What are the items and movements of strength training?

If divided by commonly used training scenarios and tools, strength training mainly includes three categories: bodyweight training, free weight training, and fixed equipment training. The essence of all movements is designed around the basic movement modes of push, pull, squat, hinge, and core resistance. It is not as complicated as everyone thinks.

When I first entered the gym, I was confused for a long time by the room full of equipment. I thought that to practice strength, I had to unlock dozens or hundreds of movements. After practicing for five or six years, I discovered that the total number of regular exercises was only a dozen. If you don’t like running to the gym, bodyweight training can fully meet the strength needs of most people. You can see that street fitness masters can do well with horizontal and parallel bars. Pull-ups, muscle-ups, and push-ups are all ceiling movements of bodyweight training. For ordinary novices, There is no need to pursue such a high level of difficulty, just start with kneeling push-ups, bodyweight squats, and planks. Last year, when I was locked down at home for two months due to the epidemic, I just relied on a yoga mat and a horizontal bar at the door to practice. My muscle mass was basically not lost, and even my core stability was better than before.

After you have done more than ten or twenty sets of bodyweight training without feeling sore and swollen, if you want to increase the load, you can use free weights, which are often referred to as barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells and other equipment without fixed tracks. Among them, the "three major events" of barbell squats, bench presses, and deadlifts are benchmark movements that all people who practice strength cannot avoid. Speaking of which, I would like to mention that there is quite a controversy in the fitness circle now about whether novices should practice the three major exercises from the beginning. One group thinks that novices have poor core and joint stability, and may easily injure their waists and shoulders when their movements are deformed. It is better to lay the foundation with simple movements first. ； The other group believes that the three major items are representatives of compound movements, which can stimulate multiple muscle groups at the same time, and it is more efficient to establish the correct force generation mode early. My own experience is that you don’t have to accept death. Find a veteran who has practiced for a year or two to help you watch the movements two or three times. If you can find a sense of force, slowly increase the weight. If you can’t find it, step back first. When I tried to achieve a 120kg deadlift PR last year, I stood in front of the barbell for three minutes to prepare before I dared to pull. After pulling, my waist was tight for two days, but nothing can exchange for the refreshing feeling of unlocking a new weight.

If the free weights are unsteady and the movements are always shaky, the fixed equipment in the gym is actually very friendly to novices and people recovering from injuries, such as leg presses, high pull-downs, and seated chest presses. The trajectories are set in advance, so you don’t have to spend too much energy to control the balance and can hit the target muscles accurately. When I suffered from acromion impingement in the first half of the year, the free weight shoulder presses were so painful that I couldn’t lift my arms. I relied on the seated shoulder presses and the Smith rack to slowly find a sense of strength. After two months, I basically returned to normal training.

Nowadays, many people practice strength not only to build muscles, but also to improve their daily sports performance and move things effortlessly. They will add a lot of functional strength training items, such as medicine ball smashing against the wall, farmer's walk, and sled push. When I warmed up for badminton last week, I also used a kettlebell to do a few sets of single-leg deadlifts to find core stability. When I landed on the jump that day, I was very stable, and Chang Wei's right foot didn't even shake before.

In fact, there are countless items and movements in strength training. The essence is to apply resistance to the body in different directions. You don’t have to worry about practicing famous movements, and you don’t have to carry weights to make up the number of sets. The movements are standard and the load is appropriate. Everything you practice will be useful.