Total-body workout design is both an art and a science, requiring the vision, intuition and precision of a sculptor and the logic of a mathematician. Programs should adhere to the FITT principle, which encompasses frequency, intensity, type and time, explains certified fitness coach Phil Davies, creator of the Sport-Fitness Advisor website.
Frequency
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum of two weekly strength-training sessions, which incorporate eight to 10 resistance-training exercises. This type of program meets the basic strength-training requirements, but those wishing to develop greater strength and muscular definition require added sessions. A full-body workout requires four days of training, with one day of rest between sessions. Choose a split schedule, which works a different muscle group each day, if you want to exercise for six days a week. Three days of chest, back and leg exercise alternating with three days of shoulder, biceps and triceps exercise is an example. This type of program also works for a four-day training schedule. Perform each workout twice, instead of three times weekly.
Intensity
intensity refers to either the amount of weight you lift, the number of repetitions and sets and the rest time in between sets. Coaches from the University of California Riverside suggest the following guidelines. If you are training for muscular endurance, perform three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions. Building muscle size requires three to five sets of 10 to 12 repetitions. Strength training should include four to six sets of five to eight repetitions. If you are training for power, choose the heaviest weight you can lift, and perform four to 10 sets of one to five repetitions.
Type and Time
Your local gym probably has several types of resistance-training equipment, which includes free weights, barbells, weight machines, cable equipment and resistance bands. Avoid burnout by using different types of exercise. Machine workouts, for example, isolate the specific working muscle. In contrast, free weights or barbell workouts require you to use your core stabilizing muscles, and cable and resistance-band training may simulate the muscle actions of specific sports. If you are interested in developing balance with strength, use a technique called integrated training, developed by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Perform one set on a traditional training device, and follow it with an exercise that engages the same muscle group but poses a balance challenge. Examples include a bench press, followed by a pushup on a stability ball, or a leg press, followed by a squat on a balance balance. Your strength training workout should take 45 to 60 minutes, says the American College of Sports Medicine.
Exercise Sequencing
Your exercise sequence plays a key role in the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of your workout. Begin your program with complex exercises that work more than one muscle group, advises fitness specialists from the ExRX.net website. The lat pull-down, leg press and bench press are examples. The bench press illustrates the importance of this principle. The pectoral or chest muscles are the prime movers in this exercise. The triceps, located in the back of your arms, and generally one of the body's weakest muscle groups, assist the movement. Fatiguing your triceps before working your chest impedes your form, and makes the chest exercise less effective.
Member Comments