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Stop
by the Health 1st Wellness Wednesday table between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
May 20 and talk to an MUSC Wellness Center trainer about improving your
fitness routine.
Basic strength training
guidelines suggest targeting the major muscle groups of the body with
at least one exercise for each muscle or muscle group two to three
times per week. Additionally, one to three sets of eight to 12
repetitions per exercise are recommended for attaining strength gains.
Strength plateaus, injury, overuse, fatigue and even boredom can set in
after a period of training causing lack of progress, discouragement and
failure to achieve goals.
To vary an exercise routine and efficiently produce gains in muscle
strength and conditioning, the American Council on Exercise recommends:
- Circuit training:
Ideally, one would perform 10-12 exercises that move quickly through
working from the larger to smaller muscle groups of the body. Circuit
training can help you develop strength, improve overall conditioning
and time management. Complete at least one to three full circuits.
- Split-routine training:
Helps vary your training frequency. Instead of training the typical two
to three days per week for a full body work out, one would train at
least four days per week with a split routine, which would focus on
specific muscle/muscle groups per day of training and shorten the total
exercise time.
- Pre-exhaustion training:
This involves isolating the given muscle for a set and then performing
another strength exercise including that muscle group. Pre-exhaustion
training works by enhancing the training stimulus to the isolated and
assisting muscle groups thereby stimulating strength gains.
- Breakdown training:
The benefit of breakdown training is the recruitment of additional
muscle fibers during the exercise set. This increases the intensity of
the exercise without increasing the original amount of weight or force
being applied. For example, if muscle fatigue is typically experienced
on a given exercise after 10 or 12 repetitions, immediately decrease
the resistance by five or 10 pounds, and continue for another two to
three repetitions. This process may be repeated, but the goal is to
reach momentary muscle failure within a couple of repetitions. Apply
this type of training once a week to your strength routine.
- Assisted training:
Comparable to breakdown training in that rather than decreasing the
force being applied, a partner assists with the lift allowing the
trainee to reach another level of muscle fatigue that could not be
accomplished on their own. Example: While performing an overhead press,
the trainee reaches momentary muscle failure; the partner assists with
the concentric muscle contraction or lift while the trainee slowly
lowers the weight on their own. Continue until the lifter again reaches
muscle failure.
- Negative training:
While eccentric or negative training is effective in stimulating muscle
strengthening, heavier weights may be applied with the help of a
partner or simply by accenting the lowering portion of the exercise by
several counts. Work with a spotter to reduce risk of injury from
increased resistance. Movements should be slow and controlled.
- Periodization training:
This requires one to push oneself, i.e. overload, through a variety of
preplanned components to optimize gains in strength while preventing
overuse, staleness, overtraining and plateaus. Characteristics of this
training would include: regular program changes; scheduled rest or
active recovery periods; and a methodical reduction in the exercise
quantity when increasing intensity. Components that can be manipulated
to bring about strength gains include: number of sets and
repetitions; the exercise order; speed and type of muscle contractions;
amount of rest between sets or strength exercises; and training
frequency.
Friday, May 15, 2009
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