Developing Muscular Fitness

Big Weights = Big Muscles!

Benefits of Resistance Training• Greater lean body mass• Less body fat• Greater work efficiency• Reduced risk of lower back problems• Strengthen muscles, tendons and

ligaments• Increased metabolism• Less risk of injury in daily activities

• Improved posture• Improved athletic performance• Quicker recovery• Reduced risk of osteoporosis

•Balance•Psychological benefits

Muscular Strength – The ability of the muscle to exert maximal force against a resistance.

Muscular Endurance – The ability of the muscle to contract repeatedly, with a sub-maximal force.

Repetition Maximum – the most weight lifted for a given number of repetitions, used to measure muscular strength. Written as 1RM, referred to as your “max.”

Load – the amount of weight lifted. Always a percentage of 1RM.

Repetition – The number of times a given exercise is performed.

Set – A completed number of repetitions performed consecutively without resting.

Overload – Placing greater stress on the body than what it is accustomed to.

Specificity – Selecting particular exercises or training methods to match particular outcomes desired.

Slow Twitch Fibers – red muscle fibers, developed with aerobic exercise. Low to moderate intensity, long in duration.

Fast Twitch Fibers – white muscle fibers, developed with anaerobic exercise. High intensity, explosive exercises, short in endurance.

Hypertrophy – The enlargement of the muscle.

Atrophy – Decrease in the size of the muscle.

Ergogenic Aid – Performance enhancing supplement or drug

• Skeletal Muscles are made of individual fibers.

Slow-twitch fibers (red): produces slow contraction with low force

and slow to fatigue.

High aerobic capacity.

Fast-twitch fibers (white): produces large amounts of force and is recruited for fast, explosive movements and strength training.

Fatigues quickly due to high anaerobic capacity.

Muscle Function

• Agonist - the contracting muscle that initiates movement

• Antagonist - the opposing muscle that relaxes and stretches

Types of Resistance

• Dynamic (Isotonic)– As the muscle contracts the tension, or

force, is constant throughout the motion.

– Concentric – the muscle contracts and shortens to overcome resistance.

– eccentric contractions – the muscle contracts as it lengthens, allowing weight to be lowered in a smooth, controlled manner.

• Isometric– The muscle contracts but does not change in

length. e.g., static contraction.

Isokinetic –

Contractions performed at a constant rate of speed set by an external force or machine.

Resistance is adjusted to maintain a constant rate of speed, e.g. Biodex or Cybex dynamometers

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 resistance lifted increases strength.

Principles of Resistance Training

Variables in Resistance Training

• A number of variables influence the result of resistance training:– Amount of resistance (intensity)– Number of repetitions– Number of sets– Rest intervals– Frequency of workouts (number of workouts

per week)

Resistance is the equivalent of intensity in CR endurance.

Repetition – “reps” the number of times a given exercise is performed.

Sets – a completed number of repetitions performed consecutively.

Rest interval – rest between sets is very important. During rest, the anaerobic system produces about 50% of ATP possible within 30 secs., with almost 100% reproduced in 2 minutes.

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.

Recovery

• Improvements occur during recovery.

• Muscle fibers need time to repair and grow.

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

SafetySafety Selection, a few Selection, a few

exercises can only be exercises can only be performed with performed with machines. Ex: Lat machines. Ex: Lat pulldown, leg curls, etc.pulldown, leg curls, etc.

IsolationIsolation TimeTime RehabilitationRehabilitation

Guidelines for DevelopingMuscular Fitness

• Sequence

• Form

• Rest between sets

• Muscle balance

• Breathing

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.

Weight - 70% of RM and below

Reps – 12 to 15

Strength and Size –

High weight with low repetitions.

Weight -70% of RM and above

Reps – up to 10

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.