Strength Training Can Help You Reach Your Goals!

A good strength training routine can do wonders for your fitness goals. Women in particular tend to shy away from strength training thinking it will put on bulk when what they really want to do is tone down. However, “toning” is really comprised of two components: losing body fat, AND building lean muscle mass. Making strength training and indispensible part of most people’s fitness goals.

Unless you already have a regular strength training program, you may be unaware of some of the fundamentals. Here are just a few to get you started on the right track.

Always warm-up using large muscle groups for at least 5 minutes prior to training. This prepares your joints for the stress and activity to follow.

Start with large muscle groups and work toward the smaller muscle groups. In the lower body this means starting with glutes, quads and hams and for upper body start with back and chest.

Start with multiple joint exercises and work toward the single joint exercises. This means for lower body, start with squats or leg presses that use hips and knees, and for upper body start with pull downs or chest presses that use shoulders and elbows.

Allow 24 to 48 hours rest between working on the same muscle group. This allows maximum repair of the muscle fibers to help build muscles more efficiently. Overtraining slows down the process and in addition to increasing your risk for injury will delay your strength gains and body composition changes.

Stretch the muscle(s) you are working between sets. By the time you have finished training each muscle of the body, you will have incorporated stretching into your program, and at the best possible time to stretch: right after exercise, when the muscle is warm.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommendations for strength training are:
• 8-12 repetitions of each exercise
• 1-3 sets (depending on length of workout and fitness level)
• 2 times per week minimum per muscle group

Progress slowly when increasing weight and/or repetitions. Keep increases to about 5% every two weeks. You can increase weight or repetitions depending on your strength training goals, but should not increase both at the same time. Although your muscles may be able to handle a heftier increase, your joints need more time to adjust, and progressing too fast often leads to injuries.

Be aware that due to delayed onset muscle soreness, you may not feel stiffness until a day or two later. If you are just beginning a strength routine or just increasing your weights, start on the side of caution so you don't burn out. A well designed program is the best way to prevent excessive discomfort.

By making strength training a regular part of your routine you can increase your lean muscle mass, improve bone density and slow down the natural decline of your metabolism as you age.

Everyone can benefit from strength training and anyone can do it. If you want to find out more, there are abundant resources available online programming as well as our wonderful personal trainers available at the Y. Get started today and see how strength training can improve your fitness levels.