Everything You Need To Know About Strenght Training

The human body has the amazing ability to adapt when facing a challenge. Strength training explores this property by placing the skeletal muscles[1] under controlled stress (resistance) in order to improve muscular strength and/or endurance.  When a muscle or muscle group is overloaded, each muscle fiber sends a message to our central manager, the brain, asking for help. The brain acts by recruiting more muscle fibers, contributing to most of the strength gains during the first weeks of training. But with continued practice, the muscle fibers also increase in size, which will enable you to gradually lift heavier loads. That’s the so-called muscle hypertrophy so praised by bodybuilders.

Hey, calm down! You are not going to get bulky. Even though some women are able to increase muscle mass significantly (as you can see on bodybuilding contests), that is not the rule for most of us, so there is no need to be afraid of the weight room. The magnitude of changes is closely related to the type and intensity of training, testosterone levels and genetic factors.

Then why do men bulk up with weight training and we don’t?  Well, the main reason is that on average, men have more muscle mass than women to start with. Women are generally shorter than men, usually lighter in total body weight, and have less fat free mass (muscle and bones) and more body fat. A male body, on the other hand, has a greater percentage of fat-free mass, meaning more muscle per body weight, especially on the upper body. They have more muscle fibers that can be stimulated and enlarged, and also have higher levels of testosterone, an anabolic-steroid hormone that supports muscle growth. In simple words, men are better equipped for muscle growth than women.

Despite these apparent disadvantages, any woman is capable of improving muscle strength and stamina with proper training, and these gains are not necessarily accompanied by large increases in muscle bulk. As you lose body fat, your newly built muscles will become more evident, thus giving you the “toned” appearance about which you always dreamed.

Benefits

Strength training (also called weight training or resistance training) is a fundamental part of a balanced exercise program. The main goal is to build muscle mass, which will translate into gains in strength, endurance and power. It contributes to the preservation of lean body mass which is one of the key components to keeping our metabolism[2] in check.

It also strengthens bones and joints, making you less prone to injuries. Actually, resistance training and other weight bearing exercises are critical for the maintenance of bone mass and density, which is especially important for us women because of the increased risk of developing osteoporosis as we age.

Types of Resistance Training

Before you start, you have to know what is out there for you. There is an enormous range of possibilities when it comes to resistance training. For instance, you can use your own body weight as you do while performing push-ups, or you can use equipment such as free weights, elastic bands and medicine balls. If you work out in a health club, you have access to an array of machines. But to make your exercise session effective and safe, you’d better know what you are doing.

Here are a few types of training available:

• Isometric – Isometric training is a static exercise, meaning you just hold a position for a few seconds. It is very common in Pilates and yoga, and it is a great way to introduce more challenge to an exercise. For example, you can hold a plank after you complete a set of push-ups or hold a boat pose after doing abdominal curl-ups.
• Concentric-eccentric[3] – These exercises usually consist of two phases: a lifting phase, in which the primary muscles involved in the movement work against resistance, and a lowering phase, where antagonist muscles come into play to control the descent. A few options are:
  • Free weights – Barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, or one’s body weight are used in this type of training.  When using free weights, you have freedom of movement, making the range of motion usually greater than when exercising with machines. Your exercise options are endless. However, it is imperative to keep proper form at all times, because you don’t have a machine to keep your body aligned.
  • Machines – Machines are great for two reasons: they are easier for beginners and safer for heavy lifters. Most machines guide the movement, so you have less to worry about while performing an exercise. However, the range of motion is limited by the equipment, meaning you’ll only be able to go as far as the machine allows you. Yet, there is a type of machine that is somewhat similar to free weights, the cable machine. Cable machines are very versatile, allowing you to perform a great array of exercises on the same equipment. But as with free weights, you are on your own when it comes to keep good form and proper body alignment. If you have easy access to them, go ahead and incorporate a few machine exercises to your routine. But if you work out at home, don’t worry about it; you have plenty of training options using other devices.
  • Elastic bands – Bands have become popular among women, because they are easy to work with, and are way less scary than free weights. Possibilities are vast when it comes to exercise selection, and you can work out virtually anywhere. If you travel a lot, this is your tool; they weigh virtually nothing and are easy to fit in a suitcase. My only concern is choosing the right band for your needs; it should provide enough resistance to work with (if it is too light you won’t get any improvements). While performing a band exercise, control the movement during all phases; never let the band pull you back.
• Plyometrics – Plyometrics are more advanced exercises which involve jumping and throwing. They are usually used by athletes to improve muscle force and power, but they’ve hit the average gym environment lately, especially on boot camp classes. If you are new to exercise, avoid this type of training altogether to prevent injury.

 

 

 

 

How Much is Enough?

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that everyone incorporate resistance training to their exercise program in order to obtain muscular fitness. The guidelines to achieve general muscular fitness are: perform eight to 12 exercises involving each major muscle group, two to three times a week, with at least 48 hours of rest between training sessions.

However, if you are no beginner and choose to exercise more often, say four days a week, you can take advantage of a split routine. You can literally divide your workout routine into upper-body and lower-body days. For example, perform only lower-body exercises on Tuesdays and Fridays, then do upper-body exercises on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This system is good if you are looking for more muscle development, and it has the big advantage of time-efficiency. (It takes less time per session than a whole-body routine.)

Choosing Exercises

I think it is common sense that one should aim for a balanced routine that addresses all major muscle groups. But do you know which muscles I am talking about? For better understanding, I divide the body into seven regions; Chest, back, shoulders, arms (biceps and triceps), abdominals (rectus abdominis and obliques), thighs and glutes (quadriceps, hamstrings, inner thighs, outer thighs and gluteus), and calves.

This is, of course, just a rough anatomic sketch. But have in mind that your exercise routine should involve all of these seven regions in order to be balanced. The good news is that most exercises are multi-joint (squats, push-ups), meaning that a single exercise can work several muscle groups at once. Compound exercises are also a great alternative, because they combine two movements to form a more complete and complex exercise (lunge and biceps curl). Of course, there are many single-joint exercises (biceps curls, calf raises), but because of time constraints (you surely don’t want to spend two hours working out), their use should be limited when planning a whole-body routine.

 

The exercise order is also important. When putting a routine together, start with more demanding exercises such as compound and multi-joint, and progress to simple ones, such as single-joint exercises. Compound and multi-joint exercises require more energy, so they are better performed when you are still fresh and rested. Use single-joint exercises to address muscles that were not involved previously in any exercise in order to round out your program.

Training Volume

Training volume is determined by the number of sets and repetitions of each exercise you selected. A repetition is a complete cycle of an exercise movement (the two phases, lowering and lifting). Let’s say a squat repetition is lowering the body and coming back to standing. A set is a group of repetitions.

A good way to start is to perform one to two sets of eight to 12 repetitions per exercise. As you get stronger, you can add more sets if you’d like, however, keep repetition range between eight and 15 for maximal strength and mass gains.

According to ACSM’s guidelines, eight to 12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10 to 15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age, older adults and beginners, and 15 to 20 repetitions improve muscular endurance. Sets should be kept between two and four in order to improve strength and power in adults.

Progressive Overload

One thing to have in mind is to get results, you have to somewhat challenge your body. I said CHALLENGE. Meaning that if the resistance you are using is too light, you are not giving enough stimuli for your muscles to grow. That said, it is imperative that you learn how to choose your optimal load.

The weight (or resistance, if you are working with bands) selected has to be somewhat hard to lift, but not so hard that you can’t complete a set. If you are selecting weights for the first time, I recommend that you start with the lowest weight available to learn the movement. Do a full set of 12 repetitions. How did that feel? Was it so easy that you think you could do more than 12 repetitions? If so, increase the load and try again. The goal is to find a weight (or a band) that challenges but does not overwhelm you, meaning you’ll be able to complete 12 reps, but not more than that.

However, the ACSM recommends that older adults and sedentary people starting to exercise keep light, or even very light, intensity to prevent injuries.

As your body gets used to the load, you should progressively increase it, in order to keep getting results. However, when you achieve your fitness goals, you can migrate to a maintenance program with a fixed training volume and load. The only thing you shouldn’t do is to stop training, because results will be reversed in as few as two weeks of inactivity.

Specificity

Physiological adaptations are highly specific to the type of training, so it is important that you know what you want to achieve before planning your program. If your goal is to gain muscle mass, you should aim for eight to 12 repetitions; if you are training for strength gains, you can use heavier weights (careful with that) with fewer repetitions (around six); but if you are looking for muscle endurance, light weights and more repetitions (between 12 to 20) is the way to go. Just be sure to choose the appropriate load for each type of training (see progressive overload).

However, if all you want is general fitness, cross training is a great alternative for you. Cross training is a mix and match of different training modes and intensities. In this type of training, several different fitness components are addressed at once, resulting in a more balanced program.

Rest and Recovery

An often neglected training component is recovery time. Did you know that changes in your body occur while you rest, not during training? That’s right. It is quite common to get excited when starting an exercise program, and sometimes this excitement leads to overtraining.  When you do too much too soon, you don’t give your body enough time to recover properly, which will lead to intense muscle soreness, general fatigue and increased risk of injuries.

Generally, a period of 48 hours between training sessions is required to induce positive adaptations, so resist the temptation of exercising every day.