An Introduction to Strength Training

Strength training is one of the most popular forms of training around; professional athletes who are looking to perform better in their sport and to avoid injury use it. Regular gym goers, who want to live a life free of injury, and perform simple tasks such as carrying their shopping bags with ease, use it. Bodybuilders and fitness models also use it to improve their physiques. It really is a very diverse method of training.

In this article, we are going to look at what strength training is, what the benefits are, the two main categories of strength training movements, as well as an explanation of how to use sets, reps, tempo and rest periods effectively. Finally, I am going to include a 4-week training program for someone who is a beginner to intermediate, in terms of fitness level, and is looking to improve their body composition.

WHAT IS STRENGTH TRAINING?

The obvious answer here is that strength training is using weights, machines, and bodyweight exercises to increase muscular strength and endurance. You can also use it to increase muscle size (known as hypertrophy training). And finally, it can be used to increase durability against injury, and as a way to improve sporting performance.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Of course, the clear benefit of strength training is increased strength! However, what about other, lesser-known benefits? Strength training can lead to increased muscle size, increased muscular endurance, body fat losses (i.e. improved body composition), and increased testosterone and growth hormone levels. It can improve sleep quality as well as aerobic and anaerobic performance (yes, really), which can result in a reduced chance of Cardiovascular Disease.

You will benefit from increased power, reduced injury risk, an elevated metabolism, improved sporting ability, and many more benefits. It seems amazing that anyone would avoid strength training when there are SO many documented benefits to performing it.

MULTI-JOINT VS SINGLE JOINT EXERCISES

Any exercise that you perform is technically a strength training exercise, but there are some exercises that better suited for increasing overall strength more than others. These exercises are multi-joint exercises or exercises that involve more than one muscle group (also known as compound movements). Examples of these would be: Barbell Squats, Bench Press, Deadlifts, Shoulder Presses, Bent Over Rows, Pull-ups/Chin-ups, Lat Pulldowns, Leg Press, Walking Lunges, Romanian deadlifts – the list goes on and on.

The other type of strength training exercise are single joint exercises such as Dumbbell Curls, Triceps Pressdowns, Lateral Dumbbell Raises, etc., and they are also beneficial to incorporate into your routine particularly if you are looking to build muscular size in a particular muscle group(s). When I explain to clients about the difference between these two types of exercises, I like to use the analogy of building a rock wall. Multi-joint exercises would be the big rocks (boulders) in the wall and the single joint exercises are all of the small rocks that you use to fill in the areas in the wall around the boulders.

SETS AND REPS

Training for strength versus training for endurance, or training exclusively for hypertrophy involves different set and rep ranges. Sets simply refer to the number of times a particular exercise will be performed. Reps are the number of times the movement will be performed within a given set. Often times when reps are prescribed, you will see it noted as 8-10 RM (or Repetition Maximum). Essentially this means that you should use a load/resistance that will allow you to perform between 8-10 reps (maximum).

Muscular endurance requires a set that has 15+ RM in it, while hypertrophy seems to have a sweet spot somewhere between 8- 15 RM (though you can still achieve hypertrophy with higher and lower rep ranges). When looking to develop strength, you should utilize 1-8 RM range with 1-3 RM eliciting the greatest effects on maximal strength development.

In terms of progression, many strength-training programs involve using higher rep ranges for the first few weeks (or phase of training) and then slowly lowering the reps on a weekly basis, while increasing the weight. This approach to training is known as linear periodization and it works well especially for beginners or those returning from injury. But, as you become more and more experienced in your training, you may want to consider alternating between 4-week phases of higher volume (i.e., more sets with moderate to high rep ranges—great for hypertrophy) and 4-week phases of higher intensity (i.e., fewer reps per set but much heavier loads—85-95% of your 1 RM—great for building strength).

LOAD (OR RESISTANCE)

The load refers to the amount of weight or resistance being used in any given exercise. The “Load” that you will use will be pre- determined by the number of repetitions in the range. For example, if the repetition range is 12-15 RM, then you should choose a resistance that you can complete (with perfect form) at least 12 reps but not more than 15 reps. So in this instance, if you are unable to reach 12 reps, the load is too heavy and you should reduce it slightly. On the other hand, if you can do more than 15 reps, it’s too light and you should increase it slightly. In the sample program below, you will see the abbreviations TBD (To Be Determined) and B/W (Body Weight) for the Load. Since we don’t know what “Load” you will be using for most of the exercises, except for the two that say “B/W”, I’ve noted it as To be Determined.

TEMPO

Tempo refers to the speed of movement of the exercise. Its use can have a tremendous effect on the time under tension (TUT) that a muscle(s) are exposed to during an exercise. Higher amounts of TUT can help improve muscular endurance as well as muscular hypertrophy. Tempo is often denoted as either a 3 or 4 digits number and as you will see I prefer to use four digits.

Please note: If there is ever the letter “x” as one of the digits, it means to perform that phase of the movement ‘explosively.’

The first digit represents the eccentric movement {i.e., the lowering of the weight/resistance}
The second digit represents the length of the pause in the muscles lengthened position.
The third digit is the concentric movement {i.e., the raising of the weight/resistance}.
The last digit refers to the length of the pause while the muscle is in the contracted position before repeating the movement.

So, if we use an example of 2011 Tempo, it means the following:

2 seconds lowering the weight
0-second pause in the lengthened position
1 second to raise the weight
1-second pause in the contracted position

REST PERIODS

One of the things that many people do not pay particular attention to when embarking on a training regime is the amount of rest they take between sets. Some people keep their rest periods as short as they can while others spend several minutes between sets sending text messages or checking Facebook or Instagram. 😉

Generally speaking, if you are looking to lose weight then shorter rest periods somewhere between 30-60 seconds between sets are going to be better, but if your goal is to increase strength and/or size than your rest period should be somewhere between 1-2 minutes between sets. Now, if you are performing maximum effort sets in the 1-3 RM range than rest periods can be extended to 2 ½-3+ minutes between sets. These longer rest periods will give you enough time to recover and allow you to continue to train at a higher intensity than you would with shorter rest periods. In summary, all of the above variables can and should be manipulated based on your current fitness level and what your desired goals are.

SAMPLE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR IMPROVING BODY COMPOSITION

Below, you will find a sample workout routine which should be performed three times per week on non-consecutive days for 4 weeks.

For the dynamic warm-up, I would suggest clicking on the words Movement Preparation and it will take you to the previous week’s post which includes a warm-up routine that can be utilized prior to a total body strength training session. The warm-up should take about 5 minutes but it is well worth it.

As for the strength training section, every exercise in the program has one or more options for regressions or progressions that you can choose instead of the prescribed exercise. This option will allow you to customize the program a little bit to your needs based on your current fitness level. You will also notice that you have two ways to monitor your rest periods. The first option is by using a timed rest interval or if you own a heart rate monitor, you can use heart rate option instead. I prefer the heart rate monitor version whereby you will rest until your heart rate (HR) reaches a certain percent of your Max HR before repeating your next set. This approach really individualizes the recovery period to your current fitness level.

Now, one of the toughest things for most people when they are new to training or starting a new program is to know what resistance they should be using for each exercise. Truthfully, even the most experienced lifters, have to play around with a couple of sets at first in order to dial in the exact resistance. The more experience you have the quicker this process will become. For most people, except competitive lifters, I like to have the repetition bracket dictate the training load. In other words, if the prescribed repetition bracket is 10-12 RM than you should choose a resistance that will allow you to just get 10 repetitions with good form but not be able to exceed 12. If you can’t get 10 reps with the weight you picked than lower the weight slightly. If you can get more than 12 reps than increase the weight slightly (i.e., 2.5-5 lbs.). I find this to be a very user-friendly approach to finding the appropriate training load for each exercise.

MOVEMENT PREPARATION:

See the Beginner’s Guide to Movement Preparation

STRENGTH TRAINING:

A1) Goblet Squat

3 sets; 10-12 reps; Load = TBD, 3010 tempo, 45-60 seconds rest (or until your heart rate is between 60-65% of Max HR)

A2) Bench Press—Dumbbell—Flat Bench—Bilateral

3 sets; 10-12 reps; Load = TBD, 3010 tempo, 60 seconds rest (or until your heart rate is between 60-65% of Max HR)

B1) Hip Bridge-Leg Curl Combo—Body Weight—Slideboard or Valslide

3 sets; 10-12 reps; Load = TBD, 2010 tempo, 45-60 seconds rest (or until your heart rate is between 60-65% of Max HR)

B2) Row—Dumbbell—Bent over—3-Point Stance—Neutral Grip—Unilateral—Elbows In

3 sets; 10-12 reps/side; Load = TBD, 3010 tempo, 60 seconds rest (or until your heart rate is between 60-65% of Max HR)

C1) Curl to Shoulder Press—Dumbbell—Seated—60° Incline

3 sets; 10-12 reps; Load = TBD, 2020 tempo, 30 seconds rest (or until your heart rate is between 65-70% of Max HR)

C2) Row—Body Weight—TRX—Standing—Elbows Out

3 sets; 10-12 reps; Load = B/W, 2011 tempo, 30 seconds rest (or until your heart rate is between 65-70% of Max HR)

C3) Plank—Body Weight—Forearm Position

3 sets; 45-60 sec., Load = B/W, Tempo = Hold*, 60 seconds rest (or until your heart rate is between 60-65% of Max HR)
* Hold the position for 45-60 seconds.

CONDITIONING (OPTIONAL):

E1) Choose one of the following modalities: Fan Bike, Rower or Spin Bike (Hill Climbs)

Start with a low intensity 3 minute warm-up on whichever piece of equipment you choose.
Next, perform 5-7 reps of 30 seconds of work at 80-90% of your Max HR followed by 60-90 seconds of recovery or until your heart rate is between 60-65% of your Max HR.
Repeat the work and recovery intervals for the prescribed number of reps.

GOBLET SQUAT—DUMBBELL

PRIMARY MUSCLE(S):

Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Glutes

SECONDARY MUSCLE(S):

Core

STARTING POSITION:

Select the proper dumbbell resistance that will allow you to perform the prescribed number of repetitions.
Stand tall with your feet about shoulder-width apart and holding a dumbbell in front of your chest in a Goblet position.

EXECUTION:

Initiate the movement by shifting your hips down and back while also bending the knees as you descend into a squat.
Continue to squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor or as far as you can while maintaining a flat back.
Reverse the motion by driving down into the ground through your feet while extending your hips and knees returning to an upright position.
Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

COACHING TIPS:

Keep your core tight.
Keep your chest up and back flat.
Make sure you keep the dumbbell in the Goblet position throughout the movement.
Do not let knees collapse to the inside during the movement.

MOVEMENT REGRESSION:

Use a lighter weight

Goblet Squat—Dumbbell—To Box or Bench

MOVEMENT PROGRESSION:

Use a heavier weight.

Goblet Squat—Dumbbell—One and a Quarter Reps

BENCH PRESS—DUMBBELL—FLAT BENCH—BILATERAL