March 20, 2013
Not all athletes have a structured
off season work out, especially during summer break. To keep your body
conditioned as an athlete, or to gain muscle to keep your body healthy, here
are some staple exercises to be performed in the Avila gym. All of these
exercises should be performed with a spotter. While doing these exercises, you
should be pushing yourself to increase your strength, though always make sure
to do it safely!
Squats: While doing this exercise, it is important to keep
your feet shoulder width apart. Place the barbell evenly on your shoulders and
make sure you are stable. To perform the squat, bend your knees until your
hamstrings are parallel to the ground. It is also very important to keep your
back straight to prevent from injury. Use the down-3-up-1 rule while doing the
squat, which means to make the down movement last 3 seconds, and the up to only
last 1 second. This will give you the maximum effort in a squat. Begin with a
warm up set, using light weights and getting your body warmed up for the
exercise. Do three sets of 10 with your heaviest weight. End the exercise with
a muscle endurance set—during these, you will drop your weight to half of what
you used in your heavy weight sets and do 20 reps.
Deadlifts: While doing deadlifts, your feet should also be
shoulder width apart. The bar will be placed on the ground right in front of
you. While gripping the bar, use an over-under grip. This means one palm will
face you while the other faces the opposite direction. It is also very important
to keep your back straight in this exercise. Once your set position is stable,
keeping your back straight, you extend your legs to the top. At the top of the
deadlift, you completely straighten your back. While bringing the bar back down
to the floor, make sure it is a slow and controlled movement. Begin with a warm
up set, using light weights and getting your body warmed up for the exercise.
Do three sets of 10 with your heaviest weight. End the exercise with a muscle
endurance set—during these, you will drop your weight to half of what you used
in your heavy weight sets and do 20 reps.
Barbell Bench Press: Hold the bar with your hands a little
more than shoulder width apart—you want your forearms to be perpendicular to
the ground. Extend your arms to press the barbell to the top, then slowly bring
the bar about an inch above your chest until your humorous is parallel to the
ground. Make sure the bar is coming down right under your chest for the best
results. Begin with a warm up set, using light weights and getting your body
warmed up for the exercise. Do three sets of 10 with your heaviest weight. End
the exercise with a muscle endurance set—during these, you will drop your
weight to half of what you used in your heavy weight sets and do 20 reps.
Bent Over Rows: With your feet shoulder width apart, grab
the barbell and bend over to at least a 45 degree angle. Keeping your back
straight, pull the bar back to your waist, making sure the bar is basically
grazing up your quadriceps. Control the bar back to the beginning position to
do the exercise. Begin with a warm up set, using light weights and getting your
body warmed up for the exercise. Do three sets of 10 with your heaviest weight.
End the exercise with a muscle endurance set—during these, you will drop your
weight to half of what you used in your heavy weight sets and do 20 reps.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Keeping your forearms perpendicular
to the ground, sit with your back straight on a bench and press the dumbbells
over your head. It is important to make sure you are pressing the weight over
your head—not behind or in front of it. Press the weight up and then control it
back down, keeping your humorous parallel to the ground. Begin with a warm up
set, using light weights and getting your body warmed up for the exercise. Do
three sets of 10 with your heaviest weight. End the exercise with a muscle
endurance set—during these, you will drop your weight to half of what you used
in your heavy weight sets and do 20 reps.
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Weighted Abs: Connect a rope to a pulley and add the desired
weight. Separate the rope at the sides of your head. Squat down, seated on your
heels, and bring your forehead in between your legs. At the bottom of the
crunch, squeeze your abs for about two seconds until you can feel a burn.
Keeping your back straight, return to the beginning position and complete the
exercise. Begin with a warm up set, using light weights and getting your body
warmed up for the exercise. Do three sets of 20 with your heaviest weight.
