Weight Training

Following on from last week I thought I would write a bit more about RESISTANCE TRAINING.

What is resistance training?
Well, it is basically using resistance to gain more defined or bigger stronger muscles!
People can train in many different ways and styles to obtain the goals they desire.

There are different types of weights such as machine weights, free weights, kettle bells and even core stability based weights! Depending on whether you want to gain size or tone and define there are different sets and repetitions you can undertake to help aid you to your ultimate goal.

To gain size it is generally recommended that you force your muscles to go beyond its customary intensity. Overload progression can be obtained by:

• adding more weights
• number of sets or repetitions

A common guideline for building size would be between 8 and 10 reps to failure! Meaning that somewhere between the 8th or 10th rep you should be almost on your maximum and really pushing that last rep out!

To tone and define, it is usual to decrease the amount of weight you are lifting and increase the repetitions.

For example, a common guideline for toning would be:
• 12-15 reps
• beginning to tire at between the 12th and 15th rep

It is generally recommended that if given a program you should stick to it for six weeks then change it so your body doesn’t have a chance to adapt! You can break up your program easily by either:
• training different muscles on different days
• doing a mini circuit one day- i.e 5 min warm up on bike/ rower then do one set of about 3 or 4 different weights, then again do 5 mins on treadmill/ bike, then back to weights again and so on
• push and pull exercises- opposite muscles- triceps and biceps, back and chest, lower back and abdominals
• doing upper body one day and lower body the next

Some very general rules for resistance training are:
• Never train the same muscles two consecutive days in a row- give your muscles 24-28 hours rest in between
• Always work opposite muscles- chest/back, biceps/triceps. As this decreases your chance of injury as muscles will be same strength and one muscles wont be pulling on the other
• If you are sore- don’t train! The theory no pain no gain is NOT true! Your body is trying to heal itself!