Shoulder Workout Routines for Beginners

One of the most prominent body figures that would make you stand out among other body builders would be too improve your shoulders. Enhancing the muscles in your shoulders is easy and you could do it even in the convenience of your own home. In working out it is important to know the different types of routine affects various kinds of muscle groups. For beginners one should first set a goal. Planning which type of area of the body to enhance would keep you focused on that objective. In working out, the best approach is to develop a single area of your body before trying to improve the whole. It is just hard and consumes large amounts of your time and energy approaching it holistically.

You must first decide on which area of the body to work on. After deciding then it is time for you to know the different types of routine. Enhancing the shoulder muscles requires repetitions and different kind of routines. There are two things to remember when trying to perform work out exercises to enhance your shoulder muscle development. The two things would be the heavy shoulder work out and the light shoulder work out.

1. Light shoulder work out

• Performing Military press is one way of enhancing shoulder muscles do repetitions presses. Perform 1 set of 15 compressions and two sets of 10 repetitions and the last part is 1 set of 8 repetitions.

• Performing Side Lateral Raising will enhance the area of your shoulder blades do repetitions of Side Lateral Raises. Perform 1 set of 15 repetitions and 3 sets of 10 repetitions. In these repetitions light dumbbells are being used.

1. Heavy shoulder work out

• It is the usual military press in light shoulder work out the only difference is the sets of repetition performed. In this method perform 1 set of 15 compressions, 2 sets of 10 chest compressions and lastly the 2 sets of 8 compressions.

• Performing Upward Rows gives the best results. To do this you must perform 2 sets of 10 upward rows and 2 sets of 8 upward rows. This is done using a heavier dumbbell.

• Seated dumbbell press is easy to perform. All you need to do is perform repetition of dumbbell press in 1 set of 15 repetitions, 2 sets of 10 repetitions and lastly 2 sets of 8 repetitions. You use a slightly heavier dumbbell while performing this routine.

Performing this kind of work out routine can easily be done in your own home. The thing to remember is the number of repetitions to perform. All you need is a dumbbell you are set to perform your work out activity. It would only take minutes of your time. Doing it every day would ensure best results. For those who wanted to learn more about workout routine it is best to enroll in gym fitness training. This would enable you to learn even more things on the different techniques to develop your muscles.

Carbohydrate Cycling for Fat Loss

Carbohydrate cycling is the practice of lowering carbs for 2-3 days and then bringing your carbs back up for 1-2 days, instead of just keeping your carb ratios the same all the time. This helps your body to burn fat at a higher rate on the lower carb days and then replenish your carbs on higher days. This keeps your metabolism from slowing down and makes sticking to your ‘diet' easier knowing that you will be able to eat higher carbs and calories in a few days.

It is considered by some to be the most effective low carbohydrate diet method for losing body fat.  It is a well kept secret of bodybuilders and fitness models.

Like all plans that incorporate a new diet that is different than they way you are used to eating, it has to be viewed as a lifestyle change for it to be successful.  Eliminating junk food or other items that you take pleasure in can be extremely difficult and requires a significant commitment.

Remember that like everything else, low carbohydrate diets, when taken to the extreme, may do more harm than good. It's not wise to go to extremes in anything and this is as true for dieting as with anything else in life: moderation is the key.

Muscle Memory

Muscle memory can best be described as a type of movement with which the muscles become familiar over time.  The only way for the muscles to become familiar to new activities is for you to learn how to do these things and then practice them with a great deal of trial and error. Gradually, as you become more skilled you are able to incorporate more complicated activities movements into your routine.

This is the body's natural pattern both cognitively and physically to do an exercise effortlessly. A trained athlete develops muscles that consistently perform the same exercise in the same manner each time. It is great for an athlete increasing a skill that needs duplication, like throwing a football, baseball, shooting a basket or a golf swing…and lifting weights.

In bodybuilding, muscle memory will allow you to train automatically, without conscious thought. If you have to stop and think about what is happening and what the proper movements are, you'll constantly be correcting and possible reinforcing a poor technique. It takes a tremendous amount of repetition to do things correctly and is easily lost without constant reinforcement. It also let's you turn your attention to the "big picture" e.g. to plan the next step in the work to be done, by taking over a large part of your "mental load".

Some argue that if you do the same workouts all the time the body just learns what you want it to do and doesn't really have to think about working at it anymore. Basically you are just "maintaining" maybe even losing some muscle by repetition. This is simply not true. As long as you are constantly applying the right amount of weight for your level, then muscle memory will ensure that you continue to perform your routine correctly. Remember practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.

Swiss Exercise Balls

Swiss exercise balls are also known as physio balls.  They were created for use in physio therapy, but they are very versatile and can by used in a number of different ways to supplement your beginner bodybuilding routine.  Your body is compelled to use muscles differently to maintain balance on the unstable and flexible balls.  Situps done with swiss exercise balls are just one variation that you can do to build your ab muscles.

Swiss Exercise Ball Ab Crunch Video

 

The Swiss ball was originally developed as an excise option for those who suffer from back pain.  By its very nature it strengthens and works the core muscles that help to stabilize the spine.  But the options far exceed that and the ball can be effectively used to strengthen almost any muscle group.

The term was first coined as it was used in 1965 Switzerland by a group of physical therapists who were using it with children who had cerebral palsy.  It is also sometimes referred to as a gymnic ball, stability ball or a therapy ball.  They are often inflatable or make of vinyl, plastic or solid foam rubber.

Swiss Ball Push Up Video

 

As with all bodybuilding activities when you are a beginner, please take it slowly.  Do not rush out and get the biggest Swiss ball.  Take it gradually and you will reap the rewards at a pace appropriate for you without risking injury. 

Consider your height and leg length when choosing a physio ball.  Your hips and knees should be at a 90 degree angle when you are sitting on the ball.  Proper fitting advice can be received by consulting a physical therapist or a spine specialist.  These people are also an excellent source for the best exercises specifically for you.

They even make swiss exercise balls in office appropriate colors so that you can improve your balance while sitting at work.  By working on your posture, using these balls will help you to minimize your risk of incurring lower back pain.

While the swiss exercise ball offers numerous benefits in your fitness workout routine, it is just as important to not overuse the ball.  You want to condition your muscles to perform optimum under all sorts of differing conditions and overusing the swiss ball could lead to weakness in the upper body, additionally the ball trains the body in controlled movements which doesn't train the ability to perform more explosive movements.  Vary your exercise tools and continue to make use of free weights, cables and your own body weight.

Preventing Shin Splints

Shin splints have always been a plague for runners.  There are a number of causes, including but not limited to improper footwear, undeveloped muscles and simply overdoing it.  Shin splints are small tears in the muscle around your shin and are very painful.  Accordingly, prevention is key.

The first step in preventing shin splints is to make sure you are wearing the proper shoes.  As shin splints are caused by the impact of the force associated with running, having the appropriate protection or cushion in place can do a great deal for preventing them.

Being flatfooted can also make you more susceptible to shin splints and even if you are not flat footed there may be other biomechanical reasons why you are getting shin splints, so it may be a good idea to get a professional consultation on footwear.

Make sure that your calves are not tight when exercising by stretching them out.  Also stretch out and strengthen your feet, raising and lowering yourself on the balls of your feet.

The real frustration of shin splints for active exercisers is that it puts your routine on hold and slow down your development plan.

Applying ice to each shin after a workout can help to prevent shin splints.  This is due to ice's ability to prevent inflammation.

A sudden increase in your activity that puts stress on the legs can lead to shin splints.  So if you are going to be ramping up the intensity of your routines, be sure to do it slowly and safely.

The pain will come on dull initially, but will sharpen and intensify if you continue to over use your legs.  It is recommended not to continue with the activity once you recognize that a shin splint has set in as you certainly don't want to risk getting a more serious injury.  Applying compression with bandages has been said to help relieve the pain.

Warming up and stretching, wearing the right and best footwear, and not training too hard too quickly will all help you to prevent shin splints.

Smith Machine

The Smith Machine is a weight training machine.  It is unique in that it is a free weight barbell, but it can only move up and down.  This gives it an extra dimension of safety for the beginner bodybuilder.

The additional safety is achieved through several lockout positions.  Adjustable safeties allow it to be secured at any point.  The benefit being that it is safer for those who train without a spotter.  If the weight becomes to great, you can twist your wrist and lock the barbell in place.  Of course for maximum safety it is recommended to always train with a spotter.

The barbell does not need to be stabilized as the Smith Machine does not allow it to fall forwards, backwards or sideways.  This enables you to life more weight, but don't be lulled into a false sense and don't lift more weight than your body is ready for.

Using the Smith Machine is not the same as using free weights.  You can not do exercises that require an arc and you do not get the additional benefit that comes from having to stabilize the weight as you lift it.  Stabilizing the weight is an important component of bodybuilding.  Using the required muscles is required to develop them as well.  This is the challenge with it comes to doing squats and bench presses on the Smith Machine.  In that regard you would not want to use this as your primary workout machine, but it comes in handy when you are alone.

So the Smith Machine has it purpose, but it is definitely not a replacement for free weights. Beginner bodybuilders need to build muscle mass not just on the primary muscles, but on the stabilizer muscles as well. Free weights better imitate the range of motion that you would actually be performing in real life activities, but when you are alone or can’t find a spotter, the Smith Machine offers a safer alternative.

Exercises for Beginner Bodybuilders

The type of exercises for beginner bodybuilders you choose will depend you and your personal fitness goals.  We've been talking about home gyms and bodybuilding equipment for beginners.  The decision you have made in this area will determine which exercises you should start with.

There are a wide variety of different exercises that can target the same muscle group and achieve the same result.  This allows you to choose a variation that you find most comfortable or enjoy doing.  The more you enjoy your bodybuilding routine the more likely you are to stick with it and more importantly perform the exercises correctly.

While gaining muscle mass is the main objective for those beginning to body build it is critical that you do not overlook the importance of cardio to your regimen.  It doesn't matter if you choose to run, swim, stairmaster or otherwise, you need to have a strong heart to endure the strain of the heavy lifting you will be doing.

Regardless of the exercises you are doing you need to remember to start slow and pace yourself.  You will not meet your bodybuilding goals if you are laid up with an injury by trying to accomplish to much too quickly.  As your body becomes more accustomed to the strain you are subjecting it to, you can them ramp up the intensity.  But still accelerate slowly.  Bodybuilding for beginners is a marathon not a sprint.

Many find it easier to stick with a routine if you change it up and keep lots of variety.  Learn different exercises and movements and keep things interesting for yourself.  If you do join a gym, talk to people.  Watch out for techniques you haven't seen before and ask about them.  Also consult one of the trainers on hand about what exercises you should start with for maximum benefit.  When choosing which gym you should join, look for one where this type of service would be available.

As beginning to exercise is a delicate time for a new bodybuilder  in that you are more susceptible to injury due to a lack of conditioning and inexperience, you want to make sure that the gym equipment is in good repair and will taken care of.

I have said before that a solid foundation is just as important a component of your ultimate success as is your commitment to actually following through with the activities.  Take some time when formulating this plan to do the necessary research and develop a solid list of exercises for beginner bodybuilders.