General preparatory exercises: a set of warm-up exercises, a set of exercises for developing strength endurance

Most gym goers train to gain muscle mass or improve strength, but there are athletes whose main goal is to develop endurance.

Endurance is the body's ability to tolerate aerobic and anaerobic stress. Athletes who train to improve endurance often do it incorrectly. They make stupid mistakes that lead to injuries. Below is useful information about endurance training. At the end of the article, two endurance training programs are provided, one for beginners and one for experienced athletes.

The first day

Increases strength and endurance.
Strength: Perform each exercise for two to three sets of 10 repetitions with two-minute rest intervals.

1. Squats
2. Leg bending in the simulator
3. Calf raises
4. Dumbbell Bench Press
5. Bent-over dumbbell row
6. Dumbbell Overhead Press
7. Dumbbell Curl
8. Torso flexion

Train your cardiovascular system for 20 minutes. If you don't have a wall bars, use an elliptical trainer.

Types of exercises and their effects on health

Exercising regularly (say 3-5 times a week) has a positive effect on overall health, increases endurance, improves general condition, a person becomes slimmer, more alert and active.

In addition to the above, you can lose weight, strengthen blood vessels and heart muscle. Performing warm-up exercises on a regular basis helps a person perfect his strength and speed.

Of course, for each case, based on the characteristics of the body, it is worth choosing your own complex, because there can always be contraindications. These are injuries, chronic diseases. You cannot perform exercises while overcoming pain and discomfort. Also, the exercise technique must be studied completely: it is good if a specialist shows it, or carefully study these exercises on video. Otherwise, there is no point in doing them: apart from harm and discomfort, these exercises will not cause anything.

More information about the types of exercises and their effects on health can be found here

Day three

Develops explosive speed and strength, as well as balance and agility.

Plyometrics: The point of plyometric training is to quickly stretch muscles that produce powerful movement in a short period of time. As a result, mobility, reaction speed and jumping ability increase.

1. Lateral line jumps

Stand sideways to the line drawn on the floor. On your toes, jump across the line from side to side. After each landing, push off with maximum sharpness, as if you were touching your feet to a hot floor. This will help you develop mobility in your lower body, as well as the ability to instantly change direction. Perform three approaches, spending 30 seconds on each.

2. Jumping with legs tucked in

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and then squat down, leaning forward. Now jump as high as possible, keeping your back straight and trying to bring your knees to your chest. You need to perform three approaches lasting 20 seconds each. Rest for 1-2 minutes at intervals. If you have back problems, skip this exercise.

3. Vigorous jumps

Jump for 20-30 meters, trying to raise your knees as high as possible (like a high jumper taking a running start). As you lift your knee, swing your opposite arm forward. Perform 10 sets, resting at intervals of 45-60 seconds.

4. Moving from side to side on bent legs

Squat down slightly like a defensive basketball player and, without crossing your legs, move first to one side and then to the other. At the same time, expand your chest and lean on your toes, trying not to touch the floor with your heels. At a distance of 20-30 meters, perform 5 approaches in each direction.

5. Maintaining balance on one leg

Stand on one leg for at least 30 seconds. Perform 5 repetitions for each leg. If you want to make the exercise more difficult, do it with your eyes closed.

6. Hill Sprint

Find a hill with a slope of 5-10%. Run quickly up the slope, and then go down in short steps - this way the load on your knees will be minimal. Every time you rush to the top, tilt your body and work hard with your arms. At a distance of 20-30 meters, perform 10 repetitions. Rest for 45-60 seconds between runs.

Preparing to do exercises at home

Each type of exercise and training has its own necessary conditions. You can’t just immediately pick up dumbbells and pump up your muscles. We suggest you familiarize yourself with the main preparatory points. They are basically the same for men and women:

• Prepare your study area. It is advisable that it be a small square of floor (for example, 2x3 meters), free of things and furniture around the perimeter. It is best to perform exercises on a mat. The room where classes take place must be well ventilated;
• This is really a workout, not a light warm-up where you can rotate your arms a little and squat a couple of times. Only through systematic exercise can you develop the necessary skills, improve your body health, and lose extra pounds. Therefore, these activities should be approached from such positions and performed on an ongoing basis;
• You can’t even study at home in socks. This attitude in modern man leads to the death of joints. Be sure to conduct classes in at least light sports shoes;
• An hour, an hour and a half before the start - no food. Half an hour before the start of classes, it would be a good idea to drink a glass of plain water. 30-40 minutes after finishing, you can take protein and carbohydrate foods. Let it be cottage cheese plus any fruit;

• A home workout should start with a warm-up and end with a set of stretching exercises. Warm-up exercises can be voluntary. Sit down several times, rotate your arms and torso;
• It's hard to get into a rhythm at first. It is recommended to work with a stopwatch or timer. It is assumed that the time allotted to complete the exercise (depending on the difficulty) should be 10-20 seconds. Can be counted manually: no more than 20 repetitions;
• During exercises, it is better to alternate the load on the right and left halves of the body, monitor proper breathing;
• The first classes should last no more than 15-25 minutes, not including the warm-up complex. Subsequently, all this is adjusted: something more, something less. But you cannot continue classes if there is pain, nausea, dizziness;
• During classes, avoid sudden movements, swings, jolts and control your breathing;
• Training does not have to be done every day: 3-5 times a week is enough, but with good results;
• Choose sets of exercises that alternate, loading muscles and training different body functions. Make up a general complex of them that is convenient for you.

Day four

Increases strength.

Power cycle

Perform all exercises in 3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 repetitions

• Lunges with dumbbells in hands
• Leg bending in the simulator
• Push-ups
• Incline Bench Press
• Pull-up on the bar
• Sitting cravings to the stomach
• Dips

Cycle of exercises with a ball

Try to perform all these exercises with sharp movements. Each requires two sets of 10 repetitions. If desired, they can be replaced by throwing the ball from behind the head or performing a movement on a block simulator that imitates cutting down a tree at the root. Start with a 3kg ball.

1. Throw from under your feet

Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Take the ball in your hands, swing it between your legs and, bending your knees, throw it as far in front of you as possible with your straight arms.

2. Overhead throw

Place your feet on the floor, bend your knees slightly, lift the ball behind your head, like a throw-in in football, and then, using the muscles of your legs, stomach and shoulder girdle, throw it forcefully at the wall in front of you.

3. Side impact

Kneel down, grab the ball with both hands and lift it high above your shoulder. Tightening your torso muscles, forcefully lower the ball to the floor so that it ends up at the opposite knee. This exercise strengthens the oblique abdominal muscles.

4. Diagonal throw

With your knees slightly bent, hold the ball in front of you at waist level. Rotate your hips and swing your arms to one side, then quickly throw the ball as far away from you as possible. Repeat on the other side.

Features of performing exercises for men and women

Although we are all human, the bodies of men and women have differences in terms of anatomy and physiology. And although any exercise can be performed by both a man and a woman, based on the structural features of the body, there are some differences:

1. Since the formation of the figure is different, a man pays more attention to the torso and strength exercises, while a woman pays more attention to the hips and abdomen and flexibility exercises. Accordingly, different types of exercises are selected for yourself.
2. If you do the same exercises, their technique is slightly different for different genders. When performing various complexes, the weaker sex should do more repetitions, but pay less attention to the load. With a man, everything is exactly the opposite.
3. When performing a certain complex, the rhythm should be frequent in women. Each movement is given a second. In men, the time interval in movements is less frequent. In other words, a woman spends less time on one exercise.
4. Based on this, performing the same exercises for men and women will be slightly different both in the form of execution and in time. This should be taken into account if classes are held jointly.
5. All exercises given below are designed for both sexes.

Day six

Increases strength.

Power cycle

• Barbell squats: 2 sets of 10 reps
• Shrugs with dumbbells: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Push-ups: 3 sets with maximum reps
• Pull-ups: 3 sets with maximum reps
• Dips: 3 sets with maximum reps
• Dumbbell Curls: 2 sets of 10 reps
• Barbell Bench Wrist Curls, Palms Up: 2 ​​sets of 10 reps

Cycle of exercises with a ball

If you have lower back problems, skip these exercises!

1. Passing the ball from feet to hands and back

Lie on your back with your knees bent and the ball between your feet. Holding your arms above your head, simultaneously lift your body and legs off the floor. Imagine that you are lying on an adjustable bed and it folds in the middle. Reaching for the ball with your hands, move it behind your head, and then repeat the movement and transfer the ball from your hands to your feet. Two sets of 10 repetitions.

2. Reverse twist

Lie on the floor, holding the ball with your knees. Keeping your upper body still, lift yourself up with the ball. Perform two sets of 20-25 repetitions.

Stretching exercises

As mentioned above, the workout should end with stretching exercises. It is worth stretching the muscles of your legs and back. Here are a few simple exercises for this complex:

Alternating leg stretches. Sit on the mat. Stretch one leg, bend the other, pulling it towards the inner thigh. Then bend your body towards your extended leg without bending your knee. Freeze for a few seconds. Switch legs. Do this 5-7 times.

Stretching the back and hips. Put one leg forward, bending the knee, take the other back, stretching it out as much as possible, bending your back forward. In this way, stretch all the muscles along the line of the spine and the extended leg. Then change legs. Repeat 3-5 times.

Leg-split. Sit in a classic split with your legs stretched out to the sides as far as possible. It is not necessary to stretch them as shown in the pictures. Find a comfortable position for yourself, stretching your legs to the extent they are trained for this type of stretching. Sit in this position for a few seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.

Of course, you can do a few more exercises if you wish, for example, stretching your legs alternately in a half-squat. Or stand up and bend the upper half of your body, pressing it as close as possible to your outstretched legs. Everyone can choose the most comfortable exercises for themselves. Here it is important to feel that the muscles have really stretched and there is a pleasant fatigue.

So , if we give some summary, we see that you can select or come up with enough exercises for yourself, for their different types of effects on the body. There would be a desire and good motivation for this

Popular training methods

You can start training in different ways. There are popular methods in fitness centers.

Crossfit

This training combines several types of loads, which allows you to develop harmoniously. The results obtained will be useful not only for the gym, but also for everyday life. CrossFit is maximally adapted to bodybuilding, therefore it is most suitable for the gym.

CrossFit elements include:

• jumping;
• squats;
• push ups;
• pull-ups;
• walking on hands (if possible).

Exercises in CrossFit are performed in series with 3-6 variations in each series. Alternation is desirable in accordance with muscle groups. For example, if the pushing group is loaded, the pulling fibers are loaded next.

Strength training

This is another improvement option that is also suitable for free home use. Exercises include kettlebell lifts or weighted squats. Strength endurance training helps improve muscle strength, but takes into account the selection of proper nutrition. Nutrition programs are selected on your own and the regime, in general, is meant to be followed very strictly.

Bent-over barbell row

There is almost no time to decrease or add weight, so the weight of the barbell is used the same as it was when performing the close-grip bench press.

The deadlift itself is a basic exercise and technically complex. Therefore, lower the barbell completely on your hands, allowing your back muscles to stretch well, but not hunching over.

The back is flat, with a slight arch in the lower back. For a good base, rest well on your heels. Inhale as you lower, exhale as you rise.

You can hold the bar with either a forward or reverse grip. In the second case, the load on the biceps will be more significant, and the lats themselves can be stretched better.

The only thing when performing rows with a reverse grip, do not make a sharp start at the beginning of the movement, otherwise you can pull the biceps, especially if its flexibility is low. If you intend to perform deadlifts with a regular grip, then the load will go to a greater extent, in addition to the back, into the front bundle of deltas.

An effective example of training

At the beginning of any mixed workout, warm up for five minutes. Endurance exercises in the gym can be as follows:

If possible, you can perform pull-ups with the maximum number of repetitions, or run on a treadmill. At the end of the training, a warm-up is performed.

Joe Weider's Speed ​​Principle

Joe Weider is a famous bodybuilding trainer. He developed a unique training method for professional athletes, the essence of which is based on several principles, one of which is the principle of speed. In standard workouts, repetitions are performed at a moderate pace, giving the opportunity to feel the work of each muscle and focus on technique.

This approach is ideal for athletes seeking to develop a proportionate figure. However, for bodybuilders whose priority is muscle size, it is not suitable. In this case, it is recommended to use speed training aimed at developing fast muscle fibers, which are characterized by great strength but fatigue.

The speed principle involves working with heavy weights that the body is not yet accustomed to. The number of repetitions is reduced, but the speed of execution increases. The focus should be on speed, not on lifting technique. The method is recommended for athletes who have been training for more than 1 year, for whom the technology of performing exercises has been worked out to the point of automaticity.

What does endurance mean?

The very concept of endurance is quite multifaceted and it is necessary to develop it in several directions at the same time.

• There is strength endurance - the way our muscles overcome the pain threshold during strength exercises. It determines how many repetitions we can perform in weight exercises.
• For athletes, an indicator such as speed endurance is also important - how ready the muscles are to maintain the speed of an exercise by adapting to constant contraction, for example, during running or swimming.
• The issue of proper breathing is also important. If you cannot control your breathing rate while playing sports and you experience shortness of breath, you will not be able to perform a full workout. We need to look for ways to solve this problem.

In our article we will tell you what exercises you need to do to develop endurance, whether this indicator can be developed at home and what results can be achieved in a month of hard training.

Interval loads

Recent research shows that interval training is an ideal way to increase general and specific endurance.
Their essence is alternating short periods of intense exercise and rest. The ideal of interval, well-structured load is a method where 20 seconds of work are followed by 10 seconds of rest. This cycle alternates 10-20 rounds, but as endurance and adaptation increase, the number of rounds can be increased to the maximum limit. Such a regular change of loads effectively speeds up metabolism, burns calories, and improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Accordingly, such techniques can be used not only when training to increase endurance, but also when building a weight loss program.

Aerobic exercise

Aerobic training involves cardio exercise, for example, light jogging for half an hour. But this is one-sided endurance. But complex (universal) endurance is best developed by sports like hand-to-hand combat. It is in such sports that the loads of constant movement are combined with sudden changes in tempo and rapid changes in points of application of loads. All of these types of aerobic exercise strengthen the cardiovascular system and activate the fat burning process, while simultaneously increasing the overall endurance of the body.