3 Tips for Building Muscle and Strength : 2 - Use Proper exercise form

2 - Use Proper exercise form :

Another area where many people fail to get the most from their strength training involves the actual form of how they perform each rep of each exercise. In virtually all weight training exercises such as using barbells, dumbbells, weight machines or body weight exercises (such as dips or chin-ups) it is extremely important to NOT allow momentum to help more the weight. This simply means move slowly and smoothly to eliminate the use of momentum. This fact is determined by the laws of physics. The faster you move the resistance the more momentum helps move the weight. Conversely the slower you move, the more tension has to be generated by the muscles, meaning more muscle fibers will be recruited and there is a greater potential for strength gains. Most people tend to move too quickly as this is easier but you should be trying to make your muscles work harder.

So at what speed should you move? One common recommendation for muscle and strength exercises is to take two seconds to lift, a brief pause and then four seconds to lower so each rep is about six seconds in duration. This is a very good method but some advanced training protocols require even slower movements. Always emphasize lowering the weight slowly as this eccentric muscle contraction phase is very important for stimulating strength gains.

1 - Understand High Intensity.
2 - Use Proper exercise form.
3 - Allow for recovery.