Strength Training: Principles and Guidelines - Part 3
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Almost
any form of exercise will stimulate some degree of strength and muscle
development. Unfortunately, misconceptions, myths, and misunderstandings
plague the fitness industry, especially in regard to strength training.
There is a huge attrition rate among those starting a strength training
program primarily because most people are not taught the principles
essential for a safe and effective program.
This
article is part three of a five part series discussing the very important
principles and guidelines of a safe and effective strength training
program. This article discusses the importance of proper lifting technique,
exercising through the full range of motion, proper exercise sequence, and
the correct number of sets to do for what you're trying to achieve. The
previous article, part two of this five part series, explained the
importance of forcing blood to your muscles and proper lifting speed. The
following exercise guidelines are extremely important for your safety and
the effectiveness of your strength training program
Form/Technique
The
most common and critical training mistakes may be those of exercise
technique. The tendency to use too much weight typically results in poor
form, which decreases your ability to get results, and increases the risk
of injury. Examples of poor form or technique are: bouncing the bar off
the chest in the Bench Press; using hip and back extension to initiate
Bicep Curls; arching the back or bending backward under Shoulder Presses;
using any sort of momentum in any exercise; and training at fast speeds.
These mistakes will not send the blood you need into your muscles and will
work counter to your goals. Be aware of these mistakes and eliminate them
from your program.
Exercise
Through Full Range of Motion
Perform
each exercise through a full range of motion, with emphasis on the end of
the positive phase. Full range exercise movements are advantageous for
strengthening the prime-mover, or agonist muscles—the muscles directly
trained in the exercise, such as the biceps in the biceps curl. Lifting in
the full range of motion is also advantageous for stretching the
antagonist muscles, the muscles that act in opposition to the agonist. In
the Biceps Curl, the triceps is the antagonist. Training in the full range
of motion enhances both muscle strength and joint flexibility.
Exercise
Selection
It
is very important to select at least one exercise for each major muscle
group to promote well-balanced muscle development. Training only a few
muscle groups or training one muscle group more increases the risk of
injury.
Exercise
Sequence
Another
important element of strength training is exercise sequence. When
performing a variety of weightlifting exercises, it is advisable to
proceed from the larger muscle groups to the smaller muscle groups. This
allows optimal performance of the most demanding exercises when fatigue
levels are the lowest and you feel fresh. Another reason, one that is
often overlooked, is illustrated by the common example of training both
back and biceps. Ordinarily, you would want to train your back first,
since it is the larger muscle group of the two; let's say you are doing
the Rear Lat. Pull-down. In that exercise, you are indirectly working your
biceps, too, since both muscle groups are at work in the pulling motion.
This means that your biceps will actually be warmed up and ready to train
when you get to them. This is the same for exercises requiring pushing
motions such as the chest, shoulders, and triceps. By the time you are
done with your chest exercises, both your shoulders and your triceps are
warm and ready to train. Of course, you might not always do your "pulling"
(back and biceps) and your "pushing" (chest, shoulders,
triceps)
motions on the same day--because as you reach a plateau you will want to
change your exercises, the order that you do them, and the muscles that
you train together, to provide a new stimulus and interest for yourself.
This will be discussed soon.
Sets
Another
important element is exercise sets. An exercise set is the number of
successive repetitions performed without resting. The number of sets per
exercise is largely a matter of goals, interests and personal preference.
We recommend that people treat their first set as a warm-up--12-20 reps
with relatively light weight (done slowly). Then you can do either one,
two, or three more sets--even up to six (strength and power program)--depending
on whether you are at a beginning, intermediate, or advanced level and
what you are trying to accomplish.
If
you are working on your second exercise for a particular muscle group, we
recommend that you do either two or three sets for that exercise since
that muscle is already warmed-up from the first exercise. Regardless of
the number of sets performed, each set--and each repetition--should be
done in proper exercise form and under control.
Please
check back for Part four, where I'll discuss the inverse relationship
between resistance and repetitions and the importance of progressive
resistance. That is, I'll explain the amount of weight you should use and
the number of repetitions you should do for the results you desire. I'll
also explain how to gradually increase the weight you use to stimulate
further gains. Until then, remember to use proper lifting technique,
exercise through the full range of motion, exercise in the proper sequence,
and use the correct number of sets for what you're trying to achieve. Good
luck, and enjoy all the wonderful benefits of strength training.
Chad Tackett is
President of Global Health & Fitness. Learn how you can have
your own personal online trainer, dietician and motivator at http://www.global-fitness.com
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