Looking to Start a Strength Training Routine?

The health & fitness benefits of strength training cannot be over-emphasized.  Strength training can supplement & enhance other activities to improve performance regardless of an individual’s goals.

LOOKING TO START A STRENGTH TRAINING ROUTINE?

http://hubpages.com/health/Looking-to-Start-a-Strength-Training-Program

GENERAL CONDITIONING WORKOUT

A year-round general conditioning workout designed to gain and maintain an excellent overall state of conditioning. This workout includes exercises to develop cardiovascular endurance, core stability and maximum strength.

Cardiovascular endurance is trained and tested using a 1.5-mile run. Each 4 session cycle will include a best-effort time trial, two easy jogs and a fartlek workout. Fartlek is the Swedish word for "speed-play". During the fartlek session; the first and last half-miles are conducted as an easy jog with the middle half-mile run at a vigorous pace.

Core stability and local muscular endurance are developed and tested using abdominal crunches.

Lower body and upper body strength are developed and tested using the barbell squat and barbell bench press. The sessions are cyclic in nature; moving from reps of 5, to 3, then a 1 rep maximum lift. A one week of light lifting ends the cycle. Each work includes 3 sets of each lift. The first set is conducted at 50% of the training/max weight. The second set is conducted at 75% of the training/max weight. If you're doing sets of 5 with 100 pounds being the training weight; the first sets will be with 50 pounds, the second set at 75 pounds and the final set at 100 pounds. This protocol serves 2 purposes. First, it provides a specific warm-up using sub-maximal weight. Second, it conditions your body to lift heavier after you've already lifted. This will help reduce the risk of injury while training yourself to finish strong. The light week includes one set each at 5, 3 and 1 reps all at 50% of the normal training/max weight. As you get stronger, increase the weight in small increments and maintain the 50%-75%-100% lifting protocol.

GENERAL & SPORTS CONDITIONING WORKOUTS

http://hubpages.com/health/HOW-TO-BUILD-AN-ATHLETIC-BUTT-SERIES-PART-3

CORE & CARDIO WORKOUT

EXERCISE(S)	SETS	REPETITIONS
Mobility: Partial lunge with twist - Hip thrust - Bird dog - Air squat - Lunge stretch - High knees - Standing quad stretch - High knees - Standing glutes stretch - Donkey kicks - Butt kicks	1	6
Front plank + Side planks + Air squat **	1	30 seconds each
Push-ups	4	5
Pull-ups *	4	4
Crunches	4	10
Crunches	3	60 - 30 -15 seconds
Run	1	3 miles
Stretch: Calf - Hurdler - Groin - Quad - Lower back - Triceps - Delts	2	10 seconds each

FULL WEEKLY EXERCISE PLAN

http://hubpages.com/health/DAILY-EXERCISE-PLAN-7-13-August

BUILDING AN ATHLETIC BOOTY

Athletes have some of the shapeliest and toned backsides on the planet. Build your own killer booty with athletic drills and exercises!

Having super strong glutes is a prerequisite for success in speed and power events. Bodybuilders talk about “glute day or “squat day”, for these athletes,every day is glute day! This is not marathon training, I am not talking about endless daily training sessions. High and round buttocks are the result of quick, explosive actions. Work the movements and the booty will follow.

HOW TO BUILD AN ATHLETIC BUTT

ACCELERATION-CORE STABILITY-ENDURANCE WORKOUT

The daily workout combined a variety activities to develop speed, strength and endurance using calisthenics, a conditioning hike and sprinting.

The calisthenics portion of the the workout emphasized core and lower body movements including air squats, planks and crunches.

Short, explosive sprints were designed to enhance acceleration and quickness. The loaded sprints can be accomplished by pulling a sled, wearing a back pack and sprinting uphill. Keep the weight to about 15% of your body weight.

The conditioning hike was completed wearing a back pack load with 30 pounds. The goal is to improve endurance while carrying extra weight using a moderate pace (approximately 20 minutes per mile).

FULL DAILY EXERCISE PLAN & WEEKLY TRAINING SCHEDULE

GLUTE-SPECIFIC WARM-UP

Unlike the general warm-up, the specific warm-up targets the primary muscles to be used during the workout's vigorous activities.

Air Squat: Start standing upright with feet shoulder width apart. Squat dropping the butt straight down keeping the chest as vertical as possible and feet flat on the ground. Think about pushing the whole foot into the ground as you return to the starting position. Additionally, by keeping your head straight, focusing on a distant object, will help to keep your back straight throughout the exercise.

Back Extension: Starting by lying on the stomach with hands behind the head. Simultaneously raise the upper torso and legs off the ground. Hold them off the ground for a moment then return to the starting position.

Bird Dog: Start on your hands and knees, "all fours". Extend your right arm straight out and left leg straight back. Hold for the designated amount of time and return to "all fours". Repeat with the left arm and right leg.

Donkey Kicks: Start on "all fours". Kick the left leg back and up straightening the knee. Bring the leg back, bending the knee and hip bringing the knee into the chest. Repeat with the right leg.

Fire Hydrant aka Dirty Dog: Start on "all fours". Raise your left leg to the side, keeping the knee bent. Hold at the apex for a moment then return the leg to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side.

Reverse Flutter Kick: Start by lying on your stomach. Keeping the leg straight, lift your left leg off the ground while the right leg remains on the ground. Lower your leg to the ground and repeat on the opposite side.

Reverse Lunge: Start standing upright with feet hip width apart. Step back with one leg dropping the hips until they reach a 90 degree bend of the front knee with the front foot flat, knee behind the toe, and chest up. Stand up using the forward leg and return to the starting position. Repeat using the opposite leg.

Side Leg Raise: Start by lying on your left side;left knee bent, right leg extended with your toes on the right foot pointing forward. Keeping your right leg straight, raise it approximately 2 feet from the ground keeping your toes facing forward. Return your right leg to the ground and repeat for the designated amount of repetitions.Switch over and repeat on the opposite side.

GLUTE-SPECIFIC EXERCISES & STRETCHES

Stamina Workout

The goal of this training session is to increase stamina using a broad range of exercises. The featured activity is three rounds of run-calisthenics intervals; an 800 meter run immediately followed push-ups, squats and crunches. The work/rest interval should be 1:1; if it takes you five minutes to complete the work, rest five minutes then repeat.

FULL STAMINA WORKOUT & WEEKLY PHYSICAL TRAINING PLAN

ENDURANCE & SPEED WORKOUT

A Single Session Including Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular Endurance and Speed

This daily training session was a potpourri of activities.

Following a warm-up period, core and leg work was conducted with 2 sets of air squats and planks. A calisthenics circuit including broad jumps, mountain climbers, sit-ups and twisting lunges followed.

Five sets of alternating chin- and pull-ups plus crunches preceded the day’s speed work. Following a sprint warm-up; sets of strides, loaded and unloaded starts as well as walking lunges was completed. Sunday’s workout was concluded with a 2-mile forced march with a 30 pound ruck. Ten minutes of stretching wrapped up the training session.

FULL WEEK WORKOUT PLAN