Strength Training Exercises

It's never too late to start with some strength training exercises. No matter what sport you're in, having a powerful strong body is the cornerstone of having an advantage when competing with other guys.

And you very well know that in the game of basketball, the one who dominates the game, the one who has more power, is the one who's more competitive.

So stay competitive and learn what are the right ways to start your strength training program and avoid injuries.

Here are several rules of thumb for proper weight lifting..

Consult your doctor no matter what. Even if you've done it before several months, it won't hurt to do it again.

Never underestimate the importance of proper stretching and "warming up" your body.

Give yourself a day off when starting to lift weights. As a matter of fact, when you first start weight lifting, you might need more than one day to recover.

The muscle grows when you rest. This isn't just when doing strength training exercises but in everything else. You might need to make your time management better because, besides nutrition, having a good night sleep is the most important thing.

And here it is. Nutrition. Avoid eating too much sugar. Focus on chicken, rice, mushrooms, fish (mostly tuna) and drink plenty of water.

Challenge yourself by increasing the repetitions in each week or just adding few extra pounds. Don't kill yourself by trying to "work" on too many muscles at the same time.

Remember, it's always better to work on your abs on particular days and then work on your chest on some other (different) days, as opposed to work simultaneously on your abs and chest.

Your muscles will grow when they need to handle more weight and pressure that they can comfortably deal with. Always tend to exercise little slower, because the contraction of your muscles is bigger. In other words..

..In order to build muscle as fast as possible, use weight just enough to complete around 8 reps and around 3 or more sets while resting for a minute or two and for 2 or 3 days between sessions. Very important. Read that again if you have to.

Okay, now that we have that cleared, let's look at some strength training exercises here..

Your chest (with push ups)!

Doing push ups and bench presses, are without a doubt, one of the most effective ways to attack your chest. Be aware that how you do your push ups can affect whether you're attacking your upper, middle or lower chest.

The reps and sets can vary but, to give you a hint, it's a good idea to start with 15-20 push ups and slowly build your way up. Rest for a minute or 2 between sets.

For upper chest, you can try the declined push up. Put your feet on the flat bench, slowly go down with your chest (but remember not to touch the ground with your chest), and slowly again, push your way up. You can experiment your hands widths. It's always better to experiment.

For lower chest, the process is exactly the same but this time, you're putting your feet on an exercise ball instead on a flat bench.

For middle chest, work on your basic (normal) push up but bring your hands close, one to another. As close as 2 inches. That way you're hitting your middle chest.

Your chest (with bench pressing)!

For upper chest, you need incline free weight bench press machine. Take the barbell off the rack and slowly bring it to your chest. But don't touch the bar to your upper chest. It's just an activity without accomplishment. Then, explosively press the bar up and to complete a rep.

Adjust your weight, to do around 8-10 of these and take for a minute rest between sets. Do 3 sets per day and take a day off after each day when you work on your chest muscles. The same reps, sets and all that goes for the following two.

For lower chest, make sure you position yourself on a free weight decline bench press machine and take the barbell above you with a grip that is slightly beyond shoulder width apart. Start slow as you bring the barbell close to you and then press the bar up little faster.

For middle chest, you're doing the most usual bench pressing but the grip is slightly wider.

Your abs!

Exercise # 1 - Lie on the back, face up. Lift only your feet together, so that you attack your abs. Work at your own pace but remember to take no more than 30 seconds rest. When doing abs is crucial that you maintain high level of contraction during the whole time. And don't forget to work on them on a different day when you do the chest exercises.

Exercise # 2 - Lie on the back, put your hands to the side. Bring you knees to your chest and hold it like that for 2 seconds.

Exercise # 3 - Using a decline bench, slowly lift your upper body by placing your elbows on your things. If you feel little too much blood rushing through your head, you may want to do only several reps or don't consider this strength training exercise at all.

Exercise # 4 - Hang on a pull-up bar and slowly bring your knees to your chest. Do 1 set fast and 1 set slow.

I've only given you some strength training exercises on your chest and abs but if you like to work on way too many areas to list here, check out this site - opens a new window. It's the best one out there on the internet.

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If you liked these strength training exercises, you'll definitely like these other basketball conditioning exercises.

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