What are Strength and Conditioning Workouts?
Strength and conditioning can be defined as a format of workout that works on building the size, strength, and endurance of your skeletal muscles. This type of workout relies on the resistance of the muscular contraction in order to achieve the result you desire. There are several different types of strength and conditioning workouts available today. In fact, S&C is a great way to lose those extra pounds and tone your body at the same time. By following a workout under the guidance of an experienced trainer, you will be able to attain your goal faster and with better-defined muscles.
Did you know that strength and conditioning exercise officially came into being in 1969? Although strength conditioning was practised by ancient Greek and Egyptian societies, it wasn’t until the late 1960s that this form of training became more popular around the world. Currently, strength and conditioning training involves a wide range of workouts that help you build skills like mobility, strength, stability, endurance, speed, power, performance, and agility. It also decreases the chance of injury to a certain extent.
What are Strength And Conditioning Exercises?
A strength workout actually consists of any activity that forces your muscles to work harder than usual. By following a strength conditioning routine, you are encouraging your muscles to grow in strength size and power. These workouts will also use your own body weight to work against muscle resistance. Understanding the essentials of strength training and conditioning will go a long way in helping you with your S&C workout. Experts recommend strength and conditioning training that targets the major muscles to avoid ending up with a weaker set of muscles in one part of your body. Some of the common strength workouts include lifting weights, pushups, working with resistance bands, climbing hills with added weights, and so on.
Conditioning exercises work on improving your physical activity. It often includes workouts like aerobic exercise,
yoga before sleep, and
stretching exercise. Strengthening and conditioning go hand in hand in helping you achieve your weight loss goals and also wind up with a body that is toned and in fighting-fit shape. The flexibility exercise included in strength and conditioning workouts goes a long way in keeping you nimble and flexible. You will no longer experience those creaks and groans when you bend down to and reach up to get something.
What are the Causes of Lack of Strength?
A lack of strength occurs when your muscles are weak. You will find it difficult to contract your muscles normally even when you put in your full effort. This type of reduced muscle strength will cause your muscles to deteriorate over time. There are several causes behind muscular weakness. If you experience weak muscles for a short period of time, it can be caused due to illness or the after-effects of a tough workout. Another major reason for the lack of strength is an unhealthy lifestyle. If you are indulging in junk food and leading a sedentary life, it is time to reconsider your health goals. By grasping the essentials of strength and conditioning you will be able to regain your muscle strength and also improve your health in the long run.
However, long-term weak muscles can be caused due to other conditions like muscular dystrophies, autoimmune diseases, electrolyte imbalances, chronic fatigue syndrome, polymyositis, prolonged bed rest, alcoholism, old age, and so on. The underlying health condition that is causing weak muscles needs to be identified to help doctors come up with a treatment plan. In most cases, they will also recommend strength and conditioning programs to help your muscles regain their lost strength.
What are the Symptoms of Lack Of Strength?
The signs and symptoms of a lack of strength in your muscles include:
Difficulty with daily tasks
Loss of balance
Get tired easily
Find it difficult to partake in sports
People who have weak muscles often find it difficult to go about with their daily tasks like carrying heavy grocery bags, walking up a flight of stairs, and playing with their kids. According to medical professionals, it is essential to find the root cause of muscle weakness. Several medical ailments will cause your muscles to become weak and prevent normal muscle contractions from occurring. If left untreated it could lead to health complications.
Who can do Strength and Conditioning Exercise?
Anyone who has a reasonable level of energy, fitness, and mobility can go ahead with strength and conditioning workouts. However, if you are not sure, it is always a good idea to check with your doctor first. Strength and conditioning training provides several functional benefits like improved posture, better joint support, reduced injury risk, and so on. In fact, older people are encouraged to take up S&C to combat the loss of muscle tissue that goes hand in hand with ageing. You may have noticed that people who take better care of their bodies tend to stay in better shape even as they age. S&C workouts are also a great way to improve bone density and avoid osteoporosis.
Did you know that people with an acquired disability or in rehabilitation are encouraged to take up strength training? It helps strengthen their muscles and heal faster. In such cases, the strength and conditioning workouts are often done under the guidance of an occupational therapist or a physiotherapist. As you can see, strength and conditioning programs are suitable for everyone. So head to Cult.fit and find a program that suits your requirements.
Who should avoid Strength and Conditioning Workouts?
The best thing about strength and body conditioning workouts is that there are several different variations for each workout. You can start with a version that works for you and then switch to the more difficult version as your endurance and strength increase. At the end of the day, anyone who does not have too much trouble moving their joints can go ahead with strength and conditioning workouts. But, if you are not sure, it is always good to check with your doctor first. You can also start with body conditioning and S&C under the guidance of an experienced coach or trainer.
List of the Best Strength and Conditioning Workouts
Here is a list of the top strength and conditioning workouts according to the experts in the industry:
Squats
Romanian deadlift
Inverted rows
Reverse lunges
Planks
Bulgarian squats
Split jacks
Glute bridge
Lateral lunge
Pushups
Box jumps
Dead bug
Mountain climbers
Burpees
There are several different strength and conditioning workouts. If you are looking for
exercise for beginners, the experts recommend looking for simpler variations of the same workout. This will help you ease into the final variation without causing too much trouble. While some of the strength and conditioning exercises are designed to help you use your body weight, several other exercises require the use of free weights or other equipment. You need to include conditioning workouts at least twice a week and strength training thrice a week to start seeing results. It is important to target the large muscle groups on your body on different days. This is what is popularly known as
splits exercise. You might have heard of leg day and chest day at your local gym. This involves conditioning exercises that target muscle groups in those regions of your body. When you skip out on certain muscle groups, you put yourself at risk of injury. This is why it is ideal to go ahead with body conditioning under the guidance of an experienced trainer or coach in the beginning. Once you understand the basic principles of strength and conditioning, you will be able to go about it on your own.
What Strength and Conditioning workout burns the most calories at home?
If you do not have the time to go to a gym, you can easily start your strength and conditioning workout at home. Here are a few S&C exercises that will help you burn all those extra calories:
Squats
Squats are a classic exercise that works on strengthening the hip hinges, glute muscles and also help develop the posterior chain.
Technique: Stand on a flat surface with your feet positioned shoulder-width apart. Place your shoulders down and back as you look straight ahead. Then engage your core and glutes as you push your hips until your knees reach 90 degrees. Push through your heels to go back to the initial standing position.
Total Sets: Three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
Total Time: approximately 15 to 20 minutes
Muscles Worked: Glutes, Quads, core, and hamstrings
Reverse lunges
Reverse lunges are designed to help improve your strength and balance.
Technique: Stand on a flat surface with your feet hip-width apart. Take a step back with one leg while ensuring that your knees are at 90 degrees. The front knee needs to remain behind your toes while the back knee remains parallel to the floor. Hold this position as you keep your hips tucked in and glutes squeezed. Push with your front heel to return to the original standing position.
Total Sets: Three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions for each leg
Total Time: approximately 15 to 20 minutes
Muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings
Glute Bridge
This conditioning workout gets your glutes working.
Technique: Lie down on the floor with your feet hip-width apart on the floor and close to the bum. Gradually push your hips towards the ceiling by pushing on your heels. Then move back downwards slowly and hover over the ground without touching the floor. You need to hold the position for one second up and three seconds down
Total Sets: Three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
Total Time: approximately 15 minutes
Muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings
Push-ups
Push-ups are a classic body conditioning workout. It uses your body weight to get your muscles contracting.
Technique: Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor. Except for the palms of your hand and your toe tips, nothing should be touching the floor. Slowly maintain the tension in your body to have good form and then gradually move your body towards the ground and push back up again slowly. You can also start on your knees if you find this challenging.
Total Sets: Three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
Total Time: Approximately 20 minutes
Muscles worked: Upper body muscles and core
Plank
The plank is a tried and tested S&C workout all across the globe.
Technique: Place your forearms and elbows just below the shoulders. Place your toe tips on the floor and hold the tension carefully. You need to ensure that your hips do not drop or go too high. Hold this position for thirty seconds to one minute. With time you will be able to hold the position for much longer.
Muscles worked: Upper body muscles, core, and glutes
Health Benefits of Strength and Conditioning
Let’s take a look at some of the health benefits offered by strength and conditioning exercises:
It helps prevent injury.
It promotes healthy bones and prevents osteoporosis.
It improves your posture.
It helps enhance your mood.
It helps increase your fitness level.
It increases your metabolism.
Body conditioning prevents obesity.
Strengthening and conditioning help improve your balance.