When weight training occurs on a regular basis and is accompanied by sensible eating choices, the systems of the body change in positive ways. Muscles become stronger, better toned, and less susceptible to fatigue with each additional session of training. The neuromuscular (nerve–muscle) system learns to work in better harmony. That is, the brain learns to selectively recruit specific muscles, and the types of muscle fibers within them, to handle the loads used for the weight training exercises. The neuromuscular system also improves its ability to control the speed of movement and follow the correct movement patterns that are required in each exercise.
This section will help you understand how your body responds physiologically to weight training. You will learn more about your nutrition needs, issues surrounding weight gain and weight loss, the importance of rest, and concerns about equipment and safety.
Muscle tissue is categorized into three types: smooth, skeletal, and cardiac (figure 1). In an activity like weight training, the development of skeletal muscles is of paramount importance. As shown in figure 2, skeletal muscles (sometimes referred to as striated muscles) are attached to the bone via tendons. Skeletal muscles respond to voluntary stimulation from the brain.
Although many of the more than 400 skeletal muscles are grouped together, they function either separately or in concert with others. Which and how many skeletal muscles become involved when someone performs an exercise depend on the exercise selected and the techniques used for the exercise. The width of the grip, stance of the feet, and the path through which the bar moves determine which muscles are recruited and to what extent they are stressed. Located throughout this text are photos and explanations of the muscle groups that are trained during a workout.
Isometric, concentric, and eccentric are the three different types of muscle actions that can occur during weight training. The term isometric, or static, refers to situations in which tension develops in a muscle but no observable shortening or lengthening occurs. Sometimes during a repetition a sticking point is reached and a momentary pause in movement occurs. The action of the muscle(s) at this point would be described as being static.
Concentric muscle action occurs when tension develops in a muscle and the muscle shortens. For example, when the biceps muscle moves the barbell toward the shoulders in the dumbbell curl exercise shown in figure 3a, the muscle’s action is described as concentric. The action of a muscle during concentric activity is also referred to as positive work.
The term eccentric is used to describe muscle action in which tension is present, but the muscle lengthens instead of shortens. Using the biceps curl as an example again, once the dumbbell begins the lowering phase (figure 3b), the eccentric action of the biceps controls the descent of the dumbbell. There is still tension in the biceps muscle; the difference (as compared to the concentric action) is that the muscle fibers slowly lengthen to control the rate at which the dumbbell is lowered. This is referred to as negative work because it is performed in the direction opposite to the concentric (positive) action. The eccentric (lengthening) action, not the concentric (shortening) action, is primarily responsible for muscle soreness associated with weight training.
The strength you develop from weight training is influenced by neuromuscular changes (or simply neural changes) that occur through the process of learning the exercises and increasing muscle mass and by your fiber type composition and genetic potential.
The term muscular strength refers to the ability to exert maximum force during a single effort. It can be measured by determining a one-repetition maximum effort—referred to as a 1RM—in one or more exercises. For example, if you loaded a bar to 100 pounds (45.5 kg) and were able to complete only one repetition using maximum effort, your 1RM would equal 100 pounds (45.5 kg). Strength is specific to a muscle or muscle area. This specificity concept will be discussed later.
The strength increases that occur in response to weight training have two explanations. One is associated with neural changes, and the other involves increases in muscle mass. In the first case, the term neural refers to the nervous system working with the muscular system to increase strength. In doing so, the nerves that are attached to specific muscle fibers are taught when to stimulate those muscle fibers. Thus, an improvement in exercise technique occurs that permits the person to lift heavier loads more efficiently and with less effort.
In the second case, through consistent training your body becomes able to recruit more fibers and select those that are most effective to lift a load or perform an exercise. Thus a neural-learning factor contributes to strength changes, some of which may be quite dramatic. This factor explains the strength improvements seen in previously sedentary people during the first four to eight weeks of weight training.
After the first few weeks, although the neural-learning factor continues to play a role, continued gains in strength are mostly associated with increases in muscle mass. As the cross-sectional area of a muscle becomes greater because the individual fibers become thicker and stronger, so does the muscle’s ability to exert force. Therefore, the neural factor accounts for early increases in strength, whereas muscle mass increases are responsible for the changes seen later.
Reported strength increases typically range from 8 to 50 percent, depending on a person’s training habits and level of strength at the time of initial testing, the muscle group being evaluated, the intensity of the training program (loads, repetitions, sets, rest periods), the length of the training program (weeks, months, years), and genetic potential. The greatest improvements are seen among those who have not weight trained before and whose programs involve large-muscle exercises, heavier loads, multiple sets, and more training sessions. Unique characteristics, such as the lengths of muscles and the angles at which their tendons connect to the bone, provide mechanical advantages and disadvantages and can increase or limit an individual’s strength potential.
Hearing that men are typically stronger than women should not be surprising. However, this disparity has nothing to do with the quality of muscle tissue or its ability to produce force because these are almost identical in both sexes. The quantity of muscle tissue in the average male (40 percent of total body weight) versus a female (23 percent of total body weight) is largely responsible for men’s strength advantage. This difference also helps to explain why women are normally 43 to 63 percent weaker than men in upper-body strength and 25 to 30 percent weaker in lower-body strength.
However, to conclude that women do not have the same potential as men to gain strength is incorrect. A female can develop strength relative to her own potential, but it will not be at the same absolute strength levels achieved by males. Furthermore, weight training research studies repeatedly show that women can make dramatic improvements in strength and muscle tone without fear of developing unwanted muscle bulk. At the same time, they can decrease body fat, which results in a healthier and more attractive appearance.
Research shows that prepubescent children who participate in a well-designed, supervised weight training program can increase muscular strength above what they would experience by merely growing up. Muscular strength can increase as much as 40 percent, and children as young as age six have benefited from weight training. Other benefits include stronger bones, improved body composition, and an increased ability to generate power and speed.
As researchers undertake studies that involve older populations, it becomes apparent that people who follow regular exercise programs maintain their fitness levels, while those who become inactive lose about a half-pound (or about a quarter-kilogram) of muscle per year during their 30s and 40s and as much as 1 pound (0.45 kg) per year after age 50. Herbert deVries, a well-respected researcher, contends that much of the strength loss observed in older individuals is a function of sedentary living as much as it is an outcome of the aging process.
The benefits of weight training for older people can be dramatic and positive. It can create a stronger musculoskeletal system that resists osteoporosis by enhancing bone mineral density. Plus, increased body strength reduces the incidence of degenerative diseases and improves quality of life.
In both men and women, old and young, the strength improvements that occur in response to weight training are not typically noticeable until the third or fourth week of training. The first week is usually characterized by losses in strength, perhaps due to the microtrauma (tearing down) of muscle tissue. Fatigue may also be a contributing factor. Decreases in strength performance are especially apparent during the final training session of the first week, so do not be surprised if you feel weaker toward the end of a week. Of course, you will be impressed with and excited about your strength gains, which may be as great as 6 percent per week.
Exactly what accounts for muscle size increases is not fully understood; however, factors that are often discussed are hypertrophy, hyperplasia, and genetic potential.
Muscle size increases are most often attributed to an enlargement of existing fibers, the same fibers that were present at birth. Very thin protein strands (actin and myosin) within the fiber increase in size, creating a larger fiber. The collective effect of increases in many individual fibers is responsible for the overall muscle size changes observed. This increase in existing fibers is referred to as hypertrophy (figure 4).
Although hypertrophy is the most commonly accepted explanation of why a muscle becomes larger, some studies suggest that fibers split lengthwise and form separate fibers, a theory referred to as hyperplasia. The splitting is thought to contribute to an increase in the size of the muscle.
If one accepts hypertrophy as the process whereby existing fibers increase in size, then one must also accept that genetic limitations exist regarding the extent to which a muscle will increase in size. This is because increases are due to the thickening of fibers that already exist. Just as we know that some people are born with muscle-tendon attachments that favor force development, the same is true about the number of muscle fibers. Some people are born with a greater number of muscle fibers than others; therefore their genetic potential for hypertrophy is greater. Regardless of your genetic inheritance, your challenge is to design an effective training program and to train diligently so that you develop to your full potential.
The skeletal muscle tissue mentioned earlier can be categorized into two basic types, each with unique capabilities and characteristics. A fast-twitch muscle fiber has the capacity to produce a great deal of force but fatigues quickly. Typically, its size will also increase more rapidly. Fast-twitch fibers, because of their high force capability, are recruited during weight training exercises and in athletic events that require high levels of explosive strength, such as the shot put, discus, and javelin in track and field, or American football.
A slow-twitch muscle fiber is not able to exert as much force or develop force as quickly, but it is more enduring—that is, the fiber can continue contracting for longer periods of time before fatigue sets in. Slow-twitch fibers are recruited for aerobic-oriented events, such as distance running, swimming, and biking, which require less strength but greater muscular endurance.
Not everyone possesses the same ratio of fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle fibers. Those who possess a greater proportion of fast-twitch fibers have a greater genetic potential to be stronger and, therefore, to be more successful in certain strength-dependent sports or in activities like weight training. Conversely, individuals with a higher percentage of slow-twitch fibers have a greater genetic potential to be successful in activities that require lower levels of strength and greater levels of muscular endurance, such as long-distance swimming or marathon events.
Muscular endurance refers to the muscle’s ability to perform repeatedly with moderate loads for an extended period of time. Improvement in muscular endurance is demonstrated by an ability to extend the period of time before muscular fatigue occurs, allowing you to perform more repetitions of an exercise. It is different from muscular strength, which is the measure of a single, all-out muscular effort. But like strength, muscular endurance is specific to the muscle or muscles involved. For instance, regularly performing a high number of repetitions in the biceps curl will increase muscular endurance in the muscles in the front of the upper arm, but not in the leg muscles.
Weight training produces muscular endurance improvements by reducing the number of muscle fibers involved during earlier periods of an activity, thereby leaving some in reserve if the activity continues. The reduction in the number of fibers involved is related to strength improvements that permit a task to be undertaken using a lower percentage of effort. For example, if you had to perform a 25-pound (11.3 kg) biceps curl and had 50 pounds (22.7 kg) of strength in your biceps, this exercise would require 50 percent of your strength. If, however, your biceps strength increased to 100 pounds (45.5 kg), the task would require only 25 percent of your strength—a lower percentage of effort.
The effects of weight training on cardiovascular fitness, usually expressed as changes in oxygen uptake (the ability to transport and utilize oxygen by the muscles), have been studied by numerous researchers. It is safe to say that weight training programs that involve heavier loads, fewer repetitions, and longer rest periods between sets have a minimal effect on cardiovascular fitness. However, when they include light to moderate loads (40 to 60 percent of 1RM), a greater number of repetitions (15 or more), and very short rest periods between sets (30 to 60 seconds), a small (5%) improvement in oxygen uptake may be expected. The extent of such changes is also influenced by the intensity and length of the overall training period (weeks, months, years) as well as fitness and strength levels at the start of the program. Despite that, disregarding these considerations when evaluating the merits of reported cardiovascular fitness improvements attributed to weight training programs is an oversight.
The most effective way to develop cardiovascular fitness is to engage in aerobic training activities such as walking, running, swimming, cycling, or cross-country skiing. Such activities involve continuous, rhythmic movements that can be sustained for longer periods of time than anaerobic activities such as weight training. Guidelines for developing an aerobic exercise program can be found in books by Baechle and Westcott (2010), Baechle and Earle (2005), and Westcott and Baechle (2007) which are listed in the reference section at the end of this book. A well-designed overall fitness program includes both weight training and aerobic activities.
Despite evidence to the contrary, some people still believe that weight training will negatively affect muscular coordination and reduce flexibility. However, the numbness (loss of touch) and the feelings of heaviness in the arms and legs that occur immediately after a set of repetitions are only temporary and will not reduce coordination levels. Weight training sessions most likely will have the opposite effect. Handling and moving bars from the floor to overhead (push press), balancing the bar on your back (back squat), and evenly lifting two dumbbells (dumbbell chest fly) all contribute to improved muscular coordination.
Weight training exercises that are performed using good technique and a controlled manner can improve strength throughout all ranges of joint motion. They will also improve flexibility, provide a better stimulus for strength development, and reduce the likelihood of injury. No evidence supports the contention that properly performed weight training exercises reduce flexibility or motor coordination.
You should not be surprised or discouraged to find that the first week or two of weight training is accompanied by some degree of muscle soreness. Although no definitive explanation exists for why we experience delayed-onset muscle soreness, we do know that it is associated with the eccentric phase of an exercise. For example, the lowering (eccentric) phases of the biceps curl and bench press exercises can result in muscle soreness, but their upward (concentric) phases typically do not. Usually the discomfort of muscle soreness subsides after two or three days, especially if you stretch before and after training. Surprisingly, the very thing that stimulates the soreness—exercise—helps to alleviate it. Light exercise combined with stretching is ideal for speeding the recovery from muscle soreness.
Delayed-onset muscle soreness is not the same as overtraining. Overtraining is a condition in which there is a plateau or drop in performance over time. This occurs when your body does not have time to adequately recuperate from training before the next workout. Often the overtrained state is a result of overlooking the need to rest between sessions, working out too aggressively (by returning to training too soon after an illness or including too many training sessions per week), or not following recommended program guidelines.
The physical warning signs of overtraining are
extreme muscular soreness and stiffness the day after a training session;
a gradual increase in muscular soreness from one training session to the next;
a decrease in body weight, especially when no effort to lose weight is made;
an inability to complete a training session that, based on your present physical condition, is reasonable; and
a decrease in appetite.
If you develop two or more of these symptoms, reduce the intensity, frequency, or duration of training until these warning signs subside. Preventing overtraining is more desirable than trying to recover from it.
Do the following to help prevent overtraining:
Increase training intensity gradually.
Alternate aggressive training weeks with less aggressive training weeks to allow for sufficient recovery between training sessions (discussed in step 13).
Get adequate amounts of sleep.
Eat properly.
Make adjustments in training intensity as needed.
Nutrition is the study of how carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water provide the energy, substances, and nutrients required to maintain bodily functions during rest and exercise conditions. When a sound nutrition program is combined with regular training sessions, success is a natural outcome.
The general guidelines for a healthy diet—55 percent carbohydrate, 30 percent fat, and 15 percent protein—are appropriate for those who are weight training. Try to select foods that are high in complex carbohydrate instead of simple sugar and that contain unsaturated, not saturated, fat. A diet that includes appropriate amounts of fluids (six to eight glasses per day) and follows these guidelines will provide the necessary energy and nutrients to promote positive changes in strength, muscular endurance, and muscularity.
The discussion that follows is an overview of the nutrition and dietary factors that affect your body. For more information on this topic, refer to Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook (2008).
Carbohydrate is the body’s primary source of energy. It provides four calories per gram and is categorized as either complex or simple. For those who train intensely, an increased intake of complex carbohydrate is very important. Preferred sources of carbohydrate are cereal, bread, flour, grains, fruit, pasta, and vegetables (complex carbohydrate). Other sources are candy, sweetened cereals, sugary beverages, pastries, and honey (simple sugar).
Fat provides a concentrated form of energy—nine calories per gram, more than twice that of carbohydrate or protein. Fat is involved in maintaining healthy skin, insulating against heat and cold, and protecting vital organs. Fat can be found in both plant and animal sources and is usually classified as saturated or unsaturated. Unsaturated types of fat (mono- and poly-), such as those found in olive, canola, and corn oil, are preferred because they are associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease. Common sources of saturated fat are meats (such as beef, lamb, chicken, and pork), dairy products (such as cream, milk, cheese, and butter), and eggs.
Protein is the building block of all body cells. It is responsible for repairing, rebuilding, and replacing cells, regulating all bodily processes, and, under certain conditions, serving as a source of energy. Protein, which provides four calories per gram, is made up of basic units called amino acids, which are in turn further described as essential or nonessential. Of the 20 amino acids, 8 (or 9, depending on which reference is consulted) are termed essential and must be supplied through the diet. The other 12 (or 11), the nonessential amino acids, can be produced by the body. Foods that contain all of the essential amino acids are called complete proteins. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, and cheese are sources of complete proteins. Suggested protein sources that are low in fat are milk products, lean meats, and fish. Incomplete sources of protein are breads, cereals, nuts, dried peas, and beans.
Vitamins are essential nutrients needed for many body processes. They are divided into two types, fat soluble and water soluble. Regardless of the type, vitamins do not contain energy or calories, and vitamin supplementation will not provide more energy.
Minerals function as builders, activators, regulators, transmitters, and controllers of the body’s metabolic processes. Like vitamins, they do not provide calories.
Water, although it does not provide energy for activity, provides the medium for and is one of the end products of metabolism. Water makes up about 72 percent of the weight of muscle tissue and represents 40 to 60 percent of a person’s total body weight. Through the regulation of thirst and urine output, the body is able to keep a delicate water balance.
The nutrient guide, My Plate, developed by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion can help you choose the best foods for a healthy diet. Eating a variety of foods, increasing the amount of bread, fruit, and vegetables in your diet, and reducing the amount of fat and added sugar are recommended. Go to the USDA website (www.choosemyplate.gov) to learn which foods and amounts are right for you based on your age, sex, and activity level.
Body composition refers to the ratio of fat weight to fat-free weight (muscles, bones, organs) that composes your body. In contrast to judging physical makeup solely on your bathroom scale weight, body composition is a more accurate way to describe your health and fitness status. Two factors that have a profound effect on body composition are food intake and activity level.
Unfortunately, more than 66% of Americans are on some type of diet at any given time. Millions more are going on diets every day. Some are losing weight, but many are gaining it back. All hope to somehow lose weight and keep it off. The truth is that the diets designed to create fast weight loss usually are not effective in helping people stay healthy and trim. In fact, many of those diets are harmful.
There are good reasons why diets typically don’t work, and better reasons why wise food choices plus regular exercise do work. Crash diets, in particular, are not effective because the body quickly adapts to a lower food intake by reducing its metabolic rate (the rate at which food is burned for energy). This compensatory action by the body resists the burning of fat. When a dietary restriction results in a loss of 10 pounds (4.5 kg), for example, the body adjusts to the restricted diet. Later, when increased food intake occurs, even though daily consumption is still less than it was before dieting, the body treats the increase as excess and stores it as fat. This yo-yo cycle of losing weight and quickly gaining it back is not only ineffective in creating a positive body appearance, but it’s also unhealthy.
The weight loss experienced during the early part of a strict diet program is usually a loss of water, not fat. Many diets restrict carbohydrate intake. This reduces the water content of the body because much of the water stored in our bodies is accumulated in the process of storing carbohydrate. Weight loss due to the reduction of water stores is only temporary. Once the fluid balance is restored, a scale will not reflect the loss of body fat that was assumed to have occurred.
Also, if a female dieter consumes (on average) fewer than 1,200 calories a day (1,500 for a male), muscle tissue as well as fat is usually lost. The further the caloric intake dips below this amount, the more muscle tissue is lost compared to fat. So even though the dieters lose weight, they are actually fatter because the amount of body fat compared to lean body weight has increased.
The goal of a sound diet should be to reduce total body weight without losing muscle tissue. People who are on the roller coaster of dieting, gaining weight, and dieting again may be weakening their bodies every time they diet.
It appears that many overweight people justify overeating by thinking that they need more food to nourish their bodies because they are heavy. Actually, the opposite is true in many cases. Too much of their body weight is fat, which, unlike muscle, is not as metabolically active. In contrast, muscles that are exercising burn calories. The more muscle people have, the more energy they expend, and the faster stored fat is lost. Compare two individuals who are the same height, one of whom weighs more and is in worse physical condition than the other. The lighter person has more muscle and less stored fat due to a good fitness level and requires a greater caloric intake than the less active, heavier, fatter, and less muscular person.
For many people, the most effective way to decrease excess body fat is to moderately reduce caloric intake while participating in an aerobic and weight training program. These exercise programs will burn calories and maintain or build muscle tissue, encouraging an improvement in the fat-to-muscle ratio. Aerobic activities involve the large muscles in continuous, repetitive motions such as those in cycling, swimming, walking, jogging, cross-country skiing, and rope skipping. These activities promote the greatest caloric expenditure. Golf, by comparison, is an example of an activity that is not continuous or rhythmic and, therefore, expends only half the calories that swimming the backstroke does for a person with the same body weight.
Weight training sessions do not normally burn as many calories as aerobic exercise sessions, but they do maintain or increase muscle mass. This is important because by adding more muscle, more calories are expended.
If you want to lose body fat, attempt to lose it at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds (0.45-0.91 kg) per week. Losses greater than this typically result in losses of muscle tissue. A pound of fat has approximately 3,500 calories, so a daily dietary reduction of 250 to 500 calories will total 1,750 to 3,500 calories a week. Combined with regular exercise, this decrease will promote the recommended rate of fat loss per week and help keep it off.
Most people who exercise have no interest in gaining body weight; however, some do participate in weight training programs specifically to gain muscle. To accomplish this, an increase in caloric intake is necessary, in combination with regular training. Weight training stimulates muscle growth and increases body weight. The consumption of additional calories beyond one’s daily needs provides the basis for an increase in muscle tissue. The addition of one pound (0.45 kg) of muscle requires 2,500 extra calories. An equal increase in protein and carbohydrate (with an emphasis on complex carbohydrate) with no change in fat intake should help promote lean tissue growth and an increase in muscle size.
Note that a woman typically does not become as muscular as a man, so gaining significant body weight in response to weight training is unlikely unless she makes an effort to do so by increasing food intake and following a program designed to develop hypertrophy. Even with those efforts made, the amount of muscle tissue gained is less than a man would gain.
Although many people endorse protein, mineral, and vitamin supplementation, little research substantiates claims that it improves muscular endurance, hypertrophy, or muscular strength in people who have nutritionally sound diets. Again and again, dietitians, exercise physiologists, and sports medicine physicians conclude that a normal diet will meet the protein dietary needs of the average person. The exception may be that an increase in carbohydrate and protein intake is appropriate for those who participate in aggressive weight training programs.
Conversations regarding supplementation are all too often accompanied by questions concerning steroids. It is human nature, especially among people who desire to make their bodies stronger, healthier, and more attractive, to look for shortcuts. But there are no safe shortcuts. Anabolic-androgenic steroids, in the presence of adequate diet and training, can contribute to an increase in lean body mass; however, the harmful side effects can greatly outweigh any positive effect.
There are two forms of steroids: oral (pills) and injected (a water- or oil-based liquid that is injected using a hypodermic needle). Their potency is gauged by comparing the anabolic effects (muscle building and strength inducing) versus the androgenic effects (increased male or female secondary sex characteristics such as increased body-hair length or density, voice lowering, and breast enlargement). This ratio is termed the therapeutic index.
Studies included in a position paper by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (Hoffman et al. 2009) on steroid use have cited increases in muscle size and strength, but not all outcomes from their use are positive. Prolonged high dosages of steroids can lead to a long-lasting impairment of normal testosterone endocrine (natural steroid) function, a decrease in natural testosterone levels, and a potential reduction in future physical development. With a decrease in testosterone, the body cannot make gains or retain what has already been developed.
The negative health consequences of steroid use are chronic illnesses such as heart disease, liver trouble, urinary tract abnormalities, and sexual dysfunction. The immediate short-term effects include increased blood pressure, acne, testicular atrophy, gynecomastia (male breast enlargement), sore nipples, decreased sperm count, prostatic enlargement, and increased aggression. Other side effects have been well publicized, including hair loss, fever, nausea, diarrhea, nosebleeds, lymph node swelling, increased appetite, and a burning sensation during urination. Extreme psychological symptoms have also been reported, including paranoia, delusions of grandeur, and auditory hallucinations.
When steroid use is discontinued after short-term use, most side effects disappear. However, females who take steroids experience permanent deepening of the voice, facial hair, baldness, and a decrease in breast size.
One of the most serious concerns associated with taking anabolic steroids is the development of coronary artery disease. Some researchers have reported high levels of total cholesterol, low levels of the desirable high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), and elevated blood pressure as a consequence of taking steroids, all of which are significant risk factors for heart disease. However, others suggest that the cholesterol levels reported may have been present before the use of steroids began.
Before you learn proper lifting technique, let’s review some fundamentals of training that you need to know in order to train safely, efficiently, and effectively. The essentials of productive training that are outlined here are reiterated and discussed as needed in the rest of the steps of this book.
Obtain medical clearance. Weight training may be an inappropriate activity if you have (or have a history of) joint problems such as arthritis, respiratory conditions such as asthma, or cardiovascular problems such as hypertension, heart arrhythmias, or heart murmurs. The implications of such conditions must be addressed before you develop an exercise program and certainly before exercise begins. Carefully consider the questions presented below. If you answer yes to any of them, talk with your doctor before beginning a weight training program.
Talk with your doctor before beginning a weight training program if you answer yes to any of the following questions.
| Yes | No | |
| ___ | ___ | Have you had surgery or experienced bone, muscle, tendon, or ligament problems (especially back or knee problems) that might be aggravated by an exercise program? |
| ___ | ___ | Are you over age 50 (female) or 45 (male) and unaccustomed to exercise? |
| ___ | ___ | Do you have a history of heart disease? |
| ___ | ___ | Has a doctor ever told you that your blood pressure was too high? |
| ___ | ___ | Are you taking any prescription medications, such as those for heart problems or high blood pressure? |
| ___ | ___ | Have you ever experienced chest pain, spells of severe dizziness, or fainting? |
| ___ | ___ | Do you have a history of respiratory problems such as asthma? |
| ___ | ___ | Is there a physical or health reason not already mentioned to suggest that you should not begin a weight training program? |
Adapted, by permission, from T. R. Baechle and R.W. Earle, 1995, Fitness weight training (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics), 24.
Always warm up and cool down. Workouts should always begin with some warm-up exercises so that the muscles are better prepared to meet the challenges presented by the exercises. A cool-down period allows your muscles to recover and offers an excellent opportunity to work on flexibility. Guidelines for appropriate warm-up and cool-down exercises are presented in step 2.
Train on a regular basis. The old adage “use it or lose it” is unfortunately true when it comes to maintaining cardiovascular efficiency, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and lean muscle mass. The body is unlike any machine yet to be developed. Its efficiency improves with use, in contrast to machines, and it deteriorates with disuse. Sporadic training will slow down your progress and be the downfall of many beginning lifters who started out with good intentions.
All too often, the demise of a regular training program begins with one missed workout and ends with missing many more. Each time a training session is missed, goals for improving fitness, strength, and appearance move further out of reach. Working out regularly is important because decreases in training status begin to occur after 72 hours of no training.
Gradually increase training intensity. The body adapts to the stresses of weight training when training occurs on a regular basis and when its intensity increases progressively over a reasonable period of time. Conversely, when the intensity of training is haphazard, the body’s ability to adapt and become stronger and more enduring is compromised. The dramatic improvements observed in response to training do not happen under these conditions, and the excitement that prompts you to continue training is no longer present. As excitement dwindles, working out becomes more difficult, and improvements become nonexistent. Infrequent training often results in muscle soreness that does not go away, further reducing your enthusiasm for training.
Strive for quality repetitions. Many people seem to believe that doing more repetitions in an exercise is synonymous with improvement, regardless of the technique used. The speed with which repetitions are performed is a very important factor in your ability to perform quality repetitions.
In an advanced weight training exercise program designed to develop power, explosive exercise movements are required. However, in a beginning program, slow, controlled movements are desired. Exercises must be performed slowly enough to permit full extension and flexion at a joint. In the biceps curl, for example, the elbow should be fully extended and then fully flexed. Jerking, slinging, and using momentum are not recommended ways to complete a repetition. Other recommendations concerning proper exercise technique are provided in steps 4 through 10.
Use proper etiquette. Just as participants in tennis, bowling, golf, and other sports recognize certain rules and courtesies, you should understand the rules that apply to weight training. Some are related to safety; others are matters of courtesy. When everyone abides by the following rules and courtesies, training experiences for all will be safer and more enjoyable.
– Return equipment to its proper location.
– Wipe off the equipment after using it (especially the upholstery).
– Do not perform overhead exercises near someone who is performing exercises in a supine position, such as the bench press, dumbbell chest fly, or abdominal crunch.
– Do not monopolize equipment; offer to let others work in (use the same piece of equipment) between your sets.
– Offer to spot others if you have the skill and strength to do so.
– Set barbells and dumbbells down on the floor instead of just dropping them.
Eat smart. Nutrition is a key factor. It makes no sense to train hard if you are not eating nutritionally sound meals. Poor nutrition in itself can reduce strength, muscular endurance, and hypertrophy. Because training puts great demands on your body, you need nutrients to encourage adaptation and promote gains. To neglect this aspect of your training is an oversight if you are serious about improving.
Build days of rest into your program. The intervening days of rest in your training program are important for improving your muscular fitness. Training on consecutive days without allowing the rest that your body needs to recuperate may result in a drop in performance, a training plateau, or an injury. Properly timed rest is as important as training on a regular basis.
Be willing to persevere. To maximize the time spent in training, you must learn to push yourself to the uncomfortable point of muscle failure during many of your sets (after you know how to properly perform the exercise, of course). You must be willing to persevere through the discomfort (not pain) that accompanies reaching this point.
Believing that weight training can make dramatic changes in your health and physique—which it can—is essential to making the commitment to train hard and regularly. Typically, you will feel the difference in muscle tone (firmness) immediately. Strength and muscular endurance changes become noticeable after the second or third week. Be prepared, however, for variations in performance during the early stages of training and do not become discouraged if one workout does not produce the same outcome as a previous one.
Your brain is going through a learning curve as it tries to figure out which muscles to recruit (call into action) for specific movements in each exercise. Your neuromuscular system (brain, nerves, and muscles) is learning to adapt to the stimulus of training. Be patient! This period is soon followed by significant gains in muscle tone and strength and decreased muscle soreness. This is an exciting time in your program! At this point your attitude dictates the magnitude of the future gains you will experience.
Little doubt remains that weight training has gained universal acceptance as an expedient and effective method of improving the health, performance, and appearance of millions of people. The mythology surrounding weight training’s “dark ages” has given way to mounting scientific evidence that encourages its use and an enlightened understanding of its benefits.
There are many resources that focus on weight training. They range from large-scale professional membership-based organizations to print and electronic books and online courses for college students taking a class, preparing to pass a certification exam for a job, or following a personal exercise program. There are two comprehensive publications that provide the greatest breadth and depth regarding weight training concepts and recommendations: Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning and NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training. To learn more about these two foundational resources, go to www.HumanKinetics.com.
