STRENGTH TRAINING
Strength Training Component

Factors Affecting Strength
We are often asked why one person develops strength and muscle faster than another when he or she is performing the same exercises, following the same training program. Many people feel that they must be doing something wrong because they aren't getting the same results as another person. It's important to realize that there are six primary factors affecting every individual's ability to achieve strength and muscle development, and we have little or no control over most of them.

Type of Muscle Fiber
One of the most influential factors is muscle fiber type. We have two basic types of muscle fibers, often referred to as "slow twitch" and "fast twitch." Slow twitch muscle fibers are best used for cardiovascular (aerobic) activities. They produce small levels of force for long periods of time and thus are better suited for endurance activities. Fast twitch fibers are best used for anaerobic activities. They produce high levels of force for short periods of time and are best suited for power activities such as weightlifting.

Most men and women have an equal combination of both slow twitch and fast twitch fibers. However, some people inherit a high percentage of slow twitch fibers that enhance their performance in endurance activities, such as long distance runners. Most world class marathon runners have a very high amount of slow twitch fibers. World class sprinters or football players, for example, have relatively more fast twitch muscle fibers. Although both fiber types respond positively to strength training exercises, the fast twitch types experience greater increases in muscle size and strength, and thus may obtain greater and/or faster results from a strength training program.

Age
Another factor over which we have little control is age. Studies show that people of all ages can increase their muscle size and strength as a result of a safe and effective strength training program. However, the rate of strength and muscle gain appears to be greater from age 10-20, the years of rapid growth and development. After reaching normal physical maturity, muscular improvements usually don't come as quickly.

Gender
Gender does not affect the quality of our muscle, but does influence the quantity. Although men's and women's muscle tissue are characteristically the same, men generally have more muscle tissue than women do because muscle size is increased by the presence of testosterone, the male sex hormone. The larger the muscles, the stronger the person; this is why most men are stronger than most women.

Limb and Muscle Length
Another strength factor that is naturally determined is limb length. Persons with short limbs tend to be able to lift more weight because of advantageous leverage factors (arms and legs). Similarly, differences in strength development may come about because of variation in muscle length. Some people have long muscles, and some people have short muscles. Persons with relatively long muscles have greater potential for developing size and strength than persons with relatively short muscles.

Point of Tendon Insertion
Muscle strength is also influenced by the point of tendon insertion. For example, let's say Jim and John both have the same arm and muscle length. However, Jim's biceps tendon attaches to his forearm farther from his elbow joint than John's does. This gives Jim a biomechanical advantage: he is able to lift more weight than John in biceps exercises such as the Biceps Curl (Bb) (Ex. #66).

Other Important Factors
All of these factors affect our ability to gain strength and muscle development through training. Keep in mind, however, that the most influential factor in achieving good results is using a very slow, controlled lifting movement and lifting to the point of muscle fatigue.

In addition to using good lifting technique, it is absolutely imperative that you not only train with intensity on a well-balanced program, but also give your muscles enough resting time between training sessions. Overtraining is a common mistake people make; it happens not only when you don't allow your muscles enough rest, but also when you train with too many sets and exercises for each muscle group.

Another mistake people make is doing the same program over and over again even after they have reached a plateau. Any time you 1) stop gaining strength or muscle size or 2) get bored, it is crucial that you change the program, so that you can go through a whole new phase achieving new results. Please refer to both the Principles and Guidelines section and the Overcoming Plateaus section for important information on how to avoid these common mistakes and on the safest most effective way to achieve good results.

Strength Training Discontinuation
You need to know what to expect if you discontinue your strength training program altogether. First of all, muscle will not turn to fat as often believed. Fat and muscle are two entirely different tissues. Your muscles simply shrink back when you stop training. If for some reason it is necessary to discontinue your strength training program altogether, you must expect to lose some of the strength, muscle size and tone that you worked so hard to gain. In the absence of strength training, your muscles will become both weaker and smaller; the rate of decrease varies widely among individuals.

Strength and muscle loss is similar to strength and muscle gain. A beginner can expect to gain strength at the rate of 5 percent per week. So if you discontinue your strength training program you can expect to lose strength at that same 5 percent rate until you are back to slightly above your pre-weightlifting level of strength. Interestingly, it will only take one-third as long for you to rebuild the "lost" muscle when you return to strength training. Muscles seem to remember how to grow after being taught the first time.

Because eating habits tend to remain the same, calories that were previously utilized for energy during workouts will be stored as fat when you are not exercising. In addition, as you lose muscle your basal metabolic rate greatly decreases, even further decreasing calorie use and increasing fat storage. Without careful attention to diet and nutrition, discontinuation can be followed by simultaneous muscle shrinkage and fat gain for a disappointing change in body composition, physical performance, and personal appearance. Fortunately, one to three quick workouts per week are enough to maintain the muscle strength, size, tone and other benefits you have previously gained. It is far better to choose an abbreviated strength training program that fits into your schedule than to discontinue weightlifting altogether.

Disadvantages and Dangers of Steroids
Steroids are synthetic derivatives of the male sex hormone testosterone, taken to increase muscle strength and size. When combined with weightlifting, steroids enhance the muscle building process of your body. However, the physical and psychological harm that generally results from steroid use far outweighs all possible benefits.

The probable consequences of steroid use are many; they include an increase in blood pressure, a decrease in the level of HDL ("good" cholesterol), destruction of the liver, testicle shrinkage in men, breast and uterus shrinkage in women, sterility and impotence in both genders, excessive breast development in men, and uncontrollable mood swings including both depression and aggression. In addition, most steroid users get terrible acne, stretch marks, and rashes, and usually their voices change as well.

We strongly recommend that steroid use be avoided no matter what your goals and interests are. Learning and implementing the strength training and nutrition principles that we teach, along with being consistent in your training schedule, are the keys to muscle size and strength development and good health--and, even more important, with no deadly side-effects.

Safety Precautions
The following section's main purpose is to assure your safety, so that you get the most out of your workouts while avoiding injuries and/or other complications. It is imperative that you understand and adhere to each of the following safety precautions.

Get a complete physical checkup before you start a strength training program. You might have to modify or avoid weightlifting if you have muscle or joint problems, seizure disorders, heart disease, high blood pressure, previous injuries or any other physical condition with potential for danger.

Be sure to always integrate warm-ups, stretching, and cooling-down into your program. This will reduce your risk of injury by increasing your blood flow and prepping your muscles for the work they are about to do. (This will be discussed in detail later.) Using the proper lifting form is important not only to work your muscles correctly, but also to prevent injury. Always do your exercises through a full range of motion in a slow, controlled manner.

When beginning a new weightlifting program--or any time you try a new exercise--always start out using light weights. It is far better to start out too light than too heavy. Choose a weight that you are sure is light and do a warm-up set of 15 repetitions, while perfecting the correct lifting technique. If the weight is too easy for 10 to 12 reps--in keeping with your goals--add a little more weight and gradually increase that weight within the next few weeks.

Going to total muscle fatigue with a challenging weight is not a useful objective in your first few weeks. When trying a new lift or starting a new routine, the objective is to practice and perfect your technique, and to learn how to concentrate on the muscle you are exercising.

Proper breathing is essential in weightlifting. If you hold your breath while lifting a weight, you run the risk of raising your blood pressure and starving your brain of oxygen. You should try to exhale during the "positive," or main exertion phase, and inhale during the "negative," the phase in which you resist and come back slowly. If this becomes too confusing or takes away from your concentration on the lift, don't worry about it--just remember to breathe.

Basic Gym Safety
Do not leave equipment lying around the weight room where someone could trip over it. Always use the collars that prevent weights from falling off the barbells. Be sure to keep your hands away from the chains, cams, pulleys, and weight plates of exercise machines when they are in use. Also, when selecting the weight for a machine exercise, be sure to push the pin in all the way.

Be sure to wear a weightlifting belt on exercises that place stress on your lower back, such as bent-over lifts like Squats (Ex. #'s 1-5), or Barbell Rows (Ex. #30). The exercises that require a weightlifting belt will be indicated in the Move to Get Fit Exercise Instructions section.

Consider having a spotter. Having a spotter is important not only for safety reasons but also for performance enhancement. Few things work as well as a conscientious, knowledgeable spotter or workout partner who demands proper technique and full effort on every exercise set and repetition. An effective spotter gives encouragement, technique, feedback, and just enough assistance to permit completion of that final, difficult, repetition. No matter what your goal reps are, each set should end with the last repetition being challenging; you should try to go to muscle fatigue. Given this goal, there is always the chance that when trying for a final repetition, you just can't do it all on your own. This is where your spotter comes in--helping you just barely finish that last rep, and assuring you of your safety.

If you do not have a workout partner at first, we strongly recommend trying to find someone with similar goals and interests to work out with you. This will not only help assure safety and motivation, it will also help you make it to the gym more often. If you aren't working with a partner at a gym, either ask a staff member or someone who looks experienced for a quick "spot". Most people will be happy to help you. Be sure you and your spotter have a plan so that each of you knows exactly what the other will do in case you need assistance.

It is also important that you know how to correctly spot someone to assure their safety. When spotting someone, always be prepared to give a little assistance when they reach muscle fatigue (cannot complete the rep on their own). You don't want to help so much that the rep becomes easy for them to complete--give just enough assistance so that they can complete the set, but it is still challenging for them. Also, only provide assistance on the positive phase (the part that requires the pushing or pulling motion). Still have your hands ready to help, but don't help with the negative phase (the part where you resist the weights force)--the lifter should try to slowly resist the force of the weight all on his/her own.

• When spotting someone who is using a barbell, be sure to use two hands and provide assistance evenly on the bar so you don't throw off their balance or favor one side more than the other. Please click here for a video demonstation.
• When spotting someone who is using dumbbell, be sure to provide assistance in the same place for both hands and the same amount of assistance on each side. Please click here for a video demonstration.
• When spotting someone who is using a machine, (Universal®, pulley, Nautilus®) provide assistance underneath the weight--be sure to move hands on the negative phase (down phase with resistance) not only to promote effective results for the lifter but also to assure your safety. Please click here for a video demonstration.

Pain and Soreness
When any workout or specific exercise causes you pain, pay attention. Knowing how to react can help you avoid a serious injury. Strength training can cause several types of pain including:

Muscle Soreness
When you use muscles you have not used for a while or try a new exercise or training technique, it is normal to feel a dull ache of soreness in the muscles that were trained. This pain is caused by microscopic tears in the fibers of the connective tissues in your body--the ligaments that connect bones to other bones, and the tendons that connect muscles to bones.

This microtrauma may sound harmful but is in fact the natural response of your muscles when they experience work. This is the primary reason it is so important that you get enough rest between specific muscle workouts. Each time you work out with weights, you cause this "damage"--these tiny tears in your muscles; they need ample resting time to rebuild and become even stronger, bigger, and more firm.

Pain During or Just After a Workout
During a workout, repeated contractions cause lactic and other acids, as well as proteins and hormones, to build up in muscle tissue. This can cause pain even without injury. But if you experience a sharp, continuous pain, or pain accompanied by a burning sensation, stop lifting and get it checked.

Cramps
These happen when muscles, often in the calves or feet, knot up in intense contractions. Cramps occur most commonly in endurance sports like cycling and running, where the athlete loses a lot of fluids through sweating. This is why it's very important to stay well-hydrated during exercise. If you do get cramps, the best way to stop them is to gently stretch the cramped muscle. Refer to the Move to Get Fit Flexibility Training component for specific stretches for each specific muscle group.

Injury
There is little chance of injury if you use the Move to Get Fit Strength Training programs and implement the important principles that we teach. When working out with weights you need to be in full control of both the weights and your own body as it lifts and uses the weights. Careless weightlifting can result in injury. Not warming up, attempting to lift too heavy a weight, using momentum or jerky movements, letting the weights drop, not using correct form, or forgetting to stretch or cool-down after your workout can indeed result in injury.

The following injuries can occur as a result of carelessness:

1. Tendonitis: This is inflammation of the tendon and can occur if you begin your first set with too heavy a weight and/or are not properly warmed-up. Rest is the best treatment for this painful injury.
2. Fascia injuries: Can occur if you suddenly jerk or pull the weight. Fascia is basically the packaging tissue of muscle. When fascia is torn, it becomes inflamed and the pain is severe. The injury should be treated with cold packs and wrapped with an ace bandage.
3. Ligament injuries: Can occur when people use momentum and jerk the weight to accomplish a lift. This injury is treated by using cold packs and rest.
4. Sprains or muscle tears: Are uncommon if you warm-up, stretch, and cool-down properly and implement the safety precautions and principles we teach.

Any time you do have inflammation or swelling, use the R.I.C.E method of reducing damage and speeding healing. For injuries, R.I.C.E. is nice.

Rest: When you are hurt, stop your workout immediately and take weight off the affected area.

Ice: Wrap ice in a towel and hold it against the injury for 10 to 20 minutes, three or four times a day until the acute injury diminishes.

Compress: Wrap the injured area in a snug, but not tight, elastic bandage.

Elevate: Raise the injured limb and rest it on a pillow to reduce swelling.

Differences Among Types of Strength Equipment
There are basically four categories of strength training equipment. These include devices that provide either isometric resistance, isokinetic resistance, dynamic constant resistance, or dynamic variable resistance (in addition to these, using Thera-band® and your own body's weight are also appropriate for strength training).

There are differences among the four different types of strength training equipment; all have advantages and disadvantages. People often ask what type of equipment works the best, or they ask if it is true that machines work better for muscle toning, or they say that they heard you cannot build bulk with machines. The truth is that the type of resistance or equipment is not what matters. What matters is how you design your program in regard to sets and reps; this is what determines the promotion of muscle tone or muscle strength. In other words, it does not matter if you are doing three sets of 15 on the bench press, on a machine or with free weights--you are training for muscle toning/endurance because the repetitions are high. Since the motion of the bench press is the same for both types of equipment, you are working the chest muscles almost exactly the same.

Isometric Exercise
Isometric equipment and exercises are used for testing muscle strength, but they are seldom used because isometric muscle contractions restrict blood flow to the muscles--which is just the opposite of our goal in strength training. This form of exercise is static--there is resistance, but there is no movement. An example of this is doing a biceps curl halfway up and holding it for, say, 30 seconds or a minute, or doing "wall sits" for a specified amount of time. The only advantage to this exercise is that it requires very little or no equipment, costs little, and takes up little space and time.

Isokinetic Exercise
Isokinetic equipment has a constant movement speed and provides a matching resistive force to the force produced. In other words, the amount of force applied determines the amount of resistance encountered. There are several types of isokinetic equipment; if you have been in physical therapy or in a rehabilitation clinic, you have probably seen either a hydraulic resistance machine or electronic resistance machine. Even though we can't recommend this equipment for strength exercise, we recognize that it has accommodating resistance forces, performance feedback, and regulation of speed. The disadvantages include the high cost of equipment and lack of accessibility.

Dynamic Constant Resistance
The next two types of equipment are the ones we recommend. The first is called "dynamic constant resistance" equipment. An example of this is barbells or dumbbells, or "free weights." With free weights, the amount of resistive force (weight) used determines the amount of muscle force (strength) applied. In other words, if you use a 50 pound barbell, it will require you to use 50 pounds of muscle force to lift the weight. More resistive force requires more muscle force, and visa versa. So, the more weight you use, the more force your muscles will have to exert. Also, the resistive force remains constant throughout the exercise movement: when you have 135 pounds on the bench press, the weight does not change throughout the motion as it does with some Universal® and Nautilus® machines (dynamic variable resistance).

However, the muscle force is greater in some positions than others due to the mechanics of human movement. For example, in the Bicep Curl (Bb) (Ex. #66), the muscle effort is less at the beginning of the exercise due to your "mechanical advantage." Advantages of free weights include low cost and easy accessibility of equipment through purchase or health club membership, variety of exercises and tangible evidence of improvement (increase in weight used). Disadvantages include inconsistent matching of resistive forces and muscular forces throughout the exercise movements.

Dynamic Variable
The second type we recommend is called "dynamic variable resistance" equipment: Universal®, Nautilus® or pulley machines. These are similar to dynamic constant resistance equipment in that the amount of resistive force (weights) used determines the amount of muscle force (strength) applied; that is, the more weight you put on the machine, the more force your muscles will have to exert. They are different in that the resistive force (amount of weight) changes throughout the exercise movement. Because Nautilus®, Universal®, and pulley machines are designed with levers, pulleys, or cams, dynamic variable resistance machines provide less resistive force (weight) in weaker lifting positions and proportionally more resistive force (weight) in stronger lifting positions. However, the muscle effort remains the same throughout the exercise movement.

Universal®, or weight stack, machines usually have two different rows of weight numbers on the left and right. People often wonder if the actual weight they are lifting is the one on the left or on the right. The answer is that because the machine moves at an angle, it creates what's called "mechanical advantage." The number on the left is the weight you are lifting at the beginning of the exercise, and the number on the right is the weight you are lifting at the end of the positive phase of the repetition--once the weight has been initially lifted.

Advantages of using these forms of strength training equipment include the ability to train through a full range of motion, consistent matching of resistive forces (weight) and muscular forces (strength) throughout the exercise movement, and tangible evidence of improvement. Disadvantages include equipment expense and lack of accessibility to individuals. Most gyms and fitness centers, however, have both free weights and machines.

We strongly recommend incorporating both of these forms of strength training exercises into your regimen. Also--always keep in mind that almost any machine exercise can be duplicated by use of free weights and visa versa, and this is highly recommended for adding variety to your program. For example, if you usually do the upright row with a barbell (Ex. #41), try doing the cable version (Ex. #45) of the upright row.

Principles and Guidelines
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. The following exercise guidelines are extremely important for your safety and the effectiveness of your strength training program.

Warming Up, Cooling Down and Stretching
Warming-up promotes safety, prevents injury, and increases performance. You should warm up two ways with the purpose of creating blood flow throughout the body and thus preparing your muscles for the workout. First, before beginning your weightlifting session, do some form of cardiovascular exercise at a light, comfortable intensity for about five to ten minutes. Walking or riding a bicycle works well. When you've completed your warm-up, be sure to stretch the primary muscles you've been using. For example, if you warmed-up on the bicycle, stretch your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and hips.

Then, for the first exercise of each muscle group, do a warm-up set with very light weight for 12-20 repetitions. For example, if your first chest exercise is the bench press, do a warm-up set of very light weight and then continue with your selected chest routine. When you have completed your chest workout and are ready to train the next muscle group, once again do a warm-up set; then continue training that muscle group, and so on.

Stretching provides better physical performance, prevents debilitating injuries, and makes you look and feel better by improving your posture. This is because when muscles are stretched, their elasticity improves, increasing your range of motion and improving the quality of your movements. Never stretch a cold muscle--always make sure your muscles are warm before stretching. When a muscle is properly warmed-up it is better able to become elastic and relaxes more easily; warming up also circulates blood to nearby tissues and helps remove unwanted waste products from your system.

In addition to stretching the muscles involved in the cardiovascular exercise, you should spend time stretching each specific muscle you have trained in your weightlifting program. This won't take much more time and the benefits are many. You have to rest between your strength training sets anyway, so you might as well use this time more productively--for stretching. Think about it: what better time to stretch than right after you have targeted blood to a specific muscle? After you have properly warmed up each muscle group, stretch between sets. Each set requires a resting period--usually between 30 seconds and three minutes. Use your resting time wisely and stretch the specific muscle being trained. Stretch only after the muscle has been properly warmed-up and about once every two to three sets per muscle group.

By the time you have finished training each muscle of the body, you will have incorporated stretching into your program, and at the best possible time to stretch--right after exercise, when the muscle is warm. This stretching between exercises is a valuable technique and will make a tremendous difference in your health. Refer to the Flexibility Training component for the many important points of a safe and effective flexibility program.

The cool-down after strength training is also crucial. Whenever a vigorous exercise session is stopped abruptly, blood tends to accumulate in the lower body. With reduced blood return, cardiac output decreases and light-headedness may occur. Because muscle movement helps squeeze blood back to the heart, it is important to continue some muscle activity after the last exercise is completed. Easy cycling, walking, or any other cardiovascular exercise at low intensity is an appropriate cool-down activity, as is any other form of cardiovascular exercise. Cool down for about 5-10 minutes at light intensity, similar to your warm-up.

Importance of Blood Supply to your Muscles
It is important to understand the value and purpose of targeting or forcing blood to the muscles you are training. Many of the principles we teach have the sole purpose of forcing blood into your muscles. When you use proper lifting technique, you will notice blood racing to the specific muscle you are training. And this is exactly what you want to happen.

When blood is forced into your muscles during your weightlifting program it potentiates the "microtrauma" or tiny little tears in your muscles that we mentioned earlier. When this happens, your muscle tissues repair and rebuild themselves bigger and stronger than they were--if you allow ample resting time. This is why you never train the same muscle group two days in a row; if you do, you cut off the rebuilding process.

You will know that you are using proper form when you feel a warmth, some fatigue, and a "burning" feeling at the end of each set for each muscle group. If you do not get this feeling, you probably need to review the proper form for your exercise. This may be an indication that you are making other common mistakes in your routine that do not allow blood to be fully targeted to the your muscles.

One of the most common mistakes people make is not training their muscle groups in an organized, systematic fashion. Always do every set and every exercise for specific muscle groups together (unless you're doing supersets for two different muscle groups--see below). For example, if your chest routine consists of three sets of bench press, do all three sets, separated by resting periods, and then go on to the next muscle group. Or, if your chest routine consists of two or three different chest exercises, do all of those chest exercises together. Do the Bench Press (Db) (Ex. #89), then Incline Bench Press (Bb) (Ex. #87), then Flys (Ex. #90), for example--until your chest routine is complete. Then you can move on to the next muscle group.

Many people make the mistake of doing a set of bench press for their chest, then a set of Biceps Curls (Db) (Ex. #67), then another set of bench press, and then on to another muscle group, and so on. This does not fully target blood into any one muscle group. You are just teasing your chest muscles and then moving on to tease another muscle group without ever targeting enough blood into any muscle group to cause much stimulation for improvement.

Another common mistake is eating right before your training program or eating too soon after your program. This can cause your heart and digestive system to work too hard and compromise the oxygen and nutrient delivery to the working muscles. Eating just before or too soon after your workout will not allow you to get enough blood into the muscles you are training.

Think about this: Digestion takes a lot of blood to work effectively. The more blood your body sends to digest your food the less blood is available to go to your muscles, to rebuild and increase strength. You should wait at least 60 minutes after eating before you start your exercise program.

Similarly, do not eat too soon after ending your workout because you want the blood that you just targeted into each specific muscle to remain there as long as possible. If you eat food too soon after your workout, the blood will be forced out of your muscles and into your digestive system. So wait at least 60 minutes after your program before you eat a meal.

Of course you should not go to your workouts hungry; you definitely want nutrients in your system for performance enhancement and energy, but try to eat an hour or more before workouts, and make sure your meal includes foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates and protein and low in fat, sugar, and cholesterol. We explain this further in the Nutrition component.

Lifting Speed
One of the most important elements in weightlifting--one that has a big effect on how much blood is targeted to your muscles--is exercise speed. Speed plays a major role in the incidence of injury as well as strength and muscle development. Fast lifting creates momentum and doesn't promote blood flow to the muscle. Slow movement creates less momentum and less internal muscle friction. Not only does slow lifting require a more even application of muscle power throughout the movement range, it actually promotes rapid blood flow into the specific muscle you are training.

In every strength training exercise for every muscle there are two different parts to each repetition of the exercise set performed. One, the concentric contraction--called the "positive" phase of the repetition--is the part where the muscle is actually doing the work, such as the lifting motion of the bicep curl--from the beginning where your arms are hanging straight down to the point where the weight is lifted up. The second part is the eccentric contraction--called the "negative" phase of the repetition--is the part with resistance, because you are returning the weight from the end of the positive phase back to the beginning. In the bicep curl, this is where you let the weight come back slowly to the beginning position, with your arms extended straight down again.

It is more important to let the weight come back slowly on the "negative" phase than on the "positive" phase. Coming back slowly with resistance on every exercise is very, very important because this is the phase that promotes blood flow to your muscles and thus causes microtrauma, building your muscles even stronger during your day of rest. We recommend one to two seconds for each lifting movement (the positive phase), and three to four seconds for each lowering movement (the negative phase). Whatever your actual lifting speed, remember to always come back slower with resistance (the negative phase) for each and every weightlifting exercise. If you find that the weight is so heavy that you cannot come back slowly in full control of the movement, you should lighten the weight until you can. Many people pay far too much attention to the quantity or weight of the lift and not the quality of the movement performed. Your muscles cannot know how much weight is on the bar or machine, but they will respond very well when you are using good, controlled form and come back slowly with resistance.

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 (Ex. #81); using hip and back extension to initiate Bicep Curls (Ex. #'s 66-67); arching the back or bending backward under Shoulder Presses (Ex. #'s 36-40); 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 (Ex. #25). 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. The Move to Get Fit Strength Training programs list the recommended sets for each exercise for all different goals and interests, experience levels, and time commitments.

Relationship Between Resistance and Repetitions
It's important to understand the inverse relationship between exercise resistance and exercise repetitions. When exercising to the point of muscle fatigue, most people can complete about six repetitions with 85 percent of maximum resistance. "Maximum resistance" is the most weight you can lift one time, in good form. Most people can complete eight repetitions with 80 percent of maximum resistance, 10 repetitions with 75 percent of maximum resistance, and 12 repetitions with 70 percent of maximum resistance.

For most people (those seeking muscle strength and tone), 8-12 repetitions with 70-80 percent of maximum resistance is a sound training recommendation for strength and muscle development. Most people do not bother with finding their one repetition maximum for each lift to obtain the appropriate weight for each set of 8-12 repetitions. This would get pretty tedious especially when you are learning a new exercise.

Really, the best and easiest way to figure out how much weight you should use on each lift is to begin by taking your best conservative guess. After you have warmed up by using a light weight for 12 or 20 reps, choose a weight for your next set that will challenge you for your goal number of repetitions. If you are not sure what that weight should be, choose a weight that is likely to be too light, rather than making the mistake of going too heavy and not reaching your desired number of repetitions. For example, say you are trying to decide the proper weight for a set of 12 repetitions on the Shoulder Press (Db)(Ex. #36). Choose a light, conservative weight slightly heavier than your warm-up and do the set 12 times (repetitions or reps). When you come to your twelfth repetition, if you feel as though you can perform another repetition or two, while still using good form, you might as well do that (to further promote blood flow to the shoulder muscle). Since you know that the weight you chose was a little too light (your 12th repetition was not a challenge), next time choose a slightly heavier weight that will challenge you for all twelve repetitions, or whatever your goal number of repetitions happens to be.

Important Note: Your strength may gradually decline as you progress through your routine. For example, on your first set (after warm-up) of the Bench Press (Bb) (Ex. #81) you did 12 reps with 150 pounds--this would force a good amount of blood and fatigue your chest muscles. If for your second set you're trying to figure out the appropriate weight for 10 reps, you may or may not want to slightly increase the weight. That is, 150 pounds might be a challenging weight for 10 reps because your muscles are a little fatigued from the first set. So, try to be intuitive and pick an appropriate weight based not only on the weight you used on the previous set, but also how fatigued your muscles feel.

It is important that the weight you choose for each set challenges you for all of your desired repetitions, whether the number is 6, 8, 10, or 12 repetitions. Similarly, if you choose a weight that does not allow you to perform all the desired repetitions in good form, do as many as you can and choose a lighter weight for the next set. It is a good idea to keep a record of the weights you use on each lift so that when you perform the same exercise at another workout you know what weight to use on each exercise set.

In general, if your goal is to get notably bigger and significantly stronger, you will want to do fewer reps with more weight, so 6-10 reps is a good target for you on most exercises. Sometimes, on exercises like the bench press and squats, even as low as 2 reps will be enough. If you are more concerned with creating muscle tone, your rep number should be in the range of 10-15. Most people's goal is a combination of muscle strength, size and tone; the target number for these folks should stay between 8-12 repetitions. Remember, however, that whether you are going for 6 reps or 15, always pick a weight that will challenge you for the full set. The Move to Get Fit Strength Training programs list the recommended repetitions for each set for all different goals and interests, experience levels and time commitments.

Progressive Resistance
As your muscles adapt to a given exercise resistance (weight), that resistance must be gradually increased to stimulate further gains. The key to strength and muscle development is progressive resistance, which is also called "exercise progression," or "the overload principle." This is the gradual and continual addition of weight to the exercise over time, as the previous weights become too easy to lift, so that your muscles are continually forced to work harder and thus increase muscle strength, size and tone. For example, in the Front Shoulder Press (Ex. #39) you might start out pressing (lifting) 20 pounds. After two or three weeks you may find that pressing 20 pounds has become too easy, and that you can do more than your chosen number of repetitions with little or no difficulty. The progression principle demands that as soon as the weight you are using is no longer a challenge, you must raise it. You progressively increase the weight you use for a lift so that you continue to make gains in muscle tone, size, and strength. It is important that you increase the weight only if the previous weight is too light; increasing the weight to push yourself harder can result in poor form and definitely increases the risk of injury.

Please understand that an increase in repetitions is an increase in strength. Many people think strength gains are only obtained when they increase the weight. But if you have increased the number of repetitions you can do with good form, you have increased your strength and more than likely, your muscle size and tone as well.

Avoid Overtraining
If you feel burnt out, weak, and/or sore, you are probably overtraining. Not providing your muscles with enough rest will often prevent you from making improvements. Training the wrong muscle groups on consecutive days will also counteract your good results. Doing too many sets and exercises per muscle group will also cause overtraining.

Remember that weightlifting, especially in an intense program, produces tissue microtrauma, those tiny tears in the muscles that temporarily decrease strength and cause varying degrees of muscle soreness. It is absolutely necessary to provide ample rest time between successive training sessions. Muscles generally require about 48 hours for the resting and rebuilding process before you work them again.

You should never train the same muscle groups on two or more days in a row (abdominals are the exception). Hypothetically then, you would do your chest, shoulders, triceps, and abdominals on Monday; on Tuesday you would train your legs, back, biceps, and abdominals; you would take Wednesday off to give all your muscle groups extra rest; on Thursday you'd do chest, shoulders, triceps, and abdominals again; and on Friday you'd do legs, back, biceps, and abdominals again. This would allow two days (48 hours) of rest for each muscle between training days. This kind of program will be discussed further on in the Move to Get Fit Strength Training programs section; all of our programs provide you with ample resting time for your muscles to rebuild and make further improvements.

Those of you who train very intensely, implementing the advanced methods mentioned in the Overcoming Plateaus section, would benefit greatly by taking even more rest time between sessions. A week does not have to be limited to only seven days--you can expand it to eight, nine, or even ten days. Think about it: why not? Day one could consist of chest, shoulders, triceps, (pushing muscles) and abdominals on Monday. Take Tuesday off. On day two, Wednesday, the routine could consist of legs, back, biceps, (pulling muscles) and abdominals. Take Thursday off. On Friday you do chest, shoulders, triceps, and abdominals again--and so on. This is especially important when mixing pushing and pulling muscles for different sessions. For example, if you train your chest on Monday and then triceps the next day, your triceps never really get a complete rest because they are indirectly trained with your chest on Monday and directly trained on Tuesday. But if you split up chest/shoulders/triceps or back/biceps, working them on different days, you can implement this eight day program for maximum muscle resting time. Remember: always allow your muscles a chance to grow, especially when you are feeling overtrained. If needed, give yourself an extra day off to grow. Never feel guilty about skipping a workout. That extra rest could be exactly what your body needs.

Many people make the mistake of doing too many sets per exercise, and/or doing too many exercises per muscle group. It's very common for people who want great muscle size and strength gains to simply do too much for each muscle group and overtrain to the point where they do more harm than good. A common weightlifting recommendation is to do at least four sets for each exercise and at least four exercises for each muscle group. This idea that "more is better" is a big misconception in the strength training industry and is recommended in many "muscle magazines" and other sources.

But when you see Mr. or Ms. Olympia in muscle magazines describing their workouts of four to five sets per exercise and four to five exercises per muscle group, do not be fooled into thinking that if you want their results you have to do what they do. These are professional body builders, quite likely to be on steroids; they can get away with these very intense long programs because their muscles are able to rebuild very quickly. If you are not on steroids--and for the sake of your health we hope you are not--your muscles will not be able to rebuild themselves quickly enough to make gains.

For each of the large muscle groups in the body such as back, chest, shoulders, quadriceps, and hamstrings, two to four exercises for each muscle is enough. For the smaller muscle groups such as biceps, calves, trapezius, etc. one to three exercises are enough. Because your back, for example, has specific muscles that need to be isolated, it is important that of the three exercises you perform, you do one that primarily targets each of the three areas: upper-middle back, lats., and lower back.

When you're doing two to four exercises for each muscle group, make sure you don't duplicate movements of specific muscle groups. For example, it makes no sense to do three sets of Bench Press (Bb) (Ex. #81) and then do three sets of Bench Press (Db) (Ex. #89) or Push-ups (Ex. #84). Each of these exercises requires exactly the same movement and works the same specific muscle. Instead, it would make much more sense to do bench press for overall middle chest (either barbell, dumbbell, or machine); do incline bench press for upper chest; and do dips for lower-outer chest.

One point--maybe the most important of all for ongoing strength training programs--that is absolutely imperative to understand and implement into your training regimen is the need to overcome training plateaus. Ideally, you want to always be going through a momentum phase in which you try something new and "shock" your muscles, forcing them to make gains. Eventually however, you will come to a point in your training where you either get bored or stop seeing results.

When this happens it is absolutely crucial that you change what you are doing; this is when you need to get creative by incorporating something new into your program. You can make effective changes in your program in many ways: try new or alternate exercises, change the order that you train your muscles or the order of the exercises, try the advanced techniques we will discuss in the next section, and so forth.

Once you have mastered the basic weightlifting principles and you have become bored or have reached a plateau, read the next section and implement these strategies into your workouts. If you follow the Move to Get Fit Strength Training programs, every workout will be different, and you will continually "shock" your muscles to new levels of improvement. All of the Move to Get Fit strength training programs continually change in an attempt to prevent boredom and frustrating plateaus. However, we feel you should also learn the important skill of adding variety to strength training programs for future personal use as you begin to develop a program that is perfect for you and for what you want to accomplish.

Overcoming Plateaus
Before you consider the need to overcome a plateau and/or boredom, it is very important that you review the basic principles of strength training. Following is a summary of the basic weightlifting principles that you should already have experienced; you should have a clear understanding of these before beginning the section on overcoming plateaus.

Review
Even the most basic strength training program should include at least one exercise per muscle group to prevent muscle imbalance; always include a warm-up, stretching, and a cool-down for maximum effectiveness and to prevent injury. When weightlifting, your aim is to get as much blood into the specific muscle you are training as possible; this is why you use slow controlled movement, without momentum and without straining any other body part (such as arching your lower back when performing a bench press).

For each set performed, make sure you go to muscle fatigue--do as many repetitions for each set as possible--do not just stop when you have completed your goal number of repetitions. And if you find that you can do more reps for a set of a certain weight, be sure to slightly increase the weight next time, so that the desired number of repetitions is challenging. For example, you choose 100 pounds for a set of 10 on the bench press, but when you get to your tenth rep you feel like you could do another one, two, three or more reps--do them. Then for the next set, choose a little bit heavier weight so that the tenth rep is, once again, a challenge. Always perform each exercise through a full range of motion with emphasis on the completely contracted position.

Safe and effective programs start out by doing what is called straight sets. This is the most common method of strength training and should be used until you stop achieving noticeable results. Doing a straight set is performing an exercise for a prescribed number of repetitions for any given muscle group. For example, when doing straight sets on a bench press to work your chest, you would press the weight for 10 reps. Upon completing the tenth rep, you would have a burning fatigued feeling. You would have chosen a weight that makes the tenth rep very challenging.

You would now rest for 30 seconds to three minutes (depending on your goals) and then perform another set for 10 reps, rest again, and then do a third set. Most people do straight sets for the first two months or until they reach a plateau and/or become bored. The straight set builds a great foundation, but if used exclusively over a long period of time, yields diminishing returns. Your muscles will simply adapt too fast to straight sets; this precludes a desirable rate of development. After you start adding advanced techniques to your program, we recommend doing straight sets every so often to elevate your strength gains and to keep your muscles "guessing."

Intermediate Techniques
First, let's look at intermediate training techniques; these you should implement after you have developed good habits and already understand all the fundamentals of a basic program using straight sets. These techniques will teach you creative ways of adding variety to your program, switching your program around, and slightly increasing the intensity so you also increase results. Then, let's look at the advanced, very intense, training techniques that you should only use after you have already hit a plateau in both the "basic/beginners" stage and the "intermediate" stage of weightlifting.

Always remember: if you train the same way you have always trained, without implementing different proven techniques, then you will continue to get the same results which if you are at a plateau, is not satisfactory and is a waste of your valuable time and energy. As you become stronger, you should perform a more intense workout. But understand this: training more intensely does not mean that you train more often or do more sets and exercises. Following are some ways to add variety and increase intensity without training more often or longer.

Change Method of Doing Exercise
The first way to get past a plateau and force further gains is to simply do the already effective exercise, but change how you do it or use different equipment. For example, if you have been doing Front Shoulder Raise exercises with dumbbells (Ex. #47), try using a barbell to perform the same Front Shoulder Raise (Ex. #48), or do the cable version of the Front Shoulder Raise (Ex. #50). One important strategy is to keep switching the way you do each exercise.

So for example, if on Day 1 when you train your chest you do a Bench Press (Bb) (Ex. #81), the next time either use dumbbells (Ex. #89) or a machine to perform the same exercise. This is a great way to add variety to an exercise you enjoy doing but still keep your muscles guessing, forcing them to continue making great gains.

Split Training
Most beginners who start strength training implement a two to three day a week program in which they do one exercise for each muscle group of the body and train every muscle group in each training session. This is a safe, conservative program that will introduce you to the important weightlifting principles and build a good foundation of strength and muscle tone improvements. Soon, however, you will reach a plateau and stop achieving good results.

If you want to increase the intensity and start training with more exercises per muscle group, you should implement what we call a split training program (the method all the Move to Get Fit Strength Training programs are based on--except the H/T Program). In this way, you split your training days into two different workouts, training different muscle groups on different days.

For example, on Monday and Thursday you could train your chest, shoulders, triceps, and abdominals. On Tuesday and Friday you could train your legs, back, biceps, and abdominals. On Wednesday you could rest or just do your cardiovascular routine. This split training program allows you to increase the intensity by adding two to three exercises per muscle group. One reason this is advantageous is that you can force two to three times more blood into your muscles and thus greatly increase the intensity.

If you tried doing two exercises for each muscle group on the first program example (non-split training), it would take you far too long to complete and it would be hard to target and keep blood in each muscle you train when you have to train 8 or 9 other muscle groups in the same session. Also note that each muscle group has two days to recover before being trained again. For example, your chest, shoulders, triceps, and abdominals are able to rest on Tuesday and Wednesday before they are trained again on Thursday.

Another advantage to this split training program is that you can train each specific area of each muscle. For example, your back is separated into upper-middle back, lats., and lower back. If you only did one exercise for your back it would be very difficult to isolate each of the three areas. But when doing a split training program you would do an exercise for each specific area of each muscle group. When training your chest, do a flat bench press for the middle of your chest, an incline bench press for your upper chest, and dips for your lower, outer chest.

The most effective split training program is called the push/pull routine. On day one, you train all muscle groups that involve a pushing motion when being performed: your chest, shoulders, triceps, and abdominals. When chest, shoulders, and triceps are all doing pushing exercises, they work synergistically together. For example, the bench press is primarily used as a chest exercise, but indirectly trains your shoulders and triceps as well. We put the muscle groups in this order because the chest is the largest muscle of the three and demands the most energy--then shoulders, then triceps. On day two, you train the muscles that require a pulling motion--the back and biceps; you may also train your legs, though legs could be trained separately on day 3.

The reason this program works so well is two-fold. The muscle groups get a good amount of rest over the prescribed number of days, and the four day schedule offers the ease of simplicity. But please note that if you are not careful, you could misuse the simplicity of this routine.

Let's say you split up the chest and shoulders workout, and did them on separate days. On training day one, you train chest and triceps; on day two, you train back and shoulders. Since chest and shoulders are both pushing exercises, on day two, you would be training your shoulders (indirectly) a second time, and not giving them adequate rest. A push/pull routine can be done on a two or three day week schedule as well (refer to the Move to Get Fit Strength Training programs).

Often you will see examples of professional body builders' training programs (in body building magazines) that show split training programs mixing push and pull muscle groups together. Remember, they can get away with this because they are on steroids and so can recover twice as fast as someone who is training naturally, in a healthy way. You can mix your push and pull muscles, but this requires that you have a day of rest in between workouts to provide adequate time for all of your muscles to restore themselves.

Another reason the push-pull method is so useful is that by the time you are done with the first muscle group of each program, such as the chest in the push routine, your shoulders and triceps are already warmed-up and somewhat trained. In the same way, after you are done with your back exercises, your biceps are already warm. In fact, in most cases you can decrease the work load or intensity to the arms by 40 percent, and the growth and strength factor remains the same--or even improved. When people switch to the push-pull routine, their arms get stronger faster with less work load and in less training time!

Yet another reason this program works so well is that most people only want to train four days a week or less. Hypothetically, your Monday weightlifting workout would include your push exercises (chest, shoulders, triceps, and abdominals). On Thursday you would do the push routine again; you would thus have two days of rest since training on Monday. On Friday you would do your pull exercises for the second time--you would have trained those muscles on Tuesday.

Eventually though, you will hit a plateau, even with this push-pull split training program. A good way to overcome the plateau is to split different muscle groups up for each training session or to do only two muscle groups per training day and have three different training days. Examples of training days could be: Day 1--chest, shoulders, back and abdominals; Day 2--legs, biceps, and triceps. Remember--this would require a day of rest between Day 1 and Day 2 because you don't want to work your chest and your triceps on two successive days--that would work the same general area twice in a row. The same goes for back and biceps.

Another popular combination is training your chest and triceps on Monday, legs and biceps on Wednesday and on Friday you'd do shoulders and back. This way none of the muscle groups would be overtrained because you will have had at least one day of rest between all training days.

There are several different combinations you could do, always remember to give enough rest to each muscle group--especially when separating the "pushing" motions (chest, shoulders, and triceps) from the "pulling" motions (back and biceps).

Try New Exercises
Because the human neuromuscular system adapts to specific movement patterns, it is advisable to change your training exercises occasionally. For each major muscle group, we will teach you at least 10-20 exercises you should eventually implement in your program. Remember, if progress comes to a halt in the bench press exercise, then either the Incline Bench Press, Flys, or Dips can serve as excellent substitutes to shock your muscles and promote further progress.

Although all of those exercises target the chest muscles, the different movements require different muscle-fiber recruitment patterns that will stimulate further strength and development. All of our programs are designed to rotate and change routines, using different exercises for each muscle group in turn.

Vary Exercise Order
The way you organize your weightlifting program should also be varied from time to time. First, try changing the order of how you usually do your routine for each muscle group. For example, if for your chest routine you usually do bench press first, then incline bench press, and then dips or flys, switch around and try alternating the order: start with the incline bench press, then do the bench press, and so on.

Here's our reasoning: if you always do the bench press first, your upper chest muscles never have the opportunity to be trained when they are fresh--they will always be somewhat fatigued from being indirectly trained on the bench press. But simply changing the exercise order of each muscle group will add variety to your workout and "shock" your muscles enough to force new results.

Second, you can change the way you train the muscle groups themselves. In the previous section we explained that it's a good idea to train your larger muscle groups first and then proceed to the smaller groups. However if, for example, you always do your chest first, then shoulders, then triceps and abdominals, your shoulders and triceps will always be somewhat fatigued before they are specifically trained. Every so often, try changing that order--do your shoulder routine first, then chest or triceps, and so on. This will not only add variety to your program, it will also produce greater results in those muscle groups that have gotten used to being trained second or third in order.

Vary the Number of Sets Performed
Another method to use when strength and muscle development reaches a plateau is to vary the number of sets performed. If you have been training with multiple sets for each exercise, you may benefit from switching to a single or two set program for each exercise. Conversely, if you have only been doing one set per exercise you might want to try doing two or three sets for each.

Vary the Resistance/Repetition Relationship
Just as the neuromuscular system adapts to specific movement patterns, it also adapts to training workloads. So another way to overcome training plateaus is to vary the resistance/repetition relationship. For example, if ten repetitions with 80 pounds becomes a strength plateau, then perhaps 12 repetitions with 70 pounds will produce additional strength gains. Conversely, if 12 reps with 140 pounds becomes a strength plateau, perhaps 8 reps with 160 pounds will stimulate further muscle development.

Although some resistance/repetition relationships may be more effective for you, the main objective is to avoid prolonged periods of training with the same workload. Do keep the number of repetitions close to what you are trying to achieve. For example, if you are trying to increase muscle tone and endurance, you would not want to do six repetitions with heavy weight.

There are two ways you can vary the resistance/repetition relationship; both methods help you to gain in muscle tone and endurance by doing higher repetitions, and in muscle strength and size on sets that are done with heavier weight (fewer reps).

One of these methods is called "pyramiding." Here's how it works: for any specific exercise, do 12 repetitions with, say, 50 pounds On the next set, try for 10 reps with a little more weight say, 60 pounds and on the third exercise do 8 repetitions with 70 pounds.

Keep in mind that the weight you choose for each set is only your best guess and you might be able to do 11 reps with 60 pounds. In that case, you might as well, because you want to do every set up to the point of muscle fatigue. Or you might only be able to do 9 reps--and want your partner to help you do that difficult tenth rep. You also have the option of doing a warm-up set and then doing 8 reps with 70 pounds, 10 reps with 60 pounds, and 12 reps with 50 pounds.

The other way to vary the resistance/repetition relationship is to do what is called "a heavy day" and "a light day" for each muscle group. For example, if you are doing the push-pull routine, have Day 1 of your push routine be your heavy day: use sets of heavier weights and do fewer reps for each exercise of each muscle group. On Day 2 of your push routine, do a light day: more reps with appropriately lighter weight. This will promote strength gains on Day 1 and muscle toning gains on Day 2.

Supersets
One of our favorite advanced training techniques serves as a great method of increasing intensity and adding variety as well as saving time: superset training. Superset training involves doing two or more successive exercises for a given muscle group without rest in between. For example, do a set of the Shoulder Presses (Db) (Ex. #36) and follow them immediately with a set of Lateral Raises (Db) (Ex. #44). This forces a lot more blood into the shoulders and provides a more intense and effective training stimulus for the shoulder muscles.

You can use the superset style of training for two different muscle groups, but only if they have an agonist/antagonist relationship with each other. In other words, on any given lift one muscle is contracting and the other muscle is relaxing (such as the biceps and triceps when performing a biceps curl). Choose muscle groups that are physically close together such as biceps and triceps, or chest and back, or quadriceps and hamstrings.

For example, do a set of Tricep Pushdowns (Ex. #53) and then immediately do a set of Cable Curls (Ex. #73). Since these two muscle groups are close to each other and have the agonist/antagonist relationship, it's easy to force blood into the arm region this way. You would not want to superset the shoulders and calves, you see, because they are so far apart it would be hard to target blood into both these muscles in such a short space of time.

Advanced Techniques
The following techniques are advanced and very intense. Do not use these in your program until you have gone well past the "basic/beginner" and "intermediate" stages and have come to a plateau. As you introduce these new methods into your program, make sure you do them gradually. Maybe just experiment: use each method with one muscle group per workout, and let each muscle react to it for a while.

And remember: always add straight sets to your regimen every so often. Do not use any one technique for long periods; interject a week or two of straight sets and then go back to your intensity workout. This approach helps to shock the muscles into a new growth phase.

Do not get carried away with doing a lot of sets. The more intense you make your workout--and if you use these techniques, your workouts will be intense--the more vigilant you must be. If you are not careful, you could overtrain, and results would come to a halt. Train smart by introducing these high intensity routines gradually. More is not better when using the following techniques.

Sometimes the training stimulus must be intensified to maximize muscle development. The following are three ways of increasing the intensity and creating additional muscle fibers (increasing strength and muscle) during an exercise. All three require that you do a set of one exercise until you reach muscle fatigue, then immediately lighten the weight (by approximately 40 percent and perform the same exercise until you reach muscle fatigue again. Each of the three techniques implements the same idea, they differ only by the equipment.

Breakdowns
The first is called "breakdown training"; this requires the use of machines. Choose a weight that you think will challenge you for a set of approximately six repetitions--50 pounds on the Triceps Pushdown (Ex. #53), for example. Do as many repetitions as possible at that weight. Once you have reached muscle fatigue, quickly decrease the weight to 30 pounds and again do as many reps as possible. This would complete one set. Breakdown training enables you not only to increase the intensity, and thus force more blood into the muscle, but also allows you to reach momentary muscle fatigue twice, affecting more muscle fibers.

Stripping
The second method is similar to breakdown training, except it is done with barbells and is called "stripping." Let's say you do the flat bench press with barbells for your chest muscles. If you normally do a set of Bench Press (Bb) (Ex. #81) for 6 reps with 185 pounds, you might want to arrange the weights so that you have two 35-pound plates on each side of a 45-pound barbell. Do your bench press with the two 35-pound plates on each side for as many reps as you can. When you have reached muscle fatigue, have your partner or--even better, two people--quickly strip one of the 35-pound plates off of each side and do the bench press again for as many reps as possible. This would complete one set.

Up/Down the Rack
The third training method that promotes new and improved muscle and strength gains, similar to both breakdowns and stripping in its intensity, is called "up and down the rack"; this one requires the use of dumbbells. When using the "down the rack" training technique, make sure all the dumbbells are in proper sequence with about 5-10-pound increments between each pair. Shrugs (Db) (Ex. #51) is our example: choose the weight you would normally use for about 8 reps, and do as many Shrugs as possible; then quickly grab the next set of dumbbells (approximately 40 percent lighter) and again do as many Shrugs as possible.

You can see why each of these three techniques would help you overcome plateaus and produce outstanding results. Try to choose the weights so that each time you are only able to do between 4 and 8 reps. This way, if you do the bench press 5 times with your heavy weight and then "break it down," "strip," or go "down the rack" to a lighter weight that you can do 6 reps with, the effect is as if you have done a set of 11 repetitions--but the experience is much more intense because you have reached muscle fatigue twice. You must go to complete fatigue each and every time before "breakdowns," "stripping," or going "down the rack" and each strip must occur in under three seconds. This is a must; the speed is essential. The muscles being worked must not get a chance to recover. If you take longer than three seconds, the muscles will recover and thus defeat the whole purpose of the exercise.

You can do any one of these three methods three times if you want to further increase the intensity. For example, you could start out doing breakdowns with 50 pounds and do as many as possible, then quickly decrease the weight to 30, and then 20 pounds.

Never do more than three sets of these advanced training methods and definitely do not feel guilty about doing only one set. If done properly these will absolutely stimulate growth. Remember: you must go to muscle fatigue before breaking down, stripping, or going down the rack, and each "strip" for example, must be done very quickly--in less than three seconds. This is very important--the muscles being worked must not get a chance to recover.

It's very likely that the results of this training will be so great that you will literally want to do this style of training every workout, but remember: keep changing your routine--never let your muscles get accustomed to any exercise or technique. Be sure to go back to straight sets in between, and try some of the additional techniques that follow.

Assisted Training
Assisted training, sometimes called "forced reps" training, is similar to breakdown, stripping, and up and down the rack training in that resistance is decreased in accordance with the muscle's momentary capacity to contract. However, with assisted training your partner actually helps you to perform two or three post-fatigue repetitions.

For example, let's say you normally encounter muscle fatigue after 10 reps with 70 pounds on the Close-grip Lat. Pull-downs (Ex. #27). By receiving a little assistance from your partner during the lifting movement, you can complete a few more repetitions, thus stimulating and fatiguing additional muscle fibers, increasing the intensity of the exercise. Make sure that your partner does not help you during the negative part of the repetition, the part with resistance where you let the weight back slowly to the beginning of the movement. You should resist the weight all by yourself. A good lifting partner will always encourage the lifter to let the weight come back very slowly, in good form.

Negatives
This brings us to the next advanced training method, called "negative training" or "negatives." There are two different ways you can work "negatives" into your routine. The first method is very intense and requires that your partner apply additional resistance to the negative phase of the lift. For example, when doing the Preacher Curl Machine (Ex. #72), curl the bar up, just as you normally would, but now have your partner apply resistance or pull the bar down against your force. It's fine if you eventually need help on the positive phase (the lifting of the weight); just be sure to keep resisting the additional force your partner is applying to the bar.

Because effective muscle force output is greater during the negative phase of the lift, negative training is useful for increasing muscle strength and development. However, lowering weights that are too heavy to lift creates a higher injury risk for both the muscles and the connective tissues. We therefore recommend that all negative training be carefully controlled, supervised by a conscientious spotter.

A second, less intense form of negative training simply requires that you lower the weight back to the original position as slowly as possible and then lift the exercise as you normally would through the positive phase. For example, when doing the Bench Press (Bb) (Ex. #81), lower the weight as slowly as you can and do as many reps on your own as possible. When you get to the point where you cannot push up the weight, have your partner help you with the pushing up and still lower the weight as slowly as possible. This method will really force blood into your muscles. Expect to be a little more sore than usual and maybe even need an extra day or so of rest to help the rebuilding process in your muscles.

Ten-Second Training
The last advanced training strategy is called "10-second training." This is another way to make muscles work harder by decreasing speed. Slower movement reduces the role of momentum and requires more muscle effort. One way to further exploit and take advantage of this strategy is to take a full 10 seconds for each lifting movement. You may need to decrease the weight and/or the repetitions with this method, because if you move slowly enough, it won't take much to produce muscle fatigue; the increased muscle tension will be obvious.

As with all other forms of advanced/intense exercises, 10-second training should not be practiced at every workout session. Just as with the other advanced/intense exercises, use a spotter who will provide some assistance and assure your safety.

Take Action
We hope you have found the information in this component helpful. You now have the knowledge and tools (customized strength training programs, video demonstrations, exercise instructions, etc.) to achieve the results you desire and the benefits your body deserves. Your greatest challenge, however, is not learning new exercises or the proper technique; it's not learning how many sets or reps to do or how much weight to use. Nor is it deciding when or how to change your routine. The greatest challenge facing you at this moment is deciding whether you are willing to take action and make time for yourself and make strength training a priority--to move forward and accept change.

If you are a beginner, including strength training into your busy schedule will be an adjustment. Similarly, if you are advanced, getting in the habit of continually changing your routine and trying the Move to Get Fit principles that you may be unfamiliar with will be equally challenging. We understand that change is difficult for many people. However, if you have the willingness to work through the initial emotional discomfort as you move step by step through the Move to Get Fit Strength Training program, you will find the confidence, commitment and determination that will ease the way.

When you begin achieving great results, the excitement and fun you experience will make the change well worth the effort. Action creates motivation! Good luck: We hope you enjoy all the wonderful benefits of our Move to Get Fit Strength Training program.

Use the Back button on your browser to go back to previous location!