Resistance training is an important aspect of a well-rounded fitness program, promoting muscular strength, endurance, form and function. Muscle is metabolically active tissue that supports a healthy body weight and contributes to personal appearance. Balanced muscle tone can also support posture and reduce your chance of injury. Smart training and recovery will promote muscle mass.
Start With a Single Set Then Add Variety
Step 1
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends two to three days per week of resistance training. Initially, healthy individuals can perform a single set of eight to 12 repetitions for each muscle group. Best results are realized when the last few repetitions require maximal effort.
Step 2
As the body adapts to exercise, increase the number of sets and add variety to the routine. Research conducted by the National Strength and Conditioning Association determined that four sets per muscle group help realize maximum strength gains; for highly trained individuals, five to six sets are recommended. Best results are realized when you change the weight, either up or down, change the repetitions, change the speed of movement, or change the exercise altogether. For example, perform your typical set of eight to 10, then immediately reduce the weight by 10 percent and complete the set to failure. Another example is to go from the bench press, then immediately perform a set of push-ups.
Step 3
It is important to incorporate functional training. A typical circuit of weights isolates a muscle group to improve muscle size and strength. Unfortunately, activities of daily living don’t mirror those types of pushing, pulling, flexing and extending motions. For example, when you sit on the shoulder press machine and push the levers above your head, you are working your deltoids, or shoulder muscles, from a supported seat. The next time you have to put your suitcase in the overhead compartment, more than your shoulders will be needed to make this action possible. Functional training would incorporate squatting down to pick up a medicine ball, then moving from squatting, to standing, to a heel raise, while lifting the medicine ball overhead. You still worked your deltoids, but several other muscle groups joined in. Functional training doesn’t isolate a single muscle group, but works the body as a whole unit.
Step 4
Take time to recover. Resistance training taxes the body and challenges it to become bigger, faster and stronger. The true benefits are realized during the rest and recovery period following the training session. Taking time in between training sessions allows the body to build and repair lean tissue. For most, 48 hours is a necessary recovery period for any muscle group.
Step 5
Take time to refuel. To aid in muscle recovery, eat some sort of carbohydrates within 30 minutes of your workout and eat some sort of protein within the first two hours. The majority of calories should come from carbohydrates at a four to one ratio. In general, ingest about one gram of protein for every 10 pounds of body weight, and carbohydrate refueling is four times that amount, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Tips and Warnings
- Building muscle requires dedication and smart training and recovery. Work all of the major muscle groups and spend equal time on all sides of the body. Avoid overdoing it and be realistic about your strength and conditioning goals.
- Unfortunately, performance enhancing drugs can create an artificial environment where the body can get bigger, faster and stronger, but not without a host of very serious side effects. If you have any musculoskeletal problems, talk with your doctor before beginning any vigorous training program.
Things You'll Need
- Assortment of dumbbells or medicine balls
- Assortment of exercise bands or tubes
- Swiss exercise ball
- Training log
References
- “ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription Eighth Edition”; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- NSCA-Lift: Resolving the Single- vs. Multiple-Set Strength Training Debate
- NSCA-Lift: Recovery Nutrition
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