Strength Training: Here Are Your 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions

 Strength Training: Here Are Your 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions

Strength training is so difficult, it sounds like a training program for men, can girls also do it? Wouldn't it be scary to have big muscles just by practicing? Every time I hear people who don't understand strength training ask these questions, I always feel helpless and funny. Men and women have different body structures and different hormones. It is not so easy to become the "muscle king" that girls say.

But when you have a certain understanding of fitness, you will have a magical obsession with strength training. Questions about strength training are also frequently flashing in the mind. Today, we will come to popular science, the 5 most frequently asked questions in strength training, so as to start the road of fitness better and more effectively.

"How many repetitions should I do?"

This is always the first question that should be asked when it comes to training. Why? Because it forces you to decide on your main goals. For example, do you want to lose fat faster, or gain more muscle? The answer will determine the number of repetitions to complete.

Want to Lose Fat Fast

Doing 8-15 repetitions is the most effective for fat loss . Because studies have shown that performing multiple sets of exercises in this range stimulates the greatest increase in fat-burning hormones compared to more or fewer repetitions. Of course, you'll need to break it down further and vary your workout with three small rep ranges, but still keep it between 8 and 15 reps.

Example: 12~15 repetitions

10~12 repetitions

8~10 repetitions

All of these rep ranges are effective for fat burning, pick one range ( 12-15 is a good starting point, especially for beginners ) and switch to another range every 2-4 weeks.

Want to Gain More Muscle

There's a popular notion in the gym that doing 8-12 reps is the best way to build muscle. However, a more plausible scenario is that using various rep ranges (low, medium, high) will lead to better muscle growth. For best results, change the rep range every 2-4 weeks, or even with every workout.

Here's a 3-day-a-week full-body workout plan from strength coach and conditioning expert Alvin Cosgrove:

Monday: Repeat 5 times

Wednesday: 15 repetitions

Friday: 10 repetitions

Researchers at Arizona State University found that people who varied the number of repetitions each time they performed a three-times-weekly training program gained more strength than those who used the same range of repetitions each time. twice as much.

"How much weight should I use?"

This question is often asked, and the best answer: Choose the maximum weight that allows you to complete all the reps prescribed . That is, the fewer repetitions, the more weight you use. vice versa. So, how do you find out the proper weight? Trial and error. You just have to guess and experiment based on experience. This is second nature to experienced retrainers, but if you're a beginner, don't feel pressured to do it, you'll pick it up in no time. If you choose a weight that is too heavy or too light, just adjust accordingly on the next set.

Of course, you'll soon find that the weight you're using won't do the reps you want. There's an easy way to tell if you're underweight: notice when you start to feel the strain. What does "Starting to feel strenuous" mean? This means that the speed when lifting heavy objects is significantly slowed down. Although you can still lift it one or two more times, this strained feeling indicates that your muscles are reaching their limit. Most people will also begin to "cheat" at this time, by changing their body position and compensating to help themselves lift heavy objects. Remember, the goal is to perform all the reps in each set with perfect form, while challenging your muscles to do the exercise to the best of their ability. Do it as hard as you can, and when it starts to feel strenuous, you're done with the set. It's also the best strategy for bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and hip bridges, where your trainer will ask you to complete as many reps as possible.

 

"How many sets of exercises should I do for one movement?"

Here's a good rule of thumb: Do as many sets as possible, accumulating at least 25 reps of the same muscle group . If you're going to do 5 repetitions of an exercise, then you're going to do 5 sets of this exercise. If you do 15 reps, you only need to do 2 sets. The more repetitions you have for an exercise, the fewer sets you need to perform. vice versa. This helps the muscles maintain tension for the appropriate amount of time, regardless of the rep range used. If you're in good shape, you can of course do more than 25 reps per muscle group, but limit yourself to 50 reps.

"How long should you rest between sets?"

Rest time between sets is a critical, yet often overlooked factor in most workouts. To understand why, a crash course in exercise science is necessary: ​​Fewer reps and heavier weights require longer rest periods between sets; more reps and lighter weights require shorter rest periods . Why? When lifting heavy weights, the fast-twitch fibers are recruited, the fibers that generate the most force but tire the fastest and require the most prolonged rest. So, giving them plenty of recovery time helps ensure they are fully trained with each set. When you use lighter weights and do more reps, the training primarily targets the slow-twitch fibers. Not only are these fibers more resistant to fatigue than fast-twitch fibers, but they also recover faster. As a result, even after completing a set with a challenging set of repetitions, they recover in a short time and are ready for another repeat performance.

The following basic principles can be applied :

Repeat 1-3 times: rest for 3-5 minutes.

Repeat 4-7 times: Rest for 2-3 minutes.

Repeat 8-12 times: Rest for 1-2 minutes.

Repeat 13 or more: Rest 1 minute.

These numbers simply illustrate the amount of rest required between workouts for the same muscle group. In other words, if you think strategically, you can train another muscle group instead of wasting every minute of it in vain. Two of my favorite methods are alternating sets and circuit training. They allow for shorter workouts without sacrificing results. Because when one muscle group is resting, another muscle group is training.

Alternate sets: Do one set of exercises, rest, and then do one set of exercises for the opposite muscle group. Rest one more time, then repeat the exercise until you complete the prescribed number of sets.

Circuit Training: Do 3 or more exercises in a row (it can be 4, 5, or even 10) with no rest between sets. The most common approach is to alternate upper body exercises with lower body exercises.

"How many days per week should I strength train?"

At least 2 days . It turns out that 2 days of resistance training can provide many health benefits. But ideally, 3 or 4 days a week for full-body workouts, or separate exercises for the upper and lower body .

Muscle protein synthesis , an indicator of muscle repair, is elevated within 48 hours after resistance training, researchers at the University of Texas School of Medicine in the Galveston area pointed out in multiple studies . So, if you strength train at 7pm on Monday, the body is in muscle growth mode until 7pm on Wednesday. However, after 48 hours, the body's biological stimulation to grow new muscle returns to normal. That means it's time for another strength training session. The length of time that the metabolic rate is accelerated after strength training is also almost 48 hours. Therefore, whether you want to build muscle or lose fat, total body strength training is very effective.

Another strategy that works well is to do upper and lower body exercises separately . This is primarily used to increase muscle size and strength, and to improve athletic performance . This approach works your upper body and lower body on separate days, and it allows you to train both upper and lower muscle groups more intensively than you would in a full-body workout. However, this also means that you need to give your muscles a little more time to fully recover.

Strength training is not simply lifting heavy weights and then putting them down. In the process of muscle activation and exercise, it is necessary to think about why strength training is needed and why the exercise effect is not in place. In short, once you start strength training, you will find the real beauty of fitness. Come on, my good muscle friends~