Muscle Strength
What is Muscular Strength?
The second basic component of physical fitness,
muscle strength is the ability of the muscle to exert force during an
activity, typically in a one-time burst of energy/effort.
How to Increase Muscle Strength?
In order to make
your muscles stronger, you need to work them against some form of
resistance, either from weights or gravity. If you want to gain muscle
strength, try exercises such as weight-lifting
using freeweights, barbells or dumbells (for upper-body muscle-strength),
or weight machines like a leg-press machine (for lower-body muscle strength).
Lifting weights (freeweights or via machines) boosts muscle
fitness as well as bone-strength, by placing more strain on muscles
and bones than they are used to. During a weight-lifting or bodybuilding
workout, the muscles are compelled to work harder to balance/overcome
the resistance offered by the weight being lifted or moved.
Weight Machines Best for Beginners Muscle
Strength
Apart from lifting small hand-weights (eg.
to perform biceps curls etc.) muscle-building beginners should focus on
using weight machines. This is because weight machines are designed to
strengthen specific muscles. Doing a weight-training circuit using a variety
of apparatus can provide an optimal resistance-training
workout to build bigger muscles.
Exercises to Raise Muscle Strength
Push-ups, chin-ups as well as isometric
or plyometric exercises
are useful to improve muscle strength and overall muscular power.
Sources include:
- President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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