Thursday, March 10, 2011

Deadlifts and Squats

 

People ask me all the time what they should do in the weight room. I know there are so many different exercises, it can be overwhelming and intimidating.

First, as I have always said, you really need to hire a trainer. Not just any trainer, but someone who understands your goals and has the knowledge to help you reach those goals.

Interview them, find out what experience they have and make sure they are in agreement with your goals. I once had a trainer who thought women shouldn't be muscular- only "toned" so we ended up parting ways as I wanted to get big and he didn't want me to get big. We are still friends though.

Anyone (and I mean anyone) can be a Certified Personal Trainer, it isn't rocket science. There are some certifications that are considered better than others, and some can even be taken online, which means anyone could actually take the test...

You may actually have a friend who is willing to help out, just don't suck up too much of their time, they need to train too.

But maybe you don't want a trainer, or can't justify the expense, or you don't know anyone who can help out, what do you do in the gym?

Deadlifts and squats.

These are the two most important lifts that you can learn and you should do.  They should be the core of your training, you should do them every week without fail.

What are the least popular lifts in the gym, the ones that few people do?

Deadlifts and squats.

Why? The answer to both is simple. They are effective and they are hard.

That's why they are the best and the least popular!

These two lifts work your entire body, every inch of it. And any strength coach worth their salt will tell you the same thing. Also, they are not going to aggravate a bad back or bad knees if you do them properly.

Please don't mistake a 40 pound fixed weight bar with a proper Olympic bar- with weights added!  You need a real weight, one that will scare you a bit and make you take a deep breath as you approach it.

Oh and if you are a woman, you know what will impress men more than any other lift in the gym?

Deadlifts and squats.

Start lifting and start living!

Below is a video where Matt Wenning watches a lifter squat, and corrects his technique.  Matt is one of only a handful of people to total over 2600 lbs in a professional competition, hold an all-time world record of 2665 lbs in the 308-lb class, and bench press over 800 lbs in a full powerlifting meet. He currently the owner and a private strength coach at Ludus Magnus gym in Columbus, Ohio, a personal trainer to many executives and professionals at Capital Club Athletics, and contracted by the US Army. He also works with firefighters, physicians, children with disabilities, and all forms of athletes in the Columbus, Ohio, area. If you like this video, there is a part 2, 3 and 4 of the same fellow as Matt helps him to increase the load he is able to squat.

You will be able to find the rest of the videos at EliteFitnessSystems

Email readers will need to navigate directly to the blog to view the video.






Enhanced by Zemanta

No comments:

Post a Comment