Resistance Training: Strength Training
What Is Resistance Training?
Chances are you’re familiar with the term “strength training”
You might also know about—and even perform—weightlifting, weight training, resistance training or progressive resistance exercise. Simply put, these terms are used interchangeably by the public to describe the act of harnessing a resistance to place a load/strain on a muscle to develop muscle or improve muscular endurance.
Strength training can take many forms, from lifting your own body against the resistance of gravity to using weights or exercise bands to challenge your muscles.It really doesn’t matter what shape or form the resistance comes in because the ultimate goal is to improve strength, muscle size (hypertrophy), muscular endurance or power.The best method to improve strength is often referred to as progressive resistance exercise training.
Here, a person engages in a set of exercises that slowly and progressively overload a muscle. When the muscle adapts to the challenge of a load/resistance and the resistance becomes easier, the person either increases the resistance/load or performs more repetitions.
The general rule of thumb is when you can perform 10–15 reps easily and correctly, you need to increase the load. In weight training, you increase the weight, but in resistance band training you progress to the next harder band or combine two bands together.As you improve in strength, it’s advised to increase the volume of work you perform by adding “sets” to your workout. Two to three sets of each exercise are ideal.
Mesocycle 1, Microcycles 1 and 2 (Weeks 1-4)
Microcycles 1 and 2 will take you four weeks to complete. These microcycles prepare you for longer, more intense strength workouts using fewer exercises; the workouts are divided into upper and lower body exercises. Be sure to take the time to recover between sets. Recommendations for recovery times and days between workouts are given as you begin these more strenuous workouts, but you may need to adjust them based on your hydration level, how much recovery you have taken between workouts, your sleep cycles (i.e., whether are you getting adequate rest),and your nutritional intake (i.e., how well you are eating).To warm up for these workouts, walk, jog, or run on a treadmill or get onto the elliptical trainer for no less than 10 minutes. Wait until after the workout to stretch, but if you feel tightness, you can perform easy stretches for areas you would like to loosen up. Prior to the workout, if you choose to stretch, do not hold the stretches long; simply move into them as you feel comfortable, performing three to five light stretches on any muscle group you feel you need to. Another option is to wait until after the workout to perform the stretch routine noted at the end of the workout.
Mesocycle 1, Microcycles 3 and 4 (Weeks 5-8)
Microcycles 3 and 4 continue to challenge your strength and endurance levels.These microcycles also take your cardio workouts to another level. You will work for shorter bouts at much higher intensity levels. Also, you will want to increase your weight loads by 10 percent from your previous microcycles when you begin these macrocycles. To warm up for these workouts, walk, jog, or run on a treadmill or elliptical trainer for no less than 10 minutes. Wait until after the workout to stretch, but if you feel tightness, perform easy stretches for areas you would like to loosen up. Prior to the workout, if you choose to stretch, do not hold the stretches long; simply move into them as you feel comfortable, performing three to five light stretches on any muscle group you feel you need to. Another option is to wait until after the workout to perform the stretch routine noted at the end of the workout.
Mesocycle 1, Microcycles 5 and 6 (Weeks 9-12)
Microcycles 5 and 6 continue to challenge your cardio training, but your strength workouts are going to pick up a notch. You will begin to use pyramid-style workouts, in which the weight loads stay the same, but the repetitions change each set.Work harder by increasing your weight loads by 10 percent for these macrocycles. To warm up for these workouts, walk, jog, or run on a treadmill or get onto an elliptical trainer for no less than 10 minutes. Wait until after the workout to stretch, but if you feel tightness, perform easy stretches for areas you would like to loosen up. Prior to the workout, if you choose to stretch, do not hold the stretches long; simply move into them as you feel comfortable, performing three to five light stretches on any muscle group you feel you need to. Another option is to wait until after the workout to perform the stretch routine noted at the end of the workout.
Mesocycle 2, Microcycles 1 and 2 (Weeks 14-17)
Microcycles 1 and 2 in mesocycle 2 continue to challenge your cardio training while your strength workouts pick up a notch by adding super setting strength training techniques. These techniques target specific muscle groups. Work harder by increasing your weight loads by 10 percent for these macrocycles.To warm up for these workouts, walk, jog, or run on a treadmill or get onto an elliptical trainer for no less than 10 minutes. Wait until after the workout to stretch, but if you feel tightness, perform easy stretches for areas you would like to loosen up. Prior to the workout, if you choose to stretch, do not hold the stretches long; simply move into them as you feel comfortable, performing three to five light stretches on any muscle group you feel you need to. Another option is to wait until after the workout to perform the stretch routine noted at the end of the workout.
Mesocycle 2, Microcycles 3 and 4 (Weeks 18-21)
Microcycles 3 and 4 include cardio training that levels off, allowing you to perform longer cardio workouts at lower intensities. You continue to use pyramid-style workouts in which the weight loads stay the same, but the repetitions change each set. Your strength workouts gain an endurance focus by adding TRX suspension training to the mix. Work harder by increasing your weight loads by 10 percent for these macrocycles. To warm up for these workouts, walk, jog, or run on a treadmill or get onto an elliptical trainer for no less than 10 minutes. Wait until after the workout to stretch, but if you feel tightness, perform easy stretches for areas you would like to loosen up. Prior to the workout, if you choose to stretch, do not hold the stretches long; simply move into them as you feel comfortable, performing three to five light stretches on any muscle group you feel you need to. Another option is to wait until after the workout to perform the stretch routine noted at the end of the workout.
Mesocycle 2, Microcycles 5 and 6 (Weeks 22-25)
Microcycles 5 and 6 include superset strength techniques, ascending and descending pyramids, body weight workouts, and TRX suspension training. These two microcycles have a lot of variety. Maintain your last microcycle’s weight loads for these macrocycles. To warm up for these workouts, walk, jog, or run on a treadmill or get onto an elliptical trainer for no less than 10 minutes. Wait until after the workout to stretch, but if you feel tightness, perform easy stretches for areas you would like to loosen up. Prior to the workout, if you choose to stretch, do not hold the stretches long; simply move into them as you feel comfortable, performing three to five light stretches on any muscle group you feel you need to. Another option is to wait until after the workout to perform the stretch routine noted at the end of the workout.