Weight training is a common
type of strength training for developing the strength and size of
skeletal muscles.
It uses the weight force of gravity (in the
form of weighted bars, dumbbells or weight stacks) to oppose the force
generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction. Weight training uses a variety of
specialized equipment to target specific muscle groups and types
of movement.
Weight
training differs from bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, and strongman, which are sports rather than forms of exercise. Weight
training, however, is often part of the athlete's training regimen.
BASIC
PRINCIPLES
The basic principles of weight training are
essentially identical to those of strength training, and involve a manipulation
of the number of repetitions (reps), sets, tempo, exercise types, and weight
moved to cause desired increases in strength, endurance, and size. The specific
combinations of reps, sets, exercises, and weights depends on the aims of the
individual performing the exercise; sets with fewer reps can be performed with
heavier weights.
In addition to the basic principles of strength training, a further
consideration added by weight training is the equipment used. Types of
equipment include barbells, dumbbells, pulleys and stacks in the form of weight machines, and the body's own weight in the case of chin-ups and push-ups. Different types of weights will give different
types of resistance, and often the same absolute weight can have different
relative weights depending on the type of equipment used. For example, lifting
10 kilograms using a dumbbell sometimes requires more force than moving 10
kilograms on a weight stack if certain pulley arrangements are used. In other
cases, the weight stack may require more force than the equivalent dumbbell
weight due to additional torque or resistance in the machine.
Weight training also requires the use of 'good form', performing the movements with the appropriate
muscle group, and not transferring the weight to different body parts in order
to move greater weight (called 'cheating'). Failure to use good form during a training set
can result in injury or a failure to meet training goals; since the desired
muscle group is not challenged sufficiently, the threshold of overload is never reached and the muscle does not gain in
strength.
1.
STRENGTH EXERCISE SELECTION
What exercises you choose to do are the starting
point for creating an optimal workout. You have to make wise selections that
make the most of each exercise. My advice is to choose strength exercises that
are multi-joint exercises rather than single joint movements. For example,
choose a squat over a leg extension and you get far more return on your
exercise investment. Additionally, this sort of exercises selection is much
more likely to simulate real life or real sports movements. In real life we use
many muscles and joints in very rapid succession to move. Working out this way
eliminates the need for isolated movements like bicep curls. Keep this in mind
when you select your exercises during training.
Keep the number of exercises manageable. Three to
five high intensity exercises is about right. Don't think you can do 15
strength exercises in one session and still get a high intensity workout. With
too many exercises, you tend to fatigue before you finish or lower your overall
output and get a lesser quality workout.
The optimal time for a full strength training
workout at high intensity is about 30 minutes.
2.
FREQUENCY OF STRENGTH TRAINING SESSION
The two factors the determine your strength gains
are the intensity of the exercise performed and allowing an appropriate rest
and recovery period after the workout. For this reason, most strength workouts
are build around the concept of short, high intensity weight workouts followed
by one to two days of rest to let the muscles rebuild and become stronger.
Research shows that muscles continue to build
fibers and become stronger for up to a week after a workout that is performed
to muscle failure. This underscores the importance of alternating a high
training intensity with adequate rest periods in order to build muscle.
3.
NUMBER OF SETS PERFORMED
There is a lot of discussion about how many sets of
an exercise to do. The bottom line is if you can do one set to exhaustion, that
is probably enough. The reason many people need to do multiple sets is that
they didn't perform the first one at maximum intensity.
There are other reasons to perform multiple sets
and the biggest one is safety. Performing one set of maximum effort can
increase your risk of injury f you haven't thoroughly warmed up or if you don't
use perfect lifting technique. Sometimes it's smart to use a set to make sure
you don't over-lift (lift more than you are capable of lifting in a safe
manner).
If you are experienced and skilled at weight
lifting, go ahead and perform the first set at max effort and work to failure.
Research backs up the idea that one set training
produces the same strength gains as multiple sets and it does this in less
time.
4.
NUMBER OF REPETITIONS PERFORMED PER SET
There are a lot of different recommendations
regarding how many reps to perform during weight training. How many you should
do depend on your training goals and current level of fitness. Keep in mind
that strength training promotes increases in both functional strength (how much
you can lift) and muscle hypertrophy (how big your muscles grow).
Higher repetition during weight lifting sessions
stimulate the slow twitch muscle fibers and promote muscle endurance. Lower
repetitions during weight training (at a higher intensity) activate the fast
twitch muscle fibers and increase strength and muscle size. One simple way to
get the best of both of these training methods is to vary your training
repetitions. Because both are important for overall athletic conditioning, and
many strength training experts will recommend varying the number of repetitions
through a 8-10 week training cycle. Keep in mind that performing high intensity
lifts is still necessary even if you are performing 50 repetitions. The weight
must be heavy enough that you reach fatigue at the last repetition in order to
promote functional muscle growth.
