BUILDING up strength through training the muscles is a good thing. And when discussing this, a picture of weight lifters or bodyguards should not come to the mind. Everybody can engage in this form of bodybuilding without fears of piling up bulges in unwanted places. Even women can benefit from this venture; if the aim is to build firm muscle mass as opposed to flabby muscles that are not toned and which are not healthy either.

In addition to toning the body, such training also helps to imbue the exerciser with the required energy to carry out daily activities without much strain. Because of the nature of the exercise, it involves a lot of lifting and lowering, as the body arts usually targeted are mainly the limbs and the torso though the whole body stands to benefit.

However, anyone going into it should better go slower for when it comes to lifting and lowering, going slower is more effective because the exerciser requires more muscle and less reliance on momentum. Slower also means safer since in this condition, movements are more controlled.

It has also been recommended that the 5-5-5 system be adopted. This means that the exerciser lifts for 5seconds and do 5 repetitions. This is fewer than the usual 10 to 15 repetitions but muscles don’t count repetitions, they respond instead to the time it takes to lift and lower a weight.

So, to produce results, a muscle needs to be worked between 30 to 90 seconds. The 5-5-5 system keeps muscles in motion for 50 seconds.

Fitter you

There are certain exercise programmes, which if carried out regularly bring the exerciser the benefits of being fit in a relatively short time. The exerciser may also begin to feel healthier and more alive shortly after starting.

The schedule usually starts gently with the mobility (suppleness) exercises and then goes on to strengthen muscles and increases the stamina. But remember to always start any exercise with the mobility exercises, which in essence help to warm the exerciser before s/he gets down to the real rigour.

Any exercise routine that becomes boring along the line should be replaced with other preferred ones considered more stimulating.

For activities such as jogging, swimming and cycling, the exerciser does not necessarily have to be fit before starting but s/he should take it very gently to begin with. Swim widths not lengths. Cycle on the flat not up hills. Walk first then break into a jog after a short while.

As the exerciser gets fitter, s/he can begin to increase the time spent, the distance covered and the speed gone at, to make the chosen exercise tougher and more beneficial.

It is usually better to exercise longer before exercising faster. To begin with, always allow one day’s rest between training sessions. Only when the exerciser has become stronger should s/he train everyday.