Reistance Training Tips

Resistance training is a form of strength training that is beneficial to building and improving muscle mass, strength, and endurance. Resistance training is usually performed with various forms of equipment including weights, human bodyweight, and resistance bands.

There are a few guidelines to follow when designing a resistance training program. Before starting a physician should always be consulted. Different health conditions as well as specific fitness goals will determine what kind of resistance training program an individual will follow. Generally, resistance training should be performed 2-3 times per week with a resting period of 48 hours between exercises for the same muscles groups. A minimum of one set should be performed per muscles group with 12 repetitions per set. A repetition is one complete movement of exercise and a set is a group of repetitions that are performed consistently. A recovery or rest period between 30-60 seconds long should be followed between sets. It is also important to ensure safety by either having another person present to spot you or by having a trained professional to instruct you on proper technique in order to prevent injury. It's also important to breath properly. Exhale when pushing or pulling a weight up and inhale when letting the weight down or returning to your original position.

In order to obtain well balanced results, it's important to incorporate exercises that work the main regions of the body: upper body, lower body, and the abdominals. Some examples of upper body excercises include bench press, pull-ups, biceps curls, shoulder press, and triceps extensions. Examples of lower body exercises include squats, lunges, leg extension, leg curls, and calf raises. Abdominals are usually sit-ups, but there are many variations of abdominals exercises that can be performed using different types of equipment. All of these exercises can be performed using free weights, stationary weights, or resistance bands.

There are a few principles to follow in order to build strength and endurance when using resistance training. Generally, when building strength it's important to overload the muscles. Overload is when you place a heavier load or weight on the muscle than it is normally used to. A person should lift a heavier weight at lower repetitions. This will in effect build strength and increase the size of the muscle. A different regimen is to be followed for increasing endurance and toning. Muscular endurance is the ability of the muscles to work or contract repeatedly over an extended period of time. It helps improve the overall functioning of the muscles. Exercises focusing on improving endurance should be performed at slightly higher reps with a lower weight.

Variety is also key to gaining results with resistance training. The body has the ability to quickly adapt to new routines. As a result, a person will usually reach a plateau with their resistance training routine. When this happens a person will usually stop seeing signs of improvement because the body has adapted to the exercises and is no longer challenged. The best way to get through a plateau is to create variety. Variety can be created by simply changing the order of your resistance training routine and by doing different types of exercises for the muscle groups being worked. Aerobic exercise, a well balanced diet, and adequate sleep should also be combined with resistance training in order to achieve maximum fitness results.