How much weight do I use?
Use enough so that the last two repetitions of each regular set (i.e., not warm-up or final sets) are difficult to complete.
Should I “superset” my workout?
We strongly suggest supersetting (also called “compounding”) your workouts. It keeps your heart rate elevated, thus burns more calories and increases your endurance. Examples of supersetting include doing a set of chest presses, followed with a set of lat pulldowns, or a set of dumbbell curls followed with a set of triceps extensions.
You say iEnforce Fitness will design my workout based on the equipment I have available. What if I don’t have anything?
No problem. The equipment questionnaire allows for NO equipment needed and assigns bodyweight routines. Plus, many of the dumbbell exercises can be performed without dumbbells. Test and see which can work.
What are the benefits of warming up?
Warming up your body makes for a more efficient and effective workout. A brief treadmill walk or cycle increases heart rate and blood flow throughout the body. It can be compared to warming up your car.
What is the right way to warm up for weight training?
Include at least one warm-up set for each exercise you’re performing. Use 50% of the weight used for your normal first set, and do one or two sets of 8 – 12 repetitions each.
If your workout schedule is 3 sets of 10 and you normally use 30 pounds with your first set, do one or two warm-up sets using 15 pounds.
What is “repping out”? Do I need to do it?
You can “rep out” by performing as many repetitions as possible on the final set of each exercise. This can be performed to failure (use a spotter.) It is an effective method for increasing muscular endurance.
How do I know if I’m using the correct form when I exercise?
First, before performing an exercise, watch the video; it will demonstrate correct form. Read the description that accompanies each exercise to make sure you’ve picked up the details. The key is proper spinal alignment and breathing technique.
Concentrate on proper posture. Keep your spine straight when you can. Some exercises do require you to bend and extend, but for the most part, keep non-targeted body parts from getting involved in an exercise. Minimize compensation.
Be aware of your core structure (the area all the way around your body from below your chest to just below your navel.) Keep this area firm and supported during all exercises.
Most important, don’t compensate. Don’t attempt, especially during an isolation exercise, to use other muscles or body parts to help complete an exercise. For example, don’t arch your back during a chest press or sway your body back and forth during a biceps curl.
If you’re compensating, you’re lifting too much weight. Lower the weight, fix your form, and then add weight when you can handle it while keeping proper form. Do not sacrifice proper form in order to lift more weight.
What is the correct way to breathe?
During the exertion (usually upward) phase of the exercise, engage your core muscles by bearing down on them, tightening them and exhaling forcefully. This helps protect your spine and prevent unnecessary blood pressure spikes. Take at least a partial breath (one exhale, one inhale) during each repetition.
Examples of the exertion phase include the upward phase of a:
- squat
- leg press
- lunge
- step up
- hamstring curl
- chest press
- biceps curl
- shoulder press
- crunch
- lying triceps extension
…Or, the downward phase of any standing triceps extensions
What is tempo?
Tempo is the speed at which you perform a repetition. The faster your tempo, the more likely you are to compromise form. The slower the tempo the more muscle fibers you recruit to move the weight (a good thing), though slow tempos can also affect functionality (the speed by which you normally move in sport or everyday life).
It’s best to train the muscles at about the same speed at which we use them in daily life. iEnforce Fitness chooses different tempo speeds throughout your workout.
What types of tempos are there?
Slow
2 seconds during the downward phase and 1 second for the upward phase. No pause – just 2 down, 1 up.
Mod (Moderate)
1 second downward, 1 second upward. No pause in the middle.
Fast
The quickest that you can perform the exercise without compromising your form. If you’re not in total control of every part of your body, you’re going too fast.
When should I stretch?
There are a few schools of thought regarding stretching during weight training. iEnforce Fitness believes that gentle stretching in between sets or at the end of a workout is good for your muscles. There are two reasons: flexibility training increases or helps to maintain flexibility in muscles and, ultimately, joints. Weight training – especially heavy weight training – can lead to foreshortening of muscles. Stretching during and after exercise helps lessen foreshortening and increases a muscles’ flexibility.
What’s the correct way to stretch?
- Stretch slowly and gently.
- Unload the muscle you are stretching. It should not be bearing any weight. If it is, it is contracting – NOT stretching.
- Hold stretches only for as long as it takes for you to RELAX the muscle and ALLOW it to stretch. This should take 3-5 seconds.
- Exhale during the stretch; it helps you relax and allow the stretch to occur.
- Stretch the muscle to the point of tension – no more; do not stretch to the point of pain.
- Don’t ever bounce.
- Do 2-3 stretches to the muscle, holding the stretch for 3-5 seconds.
- Do not make a muscle stretch – allow it to stretch.
