Weight/Resistance Training

Defined

• Performing a specific movement using added resistance or ones body weight
  
• Beneficial in maintaining and increasing strength of muscles
  
• Your body will adapt to the weight training routine, changing workout will allow your body to progress more effectively
  
• Increase muscle fiber size
  
• Increase muscle contractile strength
  
• Increase tendon tensile strength
  
• Increase bone tensile strength
  
• Increase ligament tensile strength
  
• Increase ones ability to perform daily physical activity
  
• Increase metabolism through increase energy demands needed by muscle tissue
  
• Reduce the risk of injury
  
• Anaerobic exercise, without oxygen

Increase Strength & Endurance

• Strength is defined as the ability to perform a single repetition while applying a maximum amount of resistance and is associated with fast twitch fibers
  
• Endurance is defined as the ability to perform multiple repetitions at a sub-maximal level and is associated with slow twitch fibers
  
• Genetics plays a large role in the ratio of slow to fast twitch fibers
  
• Exercising with a progressively heavier load will strengthen the musculoskeletal system

Guidelines

Sets & Repetitions

• A repetition is a single exertion of one exercise, repetitions vary depending on your goals, usually between 6-20 repetitions
  
• A set refers to the number of successive repetitions you perform of an exercise before taking a rest, sets vary depending on your goals, usually 1-3 set
  
• Dependent on an individuals goals and physical condition
  
• To increase strength you would increase the weight of the exercise and decrease the numberof repetitions
  
• To increase endurance training, toning or maintenance you would use a lighter weight with higher repetitions
  
• Always need to maintain proper form when exerting a specific exercise to prevent the risk of injury
  

Frequency

• Resistance training may cause micro trauma to the tissue and may cause muscle soreness
  
• Necessary for the muscles to recover between resistance training sessions
  
• Should be a 48 hour rest period between training the same muscle groups so that the muscles
  can adequately recover from the workout

Resistance

• 6 repetitions with 85% of maximum resistance (high risk), 8 reps with 80%, 10 reps with 75%, 12 reps with 70%, 14 reps with 65% (decrease strength stimulus)
  
• Recommend 8-12 repetitions with 70 -80% of maximum resistance
  
• Perform an exercise using the full range of motion

Mode

• Free weights or dumbbells
  
• Weight machines
  
• Your body weight and gravity
  
• Tubing, bands or any apparatus that will add resistance