The Basics of Weight Training

This article is written by Rob Maxwell (learn about his education), M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Weight training basics

Weight training is called many different things. Call it what you want. Just do it!

Other names for weight training

It can be called weight training, lifting, strength training or resistance training and/or working out.

The difference between weigh training, bodybuilding and power lifting

Bodybuilding is a sport, but it is weight training. I would also say that it is a lifestyle. Power lifting is a sport, but it is weight training. Weightlifting is a sport, but it is weight training.

What is weight training?

The key is that you train or exercise using resistance against a normal or slightly greater than normal range of motion.

What is DCER?

In Exercise Physiology words weight training is called DCER which stands for Dynamic Constant External Resistance.

This means that weight training needs to be a Dynamic (moving), Constant (tension stays on the muscles), External (the load comes from outside the body) Resistance (there must be a load).

Why weight training?

We know that weight training makes us stronger and adds muscle. Many people might think that it is not for them. It is.

Activities of Daily Living or ADL

At any age we need to pay attention to ADL’s - which stands for Activities of Daily Living. Some of our most common reasons for people wanting to work out with us after middle age are for their ADL’s.

We want to continue to do things, right? That is the Fountain of Youth part - or a big part of it. We want to remain independent to the best of our abilities and improve our quality of life.

Think about getting out of a chair. Do you think that it's no big deal? Well, I can tell you that I have seen too many seniors not being able to get up out of a chair as well as what they want to. That is a squat. If you work on squats and really improve them, getting out of a chair will stay easy. That is just one example.

The stronger we stay, the more our ADLs are improved.

The importance of muscle

Adding or keeping muscle is also critical. Why is that? Muscle is live metabolic tissue. The more muscle we have, the more calories we burn. It’s not about weight per se. It’s about muscle. The only way to increase our metabolism is to add muscle tissue.

CSA (Cross Sectional Muscle Area)

In the exercise world we call it CSA (cross sectional muscle area). Gaining and maintaining strength and keeping our metabolism high are the biggest reasons for strength training, but let me list all of the benefits.

Benefits of weight training

1. Strength for daily activities

2. Metabolism

3. Appearance

4. Self-esteem

5. Mood improvement

6. Confidence

7. Better at sports

8. Less likely to get injured

9. Social improvement

10. Burn calories

Types of weight training

1. Free weights

2. Dumbbells

3. Machines

4. Bands and Tubes

5. Body weight

Your body cannot really tell the difference with modes of weight training. Free weights are great. Dumbbells are great. Machines are great. Bands or tubes are great. Body weight is great.

It comes down to pros and cons. A good mixture is ideal. They are all tools that can help you to get stronger and add muscle. I say of all the time that if it is burning, it is working. If you feel the load, it is working.

1. Free weights

Free weights are great because many “famous” exercises are done with them; and younger athletes need to get proficient at these exercises to help them with scouting and performance.

They are also cheaper and mobile. The con is that if you do not have a spotter, they are harder to push to optimal levels for safety issues. There is also a learning curve with them.

2. Dumbbells

Dumbbells are great because you can train every muscle group with them. They are cheap and mobile. The con is that it is harder to do certain exercises with them because you might struggle with getting them up into the proper starting position of some exercises.

They also need a learning curve more than machines.

3. Machines

Machines are great because they train the muscle through the full-strength curve. They are easier to understand form on, they isolate the muscle well and they are great for gyms that have multiple people working out.

The cons are that they are expensive and do not replicate human movement as well. They also aren't mobile! Try moving a 500-pound leg press.

4. Band and tubes

Bands and tubes are great for mobility and travel. The cons are that they are not as objective when it comes to knowing how much load you are lifting and whether improvements are being made.

5. Body weight

Body weight is great for mobility and replicating many sports moves. The cons are they are hard to overload because once you can lift your weight, you can lift your weight.

All are great! The best workout will use different modes. Your body only knows that it is being fatigued and challenged. It is this challenge that leads to positive results.

Frequency: How often should you do weight training?

You need to do strength training two to three days per week. You also need to train each major muscle group two to three days per week.

There is much debate over whether you should do a full body workout program or split routine. A split routine means that you train more than three times per week and you work different muscle groups when you work out.

Do not fall into this debate. They are all effective and it really comes down to how much time you have in your week to work out and what your goals are. Both are effective.

The major muscle groups

The major muscle groups are the Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Pecs, Lats, Delts, Biceps, Triceps and Core.

They need to be trained two to three times per week. A minimum of 48 hours (about 2 days) will be needed between workouts for optimal recovery to occur.

Catabolism and anabolism

We break the muscle down during the workout. That is called catabolism. We grow, which is called anabolism, at rest.

If we do not rest, we do not grow. What about the split routine? It's the same thing. You must rest at least 48 hours (about 2 days) after working a certain muscle group before working it again.

Intensity: How hard should you weight train?

The muscle must be overloaded to get stronger, add muscularity and overall function of the muscle. This means that the muscle must be stressed more than it has been before.

We can overload in strength training by using more load, reps, sets, or different exercises. All are good. The most basic is load. Load is weight or resistance. I like to use the term load.

There are many ways to gauge intensity. We use percent of the 1 rep maximum for each exercise. That is great for athletics but not overly applicable when you do not do those kinds of strength tests in the beginning like you would for athletics.

Another way to measure intensity is by using what we call Rep Maximum. That means that whatever the rep goal is, you use the best load that you can for that rep amount. For example, 10 R M means that for 10 reps you are using the most weight you can use for that set and still maintain good form. That is far more applicable than percentage of 1 rep max.

Another way to think of intensity is to simply get as close to muscular failure as you can. Sets are meant to be taken to your best limit. When I think of intensity I really think of muscular failure. If you are going to failure or as close as you can, I can guarantee you that you are going hard enough.

Sets and Reps: How many should you do?

Sets in weight training

Keep in mind that your body cannot really tell too much of a difference if a certain threshold has been met. There are some differences.

Sets are so widely debated. Do not get too fat into this! Like many things, it depends. We are all individuals. We have guidelines, but it still comes down to working the muscles and feeling it.

In general, research shows that anywhere from one to five sets per muscle group works well. How much effort do you put in? The more effort you put in, the fewer sets you can do.

You can change it per muscle group too. Keep in mind that it is only a set if it is taken to fatigue. So warm-up sets do not count as sets. Warm-up sets are good, but they are not a set. The smaller the area, the fewer sets you need as well.

The most important variable is intensity. You cannot do a lot of volume (sets and reps) if the intensity is high. Sets are variable. Remember that we are all different. Stay within the guidelines and let your results dictate how many sets are right for you. You should do as few sets that bring you results.

Reps in weight training

What about Reps? Research shows that very low reps (<5 and all the way up to 25 reps or so) can bring great results.

Athletes trying to hit PR’s (personal records) in strength lifts can benefit from doing fewer than 5 reps.

Most people do not need to do that few or go that heavy. The ACSM suggests an ideal rep range of 8-12 - and 8-15 for “seniors”. That is a good guidepost because you get the best of all worlds in this rep range - which is strength, endurance and hypertrophy (tone/size).

As a rule, less than 6 reps promote maximal strength, 6-12 reps promote hypertrophy and general strength, and greater than 15 reps promote muscular endurance.

There is the rep continuum. This means that reps are not all or nothing. Even with as few as 5 reps, you are still getting some endurance but mostly strength. Even with as high as 25 reps, you are still getting some strength but mostly endurance and hypertrophy.

Find the best rep range that works for you on different exercises and mix it up. If you are going till failure in good form and keeping track of overload, you will get the best results.

Progression in weight training

If you stay the same, you will stay the same. If you increase too much too soon, you will break down and halt results.

We should never progress two variables at one time. In other words, do not increase sets and reps at the same time. Do not increase weight and reps at the same time. Increase one.

Which one should you increase? It comes down to your goals. If you want to increase strength, adding load is your best progression. If you want to increase endurance, then increasing reps is your best bet. If you want to increase size then adding volume is your best bet (sets or reps or extending a set). The key is to advance.

The 10% rule of progression in weight training

We use the 10% rule primarily with adding load. This is a good rule of thumb. This means that you should not increase by more than 10% at a time.

For example if you use 100 pounds for your work set and you want to get stronger; add 10% which would be 10 pounds. Your new load is 110 pounds. You will then improve without breaking your body down.

A program is important for your fitness. Yes, I believe in listening to my body - but it is often the body that I ignore and I listen to my ego instead. "More! More! More!" it screams.

If we follow little rules like the 10% rule or not increasing more than one variable at a time (load, reps, sets); we will make gains without overtraining.

Periodization in weight training

Periodization means to build change into the workout plan. You get classical periodization and non-linear periodization.

Classical periodization

There is classical periodization which means that you build a program for around three months (or longer) and each month the program gets systemically more intense.

Within each month of the three months, the weeks get progressively harder as well. Each month will have a focus that will prepare the body for the next month that will be more intense.

Classic periodization uses three cycles: a macrocycle, mesocycle, and microcycle.

The macrocycle is the overall program and typically spans from 6-12 months. The mesocycle fits inside the macrocycle and each is typically 1-2 months. The microcycle fits inside the specific mesocycle and is typically one week at a time.

This program is good for athletes and for programs where a person is not going to have as much daily contact with a trainer, but they want a progressive plan that will help them steadily make progress.

Non-linear periodization

Non-linear periodization is not as structured. It uses different rep ranges and intensities within the workout week.

For example you may have a light day on Mondays and do high reps with lighter weights. On Wednesdays you may have a medium day and do moderate rep ranges of 8-12 with slightly heavier weights. Friday may be a heavy day with lower reps and heavier weights.

This style is great when you do not have a specific season to prepare for if you are an athlete.

Which form of periodization is better?

Both ways to program are good. The big take away about periodization is to change. Doing the same thing all the time can lead to physical and mental stagnation. Change is good.

We like to mix it up with our clients. I typically will not do the same reps all of the time. It is good to change it up. The more formal your training is (for athletics as an example), the more structured this needs to be planned out because of all the other activities going on.

Most people will not need to formally plan this stringently. The non-linear periodization of doing different rep ranges on different days can apply to anybody.

Warming-up and cooling down

Just like with all other forms of exercise, you need to warm up prior to weight training. A general warm-up of at least five minutes is good. Elevate your core temperature with light cardio.

You may need to do specific warm-ups as well. If you are going to do a goblet squat exercise and you use 30 pounds as your main weight, you need to do a body weight set first. This is true with all exercises. The heavier the load is going to be on your work set, the more likely you will need a warm up set.

After weight training you need to cool down. This is like your general warm up - do light cardio exercise after your workout.

When we cool down, we return our bodies to homeostasis. This allows us to recover better so that we can promote growth. A good time to cool down is five to fifteen minutes - depending on your time and how hard you worked out.

This article is written by Rob Maxwell (learn about his education), M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Strength training prevents injuries

This article is written by Rob Maxwell (learn about his education), M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

The gym is where we prevent and heal injuries

Personal trainers all have pet peeves. I have a few. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I hear a person say that they don’t want to do a certain strength training exercise because they don’t want to get hurt.

I’m all about form and safety, don’t get me wrong, but the implication that you will get hurt on a chosen exercise with a qualified trainer while watching correct form is not only off base, but even disrespectful.

If a client has told the trainer about a certain chronic injury, then the client needs to trust that the trainer knows what they are doing. If they don’t trust the trainer, the relationship should have never progressed.

I get that there are trainers out there who don’t know what they are doing, just like with any profession. I'm in the personal training industry and there are many. That is also on the client for not doing their homework while choosing a trainer.

When it comes to my training and my gym, we know what we’re doing. If you want to get better, listen. Trust us. As I've heard in the past, take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth.

Bad form causes injuries - not exercise or load

The other reason why people may think that they are going to get hurt on certain exercises is because they have read about certain gym injuries or have seen them.

Again, it comes down to trust. There is no doubt that you can get hurt while lifting weights - just like you can get hurt walking to your mailbox.

We don’t get hurt by exercise choice - or even load for that matter.

We get hurt in the gym by using bad form - which is totally on the client to not do. You need to make sure that you use the correct form when doing strength training.

A personal trainer will show you how to do a certain exercise. They are not trying to make the exercise harder. They are trying to make sure that the muscles move the weight - not the bones, joints or tendons.

Trust the experts

This type of scenario where the client tries to dictate their program doesn’t happen too often. I will nip this one in the bud quick.

Typically a person that tries to dictate their program, whether they are rehabbing an injury or simply don’t want to do a certain exercise, is a control freak.

They will try to dictate their program. You won’t get far if you are that type of client. At our gym we don’t allow it because we respect what we do.

If other trainers allow it at other places, it won’t work long term either. If you knew so much about getting yourself better, you’d be doing it on your own. That mythology is weak.

I’ve hired professionals myself for many things. I remember when I hired a swim coach to help me get better at swimming.

I'm an exercise physiologist and know a lot about body mechanics. What if I were to sit on the deck and challenge everything this swim coach was trying to teach me? Do you think I’d get better? I wouldn't.

I didn’t challenge my coach. It would be a waste of money if I did. I did whatever they told me to do and I improved. Taking lessons, I was finally able to complete a flip turn! That was huge for me.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't give your trainer feedback

Feedback is good, but telling your trainer what you think you shouldn’t do is disrespectful and silly.

I’ve had clients demonstrate fear before doing a certain exercise. That can be understandable.

Let’s take squats for example. The client may be nervous because they thought that it can be hard on the knees or back (which isn’t true at all when done correctly).

Fear is appropriate feedback and I’ll calm their fears by giving them the education that they need. In these scenarios the client does the exercise and is glad that they did it later.

Showing trepidation isn’t bad. It’s normal. It’s dictating your program that is off base.

Bad form causes injury

If we get hurt in the gym, it’s due to poor form and/or lack of focus. We get hurt in the gym by using poor form, period.

We can get hurt by using 3-pound dumbbells if we throw them around. The gym itself is the place where we get better. Exercise selection and load get falsely blamed for a lot of injuries.

Load or weights get blamed the most. I hear people say that they are afraid to go heavier because they don’t want to get hurt.

Stating your fears is okay. We want to hear that, but the fear needs to be explained away. The heavier we go, the slower the lift is. It’s science. You can’t push a heavier load quickly. The slower we go the less likely we are to get hurt.

You can get an injury from the wrong load

Can a person get hurt by trying a near maximum weight one time? Of course you can.

Why would anyone other than a strength athlete try that? One rep max is not overly beneficial and has no place in a typical personal training gym.

Again, a good trainer should select a safe and effective rep range. If you go heavier in that range, the trainer sees that you can. If the trainer is effectively adding 5-10% increases and you keep the same form, you will not get hurt!

We get hurt by using bad form. It's plain and simple. If we throw a weight around and do it mindlessly, we are far more likely to get hurt than if we go heavier.

Exercise selection and injury

The other myth is exercise selection. A good trainer knows what exercises you need. If you are recovering from an injury, they know what exercises are the best to rehab you.

Yes, feedback is great. A certain exercise may impact your injury. You may feel pain while doing it. Tell the trainer. A modification should be made - and a good trainer will make one.

Saying, “I shouldn’t do that”, means that you don’t trust the trainer. The reality is that if we continue to back away from exercises that will get us back to our best self, we will never get better.

Let’s look at squats again. They are a foundation for exercise. If we continue to avoid every version of them because they scare us, we will not be able to get better. The squat motion is the same as getting out of a chair.

If we avoid squats to such an extent, doesn’t that mean that we will have challenging times getting out of chairs one day?

Again, good trainers know how to modify. The squat motion should be part of any knee and/or back rehab program. It needs to be implemented when ready and increased when ready. The trainer knows how to do that. Trust them.

Strength training prevents injury by strengthening muscles and joints

Strength training is the best way to prevent injuries. The weight room is the best place to rehab them.

When we strengthen our muscles, we strengthen the muscles that surround a joint.

1. If we strengthen our biceps and triceps and forearms, we strengthen the elbow joint.
2. When we strengthen our deltoids, chest, and upper back muscles, we strengthen the shoulder joint.
3. When we strengthen our trap muscles, we strengthen the neck.
4. When we strengthen our abdominal, obliques, and lower back muscles, we strengthen the spine and lower back.
5. When we strengthen our glutes, we strengthen the hips.
6. When we strengthen our quads, hamstrings, and calves; we strengthen our knee.
7. When we strengthen our calves, we strengthen the ankle.

The muscles that are around these joints are what strengthen these joints. When we strengthen these muscles, we also strengthen the tendons that connect those muscles to the joints.

If these muscles are weak, the joint is weak.

The shoulder is completely held together by the deltoid muscles and the rotator cuff muscles. If they are weak, I’ll bet the farm that the shoulder will get hurt.

The gym is the best place to rehab the joints and prevent injuries. Strengthen the muscle to strengthen the joint.

Strength training prevents injury by correcting muscular imbalances

The other way that strength training helps to prevent injury is by fixing muscle imbalances.

If you do a sport, you are using the same muscles over and over again. This will make them dominant. This will create a muscle imbalance and a muscle imbalance can create an overuse injury.

We see this all the time. It doesn’t even have to be a sport. Let's say you work at a computer and you sit leaning over the computer all the time. This can develop what we call kyphosis (hunch back) which means that the anterior (front) shoulder muscles are dominant and your shoulders roll forward.

This can cause shoulder and neck pain. The way to combat this is through proper strength training and working the opposite muscles like the posterior delts (back shoulders) to balance it out.

We can all have muscle imbalances. They can all be corrected in the gym.

Trust us! We want to make you better. That’s our job and we want you to be better as much as you do. We know what we’re doing. Don’t be afraid of the gym and check your ego at the door.

State your fears and I’m sure that you will feel better once you understand the goal. We want you to be able to tackle the basic, fundamental, strength exercises so you can get back to everything that you enjoy.

We all must modify an exercise of sorts. We are all built differently, but we should all strive to get stronger and use perfect form in the gym so that we can get better.

Strength training is the way to avoid injuries and to heal our injuries. Our bodies will thank us when we do it!

This article is written by Rob Maxwell (learn about his education), M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Straight sets, supersets, compound sets, giant sets, pre-exhaust sets and breakdown sets

 

This article is written by Rob Maxwell (learn about his education), M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Different types of sets to intensify strength training

1. Straight sets

2. Super sets

3. Compound sets

4. Giant sets

5. Pre-exhaust sets

6. Breakdown sets

As we start to advance, there are ways that we can change the way we do sets.

You may need to be more efficient, you may want to add different angles of similar exercises or you may simply want to find a way to add more intensity.

In my case I like to do various kinds of sets because I get bored doing the same thing all over again. Change is exceptionally good for your body.

I want to teach you different sets you can do and why to choose each one so that you can add some diversity to your workout. The different types of sets I’m going to go over are straight sets, supersets, compound sets, giant sets, pre-exhaust sets, and breakdown sets.

One of the first things that you learn is how to organize your workout when you start working out with weights. The exercises are chosen or picked for you. The number of sets, reps, and load are then chosen as well.

1. Straight sets

Use the same weight for one type of exercise with rest between each single set.

The most traditional way to begin a workout program regarding set programming is typically doing what we call straight sets.

An example of straight sets would be doing 3 sets of 10 reps. You can do 10 repetitions with the same weight 3 different times with a rest in between each.

It’s a terrific way to build initial strength.

2. Super sets

Follow one set of exercises with another set of exercises before taking a break. This is a single super set.

Supersets can be done in two separate ways.

Do super sets with antagonist muscle groups

The first way is to do the agonist exercise back-to-back with the antagonist. Agonist means the prime mover and the antagonist opposes the prime mover. All muscle groups have pairings such as these.

An example would be doing a biceps curl exercise followed by a triceps extension exercise. The triceps oppose to the biceps. It's the opposite motion.

A superset performed this way would be to do a standing bicep curl and superset it with a tricep press-down.

If you did 3 sets of 10 this way, it means that you do 10 reps on the curl and go immediately into 10 reps on the press-down with little to no rest.

Rest and repeat the entire cycle two more times for three total sets. 

Super set upper and lower body parts

Another way to do a superset would be to pair an upper body exercise with a lower body exercise.

For example, you can do a barbell squat for your lower body and pair it up with a bench press for your upper body. You would do this the same way you did the above superset.

Benefits of super sets

1. Saves time

2. Maintains blood flow in a specific area

3. Adds intensity, endurance and strength at the same time

This type of set programming is great if you want to spend less time in the gym. One area is working while the other is resting. It cuts down on rest time.

It is also good to keep blood flow in the area when it comes to doing the agonist and antagonist type of super set, which helps the muscle to grow.

It’s not good if you work out in a crowded gym and can’t dictate having two exercise areas open for you. If you can arrange the gym to your liking, you might as well cut down on some time.

3. Compound sets

Compound sets work the same muscle group in back-to-back sets of different exercises before taking a rest.

I love compound sets. Compound sets work the same muscle group in back-to-back sets.

For example, if you are working your biceps you can do a set of barbell curls and go right into dumbbell curls.

Like any other type of these sets, you can arrange the reps and sets to match your goals.

For example, if you do 4 x 8 on a compound set of biceps you would do 8 barbell curls and go right into dumbbell curls. You would repeat these three more times.

This is an extremely popular training method among body builders that are trying to add muscle (hypertrophy). It’s a great “mass” exercise. It is effective because you can train the muscle at more angles and you can cut down on time at the gym due to decreasing rest time.

You will have to use less weight when you do compound sets to reach your set and rep goals. That’s okay because your body only knows fatigue - it can’t really determine weight very well.

If you are an ego person and the weight is the reason you lift; it may not be your best strategy.

Again, like above, you will have to make sure that you have a gym that you can occupy two areas at once.

4. Giant sets

Do three or more sets in a row before taking a break.

Giant sets are great! They are a lot like compound sets, but you add at least one more exercise to the mix of the same muscle group. Giant sets are defined as training more than two exercises within the same muscle group in succession.

An example would be if you are training chest you could do the bench press, followed by the incline press, followed by the fly.

If you do 3 sets of 12 repetitions for each this means that you simply do 12 of one and go into the next and then the next before taking a break.

It’s a terrific way to keep more blood flow in the area that you are working - and you can train the muscle at more angles.

Naturally, like all of these, it cuts down on rest time so it’s more efficient.

The only drawback is that you would have to be able to pull this off in your gym space wise and you wouldn’t be able to use as much weight as usual. If you are training for size and tone, that should not matter as much to you.

5. Pre-exhaust sets

Exhaust a specific muscle before doing a compound exercise that uses that same muscle.

Pre-exhaust sets are defined as doing the primary exercise of a muscle group just prior to the compound movement.

For example, if you did a leg extension that isolates the quads and go right into a squat exercise which is a multi-joint exercise for the quads, you are doing a pre-exhaust set.

This is ideal for strengthening muscle groups that are being neglected because weaker areas are fatiguing before the area that you want to work fatigues.

As an example let's take the squat again. For many people, their lower back gets fatigued before the legs do. If you did a pre-exhaust set before you squat for your quads, you can make sure that doesn’t happen because the area you are trying to target is already fatigued.

You would have to do the second exercise (the compound exercise) much lighter. The only downside to this is that you must make sure the gym you are training at has the space for this and that you are getting to the second exercise as fast as possible.

Like with any of these techniques, you don’t want to exclusively do this for all of your training.

It is intense and you do not want to over train. You should mix in any of these techniques as you see fit, but keep in mind that they are more intense.

6. Breakdown sets

Do an exercise until failure and then do it again at a lower weight immediately.

Breakdown sets are a little different because you don’t leave the exercise. There are a couple of ways that you can do this.

They are done by taking the first set that you do to muscular failure and then dropping the weight and doing more reps.

There are two basic ways this can be done (and you can invent your own!).

Do 3-4 breakdown reps at 30% less weight

One way is to go to failure and then drop the weight by only 30% and try to do 3-4 more reps.

An example of this would be the cable chest fly. Let’s say you do 3 sets of 10 with a breakdown of 30%. You do the first set of 10 to failure and lower the weight by 30% and strive for 3-4 more reps. Rest and do this again two more times.

Try to do the same amount of reps for 50% of the weight

Another way is to go to failure, drop the weight by 50% and then try to match the reps that you did on the initial set.

In the second example you do 2 sets of 8 with a breakdown. For the chest press you do 8 reps at 50 pounds. You hit failure and drop the weight to 25 and do 8 more. Rest and do this again. Notice that I dropped the sets from 3 to 2. As you do more volume (reps and sets), you’ll want to make sure that you take this into consideration to avoid over training.

These are best done on weight machines since you have weight stacks that you can easily adjust.

Breakdown sets add intensity without using more equipment

This is a terrific way to add intensity to a workout without having to monopolize more than one area of a gym.

It also helps to work on form. When you drop the weight you can focus a little more on your form.

Be warned though that dropping the weight does not make it easier! It’s a very intense way to train.

Summary

All the above techniques are great. I’ve used them all at various times with myself and with clients.

I suggest that you use the ones that are most appropriate for you and don’t overdo them. You don’t have to apply them to all your sets.

Still use straight sets and find ways to incorporate the advanced sets that grab your attention. Try different ones on different exercises and see which ones you feel more.

For me, I like changing it up. I like doing different training styles.

If you train with good form and have a balanced program, you will see results.

The idea behind these techniques isn't to make you think they are the secret weapon! There is no such thing. Only consistency will bring results.

The idea is to give you diverse ways to train so that you can stay fresh and enjoy your training.

This article is written by Rob Maxwell (learn about his education), M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Stretch to increase muscle size

Stretching can increase muscle growth.

You should stretch to increase muscle size

When you think about building muscle, stretching is probably not at the top of your priority list.

The primary exercises that you should do to grow muscle are resistance training exercises like squats, bench presses, pull ups and dead lifts. These are the exercises that help you to grow muscle.

Stretching, however, must not be forgotten on your journey to greater muscle gains.

Benefits of stretching for muscle growth

1. Stretching prevents muscle and joint injury

2. Stretching elongates the muscle

3. Stretches speed up recovery

Stretch to increase muscle size.

1. Stretching helps to prevent muscle and joint injury

Heavy weight training places a lot of stress on your muscles and your joints.

If overdone without enough rest, this can lead to injury.

Muscle injuries can take weeks to recover before you can resume training. Joint injuries will take even longer.

Stretching regularly will help to reduce the incidence of training-related injuries because it increases your range of motion.

The more flexible your joints are, the less strain they take when bending or stretching to perform a specific exercise.

As the saying goes, ‘A stiff joint is an accident-prone joint’.

Here are other things that you should do to prevent joint injury.

2. Stretches help to elongate the muscle

This is one of the biggest reasons why stretching will increase muscle size.

Resistance training increases muscle size by making the muscle fibers thicker. This can often lead to a shortening of the muscle fibers. Think about how difficult it is to stretch your muscles after a good workout session.

I struggled to put my hands behind my head when I first started building muscle. I stretched regularly to correct this.

Stretching helps muscles to become longer.

People who can't keep their heels on the floor when they squat will benefit from calf stretches to elongate the muscle.

When muscle fibers are longer, they can be trained to grow even bigger.

Longer muscles also look bigger already.

3. Stretching speeds up muscle recovery

Doing stretches after your workout or on your rest days will increase the rate at which your muscles recover. It will take less time for them to grow and prepare for your next workout.

This happens because stretching helps to open up the muscle fibers and allow more blood to circulate within the muscle.

Increased blood flow leads to faster disposal of negative chemicals like old materials and carbon dioxide.

The blood flow will also improve the delivery of important nutrients like oxygen, water, sugar (to fill the glycogen stores in the muscle) and amino acids (which are the building blocks of protein).

Stretches also speed up recovery because they have a relaxing effect on the muscle.

This is especially important because exercises tend to cause the muscles to tense up. A tense muscle will recover at a slower rate because it is still ready for action. Stress blocks muscle growth.

When muscles relax, they can start the recovery process. Stretching is a great way to relax the muscles so that they can start recovery as soon as possible.

Here are other ways to speed up recovery from exercise.

Get the most out of your stretching routine

Now that you know why stretching will help you to maximize muscle growth, here are the best ways to use stretching for their maximum muscle-growing benefits:

Don’t do static stretches before your exercise routine

Static stretches are the ones where you stretch and hold for a few seconds, like a toe touch. The word ‘static’ means ‘not moving’.

Since these stretches have a relaxing effect on your muscles, they will be more primed for recovery than for activity.

Additionally, static stretches that are done before your exercise routine might encourage your joints to move past their normal range of motion. This can lead to injury.

Focus on dynamic stretches before exercise

The best form of stretch to do before exercise is a dynamic stretch.

These stretches are moving stretches and usually have a ‘bouncy’ feel to them. They loosen up the joints nicely.

Swinging your arms behind your back and then in front of your shoulders is a great example of a dynamic chest and back stretch.

These types of stretches are great before exercise and will help your muscles to do better by increasing blood flow and priming them for movement.

They also help to reduce injury by warming up the joints before they are used.

Do static stretches after your workout or on your rest day

Static stretches may not be the best before an exercise routine, but they are certainly good for you.

Doing them after your exercise session, or on your rest days, will help to increase overall flexibility and speed up recovery.

I personally do static stretches before I go to bed so that my body relaxes better and my muscles get some extra blood flow to speed up recovery.

Static vs dynamic stretches

You might be confused about when to do each kind of stretch.

This is the best way to help you remember: Do moving (dynamic) stretches when you are preparing your muscles to move. Do stationery (static) stretches when you want your muscles to relax and recover.

Both of these stretches carry the benefits of increased blood flow, muscle elongation, enhanced recovery and reduced injury risk when done at the right times.

Remember that with any exercise program, proper rest and nutrition is very important if you want to see positive results.

Do you currently stretch as part of your muscle-building workout? Are you going to give them a try and discovery their benefits for yourself? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Stay Strong!

Exercise is so much more than a weight loss tool

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

I have been working in the fitness industry for 25 years.

I started as a PT tech while working on my master’s degree in Exercise Physiology.

I had already earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology at that time. I originally thought that I was going to make a career in psychology.

I found that my true passion was fitness. The fact is that I have still made a career out of psychology as well.

Physiology and psychology go together. The body and the mind are connected. When you add the spiritual component, you have complete wellness.

Body, mind and spirit are combined to form complete wellness.

After working as a PT tech, I started my own personal training business. That was in 1994.

In these 25 years I’ve found that the toughest client to work with is a weight loss client.

It’s not because I struggle with what they need to do. It is because many don’t understand that most weight loss, if not all of it, is going to come from diet.

Exercise is going to serve a different role for them. That’s a hard message for many weight loss clients to grasp.

I believe that I use my psychology background almost as much as I use my physiology education.

For the most part people know they need to exercise and they know they should, most likely, eat better.

There are exaggerated and poor exercise programs out there that confuse people and there are certainly bogus, money making diet programs on the market.

You can get your hands on a good exercise program and diet information if you look. Yet, people aren’t doing it. This is a psychological decision.

Why is the choice to exercise not being made more often?

Less than a quarter of Americans exercise regularly

Depending on which study you look at, only one in seven people are on a sustainable exercise program.

In another more favorable study only one in four are exercising enough.

At the very best, 25% of the United States is exercising enough to get benefits.

Why is that? What gives?

I believe that I have at least part of the reason why. I will get into that below, but let that statistic set in.

We shouldn’t bash people for not exercising.

I’m in the industry. I believe we in the fitness industry have sent out many mixed messages and I don’t think we do a good enough job of explaining why exercise is so important.

If we explain the why, the do is more doable.

How much exercise do you need?

The American College of Sports Medicine, the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization all state that you should exercise for 150 minutes a week to get the health benefits of a fitness program.

That number equals 21 minutes per day.

Yet, as you saw above, we are not getting enough exercise as far as the nation goes.

I’m sure the rest of the world is having the same experience - just not to the extent of the United States.

Is 21 minutes of exercise every day too hard to do? I want people to reach this goal because I know that it is worth it.

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Why don’t we exercise enough?

1. We reduce exercise to a weight loss tactic

2. We don't know the real benefits of exercise

3. People make exercise too complicated

I believe that there are three main reasons why we don't exercise enough as a nation.

The first is reason is that we use exercise as a weight loss tool.

Secondly, we don't understand all of the benefits of exercise outside of weight loss (superficial motivation).

The third reason is that we make exercise programs too complicated.

Exercising for weight loss reduces that chance that we will stick to it

The best way to lose weight is through diet. It always has been this way - and it always will be this way.

When I refer to diet, I mean cutting back on how much you eat when you want to lose weight.

It’s all about calories.

Energy (which is calories) consumed must be less than energy used to lose weight.

Yes, exercise can help. The energy consumed part is exercise and other non-exercise activities (NEAT).

Exercise on its own is not enough to lose weight. Exercise usually becomes a bad excuse for eating too much.

If you run one mile, jog one mile, or walk one mile you are going to burn about 100 calories. If you eat a banana afterwards (which takes 1 minute), you just put those calories back.

You can’t keep up. You cannot outrun a poor diet.

I’ve seen marathon runners that I coach gain weight while running 50-80 miles weekly for this very reason.

I’ve seen many people drop a significant amount of weight while never breaking a sweat. It's because they understand the role of diet in the weight loss process.

It’s about cutting calories. If we eat too much food, we will gain weight.

I don’t have the space here to go over all the benefits of choosing good foods to eat because that’s not the point of this article.

The point is that we lose weight from controlling our energy input and output.

The output part, exercise, is limited in its return on investment (regarding weight loss).

Bodybuilders know how to lose weight through diet

Another example I’ll pull from is bodybuilding.

I have competed and work with many people that have done physique competitions.

The workout program does not change that much when it comes to prepping for a show. Bodybuilders do add some more cardio-respiratory exercises into their program, but the big change comes from diet.

The diet becomes more and more critical depending on how much fat the athlete must lose.

Bodybuilders know that weight loss comes from diet - and they exercise a lot! They can lose a lot of fat in a short period of time because they understand this basic principle.

I’m more of a believer in staying close to your best state most of the time and just cutting a little bit when you need to.

If the athlete does that, the diet doesn’t have to be as low in calories. They don’t need to diet as long.

If they allow for too much weight gain during the year, the diet will be stricter and for a longer period.

The point is that body builders have known this forever. When they plan a show, they don’t say “time to start training”. They say, “Time to start dieting”.

Weight loss is about food intake. The professionals know this.

Exercise is a great way to avoid regaining the weight. Weight regain is a major problem with those that struggle with weight loss.

Here is the problem makes people stop exercising: Many people start exercising to lose weight.

Can you guess why they stop?

You got it - they don’t lose weight.

In some cases, people gain weight because they start strength training. Strength training adds muscle. This is a good thing because muscle increases your metabolism (the amount of calories that you burn throughout the day).

People don't see it this way. We focus so much on the scale that we don't realize that we are burning fat.

Commercials have convinced us that the way to weight loss is by wearing a fancy leotard and dancing to music.

If people started a diet program along with the exercise program, they would lose weight. Some are wise enough (or get the right advice) to combine the two.

I want people to exercise for all the true benefits of exercise - and I mean the actual benefits of exercise on its own.

You can absolutely become fit and gain many benefits from exercise - even if you don’t lose a pound.

People don't exercise because they don't understand the benefits of exercise

Exercise is so much more than weight loss.

People who exercise - regardless of weight - are healthier and live longer. There are many studies that support this.

You reduce your risk for chronic diseases and you will live a healthier life if you exercise - even if it is for the minimum amount of 21 minutes each day.

Exercise for the sake of health.

Do I really need to go on? There are more benefits, but let that sink in.

Many people attempt to lose weight for those reasons. Losing weight absolutely lowers disease risk as well.

Exercising, even if you don’t lose weight, has these benefits too.

Trainees that understand this will to stick to exercise and see it for themselves.

The ones that don’t understand this, and only want to lose weight, will often step away from exercise before they experience the real benefits.

You will see that 21 minutes of daily exercise is really worth it if you let this sink in.

Is more exercise better? Yes it can be, but that’s not the idea right now.

We tend to run ahead of ourselves and burn out before we establish a proper routine.

We can see the benefits of exercise from doing as little as 150 minutes a week.

That is very worth it to me.

Weight loss isn't the best motivation.

The other benefits of exercise outside of lowering risk for chronic diseases are many.

Exercise increases bone density. Exercise strengthens your heart so that you won’t be as winded during your daily activities.

Exercise adds muscle tone. Who doesn’t still want to look good in their tank top or t-shirt? Exercise makes you stronger. Exercise makes you better at all your ADL’s (activities of daily living).

Exercise makes you better at sports if you play any. Exercise improves your posture. Proper strength exercise prevents injury.

Exercise builds your confidence and self-esteem. Exercise lifts your mood. Endorphins are natural pain killers. They are released when you start exercising. Exercise improves your social life when you do it with others.

I have had so many clients and friends make amazing friendships from picking up a sport or joining an exercise group.

Benefits of exercise

1. Lowers risk for chronic disease

2. Increases bone density

3. Strengthens the heart

4. You won't be winded when you do something

5. Exercise adds muscle tone

6. Improves appearance

7. Makes you stronger

8. Increases motivation

9. Makes you better at everything else that you do

10. Improves mental performance

11. Improves physical skills

12. Improves posture

13. Prevents injury

14. Builds confidence and self esteem

15. Gives you a sense of achievement

16. Lifts your mood

17. Reduces pain

18. Improves your social life

Fitness professionals make it too complicated

We need to KISS.

We really need to Keep It Simple, Stupid.

The final major reason why people aren’t doing the minimum amount of exercise to help them is because we experts have made it too complicated.

We’ve tried to sell it as a certain way that it must be done.

You just must move to get the health benefits of exercise.

If we can get everyone in this country to move the minimal amount of time each day, we would be so much healthier as a nation and as a global population.

I believe that fitness professionals, along with the other reasons mentioned above, have an caused an issue in getting people to move more because of a paralysis of analysis where people don’t do enough because they don’t know what to do.

People don't exercise enough because they are bombarded with the technicalities of how to do it.

Just move. It's that simple.

I’m an exercise physiologist. I have all the top certifications and I’m telling you that many people in my field and in the medical field over-complicate exercise.

Just move. Walk, run, bike, skip, lift, swim, and/or play sports. Just move your body.

Don't let things like your maximal heart rate make exercise too complicated

I have used target heart rates for clients for their cardio-respiratory exercise prescription.

For the most part, they are overrated.

They serve a purpose in some cases but for the health benefits of exercise they are very unnecessary.

Let me give you some facts about heart rate calculations.

There is a standard deviation of age predicated maximum heart rate and actual maximal heart rate

The formula for age predicted maximum heart rate is 220 minus age. You might see a poster of this hung up on the wall at a gym.

You derive a maximal heart rate from this formula.

If you are 40 years old, then 220-40 equals 180. If you are going to exercise at 80% of that (a common prescription) then your target heart rate is 144.

There is a potential problem with this. There is a standard deviation of 30 beats when using the estimated maximal heart rate formula.

This means that this 40 year old’s heart rate could be anywhere from 165 to 195.

That really throws off the 80% heart rate!

This standard deviation now makes the 80% either 132 or 156 which is a 24-beat swing. You might as well not track it.

Keep it simple.

There is a place for these kinds of prescriptions, but I believe they often cause more harm than good.

We’ve known a lot of this stuff for 50 years, so why aren’t people exercising more?

We’ve made it more complicated than it must be. I can take this all the way to the elites as well.

Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile in 1954.

Now, the record is about 15 seconds faster.

15 seconds is a lot when you are racing the mile, but think about that.

With all the training and knowledge that we now have access to, we’ve only shaved 15 seconds in 64 years.

He seemed to be doing well with not as many formulas and prescriptions. I can go on and on with examples.

Don’t get me wrong; shaving just milliseconds in competition is huge. Why aren't our workout formula's getting people to move more often?

The added technicality hasn't helped us that much because it has given us more to calculate.

We have over-prescribed exercise.

I don’t think that we need to over-prescribe or over-plan a simple habit.

I believe that if we just get out there and do it; our body will let us know how to progress.

We get the opposite effect of what we want when we over plan and over prescribe something as simple as exercise.

Just move. Just do it.

Just get up and move. That's all.

Even a small amount of exercise is worth it

Exercise is worth it.

We don’t have to do as much as we might have been led to believe - and we don’t have to go as hard.

We benefit in so many ways from doing it.

It’s not about losing weight. It’s not about performing a complicated program. It’s about moving.

When we exercise, we become healthier. The science bears this out.

Give it a try and let the endorphins get you through until you start seeing the benefits.

Once you do, I hope that you end up joining the top 25% of the world that realize how much it helps them.

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.