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Ten Commandments of Resistance Training


Blog by Dr. Michael Horowitz | June 3rd, 2011


By Laura Morris in Vancouver (http://www.vancouverchiropractic.net/Laura-Morris-Personal-Training)

(For Beginners)

1.  Make a clear definition of your fitness goals and work within the intensity of those goals. Remember the FITT principle: F-Frequency (how often), I- Intensity (sets/reps), T-Type (the type of exercise), T-Time (how long).

2.     Beginners should weight train 2-3x per week. Aim to do 8-10 exercises total (split upper and lower body).  You should be doing 1-3 sets of 10-15 reps for each exercise.

3.     Aim to hit all muscle groups. Work antagonistic or opposing muscles during your workout to ensure muscle balance and flexibility.

4.     Core exercises should be performed 2-3x per week. A strong core helps your posture, balance and overall performance with all types of physical activity.

5.     Warm up and cool down before and after resistance training workouts to help prevent injury and soreness.

6.     Muscle soreness is ok and can be worked through, joint pain cannot. See a professional if pain persists.

7.     Form is everything! Be sure to focus on the muscle or muscles you are aiming to work. If you are not feeling anything you are probably not doing it correctly.

8.     Periodization is the all encompassing idea of how to combine the theory of adaptation, progressive overload, diminishing returns, rest and recovery into one. If you were to do the same challenging puzzle every day, over time it would not be challenging anymore. Same goes for weight training. Be sure to change up your workouts every 2-6 weeks.

9.     Eat a post-workout snack. You should eat a snack or meal consisting of protein and carbohydrates within 45 mins of your workout. This helps assist with muscle recovery.

10.   Make sure to rest 24-48 hours between resistance training workouts. Weight training breaks down muscle; you gain strength and build muscle on the days when you are not putting stress on your body.




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