Public health guidelines primarily focus on the promotion of physical activity and steady-state aerobic exercise, which enhances cardiorespiratory fitness and has some impact on body composition. However, research demonstrates that resistance exercise training has profound effects on the musculoskeletal system, contributes to the maintenance of functional abilities, and prevents osteoporosis, sarcopenia (loss of body mass), lower-back pain, and other disabilities. More recent seminal research demonstrates that resistance training may positively affect risk factors such as insulin resistance, resting metabolic rate, glucose metabolism, blood pressure, body fat, and gastrointestinal transit time, which are associated with diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Research also indicates that virtually all the benefits of resistance training are likely to be obtained in two 15 to 20 minute training sessions a week. Sensible resistance training involves precise controlled movements for each major muscle group and does not require the use of very heavy resistance. Along with brief prescriptive steady-state aerobic exercise, resistance training should be a central component of public health promotion programs.

*Copyright 2001 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.

An effective program can benefit your body in the following areas:

Health:
Increases HDL - High Density Lipoprotein (good cholesterol) and Decrease LDL - Low Density Lipoprotein (bad cholesterol).
Reduces risk of diabetes and insulin needs.
Lowers risk of cardiovascular disease.
Lower high blood pressure.
Lowers risk of breast cancer - reduces high estrogen levels linked to the disease.
Decreases or minimizes risk of osteoporosis by building bone mass.
Reduces symptoms of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)
Reduces stress and anxiety.
Decreases colds and illness.

Strength:
Increased muscle strength, power, endurance and size. Enhanced performance of everyday tasks. You will be able to do everyday tasks like lifting, carrying, and walking up stairs with greater ease.

Flexibility:
By working the muscles through a full range of motion, weight training can improve your overall body flexibility. Increased flexibility reduces the risk of muscle pulls and back pain

Likelihood of Injury:
Strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments are less likely to give way under stress and are less likely to be injured. Increased bone density and strength reduces back and knee pain by building muscle around these areas.

Body Composition:
Boosted metabolism (which means burning more calories when at rest). Reduced body fat. Your overall weight may not change, but you will gain muscle and lose fat. Over time you should notice decreases in waist measurements and bodyfat measurement..

Muscle Tone:
The conditioning effect will result in firmer and better-defined muscles.

Posture:
The way you sit and stand are influenced by the health of a network of neck, shoulder, back, hip and abdominal muscles. Stronger muscles can help you stand and sit straighter and more comfortably. Improved balance and stability.

State of Mind:
As you begin to notice the positive physical changes in your body and develop a regular exercise routine your ability to handle stress effectively will improve. Weight training allows you to sleep better, i.e., fall asleep quicker and sleep deeper. Clinical studies have shown regular exercise to be one of the three best tools for effective stress management.


In general, resistance training lowers mortality rates at all ages from all causes.

For more information on the benefits of strength training:
Strength training's 7% solution By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY Physical Activity and Older Americans
Potential health-related benefits of resistance training By Winett RA, Carpinelli RN.



Basic principles

Type of lift - you need to tailor your workout to address specific body areas. For example, if you want bigger and stronger arms, you need to use exercises that target those particular muscles.

Intensity - the amount of effort, there are a number of ways to increase the intensity, most of them considered "Weider Principles", cut down on rest times, super set, rest-pause, etc...

Volume - the quantity of your workouts or duration. You can increase or decreasethe volume by either training more or less often per week or by training forlonger or shorter periods of time. (see variety).

Variety - switching around your workout routine, vary your workouts by changing exercises, the rep scheme or your training volume. Variety challenges your muscles and forces them to adapt with increased size and strength.

Progressive overload - gradually increasing your weights forces your muscles to grow stronger and larger.

Rest - you need to rest between sets. If your goal is muscle size or endurance, rest for 30-60 seconds or so. If you want muscle strength, allow up to 2-4 minutes between sets.

Recovery - muscle needs time to repair and grow after a workout. A good rule of thumb is to rest the muscle group for at least 48 hours to allow sufficient recovery time.


General safety guidelines

Only use safe and well-maintained equipment. Faulty equipment will significantly increase your risk of injury. Warm up and cool down thoroughly. Incorporate slow, sustained stretches. Wear appropriate clothing - natural fibers 'breathe' better than synthetics, and multiple layers of clothing are preferable to one bulky layer. Don't forget to breathe - exhale at the point of greatest exertion rather than holding your breath. Control the weights at all times - don't throw them up and down, or use momentum to 'swing' the weights through their range of motion. Make sure you use correct lifting technique. If you are unsure, consult with a qualified gym instructor or physiotherapist. Incorrect technique can slow your progress, or even cause injuries. Ensure you move the weight through your joint's full range of motion. This not only works the muscle fully, but reduces the risk of joint injury.




Common Weight Training Myths

"Weight training has no aerobic or cardiovascular benefits."
In addition to the increase in strength, researchers found that weight lifting had a beneficial impact on the participants' cardiovascular system. Tests on an exercise treadmill showed that their bodies used oxygen more efficiently after weight training.

"I don't want to get 'too big'". & "Women shouldn't lift weights because they will look like men."
People don't suddenly become "huge" from lifting weights. It takes years of intense training and the proper genetics to become "huge". Lifting weights does not make a woman look like a man, male "androgenic" hormones, naturally occurring or otherwise determine that. Women can, however, develop a shapely and well proportioned physique by lifting weights.

"Doing ab/stomach exercises will trim unwanted pounds from your waist."
There is no such thing as spot weight reduction. Doing abdominal exercises only strengthens the muscle; it doesn't make fat magically disappear. Too much ab work will only lead to a larger waist. The only way to trim unwanted pounds from your waist (or any other part of your body) is to expend more calories per day through activity than you consume through food.

"Muscle turns to fat when you stop working out." & "I want to turn my fat into muscle."
Muscle and fat are two different types of tissues and can no more turn into one another than wood and glass. When muscle tissue is not used it will atrophy, or shrink in size. Typically the neglected muscle becomes surrounded by fat, giving the illusion of turning into fat.

"I want to build long lean muscles."
I give credit to the "info-mercials" for this one. All muscle is lean, and the length is determined by your bone structure and genetics.

"Some exercises are good for 'shaping' and some are good for 'building mass'."
It's not the exercise which determines the type of muscular adaptation. All exercises have the potential to do both. Your diet and training intensity play a role, but genetics are the determining factor in the shape and size of your muscles.

"I have to workout for hours a day."
These workout routines lead to overtraining; the body cannot recover sufficiently between workouts for real muscular growth to occur. These routines will only work for steroid users. Workouts should last 45 minutes maximum.

"I'm too old to start lifting weights."
Studies reported in Science News showed that people in their seventies and eighties who began a weight training program showed significant gains in muscle size and strength. Some of the participants in the study who could scarcely walk before the program began could walk easily after the program.

Doug Walker
Benefits of Strength Training
Copyright © 2003
TheTraining Station Inc