Losing strength due to illness, injury, or not working out for a while can be frustrating. The good news is that with some hard work and dedication, you can rebuild your strength to where you were before and beyond! In this blog post, I'll share my tips for regaining strength with equipments like Barbells, Benches, Dumbbell and Kettlebells, Power towers etc and through proper nutrition, an effective workout plan, along with descriptions of each exercise so you can perform them properly.
Diet for Regaining Strength
Diet plays a crucial role in providing your body the necessary fuel for an intense strength training routine. Here is a sample balanced diet plan focused on getting adequate protein, carbs, and good fats:
- Breakfast: Oatmeal with whey protein powder, mixed berries, almonds and Greek yogurt
- Lunch: Chicken salad wrap (shredded chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, avocado) on a whole grain tortilla
- Snacks: Hummus with carrots/celery/bell peppers, protein smoothie
- Dinner: Grilled salmon, brown rice, roasted Brussels sprouts
- Drink plenty of water and aim to eat your last meal 2-3 hours before bedtime.
This diet provides enough lean protein to build muscle (from chicken, salmon, Greek yogurt), complex carbs to fuel workouts (oats, brown rice), healthy fats (avocado, almonds, olive oil) and nutrients from fruits and veggies. Adjust portion sizes based on your weight/fitness goals.
The Workout Routine
Working out 3-5 days per week, focus on full body movements that use multiple large muscle groups instead of isolation exercises. Here is a balanced workout plan:
Workout A
- Squats - 3 sets x 8-10 reps
- Bench Press - 3 sets x 6-8 reps
- Barbell Rows - 3 sets x 8-10 reps
- Shoulder Press - 3 sets x 8 reps
- Plank - 3 x 30 seconds
Workout B
- Deadlifts - 3 sets x 5 reps
- Lunges - 3 sets x 12 reps per leg
- Lat Pulldowns - 3 sets x 10 reps
- Bicep Curls - 3 sets x 10 reps
- Crunches - 3 sets x 15 reps
Make sure to properly warm up before starting the workout and cool down with stretches afterwards. Listen to your body and take a day off when needed; recovery is when strength gains actually occur.
Exercise Descriptions and Proper Form
Here are some brief descriptions of proper form on some of the major compound exercises:
Squats: Feet slightly wider than hip width, sit hips back, push knees outwards, keep back straight and weight in heels. Go down until thighs parallel to floor. Engage core.
Bench Press: Retract shoulder blades, keep wrists straight, lower bar slowly until it touches mid-chest then drive back up. Don't bounce bar off chest or lock out elbows.
Deadlifts: Feet hip width apart, hinge at hips to lower bar towards ground while keeping back flat. Grip tight and thrust hips forward to standing.
Lunges: Take a big step forward, lower until both knees at 90 degree angles. Keep torso upright. Drive through front heel back to starting position.
Follow these diet, workout, form tips and be patient with yourself. Regain your strength with Elitefitness strength equipments, this may take time but stick with it - you got this! Let me know if you have any other questions.