Workout Principles

Slide 1 : Your Workout Basic Information Your Guide to a New You

Slide 2 : Table of Contents Getting Started Workout Principles Keys to Success Workout Precautions

Slide 3 : Workout Principles Click on a principle to learn more

Slide 4 : Workout Principles Principle 1: Warming up Are you the type who gets to the gym, heads straight to the weight room and starts lifting? If so, you might be putting yourself at risk for injury and you're probably not performing at your peak during workouts. That's because our bodies do not respond well going from complete inactivity to an intense level of output: our systems need gradual stimulation to function optimally. Always begin your resistance-training with at least five to 10 minutes of cardio activity, such as using a bike, treadmill, stair climber, rowing machine or cross-country ski trainer. This will ensure your body is ready to go. If you're planning an upper body workout, be sure to warm up your upper half: rowing or stationary cross-country skiing will do the trick. When it's time to head to the weight room, don't start with your heaviest sets. First do a few warm-up exercises that involve all your muscle groups and joint actions. Return to main page

Slide 5 : Workout Principles Principle 2: Quality is more important than quantity Resistance training that ignores technique will get you results much more slowly and may put you at risk for injury. For best results, follow these tips: Quality and execution of movement is critical. It's far better to perform eight reps with perfect form than to do 12 sloppy reps. Take it slow: Proper weight training is not a fast sport. In fact, strength and conditioning researcher Wayne Westcott has determined that one repetition should take approximately five to six seconds: two seconds to lift the weight and four seconds to lower it in a controlled fashion. Most people lift much too quickly using momentum instead of muscle. A proper set of 8 to 12 repetitions should take approximately one minute to complete. Proper execution of each rep is the most critical factor in weight training. Continue ? Return to main page

Slide 6 : Workout Principles Principle 2: Quality is more important than quantity, cont. Breathe: A proper breathing rhythm will make each set more effective. Focus on exhaling as you lift the weight or when you exert. Inhale as you recover or lower the weight. Holding your breath while you're lifting may cause dizziness, headaches or even fainting. Sit up straight: Proper posture is essential to ensure you are working the correct muscle groups and avoiding risk of injury. Always keep your abdominals contracted throughout the entire set of any exercise. Do that by pulling your belly button in toward your spine, and then contract your abdominals to help stabilize your trunk. Keep your shoulders back and chest lifted up and out for any exercise that has you seated, bent-over or standing. Return to main page

Slide 7 : Workout Principles Principle 3: You must hit momentary muscle fatigue A good exercise set finishes once you hit momentary muscle fatigue. This is the point during a set when you absolutely cannot do another rep with perfect form. If you can perform more reps, you have two choices. You should do the extra reps until you hit that point of momentary fatigue. Or, next time increase the weight you are working with by 5 to 10 per cent so you can hit momentary muscle fatigue within the suggested zone of 8 to 12 reps. Never finish a set knowing that you could have performed more reps. Continue ? Return to main page

Slide 8 : Workout Principles Principle 3: You must hit momentary muscle fatigue, cont. It's important to note the difference between going to fatigue and to failure. You should never go to failure, which occurs when you continue the set with poor technique or when other muscle groups have kicked in to help finish the set. Always focus on proper technique and avoid using other muscles to lift the weight. If you cannot complete 8 reps, you're lifting too much weight. If you can easily perform more than 12 reps, you're not lifting enough weight. Your goal is to perform the exercise correctly within the recommended 8 to 12 reps. Return to main page

Slide 9 : Workout Principles Principle 4: Sets and reps One of the first questions asked in the weight room is, "How many sets and reps should I do?" Let's start by understanding these two terms. "Repetitions" (or "reps") is the number of times you perform an exercise without stopping. "Sets" is the number of times you perform a complete series of repetitions. For example, you may perform two sets of 10 reps. Years ago, trainers were taught to prescribe three sets of 10 reps for every exercise, regardless of the person or the goal. Current studies are finding that one-set training can yield the same results as two to three sets. One-set training is just that: one set of 8 to 12 reps of each exercise. The trick is that each set must be performed to momentary muscle fatigue. Continue ? Return to main page

Slide 10 : Workout Principles Principle 4: Sets and reps If you've been doing two or more sets of various exercises, it's not that you've been training incorrectly. In fact, multiple set training has been used for years with great results. But by sequencing your exercises correctly and ensuring you hit momentary muscle fatigue with each set, even advanced exercisers will be able to achieve similar benefits in less time with one-set training. Return to main page

Slide 11 : Workout Principles Principle 5: Weight train on alternate days You may be surprised to learn that you don't get stronger during weight-training sessions. You actually get stronger during rest periods between workouts. At a cellular level, your muscles experience microscopic tears when you weight train. The body responds by sending blood and nutrients to the muscles to help them heal. And that's exactly what they do. They respond by getting stronger. That's why it's important never to work the same body part two days in a row. Your muscles require a day's rest in between these sessions. So, if you're following a full-body routine, you'd want to weight train on, say, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you're doing a split routine — where you divide your workouts into upper body, lower body and torso/abdominals — you could work out your lower body on Mondays and Thursdays, your upper body on Tuesdays and Fridays and your abs on Wednesdays. Return to main page

Slide 12 : Workout Principles Principle 6: Apply the overload principle When you first begin exercising, the body is exposed to a stimulus that it's not used to and it will be forced to respond in a positive fashion by getting stronger and fitter. This is called a physical adaptation, which means that your body has structurally, biomechanical and physiologically improved. But simultaneous with the physical adaptation is the physical plateau that many people experience. In order to experience ongoing results, the body must be stressed or stimulated to a greater degree than what it is used to — this is called the overload principle. To achieve ongoing results, you must regularly change your program to ensure that you are stimulating your body. Return to main page

Slide 13 : Workout Principles Principle 7: Change it up You can implement the overload principle by regularly updating your program. The only perfect weight-training routine is one that changes. A program that we design today may be perfect today, but in about four to eight weeks it will no longer be effective. You can change your program in a variety of different ways. You could alter the amount of weight you lift, the exercises you perform, the order in which you perform the exercises, the number of sets or reps, the amount of recovery time you take between exercises, the number of days you work out each week. It's also important to make small changes during each workout. For example, you might slightly increase the weight you are lifting or perform a few extra reps. The options are limitless. Continue ? Return to main page

Slide 14 : Workout Principles Principle 7: Change it up, cont. This is where an investment in a personal trainer may save you a lot of time. You don't have to spend a fortune: one or two sessions every two months will go a long way toward maximizing your workout time. Personal trainers will come to your gym or your home and design a program that you can follow. IDEA, the International Health and Fitness Source, an organization of fitness and health professionals, stated recently that only 25 per cent of people working out in a gym are getting the results they want. Of that satisfied group, 90 per cent are working with a personal trainer. Return to main page

Slide 15 : Workout Principles Principle 8: Practice neuromuscular facilitation This simply means putting your mind into it. Neuromuscular facilitation is just a fancy term for teaching your muscles to contract more effectively. Your muscles are under direct orders from your nervous system. For one to contract, a nerve stimulus must arrive at the muscle, which will cause it to fire. The coordination between your muscles and your neurological system is critical to maximize any movement or exercise. What does this mean while you're working out? There are definitely some exercises you can dissociate from. For example, you can get up on a treadmill, plug in a seven-minute mile and then think about your day, read a magazine or watch TV. You will burn the same number of calories whether you focus or not. But focus is critical with weight lifting. We know that if you actually concentrate on what you are doing, you can significantly increase the amount of muscle activity measured during these exercises. So tune out the TV, cease all conversation and really focus on each set. You'll see results much more quickly. Return to main page

Slide 16 : Workout Principles Principle 9: Use touch training If you have ever watched a personal trainer working with a client, you may notice that the trainer will often touch a client while training. This is an example of using an actual physiological principle to maximize training effects. You have sensory receptors on your skin. When you make contact with the skin, the sensory receptors pick up the pressure of the touch and send a message to the brain. The brain then picks up this message and sends a message on the motor neurons down to the same area to recruit more motor units, therefore firing more muscle fibers. This means each rep will be more effective, which will result in a more focused and beneficial set. If you have the opportunity to apply touch to a muscle you are trying to fatigue, go for it. Whenever your hands are free, touch the muscle you're trying to challenge to get a stronger contraction. Return to main page

Slide 17 : Workout Principles Principle 10: Avoid overtraining Although it is important to regularly overload the body, there is a fine line between overloading and overtraining. Overtraining is when you have done more than your body can handle. If you are overtraining, you may experience ongoing and/or extreme muscle soreness; continual decrease in normal workout performance; persistent colds, headaches, injuries or other illnesses; loss of appetite; intestinal problems; loss of lean tissue; ongoing fatigue; changes in mood or attitude; unexplained weight loss; and/or cessation of menstrual cycle. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms and cannot explain why, you should either stop or reduce the intensity and volume of your training and see a sports physician. Return to main page

Slide 18 : Workout Principles Principle 11: Apply progression There are literally hundreds of different exercises you could perform to get the results you are looking for. If you're just getting started, begin with basic exercises. It's necessary to progress from exercises that require the least amount of skill, coordination, balance and overall fitness to those that maximally challenge these skills. As you master the technique of these exercises, you should advance the program by incorporating more difficult exercises. For example, when performing a chest press, you may start on a machine that has a back support so that all you have to think about is pushing the bar. As you master this skill and your muscle conditioning improves, try performing the exercise lying on a bench with hand weights instead. Continue ? Return to main page

Slide 19 : Workout Principles Principle 11: Apply progression, cont. Now, you have to think about balancing the hand weights, which adds a new dimension to the movement. Once you have mastered this skill, you can then progress to performing the exercise lying over an exercise ball instead of on a bench. Not only do you have to think about the hand weights, you also have to consider that you are lying on a moveable object. You can follow this type of progression for any exercise. Every four to eight weeks try to add a new challenge to any exercise that you are performing. But it is always important that you follow the appropriate gradual progression. Do not attempt more challenging exercises without having first developed the basic foundation for the skill. Return to main page

Slide 20 : Workout Principles Principle 12: Stretching When most people think of the stereotypical body builder, they think of a really big guy with huge muscles who is so tight and stiff that he actually has a problem moving. It's difficult to imagine a graceful and flexible body builder. But just because you lift weights, you don't have to settle for being rigid and inflexible. The reason most of these guys developed that type of build was because they never did any stretching. So, after all workouts, do a 10-minute stretch. The general guideline is that you hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds—ideally longer. The really good stretching happens after the 30-second mark. And remember, hold each stretch to the point of tension—not pain. Return to main page

Slide 21 : Workout Principles Principle 13: Be aware of the reversibility principle This unfortunate rule states that "if you don't use it, you lose it." Fitness is transient: the training benefits gained from an exercise program will be lost if the program is discontinued. Exercise must be a regular component of your lifestyle for you to reap continual benefits. A maintenance weight-training program allows you to maintain your strength for up to 12 weeks if you can manage to get in one hard resistance workout every 10 to 14 days. Don't use the technique regularly though—only during those times where you might find yourself completely neglecting your workouts because of a holiday or a busy schedule. It is also important to take rest days. Schedule in one to two days during the week when you are not focused on having a hard workout and getting into your training zone. Return to main page

Slide 22 : There are many components to a healthy fitness program: Nutrition, Sleep or Rest, Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular Endurance, Muscular Strength and Flexibility. Cardiovascular Endurance is the body's capability to do large muscle work over a period of time. Endurance is dependent on the cardiovascular system's ability to pump blood and deliver oxygen through your body. Cardiovascular endurance should be the most vital element of your overall fitness program. Improving cardiovascular endurance not only increases the supply of oxygen and energy to your body, it decreases your risk of diseases that are life threatening, such as heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.When a heart is well conditioned, it is like any other muscle - it becomes stronger and more efficient. A normal heart beats at a rate of approximately 70 beats per minute at rest or about 100,000 beats a day. The well conditioned heart can actually beat as few as 40 times a minute at rest or approximately 50,000 beats per day. A well conditioned heart can supply oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body while performing less work.The aging process will deprive you of muscular strength, endurance and flexibility, if you do not maintain. A regular fitness regimen becomes extremely important as you age. Continue ? Getting Started...

Slide 23 : Strength is the ability of any muscle or a group of muscles to exert a certain amount of force in a one-time burst of effort. Weightlifting (or resistance training) is a typical type of strength training which increases muscle strength and mass and bone strength. There are two types of muscle fibers that are used during strength training. 1. Fast-twitch fibers give the volatile force needed for weightlifting. 2. Slow-twitch fibers are for endurance that gives muscles the ability to withstand fatigue. When you make muscles work harder, you will actually injure these fibers. But as they rebuild, they get stronger and bigger, resulting in harder, tighter and larger muscles.Muscular Endurance is the ability to resist fatigue and continue to exercise over long periods of time. Strength training is required to maintain muscle strength, endurance training is necessary to attain stamina. Muscular endurance is the ability of muscles to continue working resilient without resting.Flexibility is the ability of joints and muscles to reach complete breadth of motion. Flexibility will help prevent injuries and will keep you feeling comfortable after exercise. You do not need to lose flexibility as you build muscle. Continue ? Getting Started...

Slide 24 : Weight training can raise your resting metabolic rate, which makes it easier to lose weight and maintain weight loss. Strength training can improve your blood lipid levels — good news for those with high cholesterol. Weight training can reduce arthritic pain. Two months of strength exercise can increase your lean tissue weight, helping to reduce your percentage of body fat. Two months of strength exercise can reduce your blood pressure. Ten weeks of specific weight training can reduce lower back pain. Three months of strength training can help you lose fat weight while eating up to 15 per cent more calories. Three months of strength training increases the time in which digested substances pass through the body, which is important for reducing your risk for colon cancer. Four months of weight training boosts bone mineral density, which reduces your risk for osteoporosis. Four months of strength exercise increases your body's ability to absorb and store glucose, which helps lower your risk for developing adult-onset diabetes. Continue ? If it's not enough for you that weight training can improve your posture, increase your agility and help you perform better in your favorite sports and activities, maybe these health benefits will convince you. Getting Started...

Slide 25 : Important Workout Precautions  Get a physicians checkup before you start. If you have a medical condition, a checkup is especially important in determining what type of exercise program would best suit your needs. Always warm up before exercise. A 5-7 minute warm up on the treadmill or stationary bike is enough to get the blood flowing and lower the chance of a pulled or torn muscle. Know what you are doing. If you aren't sure how to perform an exercise or how a machine works, then ask someone who does. Asking for help isn't always easy but taking a chance by "winging it" isn't worth the risk of injuring yourself. Use exercise machines and free weights correctly. This includes stacking weight plates on barbells correctly and making sure exercise machines are adjusted to best fit your body each time you use them. Continue ? Precautions

Slide 26 : Important Workout Precautions , cont. Always lift weights in a controlled manner. There is a big difference between working out with great intensity and working out beyond your control. Strive toward greater intensity but always maintain control. Focus! Focus! Focus! Keep your mind on what you are doing. Visualize which muscles are being used, how you feel as you perform different exercises, and focus on what you are there to achieve. Wear clothing that isn't too tight or too loose but will allow you to exercise comfortably. Avoid wearing jewelry or keeping wallets and keys in pockets as these can not only compromise your workout but can potentially be hazards as well. Precautions

Slide 27 : 1. Warm up your muscles. Since muscles, joints, heart, lungs, etc., require gradual stimulation to function optimally, begin with five to 10 minutes of cardio activity before you begin lifting weights. It also helps to do warm-up sets — where you do a couple of sets without weight or using less weight than your optimal set — because, muscles need to be progressively loaded before being worked maximally. 2. Stretch. It helps to warm and loosen muscles before weight training. Stretching after your workout will alleviate or eliminate muscle soreness the next day. 3. Stay focused. You're more prone to injury if you're distracted by TV or your Walkman while working out. 4. Use a spotter when appropriate. A good spotter will focus on helping you with form as you lift the weight, and be ready to step in when you reach the point of failure. 5. Use proper progression. Adding too much weight too quickly can cause injury. Continue ? Whether you're a novice or an experienced lifter, it's easy to injure yourself while strength training due to the weight involved. That's why proper weight training requires focus and precise execution and technique to be safe. Review these tips before your next workout — you'll be safer and achieve results faster. Happy lifting! Keys to Success

Slide 28 : 6. Learn to distinguish between good pain and bad pain. Good pain, which indicates that your muscles are being productively worked, is a general muscle ache or stiffness in the region that you exercised 24 to 36 hours before. Good pain is also the "burn" felt after a hard set. Bad pain is usually acute, sudden, often occurs while exercising, and is more likely to be felt in the joint. Post-exercise muscle soreness doesn't restrict movement, while pain and injury do. 7. Stop exercising immediately if you have pain. 8. Use the RICE philosophy: rest, ice, compress, and then elevate. Apply ice to the affected area for 15 minutes. Wrap the ice in a towel; do not apply it directly to the skin. 9. Take time to recover. You shouldn't weight train using the injured muscle or joint until it's fully healed. Re-injuring the afflicted area will only lengthen your recovery time. Don't stop training entirely though, because you want to maintain your conditioning. If, for example, you injure your left leg, you should continue working the muscles in your right leg during your recovery period. 10. Rest for at least one day between strength training sessions. That's when your muscles develop. Never work the same muscle group two days in a row; overtraining your muscles impedes your strength and conditioning because there is no recovery time for the muscle to regenerate itself. Your strength level declines because the muscle is in a constant state of repair. Keys to Success