The type of lifting program that you should participate in depends on your fitness and training goals. Training volume will vary depending on what you'd like to develop. For example, those interested in building muscle mass will participate in high volume sessions using less resistance than those looking to improve their explosiveness.
Hypertrophy
A hypertrophy lifting program is one that is designed to stimulate an increase in muscle size. It features a high frequency of high volume workout sessions, meant to overload your muscle fibers. For athletes, a hypertrophy program is completed during the off-season so that they have more muscle mass to develop once they get closer to their season. Bodybuilders perform hypertrophy lifting workouts all the time. According to Dr. Lee E. Brown, of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, a hypertrophy lifting program involves completing three to five sets of eight to 20 repetitions.
Strength
When lifting weights with an increase in strength as a goal, the volume of a training session slightly decreases, but you will be using a higher resistance for each exercise. Athletes complete the strength lifting program after the hypertrophy component, but still during their preseason schedule. David Sandler, of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, states that a strength lifting program features completing two to five sets of four to eight repetitions each.
Power
Power is the ability to produce a significant amount of force very quickly. Therefore, it involves completing strength training exercises at high speed. Exercises in the power program include Olympic lifts, like cleans, jerks and snatches, as well as plyometric, or jumping, exercises. Athletes will participate in a power lifting program right before their season starts so that their power levels are at their highest when competition starts. The power program features a volume of three to five sets of three to five repetitions each.
Circuit
A circuit lifting program is designed to increase muscular endurance, or the ability of your muscles to complete continuous submaximal contractions over a period of time. Instead of assigned repetitions, it involves completing an exercise for a segment of time, typically 30 to 180 seconds. Circuit training can burn calories because you move from one lifting exercise directly into the next one and thus keep your heart rate elevated throughout the entire workout. According to Stew Smith, of Military.com, the circuit lifting program is a quality choice for those interested in losing body fat.
References
- National Strength and Conditioning Association; A Sample Program for Periodizing the General Athletes; David Sandler, MS
- Military.com; 20-Minute Circuit Workout; Stew Smith
- "National Strength and Conditioning Association Performance Journal"; Training for Power: Hypertrophy Training = Volume; Dr. Lee E Brown; June 2002
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