Tag: lifting
Best 3 Exercises To Use Weightlifting Shoes For Support & Stability
Use weightlifting shoes to boost these exercises.
Many of us lifters use weightlifting shoes as important fitness accessories to aid in overall support and big lifts. What you might find are improved gains when you decide to use weightlifting shoes in your routine.
There are some exercises that do require weightlifting shoes for you need the right support and stability when increasing power and explosivity. Knowing which ones can make all the difference in the world as you look to improve your gains.
Let’s take a look at some great exercises and see what weightlifting shoes can do for you. By working to build better support and aid in those strength building goals, a great pair of weightlifting shoes can be a game changer for you and your workouts.
Benefits Of Weightlifting Shoes
For those wondering what weightlifting shoes can actually do for you, look no further than below. Fitness equipment like weightlifting shoes are designed to improve all areas of your training and performance so you see the best results. By putting an emphasis on the right equipment, you can better tackle any of those goals.
Related: How Lifting Shoes Can Improve Your Squat
Benefits of weightlifting shoes include:
Better support: Support the foot and ankle during big lifts by providing better grip on the floor.
Increase ankle support: A snug fit around the ankle will improve mobility and not put you in a vulnerable position.
Raise your heel: A raised heel will work to improve flexibility and mobility while also ensuring comfort for those lifts.
Ensure safety: You will find that with the support and overall fit, you will feel more safe when lifting big weight.
Best Exercises To Use Weightlifting Shoes
These exercises below are great strength builders and can aid in training and performance. Using weightlifting shoes during these exercises is what you need to see the best results.
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Squats
The squat is a staple exercise for many athletes for it will enhance lower body growth for the best gains. This is certainly one of those exercises to promote muscle while also working to improve power and explosivity. Plus, you build stability and balance for other big lifts and movements.
Weightlifting shoes will give you a sturdy and stable feel on the ground, especially when you are under so much weight.
Squats Benefits
Increase lower body strength: Work your quads, glutes, and hamstrings for better strength, stability, and certain sport specific and functional movements.
Better power: The nature of this movement requires the best for power and explosivity and will promote both as you look to optimize performance.
How To Do Squats
Place the barbell on your traps and shoulders with your feet shoulder width apart. With a tight core, bend your knees while keeping your spine neutral, squatting down to your optimal range of motion. Once at the bottom, drive through your feet to return back to your starting standing position.
Push Press
The push press is a great muscle builder that requires proper form and real stability in order to lift the weight overhead. You will find great benefits to power and speed, as well as muscle growth with this movement. The nice part about this exercise is that it works not only your upper body, but lower body as well.
Using weightlifting shoes will give you the support you need to really drive through your legs as you get that weight overhead to complete the movement.
Push Press Benefits
Lower body development: Increase lower body strength and development by generating the right amount of power to lift the weight.
Overhead strength and stability: Enhance overhead strength and stability to support an increased load when lifting overhead.
How To Do The Push Press
Set the barbell on the front of your shoulders with a relaxed grip and engaged core. Your feet will be about hip-width apart. When lowering, squat about a quarter of the way down and then drive through your feet, pushing that weight overhead. Lock out your arms as your heels hit the ground. Lower the bar to the starting position and repeat for your desired number of sets and reps.
Snatch
Another great exercise to work your upper and lower body, what you will find with the snatch is more power and explosivity while also building muscle. Great for powerlifters, strongmen, and Olympia lifters, this lift requires good technique, but is a game changer once that is nailed down.
Given the explosive movement of this exercise, it is important to note that weightlifting shoes will give you grip to the floor and support of your ankle and foot so you can fully commit to this exercise without fear of injury.
Snatch Benefits
Improved power: Work to build better power output with this explosive movement as you produce more force as well.
Better core support: With this movement, it is important to have your core engaged so working to keep that engagement and overall support will aid in your lift and core stability.
How To Do The Snatch
Set your bar up with your feet about shoulder width apart. Your hips will be lowered and your arms fully extended. Drive through your feet as you pull the bar to your hips, keeping your chest up and core tight. As you turn the bar over, explode up until your arms are extended overhead. To catch the bar, bend your knees, tighten your core, and keep those elbows locked for a stable landing. To complete, stand with your arms still overhead.
Top Weightlifting Shoes For Training & Performance
We wanted to share a great weightlifting shoe option so you can feel comfortable with your purchase. Finding the right equipment can be challenging but it isn’t impossible. With an emphasis on the best products out there, you can find a quality shoe without totally breaking the bank.
Reebok Legacy Lifter Li Cross Trainer
Reebok Legacy Lifter Li Cross Trainer is a great lifting shoe to provide support for your ankles and low back. Good sizing and a snug fit ensures comfort and versatility.
Reebok Legacy Lifter Li Cross Trainer is a great overall weightlifting shoe for whatever workout comes your way. The bold new design includes a textile upper for consistent and comfortable air flow to avoid overheating and provide the best feel. The lockdown straps provide for a good all-around fit to match your desired adjustability and the raised heel offers maximum stability. With natural contours, this shoes fits you just right for support and max power with the best position.
Price: $119.73-$416.00
Check out our list of the Best Weightlifting Shoes for more great lifting products!
Wrap Up
Weightlifting shoes can be of great help as you look to lift big weight. With the right approach to all things gains, you will find that lifting accessories and apparel, like weightlifting shoes, are exactly what you need when looking to build muscle, improve mobility, and optimize performance. Try lifting shoes with these exercises above and watch your results take off as you set yourself up for better success.
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Del Vecchio, L.; et al. (2018). “The health and performance benefits of the squat, deadlift, and bench press”. (source)
Lake, J.; et al. (2014). “Power and Impulse Applied During Push Press Exercise”. (source)
DeWeese, B.; et al. (2012). “The Clean Pull and Snatch Pull”. (source)
The 7 Best Weightlifting Belt Exercises For Strength & Support
Boost strength, muscle, and support with a weightlifting belt for these monster exercises.
For serious lifters and athletes looking to stay as safe as possible in the gym, a weightlifting belt is one of those accessories that must be in your gym bag. While there are plenty of exercises you don’t need it for, having a quality belt on standby will better prepare you for those bigger, more monstrous lifts. Able to provide support and stability, while also being versatile and comfortable, the weightlifting belt can take you a long way.
The nice part about a weightlifting belt is that it is a convenient lifting tool that will only work for your benefit. And with our training plans loaded with massive lifts, the choice to protect yourself is a wise one.
We’ve pulled together some of those top exercises for you as a serious lifter to use a weightlifting belt with so you can better protect yourself and see huge gains.
Best Exercises For A Weightlifting Belt
Back Squat
Deadlift
Clean & Jerk
Overhead Standing Press
Front Squat
Barbell Rows
Bench
Back Squat
The back squat is a classic barbell exercise perfect for building strength and size in your lower body. As a great muscle builder, this is traditionally a staple in routines for serious lifters.
Using a weightlifting belt for this exercise allows you to better support your low back when under serious weight so you maintain form and stay physically healthy for heavy squats.
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Back Squat Benefits
Build lower body strength: This exercise works your quads, hamstrings, and glutes for effective muscle growth while also relying on your core for stability and optimal movement.
Increase power and explosiveness: With that increased growth, and the nature of the squatting movement, you can increase power and explosiveness for those sport specific movements and other bigger lifts.
How To Do The Back Squat
Rest the barbell on your traps and shoulders and have your feet shoulder width apart. With an engaged core, bend your knees while keeping your spine neutral, squatting down to your optimal range of motion. Once at the bottom, drive through your feet to return back to your starting standing position.
Deadlift
The deadlift is one of those powerlifting exercises that everyone loves to see huge PRs. A great muscle builder, this also improves power and allows you to maximize pulling movements.
The nice part about using a weightlifting belt is that it protects your back, which is often a casualty of this lift given the load you undergo.
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Deadlift Benefits
Total body strength: This lift builds strength in many muscles, including those upper and lower body ones, while building strength in a position that requires movement from your hips.
Improves functional strength: Given the nature of this movement, it will reduce your chances of injury and work to improve more functional and everyday movements.
How To Do The Deadlift
With your feet hip-width apart, grab the bar with an overhand grip and engage your core. Keeping your back flat the entire time, lift the weight off the floor, keeping the bar in contact with your legs the entire time. Hinging at the hips, pause for a brief moment once extend and lower back to the starting position.
Clean & Jerk
The clean & jerk is a powerful movement where you get that weight overhead quickly and safely. The two parts of this lift are the clean, getting the barbell off the floor, and the jerk, moving that weight into the finish position.
Given that this movement is quick and powerful, a weightlifting belt provides that much needed support to take any load off your back that can cause unwanted pain and injury.
Clean & Jerk Benefits
Better athletic performance: By combining strength and muscular endurance into one quick lift, you work to boost overall athletic performance and ability for other training session or competitions.
Enhance focus and mind-muscle connection: Given the nature of this lift, over time, you will improve focus and mind-muscle connection as you need to nail down form and stay engaged for the entire portion of this exercise.
How To Do The Clean & Jerk
With your feet hip-width apart, set your shoulders over the barbell. Initiate the clean portion of this exercise with an engaged core and neutral spine, pulling the bar up your legs as if it were like a deadlift. For the jerk portion of the lift, once the bar is at hip level, drive your hips and lift the bar across your body, rotating your elbows so the bar lands in a front rack position. Drive up from the squat and as you stay engaged, push the weight overhead. One foot may be set back a bit as you get balanced, but once comfortable, bring that foot in line with the other.
Overhead Standing Press
The overhead standing press is a great exercise to build shoulder strength and build some boulder shoulders to add to your physique. With this being an important lift to keep your core engaged, your back may feel strain as you lift more and more weight.
A weightlifting belt can come in handy here for keeping your core supported and taking some of that strain off your back.
Overhead Standing Press Benefits
Increase shoulder strength: Really build your shoulders with this exercise while also improving mobility by optimizing overhead range of motion.
Improve core stability: Your core is essential for staying stable and grounded and with this lift, you will feel your core getting work done in efforts to improve overall stability.
How To Do The Overhead Standing Press
Set up your bar with the desired amount of weight and stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Grab the bar so it is at about your upper chest and engage your core for stability. When ready, lift the bar overhead, extending your arms and locking them out at the top. Continue this overhead press movement for your desired number of reps.
Front Squat
The front squat is a great compound exercise to strengthen your legs and hips, similar to the back squat, except the bar is in front of you instead of on your back. This makes this lift a little more friendly on your spine yet still effective for building muscle.
A weightlifting belt is perfect for this lift to add stability and reduce even more strain that may hit your low back.
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Front Squat Benefits
Less back strain: Given the nature of the bar being in front, this does reduce back strain so you only feel more supported and able to lift more weight.
Improve leg growth: As a nice complementary lift to other exercises, this will build effective lower body growth, especially in your quads.
How To Do The Front Squat
Rest the bar across your shoulders in the front and tighten your core. Set your hips back as you engaged in the squatting motion, continuing down to your optimal range of motion. Drive through your feet and return back to the top of the lift.
Barbell Rows
Barbell rows are perfect for strengthening your lats as you seek a stronger and wider back. Great for people of all fitness levels, this allows for better posture while also increasing strength.
Using a weightlifting will better help you tackle those strength goals by keeping you more supported as you show your lats some attention.
Barbell Row Benefits
Stronger lats: Working to build better lat strength, you enhance those pulling movements while also building a bigger back.
Better posture: Working muscles often overlooked, this will reduce pain and start to fix that poor posture.
How To Do The Barbell Row
Standing in a medium stance and grab the bar with a neutral grip. Hinging at the waist, pull the bar to your chest. It is important to keep a tight core and neutral spine throughout this movement to alleviate any unwanted pain.
Bench Press
The bench press is another one of those lifts that we just love to see big numbers. Able to increase strength and size in our chest, this works for better pushing movements and can aid in a buff aesthetic.
While it might not be as common to use a weightlifting belt for the bench press, this can help alleviate arching in your back that takes place during really big lifts, thus preventing any unwanted injury that can keep you out of the gym.
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Bench Press Benefits
Stronger pecs: Building bigger and stronger pecs enhances pushing movements while beefing up your physique so others envy you.
Increase pressing power: Boost pressing power for other lifts and sport specific movements vital to your training and performance success.
How To Do The
Lie on the bench with your feet planted on the floor. Grab the bar with your hands a little more than shoulder-width apart. Arch your lower back slightly. While this is debated, an arched lower back can help keep the spine neutral and the back tight. Lift the bar off the rack and gently lower to your chest as you breathe in. Your forearms should be about 90 degrees from the ground as you touch your chest and with your feet planted on the ground, initiate the upward movement to return to the starting position.
Benefits Of A Weight Lifting Belt
The benefits of a weightlifting belt far exceed the potential downsides people think of when debating on using on. While a weightlifting belt may seem cumbersome to use, equipment companies today have started relying more on feedback to make these belts as accessible and comfortable as possible.
Benefits of using a weightlifting belt include:
Offer support and stability: These belts are not braces and will work to support your core when lifting heavy weight. Taking a load off your back, they can increase stability for better range of motion and an increased sense of control (1,2) while providing good intra-abdominal pressure and core support for those heavy lifts.
Prevent injury: By taking strain off certain areas, like your low back, you protect yourself against injury and work to reduce unwanted pain with the increased core support.
Allow for bigger lifts: With the increased support and stabilization, you can better tackle those lifts by putting on more weight for increased gains with proper form (3).
Comfortable and versatile: They are comfortable around your waist and versatile for optimal movement so you aren’t restricted when working on specific exercises and heavier lifts.
What To Look For In Weight Lifting Belts
Finding the right weightlifting belt can be challenging but the right one is out there. To start, consider whether you want a high-quality leather belt or a nylon one. A leather belt is a very popular choice and will provide great support for your core and low back during those heavy lifts.
Nylon lifting belts are more flexible and versatile but may not give you the same support as a leather belt. It really depends on the load and on you deciding between a leather belt or nylon but both will provide for the same width for the entire belt regardless when used with heavy weights.
Also, consider the point of attachment for your lifting belts being a prong stainless steel buckle, lever, or Velcro strap. Velcro will typically be associated with a nylon belt and the other options allow for more convenience and a snug fit, dependent on your style of belt and if you want Velcro belts for that extra support. It is really a personal preference.
Why A Lifting Belt Is Worth It
A lifting belt is worth buying, whether they be leather belts or nylon belts, because these are perfect for serious athletes or recreational athletes. With increased intra-abdominal pressure you get just the right amount of support to tackle any big lifts.
Made from quality materials, you will see why powerlifting belts, or those used by bodybuilders, work to keep you safe and why wearing a belt only works for your benefit. With helpful tips out there for how to properly use a lifting belt, you will better tackle these exercises above and work to boost your gains and all-around performance.
Check out our list of the Best Weightlifting Belts for more great lifting products for total support and gains!
Wrap Up
Weightlifting belts have the ability to boost your gains and allow for those bigger lifts. By keeping you supported and more stable, you allow yourself the opportunity to lift more weight to see that increase in strength you want most with excellent core support with higher weight. Without fear of injury, the right weightlifting belt will give you more confidence when under so much weight, increase core strength for better balance, and provide the ability to tackle maximal loads while wearing a belt. These exercises are perfect for using a weightlifting belt and you will see those results you want most with the right belt in your gym bag.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
References
Miyamoto, K.; et al. (1999). “Effects of abdominal belts on intra-abdominal pressure, intra-muscular pressure in the erector spinae muscles and myoelectrical activities of trunk muscles”. (source)
Finnie, S.; et al. (2002). “Weight Lifting Belts: Motivations For Use”. (source)
Zink, A.; et al. (2001). “The effects of a weight belt on trunk and leg muscles activity and joint kinematics during the squat exercise”. (source)
How To Know If You’re Getting Stronger In The Gym
Steps To Check Your Strength Gains
How would you feel if you were stuck in the same class while all your friends moved onto higher classes in school? Disappointed, disheartened, or dejected maybe? That’s exactly how you feel when you don’t see any strength improvements in the gym.
Assessing your strength improvements isn’t as easy as reading your school’s report card. The thought of not getting anywhere even after putting in your best in the gym is the last thing you want. In this article, we’ll tell you how to gauge your strength improvements.
Keep a Journal
Since we’re referring to schools, let’s talk about another similarity. Imagine going to school and not taking any notes or keeping a journal. How do you think you would fare at the end of the year?
Many people make the mistake of not keeping track of their workouts and wonder why they can’t see any results. While keeping a training journal might sound intimidating, it isn’t as bad or hard as some people think it is.
If you’re wondering – you don’t need to take a diary with you to the gym. You can use your phone’s notes app to put in the details (exercises, number of sets, reps done, and the weights used) of your workouts. You could take things up a notch by adding how you ‘felt’ during the workout.
Shorter Workouts
For some people, the length of their workouts is equivalent to the quality of the session. This is a flawed concept because as you get stronger, you’ll need shorter periods to recover between sets.
The next time you’re done with your training before the usual time, don’t do more exercises to compensate for the extra time. Note it in your journal and lift heavier weights in the next workout.
Feel The Weights
If you’ve been working out for some time, you might have had times when your usual training weights felt like peanuts. Whenever the weights feel lighter, it’s a sure sign that you’re growing stronger.
On days like these when you feel like you can conquer the world, you should go all out in your training. Train as heavy as you can without compromising on your form, and the bodybuilding Gods will surely bless you with gains.
On the other hand, if the weights feel heavier than usual – could be because of fatigue or exertion – you should drop down the weights and go after the pump. If the weights feel light and you’re able to do more reps than usual, you’ve got good news on hand.
Lifting Bigger
This is the most obvious sign of getting stronger. If you can lift heavier weights without compromising on the form, you’ve gotten stronger. After hitting a PR, don’t make the mistake of camping in your comfort zone.
Keep pushing yourself to ensure that you don’t hit a plateau. Getting a spotter, using advanced training techniques like supersets, drop sets, BFR training, intra-set stretching are fantastic ways of improving your strength.
How much can you bench? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
Gaining Muscle Past The Age of 40
Gaining Muscle 40: For some of us, the idea of turning 40 years old seems like a long distance. Away as we enjoy our 20s and 30s without a care in the world. However, every year we creep up to an age where we won’t be able to recover as […]
The post Gaining Muscle Past The Age of 40 appeared first on What Steroids.
6 Reasons Why You Are Not Getting Stronger
Most people join a gym to get over some kind of insecurity.
Lifting weights has this uncanny ability to make you feel powerful and in control. Hit the gym for a few years, and you will start feeling like you can beat a grizzly bear in a bare-knuckle fight.
But the question remains – If it is so good, why do some people quit training soon after they get a gym membership? One of the biggest reasons is that these people have no results to show for the hard work they put in the gym.
The adrenaline rush is one of the biggest hooks for weightlifting. Graduating from a 40lb dumbbell to a 45lb dumbbell is a thrilling moment for a lifter. On the other hand, being stuck on the same weight for too long can be discouraging.
Let’s be honest. Resistance training is hard. Not seeing the needle budge in the right direction even after performing thousands of reps day in and day out can be pretty disappointing. The day an individual begins questioning their results is the beginning of the end of their fitness journey.
Knowing what you are doing wrong can help you save time, effort, and frustration that comes with following an ineffective routine. While an inability to meet your daily macro goal, lack of discipline, and rest are potent causes for stalled progress, they are far from being the only reasons. In this article, we are going to dig deeper into why you are not getting stronger.
Reasons Why You Are Not Getting Stronger
1. You Do What You Love And Love What You Do
While ‘Do what you love and love what you do’ might be a great advertising campaign, it doesn’t work so well in the gym. Most people have an exercise that they love performing, like the bicep curl and leg extension, and then there are some exercises that don’t get the same love – like squats.
Sticking to the same exercises in every workout might make you feel great, but the strength void you are creating by avoiding the “hard” lifts gets bigger with every training session. Also, performing the same exercises in every workout is one of the fastest ways to hit a plateau.
In the gym (just like in life), the things that push you out of your comfort zone are the things that will help you grow and succeed. There is no place for comfort in the gym. The next time you find yourself heading towards the leg press machine, take a stop-over at the squat rack.
2. The Ego Is The Enemy
The iron paradise is a high-testosterone zone, and it is not the place to go looking for the world’s most humble men. Egos usually run high in places where people are trying to outdo each other, and the gym is no different.
There are two types of ego lifters:
Bros who put on more weight on the bar than they can handle. These folks let their form go for a toss as they struggle to lift the weight.
People who never push themselves to lift heavier than they usually do. They avoid attempting a PR on the squat or bench press to avoid the embarrassment of failing at the lift.
While the first scenario is more dangerous than the second, both are toxic for your gains and should be avoided if you want to get stronger. While entering the gym, drop your ego at the front door and practice lifting with a leveled head. Remember: don’t starve but also don’t bite off more than you can chew.
3. You Are Jumping Ships Too Often
Most people make the mistake of switching training programs too often. In today’s fast-paced world, people want quick fixes. Fast food, super glue, instant noodles, and quick money trading Dogecoin (thanks, Elon). They carry the same mindset to the gym as well.
These people start a training program, and if they don’t see results in a few weeks (which they usually don’t), they switch programs in hopes of getting stronger and turning around their physiques. And then they switch to a new program after a few more weeks.
While following the same program for a long period can cause you to hit a plateau, jumping ships too often do not give your muscles enough time to get the most out of your routine. You should stick with a training program for at least eight weeks before switching things up.
4. Everyone And Everything Has A Limit
It would be great if we could grow a little stronger every day. Some people say they focus on getting 1% better every day in whatever it is they are trying to improve. If you apply this to weight lifting, it won’t be long before you could star in the next Hulk movie.
Train long enough, and you will reach a point where your strength will plateau, and you won’t get any stronger. The genetic ceiling is for real, and even unsavory things like steroids will only get you so far before you hit the new overhead ceiling.
5. You Are Unaware About ‘Supramaximal Training’
Supramaximal training involves exposing the body to higher or greater than a corresponding maximal stimulus. This technique can shock your muscles into growing by exposing them to a higher set of demands than they are used to.
If you want to increase muscle strength and hypertrophy, you should focus on increasing your TuT (time under tension) during supramaximal training sets using eccentric loading.
The TuT component of eccentric loading can be incredibly effective in plateau-breaking and prove invaluable for pushing the muscles and the nervous system to a new level of performance.
6. Bad Mechanics
The human brain finds the most efficient way to move through space while facing the least amount of resistance. This feature of our mind has served us Homo sapiens and our evolution well, but the same cannot be said for resistance training.
While lifting, many people subconsciously get into positions that limit the load on the joints and, therefore, the muscles. If you are one of these people, you should take a step back and assess your form while lifting.
When you are in the gym, you should put the evolutionary brain to rest and focus on making your body work hard for the gains. There are no two ways about it.
What is your bench press PR?
Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Legendary Lifting Partners You Need to Know
Almost everybody has, or should have, a lifting partner. If you are still lifting weights alone, it is time you considered finding yourself a friend to help you make your experience at the gym a breeze. Lifting becomes more comfortable with a gym friend, iron brother or iron sister, swolemate, or metal comprade, whichever term you use at your sport to refer to a lifting partner. However, finding yourself a lifting partner is not as easy as you think. It is not anyone you meet at the gym who can make the right workout partner. It goes beyond physical compatibility, and there has to be some chemistry between the two of you. But how will you know that you’ve found the perfect lifting partner?
Well, the following are clues you may have found the ultimate lifting partner
Similar Workouts
The perfect gym partner likes most of the things you want. That includes specific exercises and particular kinds of weights. If you find out that you and your new partner do many incline presses than decline presses, you found him/her! The same applies to the number of deadlift sets and preps, and the right partner will go just as far as you can go with deadlifts. If you feel sort of overworked or underworked after a lifting round with your new partner, the chances are that they may not be the right partner for you.
Bond Outside the Gym
The relationship with your partner must not be confined to the gym. The perfect lifting partner will maintain contact with you outside the workout spot. More often, the two of you would be seen grabbing a meal together or just strolling around town. Real lifting partners will often text, joking about weights, meals, and many other things not necessarily associated with the gym.
A lifting partner where you live, they know some of your family members. They will come to check on you when you don’t respond to your phone. Your partner knows a couple of your friends as well. Once in a while, your families share a meal or a drink at a high-end restaurant. Similarly, they are your first comforters when you’re faced with sad moments like grief. That is the right lifting partner for you.
Related Article: 5 Fitness Tips While Gyms Are Closed
You Have Similar Goals
The truth of the matter is; it is easier to work with someone who is trying to achieve the same thing as you or similar. The ideal lifting partner shares your aspirations in terms of what they want to accomplish in the short-term and long-term. If you are working for a lean muscle, find yourself someone who shares that dream with you. Similarly, the perfect gym partner should aim for the same career goal as you. There is no point in training with someone whose primary goal is to win a local title while you are aiming for a significant IFFB title.
Similar Bodybuilding Thoughts and Philosophies
What does your lifting partner think about bodybuilding in general? Are they doing it for fun, or are they doing it to achieve short-term goals? Your partner’s thoughts about the exercises you do will tell you whether you have found the right lifting partner or not. If they are mostly pessimistic about certain things, you should consider finding yourself another partner. Reason? They will derail you and prevent you from achieving your bodybuilding goals.
They Are Your Solid Rock
A good match will be your biggest motivation in every bodybuilding aspect. Does your partner push you to achieve your set goals? Even when your will to go on is at its lowest? If yes, then you have just found yourself an ideal partner. The wrong partner would probably discourage you from doing certain things or doesn’t push you. Also, they should be by your side when facing a bodybuilding contest at any level. They should be among the first people to comfort you when you don’t perform as expected in a particular competition.
Most importantly, a lifting partner doesn’t see you as a rival, but a comrade. That means sharing your successes and defeats in equal measure. That is the person you ought to keep as a lifting partner.
Tries to Fix Your Flaws
You don’t have to tell your lifting partner things about you. They should know you inside out as far as bodybuilding is concerned. That includes your strengths and weaknesses. The most significant role in their life is to help you become a better version of yourself. Your lifting partner should help you overcome bodybuilding challenges such as successfully performing strenuous exercises. Most importantly, they should be completely honest with you. If you were losing focus and headed in the wrong direction, they should be able to point it out.
Now that you know what your ideal lifting partner should or should not do let us see legendary lifting partners bodybuilding partners should emulate. You don’t have to copy everything they did, but let it serve as a guide to help grow your bodybuilding career.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu
Arnold Schwarzenegger is undoubtedly one of the best bodybuilders in history. His rigorous acting career meant he had to do a lot of weightlifting to take on giant monsters in his fictional world. However, without a supportive lifting partner, he could not have been as successful. Arnold was struck by the tragic death of his long-time friend and lifting partner, Franco Columbu. The two first met in Germany in the 60s. Their friendship would move to the gym where they broke and set new records in weightlifting. The duo would do as much as bench press 500 lbs. each and top it up with squats 545lbs. Additionally, the lifting partners made deadlift 710 lbs. look like a piece of cake.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was not your ordinary movie star. Most of the things Arnold did in his action moves he could do in real life thanks to his prowess in weightlifting. Together with Columbu, they would do some weight lifting an average person would consider impossible. For instance, they used 100-pound dumbbells for eight preps. And not only that, they did it for flat bench flyes. Additionally, the partners would barbell row 315 for ten without a sweat
Mike Tyson and Zab Judah
Modern boxers such as the likes of Mike Tyson lift weights like regular bodybuilders. Most of them also use performance enhancement drugs and steroids. There is a thin line between bodybuilding and boxing. Although the two are separate careers, they have a common factor, which is the gym. Before hitting the ring, Tyson spent hundreds at the gym working out and lifting weights like every other bodybuilder. Zab Judah is not just a normal weight lifting partner, but he is also a reputable boxing champion and is considered the best welterweight boxer.
However, if you were to face either of them in a training session, your life would flash before your eyes. The speed, furiousness, aggressiveness, and intensity of their training is out of this world. If you walked into the gym and didn’t know them well, which is quite unlikely, you can’t say one of them is the trainer. Zab Judah stated that Tyson worked as much in training as he works in the ring. That is perhaps the reason the legendary boxer has seen more successes in the ring than any other fighter in history.
Typical exercise for Tyson and Zab involve 2000 squats, 66-pound barbell that is accompanied by 500 shrugs. They also do a lot of neck exercises using various weights. Their partnership in weightlifting has seen them become the undisputed boxers in their respective fields.
Flex Wheeler and Ronnie Coleman
Most people only know Kenneth ‘Flex’ Wheeler and Ronnie Coleman as rivals. What many people don’t know is that the two trained together as well. Their connection goes beyond the ring to other aspects of bodybuilding.
For instance, Ronnie once stated that it is Flex who introduced him to steroid use. But that is not the juice here. The two bodybuilding icons did a lot together to achieve mutual dreams, except when they were competing against each other, of course. Flex Wheeler has won 4 Arnold Classics and many other titles. Ronnie Coleman, on the other hand, commonly referred to as the real-life ‘Hulk’ won Mr. Olympia eight years in a row. The combined achievement of the two bodybuilders is a feat many bodybuilders can only dream of.
The two bodybuilders are known to have intense back, shoulder, and chest workouts. The workouts included barbell deadlift, T-bar row, assisted and non-assisted pull-up machine, inclined barbell raise, seated calf raise, among others.
Dexter Jackson and Kai Greene
Dexter Jackson and Kai Greene had a unique training style that involved body part split. The overall objective was to develop maximum muscular mass hypertrophy. The exercises typically involved 3 to 4 sets. Additionally, each training had approximately six activities. If you are still wondering why you need a lifting partner, try digging deeper into the kinds of exercises these two did together. The discipline and commitment to do these exercises successfully comes with a collaboration of two like-minded bodybuilders.
Their vigorous exercises saw both of them succeed in their respective fields, sometimes in the same competition, beyond expectation. Dexter is an Olympia bodybuilding champion as well as a 2015 Arnold Classic winner. Kai Greene may not be fortunate, having come second in the Mr Olympia competition three consecutive times in 2012, 2013, and 2014. However, his bodybuilding has contributed to his successes in other areas such as acting, as a trainer, and artist.
Frank Zane and Dave Draper
The duo is lucky to train alongside Arnold and Columbu. Zane and Draper may not have achieved much in their bodybuilding career, but they are among the best lifting partners. Their training followed a weekly routine with each exercise meant to achieve a particular goal.
On Mondays, Zane and his partner would do quadriceps and calves. They would do forearms and Abs in the evening of the same day. Every other day of the week had two sets of exercises, one in the morning and the other in the evening. On Thursdays, for instance, they would do back exercises in the morning then shoulders, forearms, biceps, and abs in the evening. Their training involved three days of rest every week.
Frank Zane is a 2-time Mr. Olympia winner while Dave Draper is considered a legend from the golden era. The latter won Mr. New Jersey when he was only 21 years of age.
Conclusion
Bodybuilding is a sport of pride, but one can achieve a lot more if they have a lifting partner to help them gain some lifting milestones. The best bodybuilders in history have had a lifting partner at some point in their fitness careers. A lifting partner does not necessarily make the weights lighter but will motivate you to lift even heavier weights. Like it was highlighted earlier in this article, the perfect lifting partner will push your fitness limits and inspires you to bring out the best in you.
If you have never thought about getting yourself a lifting partner, it is about time you found one. A lifting partner doesn’t have to be a fellow bodybuilder, but it would be better if they are one. Finding a lifting partner could be as easy as approaching anyone at your gym. It will take you a couple of days to know whether they make a perfect partner or not. If not, feel free to move to the next person.
Overall
All in all, find yourself a lifting partner who is disciplined enough to help you realize your bodybuilding dreams. Bodybuilding comes with many freedoms. Consequently, many people do not make it to the top because of a lack of discipline. Additionally, you may have heard of prolific bodybuilders who came down crashing after finding themselves a bad company.
In conclusion, a lifting partner is like your third eye. They see what you don’t see, and they know what works for you and what does not. Listen to what they have to say, you don’t have to agree with everything they suggest, but consider their opinion when making critical bodybuilding decisions.