Basic exercises to gain strength

 Strength is the ability of the body to resist a force. Being strong improves both sports performance and daily life quality. Strength training is a type of exercise that involves activating the whole body muscles quickly and explosively to increase the speed, agility, explosive power and strength of the body. Strength training can provide many benefits such as muscle development, fat burning, metabolism rate, bone density and endurance.

Some points that we need to pay attention to when doing strength training are:

• Exercise selection: We should prefer compound exercises (that work multiple joints and muscle groups) to gain strength. For example, push-ups, squats, deadlifts, bench presses, rows are exercises that work both upper and lower body muscles and contribute to strength development.

• Weight selection: We should choose the weights heavy enough to gain strength. Generally, working in the range of 1-6 repetitions is suitable for strength training. When choosing the weight, we should choose a weight that we can complete the maximum number of repetitions but struggle in the last repetition.

• Technique: Technique is very important when doing strength training. Doing the exercise correctly reduces the risk of injury and works the muscles more efficiently. When doing the exercise, we should start the movement slowly and controlled, and finish it quickly and explosively in the concentric phase (the phase where the muscle shortens).

• Rest: Rest periods are also important when doing strength training. Generally, resting for 2-5 minutes between sets is suitable for strength training. During this time, we allow our muscles to fully recover and be ready for the next set. 

Some basic exercises that we can do to gain strength are:

• 
  Deadlift: It works the back of the body. We can use a barbell or a dumbbell. We stand with our feet hip-width apart. We hold the weight with our hands and push our hips back and bend our waist to lower the weight to the ground. We keep our back straight and our knees slightly bent. We lift the weight up by pushing our hips forward and straightening our waist without letting the weight touch the ground. This is one repetition. We can do 3-5 sets of 1-6 repetitions.
  

• Squat: It works the lower body. We stand with our feet hip-width apart. We push our hips back and bend our knees to squat down. We make sure that our knees do not go past our toes. We squat until our legs are 90 degrees. Then we straighten our legs and stand up. This is one repetition. We can do 3-5 sets of 1-6 repetitions.

• 
  Push-up: It works the chest, triceps, shoulder and abdominal muscles. We place our hands on the ground shoulder-width apart. We extend our legs back and keep our body in a straight line. We lower ourselves down by bending our arms until our chest touches the ground. Then we push ourselves up by straightening our arms. This is one repetition. We can do 3-5 sets of 1-6 repetitions.
  

• Bench press: It works the chest, triceps and shoulder muscles. We can use a barbell or a dumbbell. We lie on a bench on our back. We hold the weight over our chest with our hands. We lower the weight to our chest by bending our arms. Then we push the weight up by straightening our arms. This is one repetition. We can do 3-5 sets of 1-6 repetitions.

  

• Row: It works the back, biceps and rear shoulder muscles. We can use a barbell or a dumbbell. We stand with our feet hip-width apart. We hold the weight with our hands and push our hips back and bend our waist to lean our body forward. We keep our back straight and our knees slightly bent. We pull the weight to our chest by bending our arms. Then we extend our arms and lower the weight slowly. This is one repetition. We can do 3-5 sets of 1-6 repetitions. 

We can start gaining strength by doing these exercises 2-3 times a week.

We have provided information about the basic exercises to gain strength. These exercises are important for improving both sports performance and daily life quality. By doing strength training, you can get many benefits such as muscle development, fat burning, metabolism rate, bone density and endurance. When doing strength training, you need to pay attention to points such as exercise selection, weight selection, technique and rest. You also need to do strength training regularly and pay attention to your nutrition. You can make your body healthier, stronger and fitter with strength training.