To be physically strong means to take control of your life in several ways. Particularly, seeking physical strength can inspire you to completely transform your diet habits, boost your self-esteem, and just feel amazing all around. Most importantly, physical strength will become a crucial asset in your later years.
No matter if you’re picking up your kid or carrying the groceries to the house, you need to be able to handle every physical challenge life throws at you – without throwing out your back, hurting your shoulder, or damaging your knees. Yes, becoming stronger is a lifestyle habit that will elevate your quality of life in the long run, so here are the five ways you can build the strong, able physique you deserve.
Follow a tailored workout routine
While every other fitness journey should start in the kitchen and then continue into the training itself, this one should start with the workout program simply because you cannot become stronger if you don’t exercise. But you can gain a six pack without lifting a finger.
With that said, your first order of business should be to hire a personal trainer who is well-versed in the art and science of strength training and obtain a tailored workout program that fits your needs and aspirations. Typically, this will be a powerlifting gym routine or even a hybrid between muscle building and strength training to give you the best of both worlds.
When exercising for strength, you will want to stick to the compound movements, which are exercises that utilize numerous joints and large muscle groups. These exercises should be the bench press, the squat, the deadlift, and the overhead press. You can also choose other compound exercises such as pull-ups, rows, various presses, and leg exercises such as lunges and the leg press.
Tidy up your nutrition
Even though you can get stronger without changing your diet, it would still be a prudent idea to follow a structured nutrition plan to maximize your results. Not only will the right eating routine help you stay consistent and healthy, but it will also allow you to burn fat more quickly and attain the physique you always wanted.
To complement your strength-building strategy and maximize your performance in training, you should stick to wholesome, healthy foods that will supply your body with the necessary energy to fuel your workouts.
Keep in mind that strength training is very taxing on your central nervous system and your entire body, so introducing quality supplementation and focusing on post-workout recovery will prove to be essential for your performance and progress.
Complement your diet with supplementation
The fitness industry is chock-full of snake oil supplements and companies looking to take your money without giving anything meaningful in return. There are some supplements you should stay away from, and then there are those with proven benefits that can help you perform better, recover faster, and reach your goals efficiently and effectively.
For decades now, top athletes in the strength community have been supplementing with BCAA powder in order to minimize fatigue, prevent muscle breakdown, and enhance recovery for their next training session. Likewise, creatine has proved itself as an effective supplement for strength gain, and research is even trying to decipher its potential benefits for long-term mental health.
Finally, you can supplement with vitamins and minerals on a daily basis that will support proper muscle contraction and CNS repair.
Emphasize recovery and CNS adaptation
Speaking of recovery and repair, it’s important to understand that post-workout adaptation is the thing that gets you results. You see, during training, you are actually disrupting the homeostasis in your body and producing micro-tears in your muscle fibers while forcing your central nervous system to push the weights. This produces a lot of strain and stress on your entire system, and the result should ideally lead to increased strength over time.
This can only happen, though, if you’re eating right and sleeping enough on a daily basis. Keep in mind that your strength levels will increase based on how well you recover from your workouts, so be sure to emphasize recovery above everything else. What’s more, sleeping properly and eating healthy will have their own unique benefits for your long-term well-being.
Build strength in various places
On a final note, always remember that strength can be attained in a number of places and that you don’t need to go to the gym to become stronger. Sure, exercising at the gym is the most effective way to build total-body strength quickly, but you can also choose other sports such as rock climbing, martial arts, high-intensity interval training, and more. Be creative in your approach if you are not particularly inclined to join a gym – just remember to always keep it challenging in order to continue to build strength on a weekly basis.
Parting words
As you get older, strength becomes a necessity. By becoming stronger you can unlock your true physical potential, improve your overall health and vibrancy, and safeguard your body from numerous age-related illnesses. Follow this simple guide to sculpt the body you always wanted, become strong and able, and transform your life for good.
I think like a lot of things in life it also takes will power and discipline. The thing we see with a lot of our customers and clients is that they want results instantly. Rather than being disciplined in all aspects and take the time. Then results tend to become exponential snowball over time. Big fan of BCAAs.