Almost
any form of exercise will stimulate some degree of strength
and muscle development. Unfortunately, misconceptions, myths,
and misunderstandings plague the fitness industry, especially
in regard to strength training. There is a huge attrition rate
among those starting a strength training program primarily because
most people are not taught the principles essential for a safe
and effective program.
This
article is part three of a five part series discussing the very
important principles and guidelines of a safe and effective
strength training program. This article discusses the importance
of proper lifting technique, exercising through the full range
of motion, proper exercise sequence, and the correct number
of sets to do for what you're trying to achieve. The previous
article, part two of this five part series, explained the importance
of forcing blood to your muscles and proper lifting speed. The
following exercise guidelines are extremely important for your
safety and the effectiveness of your strength training program
Form/Technique
The
most common and critical training mistakes may be those of exercise
technique. The tendency to use too much weight typically results
in poor form, which decreases your ability to get results, and
increases the risk of injury. Examples of poor form or technique
are: bouncing the bar off the chest in the Bench Press; using
hip and back extension to initiate Bicep Curls; arching the
back or bending backward under Shoulder Presses; using any sort
of momentum in any exercise; and training at fast speeds. These
mistakes will not send the blood you need into your muscles
and will work counter to your goals. Be aware of these mistakes
and eliminate them from your program.
Exercise
Through Full Range of Motion
Perform
each exercise through a full range of motion, with emphasis
on the end of the positive phase. Full range exercise movements
are advantageous for strengthening the prime-mover, or agonist
muscles—the muscles directly trained in the exercise, such as
the biceps in the biceps curl. Lifting in the full range of
motion is also advantageous for stretching the antagonist muscles,
the muscles that act in opposition to the agonist. In the Biceps
Curl, the triceps is the antagonist. Training in the full range
of motion enhances both
muscle strength and joint flexibility.
Exercise
Selection
It
is very important to select at least one exercise for each major
muscle group to promote well-balanced muscle development. Training
only a few muscle groups or training one muscle group more increases
the risk of injury.
Exercise
Sequence
Another
important element of strength training is exercise sequence.
When performing a variety of weightlifting exercises, it is
advisable to proceed from the larger muscle groups to the smaller
muscle groups. This allows optimal performance of the most demanding
exercises when fatigue levels are the lowest and you feel fresh.
Another reason, one that is often overlooked, is illustrated
by the common example of training both back and biceps. Ordinarily,
you would want to train your back first, since it is the larger
muscle group of the two; let's say you are doing the Rear Lat.
Pull-down. In that exercise, you are indirectly working your
biceps, too, since both muscle groups are at work in the pulling
motion. This means that your biceps will actually be warmed
up and ready to train when you get to them. This is the same
for exercises requiring pushing motions such as the chest, shoulders,
and triceps. By the time you are done with your chest exercises,
both your shoulders and your triceps are warm and ready to train.
Of course, you might not always do your "pulling"
(back and biceps) and your "pushing" (chest, shoulders,
triceps)
motions on the same day--because as you reach a plateau you
will want to change your exercises, the order that you do them,
and the muscles that you train together, to provide a new stimulus
and interest for yourself. This will be discussed soon.
Sets
Another
important element is exercise sets. An exercise set is the number
of successive repetitions performed without resting. The number
of sets per exercise is largely a matter of goals, interests
and personal preference. We recommend that people treat their
first set as a warm-up--12-20 reps with relatively light weight
(done slowly). Then you can do either one, two, or three more
sets--even up to six (strength and power program)--depending
on whether you are at a beginning, intermediate, or advanced
level and what you are trying to accomplish.
If
you are working on your second exercise for a particular muscle
group, we recommend that you do either two or three sets for
that exercise since that muscle is already warmed-up from the
first exercise. Regardless of the number of sets performed,
each set--and each repetition--should be done in proper exercise
form and under control.
Please
check back for Part four, where I'll discuss the inverse relationship
between resistance and repetitions and the importance of progressive
resistance. That is, I'll explain the amount of weight you should
use and the number of repetitions you should do for the results
you desire. I'll also explain how to gradually increase the
weight you use to stimulate further gains. Until then, remember
to use proper lifting technique, exercise through the full range
of motion, exercise in the proper sequence, and use the correct
number of sets for what you're trying to achieve. Good luck,
and enjoy all the wonderful benefits of strength training.
Chad Tackett
is President of Global Health & Fitness. Learn how you
can have your own personal online trainer, dietician and motivator
at
http://www.global-fitness.com
