips back and to the side, keeping your back straight and your chest open. When you lean to the left, pull your left arm backwards, while reaching your body low with your right hand. Rocking your hips, move them to the right, pulling your right hand up and pulling your left hand down. Do 15-20 reps on each side.