Muscular Strength Weight Training Guidelines

Strength training is an essential component of any exercise training program, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, or ACSM. Strength training can provide you with many benefits, including reducing your risk for developing some chronic diseases. While lifting weights is the most common method of strength training, other methods include using resistance bands or doing exercises that use your body weight as resistance, including pushups, pullups or situps.

Recommendations

The ACSM recommends strength training exercises for your major muscle groups, including your chest, back, abdomen, hips and legs, at least two to three times each week on nonconsecutive days. Take at least one day off between training sessions for each muscle group to allow your muscles to recover. To avoid creating muscle imbalances that can lead to potential injuries, the ACSM recommends exercising opposing muscle groups, including your lower back and abdomen and your hamstring and quadriceps muscles.

Workout Tips

Visiting with a certified exercise specialist might help you learn proper weight training techniques and help you develop a strength training program that meets your specific needs. For beginners, the American Council on Exercise recommends starting with one set of 8 to 12 repetitions for each exercise. You should always use slow, controlled movements when lifting weights. When you can perform 12 repetitions of an exercise while maintaining proper technique, increase your resistance by 5 to 10 percent to continue to improve your muscle strength.

Benefits

Sticking with your strength training routine can provide you with numerous benefits, including strengthening your muscles and bones, reducing your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and reducing feelings of stress and depression. Building and maintaining lean muscle through strength training can also help you boost your metabolism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that this helps your body burn more calories, even while you are not exercising.

Considerations

Consult your doctor before starting a strength training program if you have been sedentary for some time or if you have a condition that might make exercise unsafe for you. As you participate in your strength training program, always maintain proper technique and breathe in during the lifting phase and breathe out during the lowering phase. While general health and fitness gains can be made by following the recommended guidelines, competitive athletes and bodybuilders might need to employ a more rigorous strength-training routine to meet their goals.