Effective Weight-Training Workouts

An effective weight-training workout centers on "compound movements," which integrate several muscles in one movement. Isolated workouts, which trigger singular muscles, are effective parts of a workout when interspersed between compound movement workouts. It is important to pace the workout and not overexert the muscles being used in the workout. There are four compound movement exercises that trigger multiple muscles and are important exercises to perform while weight training.

  1. Squats

    • Squats are when the lifter bends through their knees, with a free-weight bar on their back, until your pelvis is lower than your knees and then bend your knees back to their original position. There are variants of the squat workout called the Olympic squat, which is when the bar is positioned high on the rack and the lifter has a closed stance that goes down deep into a squat. The Front Squat is when the bar rests on the front of the shoulders of the lifter as he bends his knees. The Overhead Squat is when the lifter performs the squat holding the bar over their head. A squat is when a bar is placed onto a rack at mid-chest level and place your feet underneath the bar. Duck under the bar and place the bar on your upper back. Tighten your muscles slightly and lift up to get the bar off of the rack. Step back with both legs and stabilize yourself. Keep your chest up and keep your look directly forward focused. Keep the bar above your spine and at the top of your shoulder blades. Keep your grip on the bar narrow and closer to your neck. Do not use your thumbs to grip the bar by keeping them in line with your palms. Keep your wrists straight and in line with your forearms. Keep your shoulders tight as you bend your knees, this will support the bar and give it a solid base to rest on. Keep your elbows back to avoid injuring them. Keep your feet shoulder width apart and point your toes out at 30-degree angles.

    Deadlifts

    • A deadlift is when a bar with weights is placed on the ground and the bar is pulled up from the ground until the body is fully extended. Begin with the bar at shin level on the ground. Make sure you are wearing hard soled shoes or you are lifting in your bare feet. Straps should never be used when deadlifting. Cushioned shoes will distort the transfer of power and the general stability of the lifter.

      Keep your feet shoulder width apart with your toes angled out and curve your toes upwards. Push your chest forward and your butt out. Pull your shoulders back and keep your face facing forward, as this will help you evade injury. Keep your hands about twenty-inches away from each other as you lift the bar up. While gripping the bar, keep it closer to your fingers than your palms-- too close to your palm and you risk tears in your skin and calluses. This is your starting position. Push from your heels and move your hips forward as you lift the bar up. Keep your arms straight and flex your triceps as you lift the bar up. Keep the bar in contact with your shins and legs as you lift it up. If the bar is not in contact with your body, you risk putting harmful stress on your lower back and possible injury. Flex your butt as you are finishing the lift. The lift is complete when your knees and hips lock in place. This completes the ascension of the weight, now the weight is returned to it's starting position. Unlock your hips and knees; keeping your shoulders back, chest forward and face forward as you keep the close to, lowering the bar down while keeping it close to your body. Bend your knees until the bar rests on the ground.

    Bench Press

    • Bench presses are performed on upright support benches by vertically pushing a bar, with weights on it, until your arms lock and then lowering it onto the bench's rack. There are different kinds of bench press techniques that can target specific muscles amongst the group of muscles used during the bench press. Close-grip bench presses target the triceps by using a shoulder width grip as the bar is pressed upwards. The Reverse Grip Bench Press is when the lifter's palm faces himself or herself, this also targets the triceps. The Incline Bench Press targets the shoulders by having the lifter lie on an inclined support bench. Decline Bench Presses target the lower pectoral and allow you to lift more weight by having the lifter lay on a declined support bench. A Floor Press targets the triceps by performing a bench press while lying on the floor and propping the weight on stacked fitness blocks.

      Lie on an upright support bench with a bar being held by the bench's rack. Tighten your back muscles as you grip the bar. Keep your grip on the bar about 22 to 28 inches apart. Rest the bar on your palm, close to your wrist. Keep your chest up and your back tight as you push the bar up. Keep your feet stance wide, your legs perpendicular to the ground and your feet flat on the ground. This is your starting stance. Push the bar upwards with your eyes focused on a point on the ceiling. Slowly release your elbows from their locked position and rest the bar on the bench rack.

    Military Press

    • Rest a bar on the ground in front of you. Grab the bar with an overhand grip. Keep your hands more than shoulder width apart as you slightly bend your knees and pull the bar up to your collarbone. Make sure your feet are shoulder width apart and are stable. This is your starting position. Push the bar up, as you inhale, until your shoulders and elbows lock. Release your shoulders and elbows, exhaling as you return the bar to your collarbone. That is one repetition. Slowly lower the bar to the ground, using your arms and then your legs, keeping the bar close to your body to prevent straining your back when you are done.