Weight Training

Weight training is defined as progressive resistance exercise. This is a form of muscular exercise using resistance provided by barbells and dumbells (free weights), or exercise machines to stimulate muscle growth and increase muscle strength and endurance. Weight training programs consist of a series of different exercises grouped together by sets and repetitions. It is very important that your weight training program have a well planned objective and purpose. Whether it is to lose weight and inches, gain weight and build or establish and maintain a high level of physical fitness, it will all depend on your obtective and that needs to be clearly identified to me.

Weight training will consist of these six exercise variables:

Exercise Selection

Frequency

Load

Intensity

Duration

Volume

As a general rule of thumb, regardless of whether the session is completed in terms of sets or exercises to be performed, the training session shall terminsate 45 minutes after the session begins. This is when muscle recovery begins after proper caloric requirements are met. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

Recovering from a workout…

Your muscles will grow in size and strength when allowed to fully recover. Recovery will take anywhere from 48-72 hours or more depending on how hard you trained those muscles. Sleeping is another factor for muscle recovery. As a rule of thumb 7-8 hours of sleep is optimal for complete night restoration. The idea is that YOU DON’T GROW DURING YOUR WORKOUT, so give your body time AWAY from working out to grow and repair itself.

Tracking Your Progress!!!

This is an important way to find out what is working, and notice plateaus. I use journals for each work-out and track what weight you lifted and how many reps you did for each exercise. If you are doing things correctly, each progressive week you should be able to do more reps with the same weight, or add 5-10% more weight and do the same number of reps as the previous week. A journal is a critical part of the plan to make gains, as it will help keep you on track. It is also great for motivation to be able to look back a few weeks and see how much stronger you are now!