Resistance Training: Simple Principles to Make the Best Out of it.

     Resistance training has become an integral part of physical activity programs designed to promote health and wellness. It has been shown to have a positive impact on many health measures, and the collective impact may significantly improve functionality, well being, and quality of life. Yet there are so many people who still back away from resistance training due to misconceptions and bad experiences. It is imperative to acknowledge that if you have no experience in the field of weight training, please hire a personal trainer ( me!!) who can guide you in the right direction and teach you the right techniques of each exercise to prevent potential injuries. With that said, let's jump right into the core of this article.

"There are three general training principles that we must follow if we want to obtain results: specificity, overload and progression."

Specificity:

     This is a simple principle that dictates the following: training in a specific way will produce a specific result and that to reach a specfic goal , the person has to follow a specific type of training program. For instance, a person who wants to strengthen the muscles of the chest must perform exercises such as the bench press or dumbell flys, to targer that are , not a dumbell row, which will work the back muscles. This term also relates to training or a specific sport or activity. In fact resistance training should be very similar to those of the activities that you carry on daily basis.

Overload:

    This principle states that each workout should place a demand on the muscle or muscles that is greater than that in the previous workout session. Even the most specifically based training programs will only produce limited results if the person training does not experience overload regularly. The degree of overload depends on the load, number of repetitions, rest between sets, and frequency ( number of training sessions per week). In order to produce strength and endurance gains, resistance training programs should progressively overload the muscular systems.

According to ACSM, this can be accomplished in the following ways:

• Increase the resistance or weights
• increase repetitions
• Increase sets
• Decreasing the periods betweeen sets of exercises.

This type of training pushes the body to meet and adapt to greater than normal physiological stress. The amount of overload clients need to attain their goal is based on their current level of muscular fitness.

Progression

     Defined as an increase in workload to maintain overload. The concept of progression may also include the practice of using modest weights during the initial sessions of an exercise program ( ACSM). Guidelines for progression of exercise become a factor in the success of individuals who are beginning exercise programs or who are engaging in specific types of exercise programs.

     Well, there you have. Those are the three principles of weight training. Before you decide to start your training, speak to a personal trainer to determine how to train in order to reach your goal. Not all resistance weight training programs are created equal. Some may be designed to reach hypertrophy ( muscle growth), others may be designed for development of muscular endurance and other for muscular strength.

Follow the guidelines mentioned above, and I guarantee you will get results.

Inspire,motivate,get fit.