Exercise

Practical Tips For Resistance Training Programs

May 25, 2009
By J White

Building muscle through resistance training programs helps you to more easily and quickly burn calories. In fact the higher the percentage of muscle to fat on your body, the higher your metabolism. This means you can eat more food without getting fat.

To avoid injury and to get the most out of your time spent doing the exercises, here are some practical tips for you to follow.

Practical Tips For Resistance Training Programs

Avoid maximum lifts at the beginning of training Trying to lift your maximum amount of weight at the beginning of your training can result in muscle injury and placing too much stress too quickly on your joints. This practice contributes little to strength development. Loads of about 60% to 80% of your max allows for enough force to stimulate and increase muscle strength.

Use lighter resistance to perform more repetitions When you are starting a resistance training program, you should aim for weights that will allow you to do 12 to 15 repetitions. This helps by not placing excessive strain on your body during the early phase of your program. Use a heavier load if 12 reps feels to light and a smaller load if you cannot complete 12.

After muscle adaptation, decrease repetitions After several weeks of training, your muscles will adapt to the exercise load and movements. You can then decrease the repetitions to between 6 and 8 and add more weight.

Add more resistance after reaching your target number of repetitions After completing a set of reps, add more resistance. With the lifting of a heavier load, this progression in resistance helps muscles to become stronger.

Exercise large muscle groups then smaller muscle group When you start your exercise session, start with your larger muscle groups such as your chest or legs. This helps to avoid fatigue of the smaller groups, which could later interfere with your training of your larger muscle groups.

More Helpful Information For Women

Here’s one last bit of information about resistance training for women. You guys cannot build muscle like men, so don’t be afraid that you will become a muscle bound hulk by following these tips. Besides genetics, it takes years to look like a contestant in a bodybuilding competition. You will gain muscle, but it will help you look more slim and toned, than enormous and muscle-bound.

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