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The Secrets of Successful Weight Training
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A very critical component of any fitness or weight loss program is weight training. Muscle is the tissue in the body where fat is burned, so the more muscle tissue you have, the more fat you will burn, even at rest. And a critical component of a strength training routine is variety. It is easy to fall into a weight training rut, doing the same old routine of favorite exercises day in and day out. Too much of the “same old same old” can be the enemy of effective physical training. The key to successful training lies in varying the training stimuli. The most effective way to add variety to your workouts is through periodization, which means making systematic changes to your training at regular intervals. Periodizing your strength workouts can help you avoid plateaus, prevent injury and make greater gains in strength, power, muscular size and endurance, and athletic performance Drop Wafi a line at Wafi@fitsourcetraining.com |
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The Right Kind of Changes
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A qualified personal trainer can design a periodized strength training program specifically for your needs, so, if at all possible, enlist the services of a professional when developing your program.
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Here are some additional tips to help you succeed:
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List Your Goals and Plan to Achieve Them Over Time. A typical way to plan your program is to set goals for one year and goals to achieve approximately every three months. If you have several goals, you and your trainer will need to decide which to prioritize.
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Don’t Try Too Much Too Soon. Before you begin a periodized program, complete four to 12 weeks of basic training. Use this training to develop general conditioning and practice proper form and technique.
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Change Your Exercises. Many fitness experts (myself included) that you should change your program at least every four to six weeks for maximum effectiveness. The muscle groups to be trained (based on your goals) should determine the type of exercises you perform
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- Change the Exercise Order. Plan the order in which you do your exercises as seriously as you plan the exercises themselves. Try alternating between muscle groups – that is doing bicep curls followed by knee extensions. Or try “stacking” all the exercises for one muscle group (performing them consecutively.) A third possibility is to start with the exercises of greatest priority to you and follow them with the exercises of least importance.
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- Change the Number of Sets. Not all exercises require the same number of sets. Prioritizing your goals will help you determine which muscle groups or exercises need the most attention, and which need simply to be maintained.
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- Vary the Recovery Time. Your greatest physical gains are made during recovery, when your body makes the adaptations needed to support further physical development. The length of your rest periods should be based on your training goals. Short rest periods (less than a minute) are normally used when the goal is to build muscle endurance; long rest periods (more than three minutes) are used when the primary goal is to increase strength and power.
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- Change the Resistance Load. There is no consensus on what combination of reps and weights will yield the best training results. However, popular combinations include pyramid training which consists of decreasing the number of reps per set as the weight increases, and then increasing the number of reps per set as the weight decreases, and vice versa. Keep in mind that your genetic makeup plays a large part in determining your ability to lift heavy weights.
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- Evaluate Your Progress Every Four to Eight Weeks. Keep a detailed record of your workouts, noting exercises performed, number of reps and sets, amount of resistance and length of rest periods. Monitor your results.
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- Be Flexible With Your Training. Remember, be prepared to change your workouts to accommodate personal circumstances such as illness, mood, soreness, etc.
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- Give Purpose to Every Workout. The more carefully you plan your weight training program, the more meaningful, exciting and effective each session will be.
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Remember –
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THE ONLY GOAL YOU CAN’T ACCOMPLISH IS THE ONE YOU DON’T GO AFTER.
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wafi@fitsourcetraining.com
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