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Contents
STRENGTH TRAINING
- INTRODUCTION
STRENGTH TRAINING STRENGTHENS
THE OLDEST
EXERCISE AND GROWTH HORMONE
ANTI-AGING
STRENGTH TRAINING versus BODY BUILDING
BENEFITS OF STRENGTH TRAINING
STRENGTH TRAINING AND METABOLIC
IMPROVEMENT
STRENGTH TRAINING VERSUS MUSCLE
SIZE
DECREASE THE RISK OF
INJURY, REDUCE RATE OF ACCIDENT
STRENGTH TRAINING TERMINOLOGY
HOW MUCH TIME REQUIRED FOR
STRENGTH TRAINING
STRENGTH TRAINING WITH NO EQUIPMENT
STRENGTH TRAINING WITH DUMB BELLS
STRENGTH TRAINING WITH BAR BELL
STRENGTH TRAINING IN A GYM
PAIN AND MUSCLE SORENESS
TREATMENT OF INJURY
DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRENGTH
TRAINING EXERCISES
PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES
OF STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUT
TECHNIQUES OF STRENGTH TRAINING
LIFTING SPEED
EXERCISE THROUGH A FULL RANGE OF
MOTION
MAXIMUM REPETITIONS (1 RM)
PROGRESSIVE RESISTANCE
AVOID OVER-TRAINING
PLATEAU
WAYS TO OVERCOME PLATEAU
BEGINNING TRAINING TECHNIQUES
SPLIT TRAINING
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I DO STRENGTH
TRAINING?
THE OPTIMUM NUMBER OF SETS
HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHOULD I LIFT?
TYPES OF LIFTING
11 MAJOR MUSCLE GROUPS
WHY STRETCH BEFORE STRENGTH TRAINING
HOW TO STRETCH BEFORE STRENGTH
TRAINING
PROPER LIFTING POSITION
BREATHING
HOW TO BREATHE
SPECIAL STRENGTH TRAINING
CONSIDERATIONS FOR WOMEN
BODY TYPES AND PERFORMANCE
USE YOUR BRAIN TO TRAIN
MEASURING PROGRESS
INCORPORATING STRENGTH TRAINING WITH OTHER EXERCISES
HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED
MAKE IT FUN
YOUR VERY FIRST STRENGTH TRAINING
WORKOUT
YOUR SECOND STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUT
WORKOUT GUIDELINES
FOR FIRST MONTH OF STRENGTH TRAINING
WORKOUT GUIDELINE
FOR SECOND MONTH OF STRENGTH TRAINING
WORKOUT GUIDELINE
FOR THIRD MONTH OF STRENGTH TRAINING
AFTER THREE MONTHS OF STRENGTH
TRAINING
JUST DO IT
STRENGTH
TRAINING - INTRODUCTION
There is no doubt among anti-aging
experts that strength training should be an
integral part of any anti-aging exercise program. The reason is simple:
our body mass decreases by 6-10% with each decade
after age 30. By age 70, we only
have approximately 50% of our body strength left. Have you ever noticed
how an elderly gentleman shakes hands with you? The fact the handshake is very
weak is sometimes not because he does not want to shake hard, but rather because
the body’s ability to effect a strong handshake is no longer there. Decrease
in body strength leads to decrease in function, less energy, less balance, and
increase accident rate (the 7th leading cause of death among the elderly). Increased
strength, therefore, decrease chances of accident and increases longevity.
STRENGTH
TRAINING STRENGTHENS THE OLDEST
In 1994, Dr Maria Fiatarone, M.D.
of the Human Nutrition Research Center of Aging of Tufts University in Boston,
gave multi-nutrient supplement and exercise training to a group of men and
women, between ages of 63 and 98, in a nursing home. 83% required a cane, walker
or wheelchair and 66% had fallen before. Despite all this, they went through
a high intensity, progressive weight training for 45 minutes, 3 times a week
for 10 weeks. These patients did 3 sets of exercise on traditional weight
machines. In only 10 weeks the results were remarkable. The muscles of these
elderly grew in size and their strength increased with the greatest benefit
seen in those who were weakest to begin with but who did not have severe muscle
atrophy. Also noted was a significant increase in mobility after the study as
compared to before. Patients were able to walk faster and climb steps more easily.
Three exercisers graduated from a walker to a cane, compared to one person from
a group of non-exercising control, who went from a cane to a walker during that
same period of time. Muscle strength increase by 174% on the average and
the walking speed increase by 50%. Yes, it’s amazing but real!
EXERCISE
AND GROWTH HORMONE
Exercise, especially strength training
exercise send a wake-up call to your pituitary gland to release growth hormone
(growth hormone is a key anti-aging hormone). While the exact mechanism
is not completely understood, there is no doubt that exercise stimulates growth
hormone release, which has major significant benefits in increasing longevity.
Aerobic exercise also results in persistent, long-term release of growth
hormone in spurts in the blood for 2 hours or even longer after you stop exercise.
Strength training like weight training causes spurts of growth hormone to stimulate
in the release in the body as well. It is particularly interesting to note that
while moderate intensity of aerobic type exercise
is sufficient to cause maximum stimulation of growth hormone release (moderate
intensity exercise is defined as 40-50% of maximum oxygen obtained, high intensity
is 70%). It has been found that weight training at 70% of maximum lift causes
free flow increase in growth hormone release. At 85% of maximum lift capacity
there is a four-fold increase in growth hormone release into our body.
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN ANTI-AGING STRENGTH TRAINING AND BODY BUILDING
From an anti-aging perspective, the
primary goal is to maintain muscle tone and maintain muscle strength. You have
the option of building muscle size for the purposes of entering a body building
competition if you so wish. Since the goals are different, the techniques and
methodology are also different. From an anti-aging
perspective, we want to achieve the following major benefits:
- Increase
in strength, to decrease accident and increase longevity.
- Burn
calories and lose weight, replacing body fat with lean muscle mass.
- Reduce
depression and relief stress.
BENEFITS
OF STRENGTH TRAINING
One important result of strength
training is the increase in physical performance as measured by your strength.
Stronger muscles enable you to lift and move things that are heavy. A stronger
muscle also provides endurance regardless of what hobby, sports or day-to-day
activities that you do. From an anti-aging perspective, the primary goal is
not really to increase the size of the muscle but rather, to tone the muscle
in such a way that the fat is replaced by the lean muscle mass. It
is not unusual for those who are in strength training program to gain a few
pounds of muscle as well as 30-40% more in strength and in endurance after 10-12
weeks of consistent weight strength-training. This is achievable.
The result of such strength-training program is that the body composition changes.
Take an average 170-pound man with 20% body fat, there is 34 pounds of fat and
136 pounds of lean body mass. After strength training, provided everything remains
unchanged, he has now 17% fat with 29 pounds of fat weight and 141 pounds of
lean body weight. This change in body composition will have a direct effect
on the appearance that results in firmer look.
STRENGTH
TRAINING AND METABOLIC IMPROVEMENT
As we grow older, we generally
lose about half a pound of muscle every year as well as half a percent reduction
in the basal of metabolic rate. A reduction in the basal of metabolic rate means
your body is less able to use the food to convert into energy. As a result,
more of the calories that you consume are turned into fats. This is the reason
that as you grow older, your body composition
changes automatically without you doing anything. You notice that you are getting
more fat with less muscle. This is natural and will happen if you
don’t do anything. Therefore, if you are interested in maintaining your body
composition as when you are young, you have to be on a strength-training program.
One of the biggest mistakes that people make
when starting a weight management program is that they fail to incorporate exercise
or a strength-training program.
STRENGTH
TRAINING VERSUS MUSCLE SIZE
There is a common misconception
especially among women that strength training will inevitably lead to muscle
sizes. While increase in muscle size is a component of resistance training,
the degree of size of muscle increase is subject upon the techniques and the
program of strength training exercises. You
can actually increase fitness, increase muscle tone and firmness of the muscle
without increase in muscle size if you know how to do it.
Doing
a few reps of (4-6) and increasing the weight will lead to increase in muscle
size. If you want to be like Mr. Universe,
you really have to do strength training. You must lift 2 ton a day and consume
4,000-5,000 kilocalories per day.
Doing
more reps (15-20) with lower weights will lead to increase in muscle tone and
endurance. In
anti-aging, you want both, though you should do about 10-12 reps of each strength
training exercise.
DECREASE
THE RISK OF INJURY, REDUCE RATE OF ACCIDENT
Accident is a major leading cause
of death in the elderly. This is especially so in women who already have a disadvantage
of having onset of osteoporosis after menopause. Our muscles serve as supporting
structure for our skeletal framework. They are the shock absorbers that allow
us to balance ourselves so that we do not fall and to act as cushions when we
do fall. Strong muscles translate into fewer accidents as we are better balanced.
STRENGTH
TRAINING TERMINOLOGY
Exercise - the actual strength
training complete movement of the muscle group being performed. For example
the biceps curl is an exercise.
Repetitions or reps - one
full movement of the exercise from start to the prescribed end-point and back
to the original starting position is called a rep. Often you perform each exercise
every repetitions, usually between 10-15, depends on your experience level and
interest.
Sets - This refers to a complete
number of reps. For example, doing a bench press 12 consecutive times will complete
1 set. Usually, 1-3 sets make up one exercise routine. The pause between sets
is usually 1-1.5 minutes and this allows muscles to retain enough strength to
complete the next set effectively.
Positive phase - This is the
phase of the exercise that requires your muscles to contract. When you are doing
a bench press for example, the positive phase is when you press the weight upwards,
away from your body.
Negative phase - This is the
phase whereby you slowly allow the weight to return to home position. When this
happens, your muscle strengthens. For example, for the biceps curl, the negative
phase is when you slowly lower the weight back down until your arms extend straight.
HOW
MUCH TIME REQUIRED FOR STRENGTH TRAINING
Most
anti-aging experts agree that devoting 20-30
minutes to strength training 2-3 times a week is sufficient for strength and
muscle development. Strength training need not be complicated. Imagine
20-30 years ago, when weight machines were not prevalent, you could still have
a strong body. While machines help us to focus on certain muscles and make our
job easier, it is by no means the only way to attain strength training. Strength
training can be accomplished through a variety of modulates depending on the
type of equipment you have.
STRENGTH
TRAINING WITH NO EQUIPMENT
Contrary to popular belief, effective
strength building exercise does not require fancy machinery. For
example, a simple push-up is sufficient to
strengthen the chest, upper back and shoulder muscles. Similarly, you can do
a back extension for lower back muscles and a pelvic tilt for the buttock muscles.
For the lower extremities, the lunge is an excellent exercise. For the calf
muscles, a simple but effective heel raise is all you need. For the biceps,
you can do pull-ups and for the triceps, you can do a triceps bench dip.
All these exercises do not require any machinery and can be done on the go anywhere
or virtually any place. Most of them can be done either in a sitting or standing
position, whether you are on a plane or standing on a subway. The question is
whether you have the know-how and the knowledge of how to perform these exercises
and most importantly, take the time and energy to do it. A
complete set of such exercise does not take more than 5-10 minutes.
STRENGTH
TRAINING WITH DUMB BELLS
Dumb bells are cheap and effective
ways to increase resistance and provide good and lasting strength training.
Again, do not be intimidated by a full set of dumb bells, which you think you
may need to build your body. Simple dumb bells with weight from 15-30 pounds
for men and 10-20 pounds for women is often all that you need to get started
for anti-aging purposes. Dumb bells are convenient in the sense that they
don’t take up much space at all. You can use them at home and you don’t
have to go to the gym. You only need 1 set
of dumb bells to work all 11 major muscle groups. However, you do
need to know how to use them properly. For example, you can do squats with dumb
bells, which will increase the tone of your lower extremity as well as your
hamstrings. The calf raise increases the strength of calf muscles; dumb bell
biceps curl for the biceps and kick-backs for the triceps, flies for the chest
and the seated press for upper back are just some of exercises that may be done
with dumb bells.
STRENGTH
TRAINING WITH BAR BELL
If you are fortunate enough to have
the space, and to accommodate a barbell and a bench, you are able to do more
exercises than you are otherwise would just with dumb bells or if you have no
equipment at all. While all the major muscle groups of your body can be trained
without the barbell, the barbell allows us to develop maximum strength through
resistance. Exercises such as the bench press for the chest, or the overhead
press for the back, the back-lift for the lower back, the squads for the quads
and hamstrings, and the standing curls for the biceps are standard resistance
exercises used world-wide for strength training. The barbell is also good
in that it offers our muscles a three-dimensional training environment as compared
to machines, which have preset tracks of muscle movement, and thus a two-dimensional
environment.
STRENGTH
TRAINING IN A GYM
If you have access to a gym, this
is the best of all worlds. Gyms usually have a multitude of machines, each focused
on a specific muscle group as well. In a gym setting, you are able to isolate
specific muscles and perform specific functions for those specific muscles accordingly.
Every imaginable exercise has its own machine in the gym. Once you have a gym
membership, do take advantage of it and incorporate machines, strength training
as well as dumb bell and barbell exercises to achieve the same goal. It should
be remembered that a machine is not a replacement for the other strength training
exercises. This is because machine training is mostly two dimensional in nature.
While you may achieve muscle toning, the muscle balance as well as the three-dimensional
aspects of the muscle strength training is not achieved simply by machine training
alone. Free weights are still the gold standard
and achieve the best results.
PAIN
AND MUSCLE SORENESS
When your work your muscles that
have not been worked for a while, it is normal to feel a dull ache or soreness
in the muscles that were trained. This pain is caused by the micro-trauma
of muscle fibers from the connective tissues in the body. This is normal and
it is healthy. You have probably heard the phrase “no pain, no gain”. More appropriately,
it should be coined as “no strain, no gain”. It is important to recognize that
pain is a signal that your body tells you that rest is needed. As such, give
yourself 1 or 2 days’ rest and the pain generally goes away. If the
pain does not go away and is persistent, consult your physician for further
evaluation. Unrelenting pain is something you should not experience.
Any sudden onset of pain, any popping sound or severe relentless pain are all
signs that something abnormal is going on in your body. Pain is a signal that
your body sends you to warn you of impending danger. In such situations, stop
exercise and consult your physician immediately.
Cramps
- Muscles cramp when they are in tense contraction without a relaxation phase.
This is often caused by over-exertion as well as the lack of warm up. In addition,
other factors such as the lack of electrolytes can contribute to this problem.
To avoid cramps, it is important to have a proper warm up as well as keep
hydrated before and during the course of the exercise.
Injury
- The purpose of strength training is to stress the muscle to a point where
the muscle fibers experience micro trauma. With this, the muscle fibers can
go on to a repair and strengthening phase. Over-stretching or over-exertion
of any muscle group will cause injury, including tendonidis fascia injuries,
ligament, and muscle tears. When this happens, prolonged rest as well as
medical attention is needed. It is of utmost importance that in the anti-aging
perspective, we want to train but we do not want injury. Injury
is counter-productive to any exercise program.
TREATMENT
OF INJURY
If you are injured, you may stop
the exercise immediately. Common muscular and skeletal injuries are accompanied
by inflammation. In this case, an ice pack
is a first course of treatment. Keep your injured area elevated to
reduce swelling due to gravitational pulling of body fluids. Keep the injured
area in a snug but not tight elastic bandage in order to decrease the swelling,
which can press on the nerves and cause pain.
DIFFERENT
TYPES OF STRENGTH TRAINING EXERCISES
- Isometric
exercises are generally used to test muscle strength and are not used to build
muscle strength. An example of an isometric exercise is holding
a handgrip for a prolonged period of time to measure the grip strength.
- Isokinetic
exercise combines speed, movement and resistance. This form of
exercise usually requires a significant amount of expensive equipment as commonly
seen in physical therapy or rehabilitation. This type of exercise is extremely
useful for those who have severe functions.
- Dynamic
constant resistance (dumbbell or free weights). Free weight is
inexpensive and readily available. However, they are not as efficient as weight
machines. On a practical basis, for those of you who are not intending to
be muscular, free weights are practical and provide easily obtainable results.
- Dynamic
variable. Nautilus® equipment used in this type of exercise allows
the amount of resistance to change during the exercise, which is something
that free weights cannot do. The advantage of Nautilus® equipment allows for
a full range of motion. On the other hand, the equipment is expensive and
often hard to come by. In any event, the exercise program is more important
than the type of equipment in the anti-aging program.
PRINCIPLES
AND GUIDELINES OF STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUT
To promote safety, prevent injury
and increase performance, warm up prior to any exercise program. Flexibility
training and stretching exercises is good and easy way to warm up your muscles
and increase blood flow. Start stretching the muscle groups with progressively
resistant exercises. Start with weights that you can handle. For example, you
should be able to do 20 reps with ease. If your plan is to do 10 reps of the
chest press at 100 pounds, start a warm up set at 40 pounds and do 20 reps.
Follow this with 2-3 minutes rest before you start the main set. Of course,
stretching is an integral part of any exercise. It is important also to cool
down after a strength training session. With reduced blood flow, cardio output
is decreased and for those who are not used to it, some light-headedness and
dizziness may occur. Because of this, a gradual cool down period is beneficial
in those not inured to this type of exercise.
TECHNIQUES
OF STRENGTH TRAINING
Just as cooking a dish requires an
organized system of first heating up the pan and then adding oil and then finally
adding the ingredients, proper strength training programs involve straining
the muscles in a systematic and organized fashion. For this reason, it is important
to have a strength training that is easy to understand and more importantly,
easy to remember. Very few of us are going to be muscle builders, Our main purpose
of strength training is to maintain muscle tone. Therefore, a simple, comprehensive
and organized strength training program is required. Here are some of the key
points to remember:
- Start
with the big muscle groups first and end with the small muscle groups.
Big muscle groups such as the chest and the upper back should be started first
to increase blood flow to these areas. Part of the blood flow to these areas
will then overflow into the small muscle groups and keep the small muscle
groups warmed up during the process.
- Always work
muscles in opposing sets. After you have done biceps, work on the
opposing triceps.
- Do
every set and every exercise for a specific muscle group together before moving
on. For example, if your routine consists of 3 sets of biceps curl,
then do all 3 sets, separated by rest period before going on to another set
of exercise. Part of the strength training is to stress the muscle to cause
micro-trauma. Without the sets to push the muscles to the limit, you are actually
teasing the muscles and allowing it to rest while moving on to other muscle
groups. When you return to the original primary muscle group, you have to
start from scratch.
- Do not over-eat
before the strength training program or too soon after the training program.
During the weight-training program, the blood supply goes towards the muscles
to carry oxygen and nutrients. After the exercise program, cardiovascular
output is decreased and the by-products of the workout such as lactic acid
need to be carried out of the muscular system. Eating too much before the
strength training program causes a decrease in cardiac output to the muscle
as the blood is being funneled to gastric and intestinal tract for digestion
of the food. Similarly, eating too soon after the exercise program also has
a similar effect.
- Be
energized before you start a strength training session.
While you should not have a full stomach going into a strength training session,
you should not go on an empty stomach either. Strength training does require
nutrients and energy. A 30-minute session of leg press and squats consumes
approximately 190 calories of which 56 calories are from fat.
LIFTING
SPEED
Speed
plays a major and important role in the incidence of injury as well as in strength
and muscle development. Fast lifting creates
the momentum and often does not allow significant blood flow to the muscle.
Slow movement creates less momentum and less internal friction. A good strength-training
program requires an even powering of muscles throughout the range of motion
that promotes blood flow to the specific muscle targets, with a bias towards
slow rather than fast.
A common mistake for beginning strength
training is the tendency to lift weights too fast and in a jerky motion.
Each muscle
has a positive phase where the muscle is contracted and a negative phase where
the muscle is returning to its original state. It is very important to make
sure that the negative phase is 2-3 times longer than the positive phase. Generally
it is recommended that you spend 1-2 seconds
for each positive lifting phase and 3-4 seconds for each negative lifting phase.
For example, if you are doing the biceps curl, the reflection up
to your shoulders would last 1 second while going to original home position
of the extended arm would take 2 seconds. If you are not strong enough to complete
the exercise, then you should reduce the weight so that you are more comfortable.
80% of strength training comes from the mind.
This entails visualize that you are lifting the weights slowly and
progressively through the entire contract and relaxation phase of each muscle
group. Through this mental drill, your body will send the necessary blood flow
into those muscles for maximum performance and strength training. If
your motion is jerky, or too fast, then you are not getting the maximum benefit
from strength training.
EXERCISE
THROUGH A FULL RANGE OF MOTION
It is important to exercise
through a full range of motion for each exercise group with emphasis on the
end of each of the positive phase.
Often times the beginner trainer will simply go through the motion and stop
with about 10-15% of the full range of the motion remaining. This last part
is the most critical part of any strength-training program and should not be
ignored. Not only does it give the targeted muscle full strength training, it
also allows the opposite muscle groups full stretching and relaxation.
MAXIMUM
REPETITIONS (1 RM)
The maximum repetitions is called
(1RM), and is the most weight you can lift at one time, correctly. Before you
commence any exercise program, you should have an idea what your 1 RM is for
each exercise. Most people can complete 8
repetitions with 80% of maximum resistance, 10 repetitions with 75% of maximum
repetitions and 12 repetitions with 70% of maximum repetitions.
For
anti-aging purposes, 8-12 reps at 70-80% of maximum resistance is a sound training
recommendation. Without knowing your own maximum repetitions, it
is very difficult to embark on an effective training program.
PROGRESSIVE
RESISTANCE
It takes a certain period of time
for a muscle to get used to a certain resistance level. This period, of course,
varies from individual to individual. The key to anti-aging strength resistance
training is to monitor your own maximum resistance level on an on-going basis,
perhaps once every 4-8 weeks. Adjust the amount of weight, the number of sets
and the number of repetitions per set according to your maximum resistance level.
For example, you may be able to start off your bench press from week 1 through
4 based on a maximum resistance of 150 pounds. As you approach this number,
try increasing to about 180 pounds.
AVOID
OVER-TRAINING
While part of the goal of strength
training is to stress and strengthen your muscle, you should not over-train.
Signs of over-training include weaknesses,
soreness as well as severe pain. Because of the intentional micro-trauma
desired during strength training, it is also equally important to provide your
body with adequate rest usually between 24-48 hours between weight lifting sessions.
Other than the abdominal muscle, it is very important for the other muscle groups
to have the adequate rest before you stress them again. For the advanced
strength trainer, a push-pull technique is alternating days for pushing exercises
and days for pulling exercises (eg. chest, bench). In this way, even though
you are training up to 4-5 days a week, you are ensured of a good 48 hours rest
between training sessions. Many people also make the mistake of doing too
many sets per exercise and concentrating on too little exercise groups.
Anti-aging exercises dictate that we have
a balanced approach, addressing all your 11 major muscle groups of the body.
While certain muscles are more aesthetically appealing. It is important to recognize
that all major muscle groups are important to support our skeletal functions.
For each of the large muscle groups in the
body such as the back, chest and shoulders and hamstrings, 2-4 exercises per
each muscle is enough. For the smaller muscle groups such as the biceps and
triceps 1-3 exercises are enough. If you have a history of injury
to a certain muscle group, you may want to increase the number of exercises
to this area to strengthen it during the training program.
PLATEAU
Sooner or later, if you are consistent
in your training program, you will reach a plateau and feel you are no longer
improving. It is absolutely important at this time
that you change what you are doing and start to incorporate creative ideas into
your program to improve in your session. These techniques include
different exercises, as well as changing the order of your training. You may
also add other advance exercise routine into your workout. For anti-aging purposes,
hitting the plateau is not too much of a concern. If you can stay at the plateau
at an on-going basis, it really means that your muscles are in fine shape and
tone. If you want to progressively improve beyond the plateau level, it will
be a goal that is more for your ego than for anti-aging purposes.
WAYS
TO OVERCOME PLATEAU
The key to overcoming plateau is
to introduce variety into your exercise program such as the following:
- Trying
new exercises. For example, if you are used to doing a bench press
on the flat bench, you may want to add the inclined bench press to your regiment.
- Vary
exercise orders. Your
strength training program may involve exercises in a certain, particular order.
This order can be changed to create variety and alleviate boredom. Varying
exercise sequences allows your muscles to warm up in a different way and shock
your muscles enough to force new results. For example, if your regular routine
is to do your shoulders first, then your upper back and the lower back, you
may want to do it in the order where you do the lower back first followed
by the shoulders then the upper back.
- Vary
the number of sets performed. If you have been training with multiple
sets of each exercise, you may consider switching to the 1 or 2 set program
for each exercise. This is simply to add variety and to decrease the boredom
to your strength-training program.
- Train
with music. If you are the type that trains better when you are
more relaxed and music relaxes you, train with your favorite music. It is
a simple but effective tool.
BEGINNING
TRAINING TECHNIQUES
Most
beginners would start training 2 or 3 days a week completing 1 exercise for
each muscle group of the body and training every muscle group in each training
session. This is a safe, effective and good way to get started. For
the majority, such anti-aging muscle-toning program is all that is needed on
an on-going basis.
SPLIT
TRAINING
If you want to increase the intensity
and start training with more exercise for each muscle group, then you would
be well to start a split-training program. There are different ways to split
the training. Generally it involves splitting
the training days into 2 or 3 different workouts, training different muscle
groups on different days. For example, Monday and Thursday you may
want to train your upper body muscles and on Wednesdays and Sundays you may
want to train your lower muscles. A split-training
program allows you to increase the intensity by adding 2-3 exercises per muscle
group so you may work all 5-muscle groups per session. One
of the most effective split training program is called the push/pull routine.
On one day you train all the muscle groups involved in the pushing motion such
as your chest and your shoulders. On alternate day you train the muscle that
require pulling motion such as the back and the triceps. This push/pull
method is very popular because it is very easy to remember and it allows your
problem muscles plenty of time to rest between sessions.
HOW
OFTEN SHOULD I DO STRENGTH TRAINING?
2-3
workouts per week, approximately 30-45 minutes per session with a rest day following
each workout are a good general rule of thumb. The
rest day is important and should not be skipped. It is during the
rest day that muscular changes occur and muscles recover from the stress and
rebuilding begins.
THE
OPTIMUM NUMBER OF SETS
Set - An exercise set is the number
of successive repetitions performed on a continuous basis without resting. The
number of exercise sets varies and depends on your goals and personal preference.
Generally speaking, most muscle groups require
3 sets, with the first set as warm up. A good program would be to start off
with first set at 40-50% of your maximum and followed by the second set at 60%
and the third set at 80-90%. The number of repetitions within each
set also varies depending on the program. Generally speaking, you
should complete 15-20 reps on the first set, 10-12 reps in the second set and
6-8 reps in the third set. In another words, as your muscles warmed
up to do higher weights, you scale down the number of repetitions.
A set is a fixed number of repetitions
or repeated exercise movements. Most of the gains come with 1, 2 ,and 3 sets.
After that, you still get gains but the degree of gain levels off. This means
you have to work harder for fewer results. Don’t forget to rest for 1 minute
between sets to prevent injury.
HOW
MUCH WEIGHT SHOULD I LIFT?
There are 2 principles to help you
determine this. Maximum Repetitions (IRM) is the amount of weight you can lift
using your maximum strength for 1 time. After you have determined the maximum
rep for each particular exercise, then you should start your routine at approximately
50-60% IRM level. This is somewhat cumbersome for most people and most people
therefore prefer the second way, which is to use as much weight as tolerable
12 reps at moderate but not maximum exertion. The last rep should be fairly
hard to perform. Use the first few of the
weight lifting sessions as testing sessions so you can see how much you can
handle. Once you are able to do more than 12 reps comfortably, then you can
increase the weight 5-10% at a time so that you can do the 2nd set at 10 reps
and the 3rd set at 8 reps.
TYPES
OF LIFTING
There are 2 basic types of lifting
people use to bring results. If you do low
reps combined with high weight, you will get increase in strength. On the other
hand, if you do high reps using low weights, you will achieve endurance. This
principle becomes more important when you are training for specific sports for
anti-aging purposes, because our primary goal is to increase strength as well
as stimulate growth hormone secretion. Therefore, you train with relatively
high weights and few repetitions.
11
MAJOR MUSCLE GROUPS
There are 11 most important muscle
groups. As a beginner in each session, you work with 11 most important muscle
groups starting with the larger groups before the smaller ones. Why? If you
fatigue the smaller muscle groups first, you cannot work the larger ones adequately.
A typical order of exercise is:
- abdominal - start here
for a partial warm up.
- quads and hamstrings -
since the legs automatically bring the muscles of the lower back into play,
be sure you are thoroughly warmed up before working the thighs.
- chest - you will be working
your shoulder as well as chest muscles.
- back - By now the back
muscle would have warmed up from the thigh exercises and would be ready to
go.
- shoulders - medium size
muscles.
- triceps - small muscles.
- biceps - small muscles.
- calves - a small muscle.
WHY
STRETCH BEFORE STRENGTH TRAINING
Stretching before lifting is critical
in preparing the joints for motion. It also extends the range of motion
of the muscles and helps to avoid injuries. Stretching after lifting is important
to reduce stress on the muscles and to “wind down”. It also helps relax the
muscles just worked and reduces soreness.
HOW
TO STRETCH BEFORE STRENGTH TRAINING
Stretch until you feel a slight
tension. Hold a position for 20-30 seconds. Relax a moment then extend the stretch
slightly further for another 10-20 seconds. Relax. Do not bounce or jerk
your muscles during the stretching routine. Stretching should not cause pain.
If you are having pain, then you have to back off as it is a dangerous sign.
PROPER
LIFTING POSITION
When you are lifting in a standing
position such as close and overhead press, your feet should be a little wider
than shoulder-width apart and well-balanced. Many lifters wear shoes or
boots with heels to help offset the shifting of the center of gravity when lifting
heavy weights. Sometimes a board is placed under the heels when doing squats
to help maintain balance. It is important to keep your head and neck straight
during your lift. Many injuries are caused by twisting the head, neck or trunk.
BREATHING
Do not hold your breath throughout
the entire exercise. It can stop the flow of oxygen to your brain and causes
you to have dizziness and even pass out. Breathe both in and out through your
nose and mouth. By breathing through only your nose, you may not be getting
enough oxygen.
HOW
TO BREATHE
Inhale
during the beginning of the lift, momentarily holding your breath during the
most difficult part, and then exhale as you finish the lift. When
doing a bench press, for example, inhale as you lower the weight to your chest.
At this time, hold your breath momentarily as you begin to press the weight
up. Finish exercise by inhaling during the later part of the movement. The same
goes for other exercises generally speaking.
SPECIAL
STRENGTH TRAINING CONSIDERATIONS FOR WOMEN
Women
are physiologically different from men. The bone structure of female pelvic
girdle is proportionately wider than male to facilitate childbirth. Women’s
knees, however, are the same distance apart as the men’s. Thus there is a greater
conversion convergence angle and greater stress on the knees. Women
are more likely to have knee problem during exercise such as full squats and
should, therefore, these exercises with special care.
A) Menstruation
Over-training can lead to conditions
known as amenorrhea in which menstruation can temporarily stop. This is
a condition that generally cures itself once the training is cut back.
B) Pregnancy
During pregnancy, the woman should
continue to keep fit. This will lead to a more comfortable pregnancy and a shorter
labor. However, strenuous activity during pregnancy is not recommended. The
level of training should decrease as the pregnancy advances and should increase
again gradually after birth.
BODY
TYPES AND PERFORMANCE
All of us are born with different
body types. Some are blessed with a body shape that is particularly fitted for
moderately intense, long hauling exercise such as cross-country skiing and cycling.
Others are blessed with a muscular build that favors a strength-training program.
Still others are light framed and are low in both fat and muscle. These people
are good at endurance activities such as long distance running. The important
thing to remember is not what body type you have but to have realistic goals
and not to compare with others. Anti-aging is a life-style that requires
focus on your own body, listening to what your body is telling you and to do
the best you can, given your body type, regardless of what other people say.
USE
YOUR BRAIN TO TRAIN
Most serious strength training instructors
will tell you that strength training
is 80% brainwork and 20% physical work. This is exactly true.
Proper concentration on the form and the muscle that you are working, the result
that you will achieve will be sub-optimal. Always pay attention to your technique
and make sure you are lifting slowly and without momentum. You must direct your
thoughts and focus to the center of the muscle being worked. Try to complete
the exercise without focusing on the nature of the motion being completed. This
results in poor workouts with little muscle stimulation. Before you start off
with any exercise program, understand the importance of concentration and understand
the importance of the targeted muscle group. Muscle
building is an individual exercise and it is an exercise that requires concentration.
It may help to have a buddy system in which a friend gives help and encourages
you from time to time.
MEASURING
PROGRESS
Once you have embarked on a resistance
strength training program, you will soon notice increased muscle firmness if
you are following the program properly. From
an anti-aging perspective, size really does not matter. Your progress is best
measured by how you feel. Your body
will tell you how you feel if you are honest with l yourself. Anti-aging exercises
do not mean that you are in a highly competitive muscle building exercise program.
What it means is that you tone your muscles to achieve several end points; reduced
loss of muscle mass, conversion of body fat to lean muscle mass and increased
strength and firmness of the muscle. If you can achieve the above, regardless
of what your scale reads and what muscle size measurement is, you have accomplished
your goal.
For those who wish to have a track
record of their performance, its good to measure the circumference of each of
the major muscle groups such as chest, biceps etc as a gauge of your progress
once every three months.
IMPORTANCE
OF COMBINING CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE,
FLEXIBILITY TRAINING, GOOD NUTRITION WITH YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAM
You should now have a clear understanding
at this time that the strength-training program is an integral part of anti-aging
exercise regiment. Strength training not only increases your lean body mass,
but it combats aging and increases your chance of living a longer life. Strength
training also provides some important benefits that cannot be achieved by any
other exercises. Strength training alone is insufficient however. You must
not forget to continue your aerobic exercises as well as the flexibility training
before and after each exercise session. On top of this, nutritional supplementation
is a key foundation to any anti-aging program.
HOW
TO STAY MOTIVATED
Staying motivated for a few days
or a few weeks is easy. The consistency of staying motivated for a long period
of time is a challenge. Regardless of how motivated at the beginning, you will
need tools to maintain your motivation. If you are serious about your health
and want to increase your longevity, here are some tips:
Set goals - Goal setting is
an important part in any part of our daily lives. Strength training is no exception.
The importance is to set goals that are measurable and realistic. As in any
other things in life, set goals that are
achievable, one at a time. Anti-aging is a life-long process. It
is not a sprint and there is no hurry. It is no use to train for a few months
and slack off. It is better to have a program that you can consistently achieve
minor goals. Allow 1-2 years for the overall goal, and with smaller goals
achieved every 6 months or so.
MAKE
IT FUN
Having fun will reduce the stress
of strength training. Having fun also makes the time go faster. This is
the key component in any anti-aging plan. The key to having fun is to get your
friends involved as well as add variety to your training regiment. The programs
outlined here are basic programs to get you started. Once you have mastered
the basics and variations of the basics, you will find it fun to alter it yourself.
It is also important to expect that some days you will feel discouraged.
Finally, workouts that are scheduled
are usually more successful. Most of us are busy and have many things on our
agenda. Making strength training a top priority in our lives may required a
certain adjustment period. This is understandable. Scheduling a workout time,
therefore, is just as important as scheduling your shower time.
YOUR
VERY FIRST STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUT
The
first rule of any workout is foremost to prevent injury. If you are
a newcomer to the gym you will need to familiarize yourself with the actual
exercise movements before lifting any heavy weights. Carefully study the exercise
description and photos. Ask someone for help as needed. Don't feel embarrassed.
Use lighter weights so that you get the hang of each motion.
Here are some tips:
- The name of the game in strength
training for anti-aging purpose is not building the largest muscle size. The
goal should be toned; strong and well defined muscles that are strong.
This is not a competition to see who can lift the heaviest weight. Lifting
weights with bad form is a sure recipe for injury.
- Take your time to practice how
to do the exercise correctly. There is no rush. You have plenty timed
ahead of you. Use bars without any added weights and very light dumbbells.
That is the smart way to force yourself to concentrate on the form.
- Concentrate on the targeted
muscle during each exercise so that you can find the right groove of movement.
Feel the targeted muscle working.
- Keep you head up and eyes straight
forward, maintaining a slight arch in your back and keep your feet planted
firmly to give you the support. As we get older, our back bears a heavy
burden of supporting the entire skeletal system. Injury of the back will set
you back in your exercise program. Back exercises are critical for anti-aging
purposes. The easiest way to guarantee a back injury is improper posture.
- Don't train to failure in your
first workout. Just do 1-2 sets of 12 reps of each movement so that the
exercise action is firmly fixed in your mind.
- That's it for your first session.
Congratulate yourself for a job well done and look forward to your second
workout.
YOUR
SECOND STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUT
Now that you have a feel of how each
exercise should be done and you are more familiar with the machines and weights,
you want to get close to determining your working weight.
Start each exercise with a fairly
light weight and see how many repetitions you can do using proper form, slowly
and with precision. If you find that you can easily perform more than the number
of reps indicated (12), add 5-10 pounds for your next set. Likewise, if
you cannot do the full number of reps in any exercise, or if you feel that you
are really pushing yourself to the limit in order to fulfill the set, then the
weight is too heavy. Lighten up next time.
Once you find a weight that allows
you to perform with good form and in the suggested number of reps, make a note
in your training log or diary.
Continue to use that weight until
you become stronger and the weight begins to feel light.
WORKOUT
GUIDELINES FOR FIRST MONTH OF STRENGTH TRAINING
The
key to your entire first month of training is to continue to learn good exercise
form while visualizing on how each movement should feel. Train with your brain!
It’s easy to get easily excited as
improvements are often significant and readily visible in short period of time.
Don't overdo it and don't overtrain. Follow these guidelines:
- Train 2-3 times a week,
with a day of rest between each session.
- Work only the muscles in your
plan. Don't get over zealous and get sidetracked into other muscles. Let’s
leave that for later.
- If you are able to progress quickly,
or if you have worked out in the past to any significant degree, follow the
first month's plan for 2 weeks and move onto second month program.
- Follow the plan and do the exact
number of reps listed. You can, however, continue to add more weights to those
exercises that feel easy.
- Listen to your body. Certain
days are better than others for your body. Reduce the amount of weights if
you feel that your body is sluggish.
- Eat well. Make sure you are
taking your supplements, and get a good night's sleep.
WORKOUT
GUIDELINE FOR SECOND MONTH OF STRENGTH TRAINING
By now, you should feel very comfortable
with the exercise routine. You should have experienced significant improvements
in your strength. The focus for this month is to help you transition into slightly
more complicated exercises that involve several muscle groups (especially for
those who have gym and barbell access):
- Continue to train 2-3 times
a week, with a rest day between each.
- Follow the exact number of
repetitions indicated for each exercise.
- Begin to challenge yourself
to use slightly more weight with each movement. Using progressively heavy
weights progressively will cause your muscle size to increase. You may do
so if you wish, knowing that this is now more for muscle and bodybuilding
than for anti-aging purposes.
- Start moving from 2 sets to
3 sets for each muscle group towards the end of second month.
WORKOUT
GUIDELINE FOR THIRD MONTH OF STRENGTH TRAINING
Not only should your strength be
increased from your effort of the past 2 months, your body should show significant
change in contour and physique, whether you are working on gaining or losing
weight. Congratulate yourself and keep it up!
- Continue to work out 2-3 times
a week, doing three sets of each exercise, with 1-minute rest between each
set.
- You can change the routine
by varying the number of reps you do. For example, use a lightweight to
warm up for the first set and do 12 reps. Take a 1-minute rest. For your second
set, use as heavy a weight as you can reasonably handle for 6-8 reps. Rest
1 minute. Reduce the weight sufficiently to permit you to perform a third
set of 10 reps.
- The amount of weight adjustment
varies from person to person and the range can vary anywhere from 5-25%. Trial
and error is the best way. There is no penalty.
- If you feel good on certain
days, do a 4th set that's heavy.
- Ask yourself what is more important
- toning or size. The anti-aging program emphasizes toning and endurance,
so use lighter weights but higher number of reps (10-12) to build the components
of the muscle fibers that builds shape and muscle endurance. For body building
purposes, low reps (4-6) with heavier weights will work muscle fibers for
explosive contraction, resulting in increasing power and size.
AFTER
THREE MONTHS OF STRENGTH TRAINING
By the end of your third month of
training, you'll have laid the foundation of a strong, shapely physic. If you
had been doing your cardiovascular training, eating a proper diet and taking
supplements, chances are you will feel younger and much better about yourself.
How much change will depend on each individual? It is not unusual to see those
who are committed to the anti-aging program lose fat and gain muscle from five
to twenty pounds.
For anti-aging purpose, simply continue
the same basic workout, which is all you need. Don't be afraid to adjust the
weight and reps as you go. Have fun and enjoy yourself. If you have
a good day, train more. If you have a bad day, lighten up. There is nothing
wrong. There is nothing to prove to anyone.
If you are serious about bodybuilding,
you may wish to make some large-scale changes in your workout. One of the
easiest things to do is to change your routine. Experiment with other exercises.
You could also change the sequence of exercises, set and rep combinations and
rest intervals. The process of continual change
keeps your muscle guessing what is going to happen next and keeps your muscles
continually stimulated.
Everyone will have a different routine
that fits them well over a period of time. This is perfectly normal. Remember
that there is no perfect routine. Don't try to look for it. The most important
thing is to enjoy yourself and not get injured.
JUST
DO IT
Now that you have all the information
you need to start and complete a strength-training program; you should have
all the tools that you need to do it safely and consistently. All that is left
is simply go and start doing it. If you do not have any access to gym, free
weight or bar bells, simply start the strength training program by doing simple
push-ups, pull-ups and back extension exercises.
Forward | Introduction | Chapter 1 | Chapter
2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter
4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter
6
Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter
11 | Chapter 12 | Bibliography
