What’s the best way to get stronger? First, it’s important to recognize, muscle strength is needed by everyone, not just strongmen and martial arts competitors. Without it, it is difficult to climb, run, swim, or even go for long walks. If you want to be successful in sports, or any athletic pursuit, you should focus on developing muscle strength.
Focus on Progress
1. Bench Press
Progress is the key word for anyone training. Whether you are aimed at improving endurance, increasing muscle mass, reducing body fat or increasing flexibility, there must be some progress in order to track your training. When focusing on exercises aimed at increasing muscle strength, this concept becomes especially important. From session to session, with each exercise, your muscle strength should increase. This can require some skill in training but more importantly it will require dedication. There is no place for half-hearted training here. If you aren’t able to train at 100 percent, It is better to let go and do something else, because you will not achieve any improvement and are more likely to injure yourself.
Here are 7 rules that will help you improve your muscle strength
1. Exercise with a heavy weight
This might seem obvious but, if you want to improve muscle strength and size, put weight on the bar. Fewer repetitions, but with a lot of weight - ranging between 85% and 100% of your maximum are far more beneficial that dozens of reps at 50 percent of what you could do. That being said, it is important to first check what the maximum load is appropriate for your capabilities. Do that before the actual training by working up in increments until you hit your limit. Remember about belaying when exercising with a heavy load.
2. Heavy weight - few reps
In a heavy weight set, do 1 to 3 repetitions. This may seem small, but if you exercise with your maximum weight, you won't be able to do more.
3. Extend the breaks between sets
Strength training usually has a break of 60-90 seconds between sets. This allows you to regulate your breathing without losing momentum and adrenaline. However, if you are working on strength, extend the breaks to 2 or even 3 minutes so that the next set will allow you to deal with even more weight and reduce the risk of injury.
4.Occasional strength training MAKES NO SENSE.
Each of us likes to train sometimes based on "see how much I can actually lift". Training with a partner is helpful here as a little competition goes a long way. But, if you really want to work on the strength of individual muscle groups, you need to do this type of training for several weeks at least twice a week. Then the program will work, and your strength will improve.
5. take care of your diet
Get enough protein and carbohydrates, especially with your post-workout meal. Your muscles have worked hard, the fibers need to regenerate. Diet is especially important during a strength-enhancing cycle.
6.Regeneration is the key
Regeneration is just as important as diet. If you do not provide your body with an adequate dose of sleep, you will have to wait a long time for the results. Therefore, it is best to plan the period of "force" exercises at a time when we can afford a proper portion of rest. Increased stress at work, lots of extra activities at home? This is not the time to train.
7. Help yourself with plyometric training and dynamic stretching
Plyometric exercises are commonly known as jumping training, because they help athletes of many disciplines to increase the dynamics of movements, especially of the lower limbs. They consist in performing dynamic movements and the maximum stretching of your muscles followed by their rapid contraction. A good example of this is jump squats, jumping on a box or bench preceded by a deep squat, but also push-ups with a "jump" or a clap. Anybody who used to for train volleyball, basketball or football remember many exercises of this type. It is worth coming back to them if when we work on the strength of our leg muscles. On the other hand, dynamic stretching, which should always be part of our warm-up before training, is ideal for preparing the body for the movements that we will make in the basic training. Rompers, skips, lunges etc., all performed without weight are good examples of dynamic stretching.