Table of Contents
What is Resistance Exercise/ Strength Training?
Resistance training is exercise in which you move your limbs against resistance provided by your own body weight, gravity, bands, weights, bars or dumbbells.
Types of Resistance exercises:
- Multi-joint or compound exercises: as the names suggest, these affect more than one muscle group, eg., chest press, squats, etc.
- Single joint exercises: these target major muscle groups, eg., bicep curls, calf raises, etc.
How often should one train?
Each muscle group should be exercised 2-3x per week.
This can be done in 2 ways:
- Total body 2-3x/week
- Upper body and lower body on separate days, eg. upper body on Mondays and Wednesdays and lower body on Tuesdays and Thursdays
For repair and adaptation of the muscle, the muscles should rest for 48 hours between each workout
Principle of Progressive Overload
In order to continue to build strength, the resistance needs to be continually modified to provide enough challenge.
This can be done by increasing the weight, the number of exercises for each muscle group and the number of reps or sets.
At the same time, proper form should be maintained.
Volume of Resistance Exercise
- Repetitions (reps):
The number of times you continuously repeat each exercise. - Sets:
Group of reps
Beginning Resistance training
- 2 times per week
- Initially 1 set of 8-10 reps
- Goal is 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Start with a warm up consisting of 5-10 minutes of light aerobic exercise and some dynamic stretching.
- Cool down with stretching.
Do I need a trainer?
It all depends on your fitness level and experience. If you are young, your body is better able to handle new exercise experiences. If you are older and just getting started, it might be a good idea to work with a trainer for a while before transitioning to working out on your own. This is especially true if you have any musculoskeletal issues or other health problems. Working with a trained professional who has experience and knowledge of working with individuals with limitations will protect you from injury and also help you achieve your short and long term goals. Beware of untrained ‘professionals’.
What about using YouTube videos?
There are plenty of free YouTube videos, many of which are really good. The thing to remember is, they are not necessarily directing their instruction to individuals with your particular issues. In case they don’t suggest modifications, or you don’t realize that you need the modifications, you could hurt yourself.
There are trainers who provide customized pre-written workouts, and those are also a good option, but if you have never worked out before, it is better to have at least a few one on one training sessions before you switch to pre-written workouts. Trainers help you with proper form so you maximize results while reducing the probability of injury.
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Check out my posts:
Women and Resistance training? Why or why not?
Benefits and Risks of Exercise
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Sources:
ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing & Prescription
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