Today’s gym apparatus often look like the Mars Lander. And yes, they have their uses. But if you’ve reached a plateau of muscular development nothing helps you blast through it like that basic lump of iron, the dumbbell.
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Nothing impresses a newcomer to a gym like rows of shiny weight machines. They look high tech and convey the impression that all you really have to do is strap yourself in and push, and the muscle will appear and the fat will melt. It’s certainly true that if you’re targeting specific muscles, they’ll help you isolate them.
But that’s really the only advantage that weights machines have over free weights. That and the fact that when you’re pushing really heavy weights you need a spotter – someone who will stand by to grab the weight in case you can’t finish the set.
Weight machines replicate dumbbell exercises
Weight machines offer a specific cycle of motion. You’re basically pulling or pushing. Almost every weight machine replicates an exercise that was originally designed by some sadist with a set of dumbbells – with one big difference. When you use free weights, you have to not only lift and lower the weight through its range of movement, you have to keep the weight stable.
This places extra load on the muscles, especially when you’re starting to tire and are forcing yourself not to cheat by flinging the dumbbells or arching your back. That’s what makes the most impact on muscle fibre, burns calories and changes your body’s shape. Along with that come all the other benefits of weight training: increased bone density, faster metabolism, better posture and so on.
Difference visible within a month
So how long do you need to stick with a specific exercise because you can expect to see some results? If you’re doing it properly, you should have to wait no more than four weeks of thrice-weekly workouts.
You have to stress the “properly” bit to yourself because human nature likes to say “I’m wasting my time here. I’ve been working out for weeks and nothing happens,” when you know that you’re cheating yourself, not eating correctly and rushing through your workouts.
Concentrate on each rep. The slower you lift the weight, the more load you’ll impose on the muscle. Focus on contracting the muscle at the apex of each rep. If you’re a beginner, avoid the temptation to go for the heaviest weight you can find and do three wobbly, unproductive and potentially dangerous reps. Rather start with light weights and learn to use them properly. The brain is as much a part of this as the body. The more often you repeat an action, the quicker the nerve impulses travel along the neural pathways in the body – it’s like wearing a path on a lawn by walking exactly the same route over and over.
Personal trainer could be helpful
At this stage you might benefit from getting a personal trainer to assess your action, before you develop any bad habits. Once pushing lighter weights using the correct action has become automatic, you can start adding weight. Another advantage: if you’re thinking about working out at home, dumbbells and barbells cost a fraction of what weight machines cost. When all’s said, dumbbells and barbells aren’t that primitive after all – they just look that way. (William Smook)
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