Fitness and You
Information about fitness topics is everywhere and opinions vary greatly on the best way to lose weight, gain muscle mass and build flexibility and endurance. For the past 40 years I have had a passion for exercise and have been on a workout routine during most of these years. During April of 1994 I earned my certification as a conditioning specialist from NSPA (National Strength Performance Association) and my personal training certification from ACE (American Council on Exercise). I wanted to know more about exercise and fitness and believed that a few national certifications would help me stay on top of a topic that I love. Although I work in the human services arena, I continue to take courses and renew my certifications.
My desire to know state-of-the-art fitness information fits well into the epistemology part of this web site. It is important to know how you know what you know. If you know most of your fitness information from infomercials and muscle magazines, you probably don’t know a great deal. Take a few classes, attend a conference, read a textbook and a few professional journals. Fitness, and the more general area of wellness, is full of really useless information. A great deal of today's popular information is motivated by the profit motives of those who wish to sell all sorts of magic bullets such as home exercise machines and supplements.
A key factor in staying fit is maintaining one’s commitment. The maintaining change segment of this site focuses on many of the aspects maintaining the behavior that you begin. This is also addressed on the main wellness page in the article entitled “Weight Loss – The BIG Issue”. Developing a plan that you can realistically adhere to is equally important. The continuous progress portion of this site will assist you in always moving forward with your health related goals.
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Variables in Strength Training
Have you ever met someone and you immediately found that something about his or her manner or voice was annoying? Then, after you have known them for a while, you no longer noted the once annoying characteristic. We tend to habituate things in our lives – odors, sights, sounds and even people. Although we all know this on some level, we tend to forget. Did you know that our muscles habituate exercise? If we follow the same weight training routine, our muscles plateau. I have seen some of the same people doing the same routine for ten years and they don’t look any different than they did in the beginning.
The following are eight important variables in strength training:
* the amount of weight
* the number of repetitions or “reps”
* the motion (often determined by the type of machine or free weight)
* the speed at which one performs the motion
* the number of times you perform an exercise or “sets”
* the length of recovery time between exercises (sets)
* the length of recovery time between workouts
* the muscles groups worked per exercise session
Each of these variables is important in maximizing results during your work out and in assuring continuous progress. If you are not familiar with the significance of each of these variables, do some research. I will share more about the significance of a few of these variables.
The amount of weight that you move during a strength training exercise is a key factor in developing strength. The typical rule for the beginner is to lift a weight that you can move during 12 complete motions (reps or repetitions) using proper form. If you attempted to complete a 13th rep, you could not complete the motion in proper form because your muscles would be too exhausted. There are many exceptions to this rule, but the principle is a sound one. When you see someone pick-up a weight and complete about 40 reps, you can assume that they aren’t doing effective or efficient strength training, but rather are focusing on muscle endurance.
The number of reps that most knowledgeable strength trainers use is between 8 and 12. Naturally, you can move more weight when you goal is 8 reps than when you goal is 14 reps.
A second important variable is the speed in which you move the weight. I typically use the old Nautilus formula (from the 1970s) of 2 seconds for the first part of the exercise motion and 4 seconds for the second part of the motion. For example, if I am completing a biceps curl, I will lift the weight in two seconds and lower it in four seconds. The reason for this is that we can resist more weight during the second part of an exercise motion. If you don’t believe this, have a partner add resistance to the second part of a motion. The leg extension is a good exercise to try this phenomenon. Extend your leg at the knee and push the weight out. Then have a partner push down on your lower leg or ankles. You will find that you can resist and still lower your legs slowly. Have the partner release as you reach the bottom of this movement. Then raise the weight without any extra resistance. More recent research doesn't focus as much on the 2/4 movement ratio, but places more emphasis on less rest (10 to15 seconds) between sets and thus moving to total exhaustion after quick (but in good form) reps. If the weight remains the same, the number of reps will decrease each time due to the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscle.
At times I will perform a super slow motion. This is a motion where I take 10 seconds for the first part of the motion and 10 seconds for the second part of the motion. There are many variations to the timing of the super slow motion. However, you must reduce your weight if you plan to perform your usual number of reps. The slower motion taxes the muscles more than a motion at regular speed. I don’t always reduce the weight because I may only perform six reps. The number of reps and whether you reduce your weight is your choice.
Many people do more than one set of a given exercise. When this is the case, the recovery period between sets is important. Lactic acid builds-up in the muscle during an exercise, thus causing the burning sensation that you feel. If you were to perform a second set of an exercise within 30 seconds of the first set, you would find that you would not be able to perform as many reps. The longer the rest period between sets, the more reps you can achieve. I will go with the same weight if I know that I can perform at least 8 reps during my second set. If I know that I cannot perform 8 reps, I will lower the weight. Rest periods vary from 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
If you are doing sets to exhaustion and, if your rest period is short, you will note that your heart rate will stay relatively high. Thus, you can receive some cardiovascular benefit by performing strength- training exercises. However, it is best not to do this on a regular basis. Perform cardio exercises for endurance or weight loss and perform strength training to gain strength, gain muscle mass, and to increase your metabolic rate.
A few salient points are as follows:
· Be intentional about the amount of weight that you use and the number of reps that you perform. The weight that you select should exhaust the muscles being worked based on the number of reps that you are performing.
· Be consistent about the amount of time that you rest between sets during a given workout. For example, you may select a one-minute rest period for your Monday workout and a 90 second rest period for your Wednesday workout.
Type of Equipment as a Variable
Most fitness facilities offer more than one piece of equipment for each major muscle groups. The major muscle groups that I focus on (beginning at the neck and working down) are as follows:
Trapezius (traps) located at the base of the neck
Upper back composed of the latissimus dorsi, rhomboid and teres major (lats)
Shoulders composed of three heads of the deltoids (delts): front or anterior, middle or lateral, and back or posterior
Chest composed of the pectoralis major (pecs)
Biceps
Triceps
Forearms (top and bottom sides)
Abs composed of the rectus abdominis and the external obliques
Lower back
Gluteus muscles (medius and magnus)
Abductors (outside edge of upper leg) and adductors (inside muscles of upper leg)
Quadriceps (four major muscles that compose the upper front portion of the leg)
Hamstrings (muscles that compose the back side of the upper leg
Calves composed of the gastrocnemius and soleus
All of these muscle groups have exercises that can be performed with both machines and free weights. Many machines display a diagram that indicates the body parts being used. It is preferable to use different equipment so that your muscles do not habituate your routine. One warning is necessary. Free weights require more balance and control than machines. The advantage is that you are going to work smaller muscles with free weights (neuromuscular facilitation). One disadvantage is that you can injure yourself more easily with free weights. Know the correct form before you use free weights and don’t allow your thoughts to drift when working out with free weights. I have learned this the hard way.
Tips to Track Your Progress and Other Variables
Unless your have an excellent memory, use a chart to remember your key exercise information such as the name of your exercise, the amount of weight used, the number of reps, etc. Also, settings on machines (e.g. seat, chest pads, and other settings) can be placed on your chart.
Keep in mind that some folks do not work all of their major muscle groups during each workout. There are a number of ways to split the major muscle groups into different workouts. Some people work the lower body (from the waist down) on one day and the upper body on another day. In my opinion, this has never been a good choice. Others may do push exercises on one day and pull exercises on another. Most muscle groups lend themselves well to this type of split routine. For example, the leg extension (quadriceps), calf exercises, chest press and chest fly (pecs), and triceps exercises are all push exercises. The upper back (lats) with pull-down and rowing motions, the hamstring muscles with curling motions, and bicep curls are all pulling motions. If you work all three heads of the shoulders, you will likely pull and push weight.
My previous routine (before turing 60) consistsed of three separate workouts.
I worked out for three days and then rest one. One advantage of this type of routine is that I was not a slave to days. This gave me different days off each week.
Workout # 1 - quads, calves, abductors, chest, and biceps.
Workout # 2 - lower back, abdominal area, shoulders, forearms, and traps.
Workout # 3 - hamstrings, adductors, upper back, glutes, and triceps.
After performing these three workouts, I ook a day off. You may note that workout # 1 is basically a push day, however, I work my biceps at the end – which is a pull exercise. Workout # 3 consists of all pull exercises except for the triceps. Let’s look at the logic. Chest presses involve the use of the triceps, as do any exercise where you are pushing weight away from the body. Upper back exercises, with the exception of one rare machine (pullover machine), are pulling motions and also involve the biceps. Thus workout # 1 works the triceps during the chest presses and works the biceps. Because I don’t use a shoulder press during workout #2, I don’t work my triceps. I use a shoulder raise machine for the middle head of the shoulders. This is a rest day for both the biceps and the triceps. Workout #3 works both my biceps during the upper back exercises and my triceps, but the next day is for rest. Thus my arms have a day off before working them again.
I make made changes within the context of this routine. Since I used four different gyms, I was constantly using different equipment. However, this can be done in one gym given the machine/free weight options.
My rest periods changed between 1 minute, 90 seconds, and 2 minutes. I typically did two sets of each motion. For my chest I always did two sets of a fly motion. Fly motions do not involve the triceps. I always did two chest press motions. Keep in mind that there are three angles from which one can do a chest press: incline, straight or level, and decline. For example, the flat bench works the middle of the chest, the incline works the top of the chest, and the decline works the bottom portion of the chest. The fly motion can also be performed from these three angles – even from some seated machines such as Hammer Strength equipment. Thus I attempted to work a different part of my chest within each workout. Typically I will do two press motions for one part of my chest and two fly motions for another. The part of the chest that isn’t worked will be worked during the next chest workout.
During each workout cycle (3 consecutive days) I changed the number of reps and the weight. During one cycle I would use the amount of weight with which I could perform approximately 8 to 10 reps, during the next cycle I would use a weight with which I could perform 10 to 12 reps and, during the next cycle, I would use weight with which I could perform 12 to 15 reps. I would throw in a super-slow day about twice a month. During my late 50s, my goal was not to increase muscle mass. This was a goal about five years ago and I had to slowly replace all of my suits and sport coats – going from a 40 long to a 42 long.
Now that I am 63, I really don't worry about bulking-up. With decreased testosterone and other aging factors, I will be fortunate to only have small incremental loss of muscle mass. The key is to build muscle mass and keep it as long as possible. With the advent of old age, you will not be as likely to lose functional strength. Females will not be as likely to have issues related to decreased bone density.
One important effect of strength training is that it increases your basal metabolic rate – the rate at which your body burns calories while at rest. As people become older, their metabolic rate slows. If you eat the same amount of food as you did when you were younger, you will gain weight. With age, calories are not burned at the same rate as when one was younger. If you have a high muscle mass, you burn slightly more calories while at rest. I see strength training as a way to neutralize the slowing of my metabolism and, thus far, I haven’t had a weight problem. However, I don’t attempt to eat the two Whoppers or the pint of ice cream – things I could eat as a young adult.
I am not suggesting that anyone adopt my past workout routine. I offer it to point out some options. As long as you consider all of the variables that make up a routine, you will experience more progress. Take some time to do some reading. The text available from the American Council on Exercise is one reliable reference. Make yourself a workout chart and cross-reference it with the variables that have been discussed. Develop a routine and a schedule and go for it!
Keep in mind that our genetics play an important role in outcome. If you practice a routine that you found in Muscle and Fitness magazine and you don’t have the genetic components (ratio of fast versus slow twitch muscle cells), you aren’t going to ever look like a competitive body builder. However, you will be lean, muscular, agile and look fit and healthy.
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