Developing Muscular Fitness

Benefits of Resistance Training

• Weight control• Weight gain• Appearance• Time economy• Energy• Athletic performance• Injury prevention

• Bone strength• Flexibility• Balance• Cardiovascular health• Psychological benefits• Social benefits

Disadvantages and Cautions of Resistance Training

• Does not develop cardiorespiratory endurance• Possibility of injuries• Increases blood pressure• Need medical clearance for individuals with

hernias, arthritis, or lower back problems• Be cautious when using hand and ankle weights.

Muscle Function

• Agonist - the contracting muscle that initiates movement

• Antagonist - the opposing muscle that relaxes and stretches

Muscle Function

• Muscles are made of individual fibers.

• Fibers contract to shorten or lengthen.• Slow-twitch fibers (red): high aerobic

capacity• Fast-twitch fibers (white): anaerobic

capacity• Ratio of ST to FT is genetically determined.

Types of Resistance Training Programs• Isometric

• The muscle contracts but does not change in length. e.g., static contraction.

• Isotonic• As the muscle contracts the tension, or force, is

constant throughout the motion. e.g., concentric/eccentric contractions.

• Isokinetic• Resistance is adjusted to maintain a constant rate of

speed, e.g. Biodex or Cybex dynamometers.

Principles of Resistance Training

• Progressive overload

• Specificity

• Recovery

Progressive Overload

• A muscle must be gradually forced to work harder to stimulate an increase in strength or endurance.

• Increasing the number of repetitions increases muscular endurance.

• Increasing the weight lifted increases strength.

Specificity

• A number of variables influence the result of strength training:• Speed of contraction• Range of motion• Amount and type of resistance• Number and type of exercises

Recovery

• Improvements occur during recovery.

• Muscle fibers need time to repair and grow.

• Allow 2 to 3 days between workout sessions for repair.

Guidelines for DevelopingMuscular Fitness

• Sequence

• Form

• Rest between sets

• Muscle balance

• Breathing

• Speed of movement

Safety Guidelines for Resistance Training

1. Warm up before each workout and stretch afterward.

2. Use good technique – keep your abdominals tight, back straight, hips tucked under, knees relaxed.

3. Work each exercise through a full range of motion from full extension without lockout to full contraction.

4. Perform each exercise smoothly, with control. Do not swing the limbs or use momentum. Faster is not better.

5. Before you lift, inhale. Exhale on the exertion. Do not hold your breath.

Increasing Your Workload

• Increase only one variable at a time.• Increase reps or sets first, then resistance.• When increasing resistance, decrease reps.• To increase muscular endurance, increase the

number of reps and/or sets, and decrease the rest between sets.

• Increase workload by only 5% to 10% at a time.

Varieties of Programs

• Health fitness program

• Strength program• Endurance program• Eccentric emphasis

(negatives)• Supersets

• Continuous set• Pyramid• Split routine• Aerobic circuit• Muscle size/ weight

gain program

Training Methods or Programs

Tone and Endurance –

low weight with high repetitions.

70% of RM and below

Strength and Size –

high weight with low repetitions.

70% of RM and above