Gym training techniques for men

August 5, 2018
Workouts in the gym
Yana Yanovskaya

Strength training for men is considered one of the best ways to tone your body, tone muscles, burn unnecessary fat and feel healthy. Strength training makes the body stronger and healthier. They are considered beneficial for both men and women.

Of course, bodybuilding helps you quickly build muscle mass, but strength training expands the body's capabilities by increasing physical activity. You can do exercises at any age. Strength training will help a man keep his body in shape.

Benefit from exercise

With the right approach and training with a trainer, a positive effect can be achieved after just a few months of active training. The program also plays an important role here, because it describes the load on different muscle groups.

To increase the body's endurance, men need to do strength training three to four times a week. Loads must be regular so that the body gets used to the rhythm, and the process of growth and strengthening of muscle mass begins. The benefits of training include:

Improving metabolism and accelerating the metabolic process. Thanks to this, the body receives nutrients faster and becomes stronger due to this.
Active fat burning and soft tissue tightening.
Increased bone strength. There may be problems with the joints due to heavy load, but for this, chondroprotectors are taken.
Increases body flexibility and endurance.

The benefits of strength training for men can be listed endlessly, but the main advantage is that the body’s immunity and endurance increase. Stress resistance and performance also significantly increase.

Gym training methods for men over 40

If you're a man over 40, then there's one important thing you need to know: your workouts will be very different from younger guys. You can progress and achieve success in your iron training, but for this you should take into account a number of nuances. If you have never been involved in iron sports before, or have been involved in it for a very long time, then you first need to be examined by a specialist. This topic is covered in more detail in the video below:

How to create a training program?

It is impossible to achieve high-quality results in terms of building muscle mass without consistently performing different types of load on muscle groups. Unsystematic training will not give good results; after a while, motivation and the desire to work on yourself further disappear.

A man can create a strength training program either independently or with the help of a specialist in this field. The main factors influencing the preparation of the program are:

Purpose of the lesson. A person must understand why he will perform the exercises and imagine the end result.
Frequency of classes. If it is not possible to regularly visit the gym and perform the required system of loads, then it is better not to start this.
Duration of loads. This is a dynamic indicator that will only grow over time.
The order of execution for different types of muscles.
Choice of exercises.

It is difficult to combine these factors harmoniously in one plan, so it is better to seek help from a qualified specialist to achieve maximum results. You can create a training program based on ready-made options.

Dropsets

Among foreign training methods in the gym, dropsets are the most popular in the countries of the former Soviet Union. As some might understand from the name (drop is translated from English as “drop”), the system is based on reducing working weight. In the classic version, the athlete performs an exercise with normal weight almost to failure, then reduces the load by 25% and repeats it again to the limit. The break between the approach with the usual weight and the reduced one should not exceed 20 seconds. In addition to the standard version, in bodybuilding many athletes also use a triple drop set, when the working weight is reduced twice per approach, and a quadruple drop set, when the weight is reduced three times.

Another option is progressive, in which the first approach is a warm-up, and the rest are performed with a gradual increase in working weight by 20-25%. This training program stimulates muscle growth and strength gains at the same time.

Speed-power type

The peculiarity of this type of training is that in addition to strength, you also need to develop good speed to actively complete the assigned tasks. Speed work helps develop body dynamics and significantly improves endurance, while regular training only affects soft tissues.

Experts advise beginning athletes to alternate regular programs with high-speed loads. But do this gradually so that the muscle fibers do not tear.

There are several conditions for basic strength exercises for men, thanks to which you can achieve good results without overworking the body. These include:

Amounts of work that are performed at a slow pace should be small, preference is given to fast dynamic loads.
Slow strength exercises should be changed to high-speed ones with a lighter load.
You need to monitor time and load. You need to exercise as quickly and hard as possible so that the muscles are in the right tone.

Strength training in the gym for men at speed should take place under the supervision of a trainer. This will help avoid injury and unnecessary stretching.

Circuit training

The main goal of the load is to maximize fat burning. The effect is achieved through frequent repetitions of exercises and their implementation in several approaches. In a short period of time, almost all muscle groups are developed.

One circle can include 4-7 different types of exercises. The difference from regular training is also in the number of approaches, which are repeated only after completing the entire range of selected exercises.

This is the best strength training for men who want to tone their muscles. The benefits of the load include:

Fast and effective calorie burning.
Burning subcutaneous fat.
The ability to actively influence different muscle groups in a short period of time.

Circuit training can be combined with other types of exercise and supplemented with active strength exercises. This is an opportunity to get your body in order in a short time.

Principle 21

Our muscles tend to get used to and adapt to loads. Because of this, over time, even the most effective training methods in the gym stop working. In order for your strength, endurance and muscle mass to begin to grow again, you need to radically change your training system. In such a situation, the 21 repetition method comes to the rescue. The essence of this system is to perform one exercise in three sets of 7 times. The total number of repetitions should be 21, hence the name of this method. A feature of the technique is the change in the amplitude of movement during each approach. For example, a bodybuilder does a barbell curl. The first seven repetitions are done in a very short amplitude, that is, from the bottom point to 90 degrees. In the second set, you need to do the same number of repetitions, but from 90 degrees to the top point. The final approach is performed with full amplitude, according to the standard scheme. This scheme makes it possible to work all areas of the muscle group.

Group loads

Classes in a group are more motivating and allow you to actively monitor the results of body development and muscle building. It’s hard to make a mistake in a group, since a coach will monitor quality performance.

This type of training can be of different directions. Most often they combine complexes for active fat burning and muscle gain. Some exercises are designed to strengthen the muscle corset, thereby reducing the load on the back.

Here, a strength training plan for men is developed taking into account the physical parameters of the group members and their capabilities. Most often, the main criterion is age.

The need to warm up

Warming up muscle tissue is considered one of the main points of proper training. Without an active warm-up, it is impossible to perform high-quality exercises, because the joints and cartilage tissue will be undeveloped. The warm-up includes not only standard exercises and stretching, but also performing dynamic loads on an orbit track, treadmill or bicycle.

A proper warm-up before starting strength training in the gym for men warms up the muscles well and prevents ruptures of “cold” tissues. It also increases cardiac activity and improves well-being. Actively affects the central nervous system and helps avoid stress.

Thanks to the coordinated work of the body, we can talk about achieving maximum results. Warm-up can be done both at the beginning of the workout (required) and between sets of exercises (for additional tone).

Types of strength exercises

Strength exercises are special dynamic movements designed to develop muscle mass.

They are distinguished by the type of resistance, that is, by the force of effort that is applied to perform certain tasks. There are three types of loads:

No burden. The main tool in terms of execution is the body. It is its weight that is used to achieve the result.
With weights and additional external resistance. This includes loads for which various exercise machines, dumbbells and weights are used.
Isometric. Here the main thing is tension, which can be either dynamic or static.

The right program combines all types of these exercises. Beginning athletes are recommended to perform exercises without weights. Strength training in the gym for men should include different types of loads and exercises to achieve maximum results.

For newbies

What training methods exist in the gym for beginners? The most common training system for regular gym goers is the three-day split. Its essence is to work out 2-3 muscle groups every other day. For example, on Monday an athlete trains chest and triceps; on Wednesday - back and biceps; on Friday - legs and shoulders. As practice shows, of all the methods of training in the gym for men for weight, this is the most suitable for those athletes who train without the use of anabolic steroids.

If you are a beginner who has set a goal to build decent muscle size, then this system may be suitable for you. We recommend that you watch the videos below, which show in detail the training methods in the gym for beginner athletes.

The first day. Chest and triceps workout:

Second day. Back and biceps workout:

Day three. Leg and shoulder workout:

The right diet

Strength training helps to get the body in shape, but without the necessary vitamins and minerals, proteins and natural fats in the body, the process can turn into the opposite effect with the appearance of stretch marks and sagging skin.

During training, you need to give up bad habits, especially coffee and alcohol. Replace baked goods with cereals and cereals, sweets with honey and natural fructose.

Include fish, vegetables and meat in your diet, because they contain the maximum amount of protein necessary for the development and building of muscle mass. It is important for men to maintain normal testosterone levels. This can be done by eating eggs, milk and cottage cheese.

Don't forget about the amount of liquid. During training, a lot of water leaves the body through sweat. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the dose of fluid. To get the maximum effect during training, you need to take sports nutrition and amino acids to quickly restore the body.

Possible contraindications

Strength training in the gym for men can also have a negative effect if you do not prepare in advance and create the right program. A rapid increase in load can lead to muscle rupture and increase the regeneration period. For people who have joint problems, a program is drawn up with lighter types of loads and to pump up the muscle corset. If this is not done, then when performing standard exercises, severe pain in the spine is possible.

If the cardiovascular system is not in order, then actively performing different types of exercise can lead to a sharp deterioration in well-being. People with kidney and liver diseases should not engage in strength training. Before starting classes, you should consult with a trainer to avoid possible problems in the future.

Supersets

There are a number of training methods in the gym that fall into the category of supersets or, as they are also called, trisets. For example, Don Ross, winner of the Mr. America competition, has his own unique training scheme based on trisets. A famous bodybuilder performs 3 sets in a row for one muscle group, without resting between sets. In this case, the first and last approaches are the same in load, and the working weight is approximately 50-60% of the maximum.

The most popular training method in the gym for men is considered to be the 6-10-25 plan, created for those who want to specifically work out their arms. The lesson in this program is divided into blocks, each of which consists of three sets:

6 repetitions in a stretched position;
10 repetitions of a basic exercise for the arm muscles;
25 repetitions on a machine with a small weight.

You need to rest for 2-3 minutes between blocks. To achieve maximum effect, experts recommend performing this triset 2-3 times.