Strength Gains Tips
Tips to Help You Gain Strength
by Raeann McCarty | 19 April 2021
This article is for the “intermediate” exercisers, the ones who are already comfortable in the gym and working out consistently, know the proper forms for each exercise, but also for those of you with strength gains goals that have maybe plateaued and need just a little Friendly Fitness Help to advance.
People have been doing certain movements to gain strength since athleticism, and not just survival, became a goal for some of humankind.
There is a reason these bread and butter movements are well known, and the simple fact is, they work. There’s no need to get fancy or fanatical when you’re looking to build simple strength.
Keep It Simple, Silly!
People have been doing certain movements to gain strength since athleticism, and not just survival, became a goal for some of humankind.
There is a reason these bread and butter movements are well known, and the simple fact is, they work. There’s no need to get fancy or fanatical when you’re looking to build simple strength.
Keep It Simple, Silly!
Our goal at McCartyFit is to help YOU build a more fit and healthy YOU
and our unique style of Friendly Fitness Help is how we do it!
and our unique style of Friendly Fitness Help is how we do it!
Before we list and explain these massive strength building exercises, let’s first review some basic physiology to help you better understand how muscles work with and against each other for your benefit.
The Agonist is a muscle group that is the prime mover of a motion.
The Antagonist is the muscle group that works opposite of the contraction. For example, during the squat, the quads and glutes contract (shortening of the muscle), while the hamstrings support the movement.
When an agonist contracts, the antagonist resists, supporting.
Bonus Tip: If both the agonist and antagonist muscles contract, an isometric contraction occurs. Remember a few decades ago when isometric exercise was all the rage? Basically, they’re both working against one another and no movement occurs, but you still get results.
The Agonist is a muscle group that is the prime mover of a motion.
The Antagonist is the muscle group that works opposite of the contraction. For example, during the squat, the quads and glutes contract (shortening of the muscle), while the hamstrings support the movement.
When an agonist contracts, the antagonist resists, supporting.
Bonus Tip: If both the agonist and antagonist muscles contract, an isometric contraction occurs. Remember a few decades ago when isometric exercise was all the rage? Basically, they’re both working against one another and no movement occurs, but you still get results.
Old School Movements That Improve Strength and Should be Included in Your Strength Gain Program
Deadlift
Agonist (pulling the weight up): Hamstrings, Lats (Latissimus dorsi), Upper Back (Trapezius, Rhomboids, Levator Scapulae)
Antagonist (controlling the weight back down): Lower Back (Erector spinae) stabilizing, Abs (Rectus Abdominis), Obliques
Bench
Agonist (pushing weight up): Chest (Pectoralis major), Shoulders (Anterior deltoids), Triceps,
Antagonist (muscles-lowering the weight to the chest): Lats (Latissimus dorsi), Biceps
Pull-up
Agonist (muscles-raising the body): Lats (Latissimus dorsi), Trapezius, Thoracic erector spinae, Biceps
Antagonist (muscles-lowering the body): Chest (Pectoralis major), Shoulders (Anterior deltoids), Triceps
Farmers Carry
Agonist: Quads (Vastus lateralis, Vastus medialis, Vastus femoris, Rectus femoris), Glutes (Gluteus maximus), calves (gastrocnemius medial head, gastrocnemius lateral head, soleus), core, forearms
Antagonist: hamstrings (biceps femoris short head, biceps femoris long head, semitendinosus, semimembranosus)
Anti-Rotation
Core stabilization exercise. The muscle groups involved in an anti-rotational exercise are resisting a force being placed on the core.
Isometric: obliques, abs (transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis), glutes (stabilizing the pelvis)
Agonist (pulling the weight up): Hamstrings, Lats (Latissimus dorsi), Upper Back (Trapezius, Rhomboids, Levator Scapulae)
Antagonist (controlling the weight back down): Lower Back (Erector spinae) stabilizing, Abs (Rectus Abdominis), Obliques
Bench
Agonist (pushing weight up): Chest (Pectoralis major), Shoulders (Anterior deltoids), Triceps,
Antagonist (muscles-lowering the weight to the chest): Lats (Latissimus dorsi), Biceps
Pull-up
Agonist (muscles-raising the body): Lats (Latissimus dorsi), Trapezius, Thoracic erector spinae, Biceps
Antagonist (muscles-lowering the body): Chest (Pectoralis major), Shoulders (Anterior deltoids), Triceps
Farmers Carry
Agonist: Quads (Vastus lateralis, Vastus medialis, Vastus femoris, Rectus femoris), Glutes (Gluteus maximus), calves (gastrocnemius medial head, gastrocnemius lateral head, soleus), core, forearms
Antagonist: hamstrings (biceps femoris short head, biceps femoris long head, semitendinosus, semimembranosus)
Anti-Rotation
Core stabilization exercise. The muscle groups involved in an anti-rotational exercise are resisting a force being placed on the core.
Isometric: obliques, abs (transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis), glutes (stabilizing the pelvis)
The Squat
Let’s look at the squat movement as an example.
In the Western world, we’ve gotten away from squatting on a regular basis as part of our daily lives, but in many other parts of the world we see people with far greater squat capability than we have here. By the time most of us in the West reach middle age, our squat capability has all but disappeared.
When we squat, here are the major muscles and muscle groups involved:
Agonists: Glutes (Gluteus maximus), Quads (Vastus lateralis, Vastus medialis, Vastus femoris, Rectus femoris), Calves (Soleus, Gastrocnemius)
Antagonists: Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus)
But why is squatting important?
The squat, whether with weights or only bodyweight, is a cornerstone movement in almost every athletic discipline. Why? Because it is a key indicator of current overall fitness levels, and the key to significant strength gains across the entire body.
The “Overhead Squat” (with hands raised) is a common movement assessment that personal trainers use to determine a proper starting place for a client. Watching a client or potential client perform this exercise tells us which muscles need strengthening or stretching, and what parts of the body suffer from mobility degradations.
There is no denying the importance of the squat. A squat can provide a personal trainer with information in detecting muscular imbalances, fitness level, mobility and flexibility issues
During the squat, we watch a person's posture, where their knees track, their hip alignment, whether their feet flatten or toes point out. This gives us a lot of information in a very short time, and reveals to our trained eyes what areas need to be improved first, what areas will need modified exercises to strengthen, and what stability and mobility considerations will have to be accounted for in developing a personalized, injury-preventing personal training plan.
Squats are important because they engage and work so many things at once.
In this 2001 California State University study, Knee biomechanics of the dynamic squat exercise, researchers confirmed “The squat primarily strengthens hip, thigh, and back musculature, which are very important muscles in running, jumping, and lifting. It is commonly believed among athletes and coaches that the squat enhances athletic performance and minimizes injury potential.”
The dynamic squat is essential to any strength program, commonly used by physical therapists, personal trainers, strength and conditioning coach, and anyone working in the field of exercise.
Properly performed squats reduce the risk of injury and is even essential to many rehabilitation therapies.
The squat can be varied in so many ways to make a complete body movement. Holding out a weight in front of your chest increases the need for core stability. Holding something overhead increases core stability and engages the upper body. Turn it into a plyometric by adding jumps at the top or a static stabilizer by holding at the bottom.
Air squats, wall sits, assisted squats with furniture, glute bridges—all are exercise modifications that strengthen the same body systems as weighted squats.
In the Western world, we’ve gotten away from squatting on a regular basis as part of our daily lives, but in many other parts of the world we see people with far greater squat capability than we have here. By the time most of us in the West reach middle age, our squat capability has all but disappeared.
When we squat, here are the major muscles and muscle groups involved:
Agonists: Glutes (Gluteus maximus), Quads (Vastus lateralis, Vastus medialis, Vastus femoris, Rectus femoris), Calves (Soleus, Gastrocnemius)
Antagonists: Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus)
But why is squatting important?
The squat, whether with weights or only bodyweight, is a cornerstone movement in almost every athletic discipline. Why? Because it is a key indicator of current overall fitness levels, and the key to significant strength gains across the entire body.
The “Overhead Squat” (with hands raised) is a common movement assessment that personal trainers use to determine a proper starting place for a client. Watching a client or potential client perform this exercise tells us which muscles need strengthening or stretching, and what parts of the body suffer from mobility degradations.
There is no denying the importance of the squat. A squat can provide a personal trainer with information in detecting muscular imbalances, fitness level, mobility and flexibility issues
During the squat, we watch a person's posture, where their knees track, their hip alignment, whether their feet flatten or toes point out. This gives us a lot of information in a very short time, and reveals to our trained eyes what areas need to be improved first, what areas will need modified exercises to strengthen, and what stability and mobility considerations will have to be accounted for in developing a personalized, injury-preventing personal training plan.
Squats are important because they engage and work so many things at once.
In this 2001 California State University study, Knee biomechanics of the dynamic squat exercise, researchers confirmed “The squat primarily strengthens hip, thigh, and back musculature, which are very important muscles in running, jumping, and lifting. It is commonly believed among athletes and coaches that the squat enhances athletic performance and minimizes injury potential.”
The dynamic squat is essential to any strength program, commonly used by physical therapists, personal trainers, strength and conditioning coach, and anyone working in the field of exercise.
Properly performed squats reduce the risk of injury and is even essential to many rehabilitation therapies.
The squat can be varied in so many ways to make a complete body movement. Holding out a weight in front of your chest increases the need for core stability. Holding something overhead increases core stability and engages the upper body. Turn it into a plyometric by adding jumps at the top or a static stabilizer by holding at the bottom.
Air squats, wall sits, assisted squats with furniture, glute bridges—all are exercise modifications that strengthen the same body systems as weighted squats.
