How to Build Strength with Fitstream

Train for Strength

In the pursuit of strength, your mantra should be "Quality Over Quantity" and training focus should be on intensity and not volume. Pay attention to the rest time between sets, and wait long enough so that the body has recovered to give your next set it's all.

When training at such intensity it's critical to start slow and explore the movements you're using with excellent form. Raw strength is as much about joints and tendon strength as it is about the muscle so be patient and let your body acclimatise to the work, ensuring that you warm up and have adequate rest between workouts.

With regards to how you train - this is a personal choice and depends on specific strength goals. At Fitstream we have a love of calisthenics and believe that true strength is demonstrated with mastery of your own body. Exercises such as deep one-leg-squats, one handed pull-ups or push-ups and full bridges are incredible examples of human strength.

To achieve such feats requires a progressive calisthenics routine, learning basic movements (research the big six - push-up, squat, pull-up, leg raise, bridge, handstand push-up) and following the progression paths up to more difficult variations. Callisthenics works the body as an integrated unit and develops the tendons, joints and nervous system as well as the muscles.

Rest and Recover

Motivation and effort are admirable, but take care not to overwork a body part, exercise, or routine, or your performance will suffer. If strength progress seems to stall, try adding more rest days, or drop back to an easier routine and you often find that you start to develop again. It's important to build up slowly and let the body adapt at it's own pace. Joints and tendons take longer to recover than muscle mass.

Patience is critical for strength development and often, athletes try to push themselves too far, too quickly. Always stay conscious of form, particularly with such high intensity training and avoid using momentum over strength.

Finally, make sure that you're getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night to allow your body to heal.