What is resistance training

Once you can comfortably complete 12 reps of an exercise, you should look at progressing further. Warm up your body before starting your strength training exercises. Start with light aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling or rowing for around five minutes in addition to a few dynamic stretches. Dynamic stretching involves slow controlled movements through the full range of motion. To get the most gain from resistance training, progressively increase the intensity of your training according to your experience and training goals.

Research suggests that expert supervision and instruction may improve your results as it will ensure you practice proper technique and follow safety principles. If you experience any discomfort or pain, contact a health professional before progressing with your program. The best way to develop muscle strength is for the muscle to contract to its maximum potential at any given time — maximal voluntary contraction MVC.

In resistance training, MVC is measured by the term XRM, where RM is the maximum number of repetitions that can be completed with a given resistance or weight. X is the number of times a certain weight can be lifted before the muscle fatigues.

It is the RM range that determines what type of improvements the muscles will make. The optimal range for improving muscle strength is 8—12 RM for a beginner and 2—6 RM for the more advanced. Higher weights mean lower RM — for example, the same person could possibly lift a 65 kg weight, but fewer than seven times. Lower weights typically result in a higher RM — for example, the same person could lift a 35 kg weight about 12 times before muscle fatigue sets in. MVC principles can help you gain the most benefit from your workouts.

A good rule of thumb is to only increase the weight between two and 10 per cent once you can comfortably do two repetitions above the maximum. The principles of strength training involve manipulation of the number of repetitions reps , sets, tempo, exercises and force to overload a group of muscles and produce the desired change in strength, endurance, size or shape.

Specific combinations of reps, sets, exercises, resistance and force will determine the type of muscle development you achieve. General guidelines, using the RM range, include:. Muscle needs time to repair and grow after a workout.

Not giving your muscles enough time to recover means they will not get bigger or stronger. A good rule of thumb is to rest the muscle group for at least 48 hours. Once you have sufficient experience in resistance training, and with the support of a qualified allied health or exercise professional, you might like to consider a split program. For example, you could work your upper body on Mondays and Fridays, and your lower body on Wednesdays and Sundays. Most beginners experience a rapid increase in strength, followed by a plateau or levelling-out of strength improvements.

After that, gains in muscle strength and size are hard-earned. When you start resistance training, most of your initial increase in strength is due to a phenomenon called neural adaptation. This means that the nerves servicing the muscles change their behaviour. The nerves are thought to fire more frequently prompting increased muscle contraction and more motor units are recruited to perform the contraction a motor unit is the nerve cell and its associated muscle fibres.

Various techniques may help you shorten the plateau period. Varying your workouts can help you push past a plateau. The theory of variation is that you can coax growth and strength from your muscles by surprising them with a range of different stresses. The muscles will respond in size and strength as they are forced to adapt. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Engaging in an individual physical activity to benefit only yourself, away from family or community, may be seen as inappropriate or selfish.

Aerobics injuries are usually caused by trauma and overuse, but can be prevented by using the right techniques and equipment. Exercise can reduce some of the symptoms of arthritis, and improve joint mobility and strength.

Exercise-induced asthma can be prevented with medication and by preparing for exercise and physical activity. Australian rules football is a physical contact sport that often results in injuries from tackling, kicking, running and constant competition for the ball.

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The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Keeping active. You can even add resistance training to your current exercise routine by using weight machines at the gym or by incorporating additional weight training equipment such as weighted bars, resistance bands, and kettlebells.

The benefits of resistance training are many. This study further reports that resistance training offers disease and injury-related benefits as well. For instance, it can help in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, also reducing low back pain or pain that occurs with arthritis and fibromyalgia.

People who participate in resistance training usually have an easier time moving through activities of daily living ADL because their muscles move more efficiently. There are some myths about resistance training and resistance training exercises that may keep you from starting a program. These are common questions that new exercisers ask about strength training. Resistance training exercises help the muscles look tighter and more sculpted.

The only way it will make you bulk up is if you lift extremely heavy weights, such as in powerlifting and bodybuilding. The amount of definition you see will depend on the amount of fat that is covering the muscle. Weight training may increase your weight slightly, but muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less space. So even though your body weight may increase, your body size may actually shrink. This creates a trimmer, more tone look.

In addition, muscle helps you maintain a healthy metabolism by burning more calories than fat. So, building muscle with resistance training means that you will burn more calories all day long. This can help you lower your weight in the long run.

You can lift weights every day, but you shouldn't train the same muscles every day. The muscles need time to repair and rebuild between sessions to grow and to reduce injury. One way around this is to alternate body parts. Do upper body exercises one day and lower body exercises the next.

However, if you lift heavier weights, use a lot of resistance, or work your muscles to failure, you may want to wait longer. Some studies have found that taking two to three days off between training sessions is better for letting the muscles recover in these instances. Most exercisers don't need protein powders or supplements to make the most of their resistance training program. You can get the protein you need simply from eating a healthy, nutritious diet. Protein supplementation should only be considered if your dietary protein is too low.

If you eat a primarily vegetarian diet , you may fall into this category. This is especially true if you are also active or an athlete as your protein needs will be even higher, coupled with the fact that many plant-based proteins are lacking the essential amino acids needed for muscle growth.

There is no form of strength training that is necessarily better than the others. For this reason, many exercisers combine different methods to get benefits from each. For example, they might lift weights one day and use exercise machines the next. Or they might do bodyweight exercises one day and resistance bands exercises another day. No, absolutely not! In fact, some of the best strength training routines include primarily bodyweight exercises.

These are movements done against the resistance provided by your own body's weight and gravity. For example, a push-up is a bodyweight exercise. Lunges and squats are also bodyweight exercises. Challenge yourself: You can add some plyometric motion to a squat by jumping from the lowest position back into your starting stance.

They effectively work the muscles in your shoulders and chest. Modify it: If standard push-ups are too challenging, try them with your knees on the floor. That will reduce the amount of weight you need to lift. Challenge yourself: If basic push-ups are too easy, place your feet on a step or block to increase the intensity.

Mountain climbers are total body workouts, building strength in your core, back, arms and legs — not to mention your heart. Modify it: If this exercise puts too much strain on your wrists, try elevating your upper body by placing your hands on a step to reduce the weight being placed on your arms. A commonly seen exercise, plank helps build strength in the core, shoulders, arms and legs. Plank tones your abs and builds strength in your upper body. Additionally, planks strengthen both the abdominal and low back muscles simultaneously and can have a beneficial effect for people with low back pain.

Be careful: Plank pose can be hard on your wrists, which is why we suggest doing a plank on your forearm. Modify it: Place your knees on the floor as you do plank to reduce the weight resting on your forearms. This variation on a squat really targets the quadricep and hamstring muscles in your legs as well as the glutes.

Jumping into your starting position from the lowest point in your squat also adds a plyometric boost. Be careful: If balance is an issue, you can do this exercise close to a wall, resting your hand on it for support.

Modify it: Omit the plyometric jump if you find this exercise too hard on your knees. Challenge yourself: Jump higher to really get your heart pumping and build more strength. Challenge yourself: Place your stable foot on a step or bench as you do this exercise to allow you to raise your hips even higher.. Good news! Take a one-minute break after the second set. Then start the third set, again performing each exercise for one minute each.

Keep your body in control as you move through the exercise. Be careful: If you do burpees too quickly, you will soon be gasping for breath. Try to pace yourself and your breathing. Take an in breath before you squat and breathe out during the push-up. Modify it: Add leg modifications to make this more difficult. Challenge yourself: To move faster through your burpees, start stretching your legs back before your hands hit the ground.

This exercise is a great way to tone your lower body. It helps to improve balance, while also targeting your hamstrings. Be careful: If you have balance issues, do this exercise near a wall that you can hang onto for support if you need to. Challenge Yourself: To make this more difficult, put a little hop in your planted leg when you stand up.

This turns this exercise from isokinetic to plyometric and increases the degree of difficulty. Build your core strength without getting off the floor. The legs down exercise is great for lower back pain, but be sure move your legs in a controlled manner throughout the exercise. Be careful: As you raise your legs, press your lower back into the floor and engage your ab muscles. This will ensure that your core is doing most of the work, not your hips. If you want to turn this strength training workout into a full-body workout, begin with three minutes each of the following exercises for an additional nine minutes of cardiovascular exercise.

They will add a dose of heart-pumping cardio into your routine, and get your body ready for the weight-bearing exercises. You are most likely already familiar with these foundational exercises, and for good reason: They are great for a boost of heart-pounding, lung-expanding cardiovascular exercise.

Best of all, you can do them all in a pretty small space. After you cycle through these three exercises, take a one-minute rest before moving on to the strength training workout. Be careful: If you have knee or ankle pain, focus on your form, not your speed. Always try to land on the front of your foot, with your knees bent, to be sure that your muscles, and not your joints, are bearing the brunt of these exercises.

Modify it: Well-cushioned sneakers can also help alleviate the strain of jumping jacks on your joints. Compared with a basic lunge , this exercise places less stress on the knees while still toning your entire leg.

Shoes: A pair of comfortable sneakers will do. In a pinch, you can also do this workout barefoot on a non-slippery surface.