One of the most important things a trainer has to show their clients is the concept of body composition.
Daily use of body composition exercises is an excellent way to transform body shapes. In addition, it allows a person to get control of total body fat percentage by using a series of simple exercises.
Here are a set of simple body composition exercises everyone should know that transforms body shapes.
Squats have a great ROI. And you don't need hundreds of pounds on the shoulders to see that. Squats are great for working the lower body.
Additionally, their simplicity often leads to unwanted results, such as injuring the back or knees. Many people do squats incorrectly. Often this leads to spraining, tenderness, and pain in the knee and ankle. But if done correctly, the squat sculpts the lower body perfectly.
Here are some tips on performing squats correctly:
A variation of the squat is performing it with only one leg.
The push-up is the most basic yet effective and most challenging exercise you'll use. Body composition exercises require you to learn to balance and stabilize your body weight.
For this, the push-up is a perfect example. It can be difficult as it asks for control of a range of muscles.
With the push-up, you engage the legs, shoulders, chest, arms, and the all-important core. And like all of the exercises on this list, you can do push-ups anywhere.
Tips for performing a correct push-up:
A beginner can start their push-up regimen with their knees on the floor. But it's advised you work your way towards the standard push-up. Doing push-ups on your knees becomes effortless and offers nothing to fitness.
There are many variations of the push-up. Each one is challenging and attacks core muscles.
Excellent for home workouts, planks strengthen muscles and improve posture. They work the hamstrings, shoulders, glutes, and core.
The exercise is instrumental in the alignment of the spine. Fitness experts prefer planks to sit-up or crunch machines as those can gradually damage the neck and spine.
To plank correctly, follow these steps.
Increase your stability and strength with a hip extension. You can perform these on your hand or forearm. You're simply doing the plank with one side of the body.
Get in the plank position, put all your weight on one leg and one side. Contract the glutes, extend the hip, and raise the upper leg off the floor. Keep the alignment to avoid any arching in the lumbar. Then, extend the straight arm, keeping it aligned with the shoulders.
Hold the position for the desired time. You can do reps with the same side or alternate sides of the body.
The slide plank strengthens the external and internal obliques and glutes. In addition, side planks work muscles that support the spine and pelvis.
Do the side plank with the hand or the forearm, using only one side of the body, like the hip extension. Maintain, as always, alignment, balance, and core stability.
You can either flex the bottom leg at the knee for better weight support. The other leg, with its foot on the floor, should be straight. Raise the hips to keep the line straight from shoulder to ankle.
If confident about core control and stability, straighten both legs, stacking them with hips lifted. For more support, place the top leg in front of the bottom, allowing the top heel to touch the toes of the bottom foot.
From a side plank, contract the outer hip and lift the top leg. Lift from the heel to activate the right muscles. Hold the position. You can also raise your arm toward the ceiling. This is an extreme challenge for the core and shoulder.
From a side plank, contract the outer hip and lift the top leg. Lift from the heel to activate the right muscles. Hold the position. You can also raise your arm toward the ceiling. This is an extreme challenge for the core and shoulder.
Burpees are one of the top body composition exercises out there. They make the heart pound and send the heart rate jumping quickly. Burpees are top-notch solutions for endurance, coordination, and power.
But they are challenging and, in the beginning, exhausting. The burpee combines the push-up and squat with a jump.
Burpees are often modified to align with specific fitness levels.
The basic sets for a burpee are:
Depending on an individual's fitness level, the burpee, in the beginning, can be exhausting. But if you wish to blast the muffin top, the burpee is a great way to go.
The lunge engages abdominal and core muscles. It builds stability and balance. With a powerful core, you can avoid lower back issues. Lunges also help improve posture, coordination, and balance.
Likewise, lunges support the strengthening of buttocks and legs while improving hip flexibility. The exercises enhance functionality and impact everyday, natural movement.
For lunges, keep these tips in mind.
Sit-ups and crunches also boost core strength. As they encourage intestinal function, sit-ups and crunches can also improve digestion.
There are easy variations (on an incline, while holding weights, etc.) that allow continued challenges to the core.
Do take note neither of these exercises specifically target fat. They simply work the abs and other muscle groups. These exercises help burn calories and improve the appearance without weight loss.
Sit-ups are a multi-muscle exercise. They not only make the core strong but potentially produce that six-pack everyone admires.
There are a variety of sit-ups you can add to your workout.
What separates the crunch from the sit-up is the former focuses only on the ab muscles. Another difference is when overdone, crunches can cause beginners severe back pain.
You may have read about celebrities doing 1,000 crunches at a time. Don't bother. Stick to 25 to 30 reps a set and do several sets during a single workout.
Like sit-ups, there are different ways to perform crunches.
In the end, exercise does not have to be a gym experience alone. Getting clients to see how they help themselves by working out any chance they get is not simply good for fitness.
It's good for mental health as well. And the confidence gained will encourage greater diligence when clients see their trainer!