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How to Increase Strength: The Best Exercises

Strength training is important for athletes of all kinds and anyone interested in fitness and overall health. It's important to know what exercises are best for your fitness goals. Some workouts are best for burning calories others for building muscle and some are designed for adding strength and endurance. Here are some of the best exercises to increase strength.

Increase Arm Strength

Twenty-Ones for stronger biceps:

One of the best bicep workouts, twenty-ones push your arms to their limits. Begin with dumbbells that are a challenging weight but not too heavy (you're going to have to do 21 reps.) First perform a standard curl, but stop half way and hold for a second. Lower and repeat for 7 reps. On the last rep, hold at the halfway point and then do 7 reps the rest of the way up toward your shoulders. Don't let the weights drop below the halfway point. You are doing half reps at the bottom and then the top. Next bring the weights all the way down to normal starting position and do 7 full curls. At this point if you are using the right weights, your arms should be burning.

Static Curls

Static curls are great for increasing strength because they use isometrics. Your body gets used to repetitive movements like standard curls, but when you make your muscles hold a contraction they are challenged in a different way. To perform: Begin with two dumbbells. Curl halfway with the left and hold at the halfway point. Next do 3-5 regular curls with the right stopping and holding at halfway. Next do 3-5 curls with the left hand while holding the right still. Continue until you have done at least three sets with each hand.

Strip sets

Lay out four dumbbells of different weights, for example 35, 30, 25, 20. Start with the heaviest weight. Perform three curls with the right hand, and then switch to the next weight performing the same reps with the same hand. Continue this until you have done a total of 12 reps with your right hand. Repeat the process with the left hand. Repeat until you have completed at least three sets.

Increase Leg Strength

Deep squats

Squats are one of the most important all over strength building exercises and fundamental for increasing leg strength. With feet shoulder width apart and hands at your side, keep heels firmly planted and squat down until your fingers touch the floor. Do as many as you can. Rest, and then do it again.

Increase Core Strength

Extended Pushups

Core strength is fundamental and extended pushups are one of the best ways to work your core. Begin like an ordinary pushup, but extend your hands forward past your head. Keep a straight back (your instinct will be to arch.) In a normal pushup your chest lowers between your hands. In this version, your head will come down between your hands. This odd angle forces you to use more of your core to stabilize. Also keep in mind that a little goes a long way here. Do not push yourself beyond your limits here; this could lead to injury, but done carefully and properly, extended pushups will definitely help your core strength.

These are just a few exercises to help increase strength. This is not a complete workout, but the addition of these to your workout will certainly make a difference.

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