Strength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, endurance and size of skeletal muscles. There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity or elastic/hydraulic forces to oppose muscle contraction. Strength training and resistance training are terms often used interchangeably - currently within Wikipedia, resistance training is used to refer to elastic/hydraulic training alone. Physical strength is the ability of a person or animal to exert force on physical objects using muscles. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A complete weight training workout can be performed with a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a set of weight disks (plates). ... Resistance training has two different, sometimes confused meanings - a more broad meaning that refers to any training that uses a resistance to the force of muscular contraction (better termed strength training), and elastic or hydraulic resistance, which refers to a specific type of strength training that uses elastic or hydraulic... Resistance training has two different, sometimes confused meanings - a more broad meaning that refers to any training that uses a resistance to the force of muscular contraction (better termed strength training), and elastic or hydraulic resistance, which refers to a specific type of strength training that uses elastic or hydraulic...

Properly performed, strength training can provide significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being including increased bone, muscle, tendon and ligament strength and toughness, improved joint function, reduced potential for injury, improved cardiac function and elevated good cholesterol. Training commonly uses the technique of progressively increasing the force output of the muscle through incremental increases of weight, elastic tension or other resistance, and uses a variety of exercises and types of equipment to target specific muscle groups. Strength training is primarily an anaerobic activity, although some proponents have adapted it to provide the benefits of aerobic exercise through circuit training. Grays Anatomy illustration of a human femur. ... A tendon (or sinew) is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone and is built to withstand tension. ... A ligament is a short band of tough fibrous connective tissue composed mainly of long, stringy collagen fibres. ... In materials science and metallurgy, toughness is the resistance to fracture of a material when stressed. ... A joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. ... This page is about the muscular organ, the Heart. ... High-density lipoproteins (HDL) form a class of lipoproteins, varying somewhat in their size (8–11 nm in diameter), that carry cholesterol from the bodys tissues to the liver. ... Anaerobic exercise is typically used by athletes in non-endurance sports to build power and by body builders to build muscle mass. ... Aerobic exercise refers to exercise which is of moderate intensity, undertaken for a long duration. ... Circuit training is a form of group gym exercise in which strength exercises are combined with endurance exercises. ...

Strength training differs from bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman, which are sports rather than forms of exercise. Strength training, however, is often part of their training regimen. Professional Bodybuilder Gustavo Badell posing Bodybuilding is the process of developing muscle fibres through the combination of weight training, sufficient caloric intake, and rest. ... A weightlifter about to jerk 180 kg[1] Weightlifting, sometimes referred to commonly as lifting, is a sport in which competitors attempt to lift heavy weights mounted on steel bars called barbells, the execution of which is a combination of power, flexibility, technique, mental and physical strength. ... The bench press is one of the three events of powerlifting. ... In the 19th century, the term strongman refers to an exhibitor of strength (before strength sports were codified into weightlifting, powerlifting etc. ...

History

Main article: History of strength training

An early plate-loading barbell and kettlebell

Until the 20th century, the history of strength training was essentially a history of weight training. With the advent of modern technology, materials and knowledge, the methods that can be used for strength training have multiplied significantly. An early plate-loading barbell. ... An early plate-loading barbell. ... An early plate-loading barbell. ... A U.S. Army soldier uses a barbell with Olympic plates (but no collars) to perform a bench press. ... A one pood kettlebell A barbell in the air and a kettlebell on the ground The kettlebell or girya (Russian: гиря) is a traditional Russian cast iron weight looking somewhat like a cannonball with a handle. ...

Hippocrates explained the principle behind strength training when he wrote "that which is used develops, and that which is not used wastes away", referring to muscular hypertrophy and atrophy. Progressive resistance training dates back at least to Ancient Greece, when legend has it that wrestler Milo of Croton trained by carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until it was fully grown. Another Greek, the physician Galen, described strength training exercises using the halteres (an early form of dumbbell) in the 2nd century. Ancient Persians used the meels, which became popular during the 19th century as the Indian club, and has recently made a comeback in the form of the clubbell. Hippocrates of Cos II or Hippokrates of Kos (ca. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Atrophy is the partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body. ... The Temple to Athena, the Parthenon Ancient Greece is a period in Greek history that lasted for around three thousand years. ... Milo or Milon of Croton (late 6th century BC) was the most famous of Greek athletes in Antiquity. ... Cattle calf A Calf (plural calves) is the young of an animal. ... Galen. ... This article concerns an ancient sports object. ... A pair of spinlock dumbbells with 2 kg plates. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... Indian Clubs are a category of exercise equipment popular in the late 19th and early 20th century in Europe, the British Commonwealth and the United States. ...

The dumbbell was joined by the barbell in the latter half of the 19th century. Early barbells had hollow globes that could be filled with sand or lead shot, but by the end of the century these were replaced by the plate-loading barbell commonly used today.^[1] A U.S. Army soldier uses a barbell with Olympic plates (but no collars) to perform a bench press. ... Patterns in the sand Sand is a granular material made up of fine rock particles. ... The term shot may refer to: Look up shot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Strength training with isometric exercise was popularised by Charles Atlas from the 1930s onwards. The 1960s saw the gradual introduction of exercise machines into the still-rare strength training gyms of the time. Strength training became increasingly popular in the 1980s following the release of the bodybuilding movie Pumping Iron and the subsequent popularity of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since the late 1990s increasing numbers of women have taken up strength training, influenced by programs like Body for Life; currently nearly one in five U.S. women engages in weight training on a regular basis.^[2] Isometrics is a form of exercise involving the contraction of a muscle without the shortening of the angle of the joint. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... An exercise machine is any machine used in exercise. ... Pumping Iron is a 1977 documentary film about the run-up to the 1975 Mr. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): ) (born on July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor and an American politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California. ... Bill Phillips appears on the cover of the Body for Life book. ...

Basic principles

The basic principles of strength training involve a manipulation of the number of repetitions (reps), sets, tempo, exercises and force to cause desired changes in strength, endurance, size or shape by overloading of a group of muscles. The specific combinations of reps, sets, exercises, resistance and force depend on the purpose of the individual performing the exercise: sets with fewer reps can be performed using more force, but have a reduced impact on endurance.

Strength training also requires the use of 'good form', performing the movements with the appropriate muscle group(s), and not transferring the weight to different body parts in order to move greater weight/resistance (called 'cheating'). Failure to use good form during a training set can result in injury or an inability to meet training goals - since the desired muscle group is not challenged sufficiently, the threshold of overload is never reached and the muscle does not gain in strength. Form is a way of performing a movement to avoid injury and cheating. ... Cheating is defined as an act of lying, deception, fraud, trickery, imposture, or imposition. ...

The benefits of strength training include increased muscle, tendon and ligament strength, bone density, flexibility, tone, metabolic rate and postural support.

Types of strength training

Weight training

Main article: Weight training

Weight and resistance training are popular methods of strength training which use gravity (through weight stacks, plates or dumbells) or elastic/hydraulic resistance respectively to oppose muscle contraction. Each method provides a different challenge to the muscle relating to the position where the resistance to muscle contraction peaks. Weight training provides the majority of the resistance at the initiating joint angle when the movement begins, when the muscle must overcome the inertia of the weight's mass (however, if repetitions are performed extremely slowly, inertia is never overcome and resistance remains constant). In contrast, elastic resistance provides the greatest opposition to contraction at the end of the movement when the material experiences the greatest tension while hydraulic resistance varies depending on the speed of the submerged limb, with greater resistance at higher speeds. In addition to the equipment used, joint angles can alter the force output of the muscles due to leverage and the relative overlap of actin and myosin contractile proteins. A complete weight training workout can be performed with a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a set of weight disks (plates). ... A complete weight training workout can be performed with a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a set of weight disks (plates). ... Resistance training has two different, sometimes confused meanings - a more broad meaning that refers to any training that uses a resistance to the force of muscular contraction (better termed strength training), and elastic or hydraulic resistance, which refers to a specific type of strength training that uses elastic or hydraulic... Inertia is the property of an object to remain at constant velocity unless acted upon by an outside force. ... Tension is a reaction force applied by a stretched string (rope or a similar object) on the objects which stretch it. ... Leverage is related to torque; leverage is a factor by which lever multiplies a force. ... G-Actin (PDB code: 1j6z). ... Myosin is a motor protein filament found in muscle tissue. ...

Resistance training

Main article: Resistance training

Resistance training is a form of strength training in which each effort is performed against a specific opposing force generated by resistance (i.e. resistance to being pushed, squeezed, stretched or bent). Exercises are isotonic if a body part is moving against the force. Exercises are isometric if a body part is holding still against the force. Resistance exercise is used to develop the strength and size of skeletal muscles. Properly performed, resistance training can provide significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being. Resistance training has two different, sometimes confused meanings - a more broad meaning that refers to any training that uses a resistance to the force of muscular contraction (better termed strength training), and elastic or hydraulic resistance, which refers to a specific type of strength training that uses elastic or hydraulic... In physics, force is an influence that may cause an object to accelerate. ... Physical strength is the ability of a person or animal to exert force on physical objects using muscles. ... Bodybuilder Markus Rühl has marked hypertrophy of skeletal muscle. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The goal of resistance training, according to the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), is to "gradually and progressively overload the musculoskeletal system so it gets stronger." Research shows that regular resistance training will strengthen and tone muscles and increase bone mass. Grays Anatomy illustration of a human femur. ...

Isometric training

Main article: Isometric exercise

Isometric exercise provides a fixed amount of resistance based on the force output of the muscle. This mainly strengthens the muscle at the specific joint angle at which the isometric exercise occurs, with some increases in strength at joint angles up to 20° in either direction depending on the joint trained.^{[citation needed]} In comparison, isotonic exercises strengthen the muscle throughout the entire range of motion of the exercise used. Isometrics is a form of exercise involving the contraction of a muscle without the shortening of the angle of the joint. ... A top-down view of skeletal muscle A muscle contraction (also known as a muscle twitch or simply twitch) occurs when a muscle cell (called a muscle fiber) lengthens or shortens. ... Range of motion or (ROM), as used in the medical and weightlifting communities, is the achievable distance between the flexed position and the extended position of a particular joint or muscle group, or more precisely, the measurement of that distance. ...

Terminology

Strength training has a variety of specialized terms used to describe parameters of strength training:

Exercise - different exercises involve moving joints in specific patterns to challenge muscles in different ways

Main article: Form (exercise)

Form - each exercise has a specific form, a topography of movement designed to maximize safety and muscle strength gains Form is a way of performing a movement to avoid injury and cheating. ...

Rep - short for repetition, a rep is a single cycle of lifting and lowering a weight in a controlled manner, moving through the form of the exercise Form is a way of performing a movement to avoid injury and cheating. ...

Set - a set consists of several repetitions performed one after another with no break between them with the number of reps per set and sets per exercise depending on the goal of the individual

Tempo - the speed with which an exercise is performed; the tempo of a movement has implications for the weight that can be moved and the effects on the muscle

According to popular theory:

• Sets of one to five repetitions primarily develop strength, with less impact on muscle size and none on endurance.
• Sets of six to twelve repetitions develop a balance of strength, muscle size and endurance.
• Sets of thirteen to twenty repetitions develop endurance, with some increases to muscle size and limited impact on strength.^[3]
• Sets of more than twenty repetitions are considered to be focused on aerobic exercise. They do still use the anaerobic system, but usually at a rate through which it can consistently remove the lactic acid generated from it.

Individuals typically perform one to six sets per exercise, and one to three exercises per muscle group, with short breaks between each set - the specific combinations of reps, exercises, sets and break duration depends on the goals of the individual program. The duration of these breaks determines which energy system the body utilizes. Performing a series of exercises with little or no rest between them, referred to as "circuit training", will draw energy mostly from the aerobic energy system. Brief bursts of exercise, separated by breaks, are fueled by anaerobic systems, which use either phosphagens or glycolysis. Look up Endurance in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Aerobic exercise refers to exercise which is of moderate intensity, undertaken for a long duration. ... Circuit training is a form of group gym exercise in which strength exercises are combined with endurance exercises. ... The phosphagens are energy storage compounds, also known as high energy phosphate compounds, are chiefly found in muscular tissue in animals. ... Glycolysis is a metabolic pathway by which a 6-carbon glucose (Glc) molecule is oxidized to two molecules of pyruvic acid (Pyr). ...

It has been shown that for beginners multiple-set training offers minimal benefits over single set training with respect to either strength gain or muscle mass increase, but for the experienced athlete multiple-set systems are required for optimal progress.^[3][4][5] Beginning weight-trainers are in the process of training the neurological aspects of strength, the ability of the brain to generate a rate of neuronal action potentials that will produce a muscular contraction that is close to the maximum of the muscle's potential. Drawing by Santiago Ramón y Cajal of neurons in the pigeon cerebellum. ... A. A schematic view of an idealized action potential illustrates its various phases as the action potential passes a point on a cell membrane. ...

Training to achieve different performance goals (from "Supertraining" by Dr. M. C. Siff)

Weights for each exercise should be chosen so that the desired number of repetitions can just be achieved. Proper form ensures that the targeted muscles are trained and also serves to prevent injury. Bodybuilder Markus Rühl has marked hypertrophy of skeletal muscle. ... One rep maximum (one repetition maximum, or 1RM) in weight training, is the maximum amount of weight one can lift in a single repetition for a given exercise. ... Form is a way of performing a movement to avoid injury and cheating. ...

Progressive overload

In one common method, weight training uses the principle of progressive overload, in which the muscles are overloaded by attempting to lift at least as much weight as they are capable of. They respond by growing larger and stronger.^[6] This procedure is repeated with progressively heavier weights as the practitioner gains strength and endurance. A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle (from Latin musculus little mouse [1]) is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. ...

However, performing exercises at the absolute limit of one's strength (known as one rep max lifts) is considered too risky for all but the most experienced practitioners. Moreover, most individuals wish to develop a combination of strength, endurance and muscle size. One repetition sets are not well suited to these aims. Practitioners therefore lift lighter (sub-maximal) weights, with more repetitions, to fatigue the muscle and all fibres within that muscle as required by the progressive overload principle. One rep maximum (one repetition maximum, or 1RM) in weight training, is the maximum amount of weight one can lift in a single repetition for a given exercise. ...

Commonly, each exercise is continued to the point of momentary muscular failure. Contrary to widespread belief, this is not the point at which the individual thinks they cannot complete any more repetitions, but rather the first repetition that fails due to inadequate muscular strength. Training to failure is a controversial topic. The proponents of High intensity training—Mike Mentzer, Arthur Jones and Ellington Darden—advise training to failure on every set.^{[citation needed]} Other experts believe that this will lead to overtraining, and suggest training to failure only on the last set of an exercise.^[7] Some practitioners recommend finishing a set of repetitions just before the point of failure; e.g. if you can do a maximum of 12 reps with a given weight, only perform 11. Adrenaline and other hormones may promote additional intensity by stimulating the body to lift additional weight (as well as the neuro-muscular stimulations that happen when in “fight-or-flight” mode, as the body activates more muscle fibres), so getting "psyched up" before a workout can increase the maximum weight lifted. In weight training, training to failure is to repeat an exercise movement (such as the bench press) to the point of momentary muscular failure. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Mike Mentzer (b. ... Arthur Jones, born in Arkansas in 1926, is the founder of Nautilus, Inc. ... Overtraining is a common problem in weight training, but it can also be experienced by runners and other athletes. ...

Weight training can be a very effective form of strength training because exercises can be chosen, and weights precisely adjusted, to safely exhaust each individual muscle group after the specific numbers of sets and repetitions that have been found to be the most effective for the individual. Other strength training exercises lack the flexibility and precision that weights offer.

Recovery

There are many theories as to why weight training creates muscle growth. The most common and incorrect one is that muscles tear and during the healing process they grow back stronger. All muscle contractions are traumatic, this is mediated by the protein dystrophin. The function of weight training is to stimulate hypertrophy. Repeated training increases production of dystrophin and increases the rate of lactic acid metabolism, thus decreasing the amount of muscle soreness as a person's muscles become more developed. Weight training programs should therefore allow the muscles time to repair and grow, otherwise overtraining can occur. Therefore the individual should exercise caution in increasing the level of exertion. Muscle growth is normally completed within 36 to 96 hours, depending upon the intensity of the workout.^[8][9] Novices may work out every other day, often scheduling workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. As weight trainers grow fitter and stronger, it takes more intense workouts to fully challenge their muscles. More advanced practitioners may exercise specific muscle groups only every three or four days - since they are capable of producing maximum force output from the muscle, their workouts have the potential to damage the muscle to a much greater extent and require longer periods to repair and replete to a greater strength. Recovery must also take longer because high level forces produced by proficient weight trainers cause far more damage to the ligaments, tendons and bones involved; because many of these tissues are not heavily vascularized, it takes longer for them to repair than blood-rich muscles. Depending on the workout regimen, the limiting factor may not be muscular damage or energy levels, but may instead be the ability of the body to repair the supporting tissues around joints and bones. Dystrophin is a protein found in membranes surrounding individual muscle fibers, and its deficiency is one of the root causes of muscular dystrophy. ... Bodybuilder Markus Rühl has marked hypertrophy of skeletal muscle. ... Overtraining is a common problem in weight training, but it can also be experienced by runners and other athletes. ...

One solution to scheduling workouts around these needs is to split one's routine between several workouts, by exercising certain muscle groups on one day and the remainder on another. By targeting different muscle groups, workouts can be scheduled more frequently than would otherwise be possible.

Intensity, volume, and frequency

Three important principles of strength training are intensity, volume and frequency. Intensity refers to the amount of force required to achieve the activity, and in this case, refers to the mass of the weights being lifted (lifting 20 kg requires more force or intensity than lifting 10 kg regardless of how many reps/sets are done). Volume refers to the number of muscles worked, exercises, sets and reps during a single session. Frequency refers to how many training sessions are performed per week. Unsolved problems in physics: What causes anything to have mass? The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. Mass is the property of a physical object that quantifies the amount of matter and energy it is equivalent to. ...

These principles are important because they are all mutually conflicting, as the muscle only has so much strength and endurance, and takes time to recover due to microtrauma. Increasing one by any significant amount necessitates the decrease of the other two, eg. increasing weight means a reduction of reps, and will require more recovery time and therefore fewer workouts per week. Trying to push too much intensity, volume and frequency will result in overtraining, and eventually lead to injury and other health issues such as chronic soreness and general lethargy, illness or even acute trauma such as avulsion fractures. A high-medium-low formula can be used to avoid overtraining, with either intensity, volume, or frequency being high, one of the others being medium, and the other being low. One example of this training strategy can be found in the following chart: gay ... Overtraining is a common problem in weight training, but it can also be experienced by runners and other athletes. ... Fatigue is a feeling of excessive tiredness or lethargy, with a desire to rest, perhaps to sleep. ... An avulsion fracture is a bone fracture which occurs when a (usually small) piece of bone becomes bisected as a result of physical trauma to the ligament attached to it. ...

A common training strategy is to set the volume and frequency the same each week (eg. training 3 times per week, with 2 sets of 12 reps each workout), and steadily increase the intensity (weight) on a weekly basis. However, to maximize progress to specific goals, individual programs may require different manipulations, such as decreasing the weight, and increase volume or frequency. One rep maximum (one repetition maximum, or 1RM) in weight training, is the maximum amount of weight one can lift in a single repetition for a given exercise. ...

Periodization

Periodization is the adjusting of sets, reps and weight to control volume and intensity. When done correctly, volume should slowly decrease throughout a training cycle while intensity should slowly increase. With strength training, a lifter should begin a training cycle with a higher rep range than he will finish with. For example, a lifter might begin a training program performing sets with 8 reps. Throughout the course of his/her training program, the lifter will slowly increase the weight while slowly decreasing the reps. This is enough time for the neuromuscular system to adapt and become more efficient.

For this example, the lifter has a 1 rep max of 225lbs:

This is an example of periodization where the volume decreases while the intensity and weight increases.

Benefits

The benefits of weight training include greater muscular strength, improved muscle tone and appearance, increased endurance, enhanced bone density, and improved cardiovascular fitness.

Many people take up weight training to improve their physical attractiveness. Most men can develop substantial muscles; most women lack the testosterone to do this, but they can develop a firm, "toned" (see below) physique, and they can increase their strength by the same proportion as that achieved by men (but usually from a significantly lower starting point).^[10] Ultimately an individual's genetics dictate the response to weight training stimuli. Physical attractiveness is the perception of the physical traits of an individual human person as pleasing or beautiful. ... Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. ... DNA, the molecular basis for inheritance. ...

The body's basal metabolic rate increases with increases in muscle mass, which promotes long-term fat loss and helps dieters avoid yo-yo dieting.^[11] Moreover, intense workouts elevate the metabolism for several hours following the workout, which also promotes fat loss.^[12] Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment, in the post-absorptive state (meaning that the digestive system is inactive, which requires about twelve hours of fasting in humans). ... Measuring body weight on a scale Dieting is the practice of ingesting food in a regulated fashion to achieve a particular objective. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A few of the metabolic pathways in a cell. ...

Weight training also provides functional benefits. Stronger muscles improve posture, provide better support for joints, and reduce the risk of injury from everyday activities. Older people who take up weight training can prevent some of the loss of muscle tissue that normally accompanies aging—and even regain some functional strength—and by doing so become less frail.^[13] They may be able to avoid some types of physical disability. Weight-bearing exercise also helps to prevent osteoporosis. The benefits of weight training for older people have been confirmed by studies of people who began engaging in it even in their 80s and 90s. A joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. ... Injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside agent or force, which may be physical or chemical. ... 79 year old man (Paul Kruger in later life) For the song by Hole and Nirvana, see Old Age. ... Ageing or aging is the process of getting older. ... The term disability, as it is applied to humans, refers to any condition that impedes the completion of daily tasks using traditional methods. ... Osteoporosis is a disease of bone in which the bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced, bone microarchitecture is disrupted, and the amount and variety of non-collagenous proteins in bone is altered. ...

Stronger muscles improve performance in a variety of sports. Sport-specific training routines are used by many competitors. These often specify that the speed of muscle contraction during weight training should be the same as that of the particular sport. A top-down view of skeletal muscle A muscle contraction (also known as a muscle twitch or simply twitch) occurs when a muscle cell (called a muscle fiber) lengthens or shortens. ...

Though weight training can stimulate the cardiovascular system, many exercise physiologists, based on their observation of maximal oxygen uptake, argue that aerobics training is a better cardiovascular stimulus. Central catheter monitoring during resistance training reveals increased cardiac output, suggesting that strength training shows potential for cardiovascular exercise. However, a 2007 meta-analysis found that, though aerobic training is an effective therapy for heart failure patients, combined aerobic and strength training is ineffective.^[14] The circulatory system or cardiovascular system is the organ system which circulates blood around the body of most animals. ... Physiology (in Greek physis = nature and logos = word) is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Catheter disassembled In medicine, a catheter is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel. ... Cardiac output is the volume of blood being pumped by the heart, in particular a ventricle in a minute. ... Aerobic exercise is a type of exercise in which muscles draw on oxygen in the blood as well as fats and glucose, that increase cardiovascular endurance. ...

One side-effect of any intense exercise is increased levels of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, which can help to improve mood and counter feelings of depression.^[15] Dopamine is a phenethylamine naturally produced by the human body. ... Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract of animals including humans. ... Norepinephrine (INN) or noradrenaline (BAN) is a catecholamine and a phenethylamine with chemical formula C8H11NO3. ... Grieving Thai females. ...

Common concerns

Is strength training the same as bodybuilding?

Bodybuilding is a sport in which the goal is to increase muscle size and definition. This increases the endurance of muscles, as well as strength, though not as much as if it were the primary goal. Bodybuilders compete in bodybuilding competitions, and use specific principles and methods of strength training to maximize muscular size and develop extremely low levels of body fat. In contrast, most strength trainers train to improve their strength and endurance while not giving special attention to reducing body fat below normal. Strength trainers tend to focus on compound exercises to build basic strength, whereas bodybuilders often use isolation exercises to visually separate their muscles, and to improve muscular symmetry. Pre-contest training for bodybuilders is different again, in that they attempt to retain as much muscular tissue as possible while undergoing severe dieting. However, the bodybuilding community has been the source of many of popular strength training's principles, techniques, vocabulary, and customs. Professional Bodybuilder Gustavo Badell posing Bodybuilding is the process of developing muscle fibres through the combination of weight training, sufficient caloric intake, and rest. ... It has been suggested that Subcutaneous fat be merged into this article or section. ... Sphere symmetry group o. ... Measuring body weight on a scale Dieting is the practice of ingesting food in a regulated fashion to achieve a particular objective. ...

Bodybuilding, strongman competitions and other sports are illustrations of how the basic principles and methods of strength training can be applied to achieve very different goals.

Is nutrition relevant for strength trainers?

Most people think of dieting in terms of weight loss, but strength trainers can also adjust their diet to improve the results from their workouts. Adequate protein is required for building skeletal muscle. Various sources advise weight trainers to consume a high protein diet with anywhere from 0.6 to 1.5 g of protein per pound of body weight per day (1.4 to 3.3 g per kg).^[16][17] Protein that is not needed for cell growth and repair nor consumed for energy is converted by the liver into fat, which is then stored in the body. Some people believe that a high protein diet entails risk of kidney damage, but studies have shown that kidney problems only occur in people with previous kidney disease.^[18] Measuring body weight on a scale Dieting is the practice of ingesting food in a regulated fashion to achieve a particular objective. ... In nutrition, the diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... A high protein diet is often recommended by bodybuilders and nutritionists to help efforts to build muscle and lose fat. ... For other meanings of gram, see gram (disambiguation). ... Officially the pound is the name for at least three different units of mass: The pound (avoirdupois). ... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et... The kidneys are organs that filter wastes (such as urea) from the blood and excrete them, along with water, as urine. ... See the article on the kidney for the anatomy and function of healthy kidneys and a list of diseases involving the kidney. ...

A light balanced meal consumed prior to the workout (usually one to two hours beforehand) ensures that adequate energy and amino acids are available to perform the intense bout of exercise. Water is consumed throughout the course of the workout to prevent poor performance due to dehydration.^[19] A protein shake is often consumed immediately following the workout, because both protein uptake and protein usage are increased at this time.^[20] Glucose (or another simple sugar) is often consumed as well since this quickly replenishes any glycogen lost during the exercise period. Some weight trainers also take ergogenic aids such as creatine or steroids to aid muscle growth. However, the effectiveness of some products is disputed and others are potentially harmful. Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... Dehydration (hypohydration) is the removal of water (hydro in ancient Greek) from an object. ... Electron micrograph of a section of a liver cell showing glycogen deposits as accumulations of electron dense particles (arrows). ... Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that naturally occurs in vertebrates and helps to supply energy to muscle cells. ... Steroid skeleton of lanosterol. ...

Will women gain mass comparable to men?

Due to the androgenic hormonal differences between men and women, few women are able to develop large muscles regardless of the training program used.^[21] Normally the most that can be achieved is a look similar to that of a fitness model. Muscle is denser than fat, so someone who builds muscle while keeping the same body weight will occupy less volume; if two women weigh the same but have different lean body mass percentages, the one with more muscle will appear thinner.^[22] Fitness and figure competition are physique events for women that bear a close resemblance to female bodybuilding, but with significantly less emphasis on muscle size. ... In physics, density is mass m per unit volume V. For the common case of a homogeneous substance, it is expressed as: where, in SI units: ρ (rho) is the density of the substance, measured in kg·m-3 m is the mass of the substance, measured in kg V is...

The results obtained by female bodybuilders are extremely atypical: they are self-selected for their genetic ability to build muscle,^{[citation needed]} perform enormous amounts of exercise, their musculature is exaggerated by very low body fat and like many male bodybuilders their results may be enhanced by anabolic steroids.^[23] Unless a woman dedicates her life to bodybuilding, she will not achieve the same results as a professional female bodybuilder. In addition, though bodybuilding uses the same principles as strength training, it is with a goal of gaining muscle bulk. Strength trainers with different goals and programs will not gain the same mass as a female professional bodybuilder. Bodybuilder Anders Graneheim (Sweden) Bodybuilding is the sport of developing muscle fibers through the combination of weight training, increased caloric intake, and rest. ... Anabolic steroids are a class of natural and synthetic steroid hormones that promote cell growth and division, resulting in growth of muscle tissue and sometimes bone size and strength. ...

Are light, high-repetition exercises effective for 'toning' muscles?

Some weight trainers perform light, high-repetition exercises in an attempt to "tone" their muscles without increasing their size. This comes from misunderstanding the meaning of the word "tone." What most people refer to as a toned physique is one that combines reasonable muscular size with moderate levels of body fat. The use of the word "tone" in this sense is inaccurate: a more appropriate term would be "definition". Muscle tone is the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles. ...

Muscle tone is a physiologic term that refers to the constant, low-frequency contractions that occur in all muscles all the time, even at "rest", which prepare them for future activity. This continuous slight tension in torso muscles contributes to maintaining good posture. High-repetition exercises should increase muscle size, but will not improve the latter type of muscle "tone". Even performed as aerobic exercises they will have limited benefit, since aerobic exercise is most effective when it engages the whole body. Aerobic exercise refers to exercise which is of moderate intensity, undertaken for a long duration. ...

To define muscles requires a combination of weight training to increase muscle size and low levels of body fat.

Is strength training safe for children?

This depends on what type of strength training is utilized. Orthopaedic specialists used to recommend that children avoid weight training because the growth plates on their bones might be at risk, but recent studies have shown that this concern is unfounded. The very rare reports of growth plate fractures in children who trained with weights occurred as a result of inadequate supervision, improper form or excess weight. "Growth plate injuries have not occurred in any youth strength training study that followed established training guidelines."^[24] The National Strength and Conditioning Association also confirms that "a properly designed and supervised resistance training programme is safe for children."^[25] Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics (BE: orthopaedics) is the branch of surgery concerned with acute, chronic, traumatic and recurrent injuries and other disorders of the locomotor system, its musclular and bone parts. ... Grays Anatomy illustration of a human femur. ...

Young children must be supervised around weight training equipment. They are at a greater risk of injury if they drop a weight on themselves, and like adults they can be injured if they perform an exercise incorrectly. Due to lack of understanding and general immaturity they may also fail to follow safety guidelines or act irresponsibly.

However, generally speaking, resistance training does not result in the same types of injury. Because your muscles push against a force without the hindrance of gravity, few to no injuries occur.

Can strength training help with weight loss?

An exercise like sit-ups or abdominal crunches uses a much smaller volume of muscle than whole-body aerobic exercise^[26] and is therefore less efficient at burning calories than an exercise like jogging. Instead, high weight/low rep exercises can be used to maintain or increase the body's muscle mass while dieting. This helps to prevent the metabolic slowdown that otherwise often limits the effect of dieting and causes post-diet weight gain.^[27]

This too depends on the type of strength training utilized. Because weight training generally is used for bulking, this type of exercise more than likely will increase weight because of the muscle gain. However, when resistance or circuit training is used, because it is not geared towards bulking, women tend to lose weight more quickly.

Because most strength training builds lean muscle, it is natural for a person to gain weight, initially, since muscle is heavier than fat. However, as lean muscle is built, as a result, the weight will begin to regulate and decrease. Lean muscle helps raise the metabolism which helps keep weight down.

Safety

Strength training can be a safe form of exercising, however each category has it advantages as well as disadvantages. Weight training can be one of the safest forms of exercise, especially when the movements are slow, controlled, and carefully defined. However, as with any form of exercise, improper execution can result in injury. When the exercise becomes difficult towards the end of a set, there is a temptation to "cheat", i.e. to use poor form to recruit other muscle groups to assist the effort. This may shift the effort to weaker muscles that cannot handle the weight. For example, the squat and the deadlift are used to exercise the largest muscles in the body—the leg and buttock muscles—so they require substantial weight. Beginners are tempted to round their back while performing these exercises. This causes the weaker lower back muscles to support much of the weight, which can result in serious lower back injuries. To avoid such problems, weight training exercises must be performed correctly. Hence the saying: "train, don't strain". The squat is a lower body exercise used in strength training. ... The Deadlift is a weight training exercise where one lifts a loaded barbell (or, in the case of the trapbar deadlift, a loaded trapbar) off the ground from a stabilized bent-over position. ... In common usage, a human leg is the lower limb of the body, extending from the hip to the ankle, and including the thigh, the knee, and the cnemis. ... Bith buttocks. ... In anatomy, the back usually refers to the posterior side of the torso in humans and primates. ...

A lifting belt is sometimes worn to help support the lower back.

An exercise should be halted if marked or sudden pain is felt, to prevent further injury. However, not all discomfort indicates injury. Weight training exercises are brief but very intense, and many people are unaccustomed to this level of effort. The expression "no pain, no gain" refers to the discomfort expected from such vigorous effort. It does NOT suggest ignoring the more severe pain that comes from injury. Download high resolution version (858x633, 80 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (858x633, 80 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Discomfort can arise from other factors. Individuals who perform large numbers of repetitions, sets and exercises for each muscle group may experience lactic acid build-up in their muscles. This is experienced as a burning sensation in the muscle, but it is perfectly harmless. These individuals may also experience a swelling sensation in their muscles from increased blood flow (the "pump"), which is also harmless. For the production of milk by mammals, see Lactation. ...

Beginners are advised to build up slowly to a weight training programme. Untrained individuals may have some muscles that are comparatively stronger than others. An injury can result if, in a particular exercise, the primary muscle is stronger than its stabilising muscles. Building up slowly allows muscles time to develop appropriate strengths relative to each other. This can also help to minimise delayed onset muscle soreness. A sudden start to an intense programme can cause significant muscular soreness. Unexercised muscles contain cross-linkages that are torn during intense exercise. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is the pain or discomfort often felt 24 to 72 hours after exercising and subsides generally within 2 to 3 days. ...

The Cross Trainer exercise machine can be used to warm up muscles in both the upper and lower body.

Weight trainers commonly spend 5 to 20 minutes warming up their muscles with aerobic exercise before starting a workout. They also stretch muscles after they have been exercised. The exercises are performed at a steady pace, taking at least two to four seconds to lift and lower the weight, to avoid jerks that can damage muscles and joints. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Warming up Chang-Hwa Bank make their warming up for knees to prevent damage and accident at 2006 Taipei 101 Run Up on October 22, 2006. ... Aerobic exercise refers to exercise which is of moderate intensity, undertaken for a long duration. ... This article is about stretching as a form of physical exercise. ...

Exercises where a barbell is held above the body, such as the squat or the bench press, are normally performed inside a squat cage, which can catch the bar, or in the presence of one or more spotters, who can safely re-rack the barbell at the end of the set if the weight trainer is unable to do so. A soldier from the U.S. Army performs a 345 lb (156 kg) bench press The bench press is a form of weightlifting which primarily focuses on the development of the pectoral or chest muscles. ... The Power Cage (also known as a power rack, squate cage, or squat rack) is an item of weight training equipment designed to allow for a safe free weight workout using a barbell without the movement restrictions imposed by equipment such as the Smith machine. ... Spotting, in weight or resistance training, is the act of supporting another person during a particular exercise, with an emphasis on allowing the participant to lift or push more than they could normally do safely. ...

Anyone beginning an intensive physical training programme is typically advised to consult a physician, because of possible undetected heart or other conditions for which such activity is contraindicated. The Doctor by Luke Fildes This article is about the term physician, one type of doctor; for other uses of the word doctor see Doctor. ...

There have been mixed reviews regarding the use of weightlifting belts and other devices, such as lifting straps. Critics claim that they allow the lifter to use more weight than they 'should'. Using a belt is more controversial as it does not prepare people for real situations, as they do not normally wear lifting belts when performing real-life tasks. This can lead to inadequate inter-abdominal pressure and torso/lower back stabilization ability. Some criticize that the gripping muscles in the forearms receive less benefit from the deadlift when using straps. This is not a concern to people who do other exercises for forearm development, or who are not concerned with forearm development. Strap-like implements are commonly used in real-life deadlifting situations, and in many cases weights are levered against the body or sandwiched between the arms, so that not as much gripping strength is used anyway. One less abrasive alternative to deadlifting with straps would be to lift wearing wrist weights, as they would add to the weight without further stressing the grip.

Types of exercises

Isotonic, isometric and plyometric exercises

These terms combine the prefix "iso" (meaning "same") with "tonic" (strength) and "metric" (distance). In "isotonic" exercises the force applied to the muscle does not change, and in "isometric" exercises the length of the muscle does not change.

Weight training is primarily an isotonic form of exercise, because the muscles are used to push or pull weighted objects. Any object can be used for weight training, but dumbbells, barbells and other specialised equipment are normally used because they can be adjusted to specific weights, and are easily gripped. However, some exercises are not strictly isotonic because the force on the muscle varies as the joint moves through its range of motion, even though the force of the exercise remains constant. A pair of spinlock dumbbells with 2 kg plates. ... A U.S. Army soldier uses a barbell with Olympic plates (but no collars) to perform a bench press. ...

Some forms of weight training use isometric contractions to further stress the muscles after or during a period of isotonic exercise. In this case the muscles flex and hold a stationary position, and no movement of a load takes place. Isometrics is a form of exercise involving the contraction of a muscle without the shortening of the angle of the joint. ...

Another form of training that often uses weights has a different goal. Plyometric exercises exploit the stretch-shortening cycle of muscles to enhance the myotatic (stretch) reflex. This involves rapid alternation of lengthening and shortening of muscle fibers against a resistance. The resistance involved is often a weighted object such as a medicine ball, but can also be the body itself as in jumping exercises. Plyometrics is used to develop explosive speed, and focuses on power instead of maximal strength, and may be used to improve the effectiveness of a boxer's punch, for example, or to increase the vertical jumping ability of a basketball player. Plyometrics is a type of exercise that uses explosive movements to develop muscular power, the ability to generate a large amount of force quickly. ... A medicine ball is a heavy ball, roughly the size of a volleyball. ... In physics, power (symbol: P) is the rate at which work is performed or energy is transferred. ... Professional boxing bout featuring Ricardo Domínguez (left, throwing a left uppercut) versus Rafael Ortiz Boxing, also referred to as prizefighting, the noble art, the sweet science, and pugilism is a combat sport in which two participants of similar weight fight each other with their fists in a series of... Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by throwing a ball through a 10-foot high hoop (the basket) under organized rules. ...

Isolation exercises versus compound exercises

The leg extension is an isolation exercise.

An isolation exercise is one where the movement is restricted to one joint. For example, the leg extension is an isolation exercise for the quadriceps. The other muscle groups are only minimally involved—they just help the individual maintain a stable posture—and movement occurs only around the knee joint. Other examples are the straight-legged deadlift (hip extension) and the dumbbell/barbell curl (elbow flexion). Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Compound exercises work several muscle groups at once, and include movement around two or more joints. For example, in the leg press movement occurs around the hip, knee and ankle joints. This exercise is primarily used to develop the quadriceps, but it also involves the hamstrings, glutes and calves.

Compound exercises are generally similar to the ways that people naturally push, pull and lift objects, whereas isolation exercises often feel a little unnatural.

The leg press is a compound exercise.

Each type of exercise has its uses. Compound exercises build the basic strength that is needed to perform everyday pushing, pulling and lifting activities. Isolation exercises are useful for "rounding out" a routine, by directly exercising muscle groups that cannot be fully exercised in the compound exercises. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

The type of exercise performed also depends on the individual's goals. Those who seek to increase their performance in sports would focus mostly on compound exercises, with isolation exercises being used to strengthen just those muscles that are holding the athlete back. Similarly, a powerlifter would focus on the specific compound exercises that are performed at powerlifting competitions. However, those who seek to improve the look of their body without necessarily maximising their strength gains (including bodybuilders) would put more of an emphasis on isolation exercises.
The bench press is one of the three events of powerlifting. ... Bodybuilder Anders Graneheim (Sweden) Bodybuilding is the sport of developing muscle fibers through the combination of weight training, increased caloric intake, and rest. ...

Equipment

The weight stack from a Cable machine.

Swiss balls allow a wider range of free weight exercises to be performed.

There are a number of exercise machines and other equipment that are commonly found in strength training facilities. Image File history File links WeightStack. ... Image File history File links WeightStack. ... The upright row is one exercise that can be performed on the cable machine. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A Swiss ball allows a wide range of exercises to be performed. ... An exercise machine is any machine used in exercise. ...

• Smith machines have a barbell constrained to move only in the vertical single Plane
• Cable machines consists of two weight stacks separated by 2.5 metres, with cables running through adjustable pulleys (that can be fixed at any height) to various types of handles
  • A variation of a cable machine is a wide-grip bar attached to a weight stack and a seat, used specifically for pulldown exercises that train the latissimus dorsi muscle

There are also exercise-specific weight machines such as the leg press. A multigym includes a variety of exercise-specific mechanisms in one apparatus. A Smith machine can be used for the squat. ... A U.S. Army soldier uses a barbell with Olympic plates (but no collars) to perform a bench press. ... Two intersecting planes in three-dimensional space In mathematics, a plane is a two-dimensional manifold or surface that is perfectly flat. ... The upright row is one exercise that can be performed on the cable machine. ... The metre or meter is a measure of length. ... The Pulldown exercise or the Cable Lat Pulldown is a compound exercise designed to stress and develop the Latissimus dorsi (Lat). ... Latissimus dorsi is a large flat muscle located on the back. ... A weight machine is an exercise machine used for weight training that uses gravity as the primary source of resistance, and a combination of simple machines to convey that resistance to the person using the machine. ... The leg press is a weight training exercise in which the individual pushes a weight away from them using their legs. ...

Free weights include dumbbells, barbells and other objects. Unlike some exercise machines, they do not constrain users to specific, fixed movements, and require more stabilization skills. It is often argued that free weight exercises are superior for precisely this reason. As exercise machines can prevent poor form, they are somewhat safer than free weights for novice trainees. Moreover, since users need not concentrate so much on maintaining good form, they can focus more on the effort they are putting into the exercise. Many serious athletes, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts prefer to train with free weights and compound exercises. A pair of spinlock dumbbells with 2 kg plates. ... A U.S. Army soldier uses a barbell with Olympic plates (but no collars) to perform a bench press. ... Form is a way of performing a movement to avoid injury and cheating. ... Look up Athlete in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

One limitation of many free weight exercises and exercise machines is that the muscle is working maximally against gravity during only a small portion of the lift. Some exercise-specific machines feature an oval cam (first introduced by Nautilus) which varies the resistance so that the resistance, and the muscle force required, remains constant throughout the full range of motion of the exercise. monkey ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Some free weight exercises can be performed while sitting or lying on a Swiss ball. This makes it more difficult to maintain good form, which helps to exercise the deep torso muscles that are important for maintaining a good posture. A Swiss ball allows a wide range of exercises to be performed. ...

Types of strength training

There are different ways to increase strength, each with its own goals, equipment, methods and/or results.

• Isometric exercise
• Plyometrics
• Pilates
• Martial arts

Apart from the obvious weights and resistance bands, there are a number of other items of exercise equipment that can be used while or to compliment strength training: Isometrics is a form of exercise involving the contraction of a muscle without the shortening of the angle of the joint. ... Plyometrics is a type of exercise that uses explosive movements to develop muscular power, the ability to generate a large amount of force quickly. ... The Pilates Method (sometimes simply Pilates) (Pronounced Puh - LAH - Teez) is a physical fitness system that was developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... A complete weight training workout can be performed with a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a set of weight disks (plates). ... The elastic resistance band is a cheap and portable alterative to weights for strength training. ...

• Swiss balls or Wobble boards
• Levering weights like Indian clubs
• Punching bag

A Swiss ball allows a wide range of exercises to be performed. ... A wobble board is a piece of training equipment used to develop physical balance. ... Indian Clubs are a category of exercise equipment popular in the late 19th and early 20th century in the United States. ... Categories: Stub | Exercise equipment | Boxing ...

Aerobic exercise versus anaerobic exercise

Strength training exercise is primarily anaerobic.^[28] Even while training at a lower intensity (training loads of ~20-RM), anaerobic glycolysis is still the major source of power, although aerobic metabolism makes a small contribution.^[29] Weight training is commonly perceived as anaerobic exercise, because one of the more common goals is to increase strength by lifting heavy weights. Other goals such as rehabilitation, weight loss, body shaping, and bodybuilding often use lower weights, adding aerobic character to the exercise. Anaerobic exercise is typically used by athletes in non-endurance sports to build power and by body builders to build muscle mass. ... Aerobic exercise refers to exercise which is of moderate intensity, undertaken for a long duration. ...

Except in the extremes, a muscle will fire fibres of both the aerobic or anaerobic types on any given exercise, in varying ratio depending on the load on the intensity of the contraction.^[5] This is known as the energy system continuum. At higher loads, the muscle will recruit all muscle fibres possible, both anaerobic ("fast-twitch") and aerobic ("slow-twitch"), in order to generate the most force. However, at maximum load, the anaerobic processes contract so forcefully that the aerobic fibers are completely shut out, and all work is done by the anaerobic processes. Because the anaerobic muscle fibre uses its fuel faster than the blood and intracellular restorative cycles can resupply it, the maximum number of repetitions is limited.^[30] In the aerobic regime, the blood and intracellular processes can maintain a supply of fuel and oxygen, and continual repetition of the motion will not cause the muscle to fail.

Circuit weight training is a form of exercise that uses a number of weight training exercise sets separated by short intervals. The cardiovascular effort to recover from each set serves a function similar to an aerobic exercise, but this is not the same as saying that a weight training set is itself an aerobic process.

Exercises for specific muscle groups

Main article: Weight training exercises

The back extension should be left to the end of the workout, because in other exercises the lower back muscles are used to keep the back straight. This is not possible if the muscles have already been exercised and exhausted.

Weight trainers commonly divide the body's individual muscles into ten major muscle groups. These do not include the hip, neck and forearm muscles, which are rarely trained in isolation. The most common exercises for these muscle groups are listed below. (Videos of these and other exercises are available at exrx.net and from the University of Wisconsin.) The sequence shown below is one possible way to order the exercises. The large muscles of the lower body are normally trained before the smaller muscles of the upper body, because these first exercises require more mental and physical energy. The core muscles of the torso are trained before the shoulder and arm muscles that assist them. Exercises often alternate between "pushing" and "pulling" movements to allow their specific supporting muscles time to recover. The stabilising muscles in the waist should be trained last. Weight trainers commonly divide the bodys individual muscles into ten major muscle groups. ... Download high resolution version (896x320, 62 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (896x320, 62 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This is a list of muscles of the human anatomy. ... Bones of the Hip In anatomy, the hip is the bony projection of the femur, known as the greater trochanter, and the overlying muscle and fat. ... A human neck. ... // The Human Forearm The forearm is the structure on the upper limb, between the elbow and the wrist. ... The human torso Torso is an anatomical term for the greater part of the human body without the head and limbs. ... This article is about the body part. ... Look up ARM in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Waistline The waist is the part of the abdomen between the ribcage and hips. ...

A spoken greeting (often imprecisely called a verbal greeting) is a customary or ritualised word or phrase used to introduce oneself or to greet someone. ... The Deadlift is a weight training exercise where one lifts a loaded barbell (or, in the case of the trapbar deadlift, a loaded trapbar) off the ground from a stabilized bent-over position. ...

Advanced techniques

A number of techniques have been developed to make weight training exercises more intense, and thereby potentially increase the rate of progress:

Set structure

Drop sets

Drop sets do not end at the point of momentary muscular failure, but continue with progressively lighter weights.

Pyramid sets

In a pyramid the weight is first increased, and then decreased over a series of sets. A full pyramid typically includes five sets of approximately 12, 10, 8, 10 and 12 reps. The first two sets are performed with light to medium weights to warm up the muscles. The middle set is the work set, and uses the heaviest weight possible. The last two sets are drop sets, and further fatigue the muscle with progressively lighter weights. This technique provides a combination of volume and intensity, and is therefore popular with bodybuilders. However, the full pyramid may be too much for a beginner to handle, so it is only recommended for experienced trainers.

Burnouts

Burnouts combine pyramids and drop sets, working up to higher weights with low reps and then back down to lower weights and high reps.

Diminishing set

The diminishing set method is where a weight is chosen that can be lifted for 20 reps in one set, and then 70 repetitions are performed in as few sets as possible.^[31]

Rest-pause (heavy singles)

Rest-pause heavy singles are performed at or near 1RM, with ten to twenty seconds of rest between each lift.^[32] The lift is repeated six to eight times. It is generally recommended to use this method infrequently.

One rep maximum (one repetition maximum, or 1RM) in weight training, is the maximum amount of weight one can lift in a single repetition for a given exercise. ...

Combined sets

Supersets

Supersets combine two or more exercises with similar motions to maximize the amount of work of an individual muscle or group of muscles. The exercises are performed with no rest period between the exercises. An example would be doing bench press, which predominantly works the pectoralis and triceps muscles, and then moving to an exercise that works just the triceps such as the triceps extension or the pushdown.

Push-pull supersets

Push-pull supersets are similar to regular supersets, but exercises are chosen which work opposing muscle groups. This is especially popular when applied to arm exercises, for example by combining biceps curls with the triceps pushdown. Other examples include the shoulder press and lat pulldown combination, and the bench press and wide grip row combination.

Pre-exhaustion

Pre-exhaustion combines an isolation exercise with a compound exercise for the same muscle group. The isolation exercise first exhausts the muscle group, and then the compound exercise uses the muscle group's supporting muscles to push it further than would otherwise be possible. For example, the triceps muscles normally help the pectorals perform their function. But in the "bench press" the weaker triceps often fails first, which limits the impact on the pectorals. By preceding the bench press with the pec fly, the pectorals can be pre-exhausted so that both muscles fail at the same time, and both benefit equally from the exercise.

Breakdowns

Breakdowns were developed by Fred Hatfield and Mike Quinn to work the different types of muscle fibers for maximum stimulation. Three different exercises that work the same muscle group are selected, and used for a superset. The first exercise uses a heavy weight (~85% of 1 rep max) for around five reps, the second a medium weight (~70% of 1 rep max) for around twelve reps, and finally the third exercise is performed with a light weight (~50% of 1 rep max) for twenty to thirty reps, or even lighter (~40% of 1 rep max) for forty or more reps. (Going to failure is discouraged.) The entire superset is performed three times.^[33]

Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Mike Quinn (64, 220 pounds, Stephen F. Austin 1996, born April 15, 1974 in Houston, Texas) is a quarterback. ... Global view of a neuromuscular junction: 1. ... One rep maximum (one repetition maximum, or 1RM) in weight training, is the maximum amount of weight one can lift in a single repetition for a given exercise. ... In weight training, training to failure is to repeat an exercise movement (such as the bench press) to the point of momentary muscular failure. ...

Beyond failure

Forced reps

Forced reps occur after momentary muscular failure. An assistant provides just enough help to get the weight trainer past the sticking point of the exercise, and allow further repetitions to be completed. Weight trainers often do this when they are spotting their exercise partner. With some exercises forced reps can be done without a training partner. For example, with one-arm biceps curls the other arm can be used to assist the arm that is being trained.

Cheat reps

Cheating is a deliberate compromise of form in order to achieve further reps. Cheating has the advantage that it can be done without a training partner, unlike forced reps. It does carry further risks due to the cheating, but does not have the risk of relying on another person.

Rest-pause (post-failure)

After a normal set of 6-8 reps (to failure), the weight is re-racked and the trainer takes 10-15 deep breaths, and then performs one more repetition. This process can be repeated for two further repetitions. The twenty-rep squat is another, similar approach, in that it follows a 12-15 rep set of squats with individual rest-pause reps, up to a total of 20 reps.^[34]

Negative reps

Negatives are performed with much heavier weights. Assistants lift the weight, and then the weight trainer attempts to resist its downward progress through an eccentric contraction. Alternatively, an individual can use an exercise machine for negatives by lifting the weight with both arms or legs, and then lowering it with only one. Or they can simply lower weights more slowly than they lift them: for example, by taking two seconds to lift each weight and four seconds to lower it.

Partial reps

Partial reps, as the name implies, involves movement through only part of the normal path of an exercise. Partial reps can be performed with heavier weights. Usually, only the easiest part of the repetition is attempted.

Burns

Burns involve mixing partial reps into a set of full range reps in order to increase intensity. The partials can be performed at any part of the exercise movement, depending on what works best for the particular exercise.^[35] Also, the partials can either be added after the end of a set or in some alternating fashion with the full range reps.^[36] For example, after performing a set of biceps curls to failure, an individual would cheat the bar back to the most contracted position, and then perform several partial reps.

X-reps

X-reps are a variation of burns, but X-reps always occur after momentary muscular failure. After the last full repetition, an isometric contraction at the point of maximum force is combined with a series of small pulsing movements to further stress the muscles.^{[citation needed]} However, in a 1997 article Steve Holman states that "X-Rep training is simply placing a muscle in its completely contracted position, or close to it, against resistance and holding it there until the muscle can no longer contract. Once you achieve fatigue overload, you slowly lower the weight through the eccentric range of motion, and the set is complete."^[37]

Spotting, in weight or resistance training, is the act of supporting another person during a particular exercise, with an emphasis on allowing the participant to lift or push more than they could normally do safely. ...

Other techniques

Progressive movement training

Progressive movement training attempts to gradually increase the range of motion throughout a training cycle. The lifter will start with a much heavier weight than they could handle in the full range of motion, only moving through the last 3-5” of the movement. Throughout the training cycle, the lifter will gradually increase the range of motion until the joint moves through the full range of the exercise. This is a style that was made popular by Paul Anderson.^{[citation needed]}

Super slow

Super slow repetitions are performed with lighter weights. The lifting and lowering phases of each repetition take 10 seconds or more.

Timed rests

By strictly controlling the rest periods between reps and sets a trainer can reduce their level of blood oxygenation, which helps to increase the stress on the muscles.

Using a wrist strap.

Wrist straps

Wrist straps (lifting straps) are sometimes used to assist in gripping very heavy weights. They are particularly useful for the deadlift. Some lifters avoid using wrist straps in order to develop their grip strength, just as some go further by using thick bars. Wrist straps can allow a lifter initially to use more weight than they might be able to handle safely for an entire set, as unlike simply holding a weight, if it is dropped then the lifter must descend with it or be pulled down. Straps place stress on the bones of the wrist which can be potentially harmful if excessive.

Range of motion or (ROM), as used in the medical and weightlifting communities, is the achievable distance between the flexed position and the extended position of a particular joint or muscle group, or more precisely, the measurement of that distance. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive method which allows health care providers to monitor the oxygenation of a patients blood. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Grip strength is the force developed by the hand to pull or suspend from objects. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Weight training

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Amazon feminism is dedicated to the image of the female hero in fiction and in fact, as it is expressed in art and literature in the physiques and feats of female athletes, martial artists, and other powerfully built women, and in gender-related and sexual orientations. ... Athletic Training is an allied health care profession recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) that specializes in the prevention, evaluation, treatment, management and rehabilitation of athletic related injuries and illnesses. ... Many supplements come in capsule form. ... Body image is a persons perception of his or her own physical appearance. ... General Fitness is much more then just looking good. ... Exercise physiology is the identification of physiological mechanisms underlying physical activity, the comprehensive delivery of treatment services concerned with the analysis, improvement, and maintenance of health and fitness, rehabilitation of heart disease and other chronic diseases and/or disabilities, and the professional guidance and counsel of athletes and others interested... Modern indoor gymnasium with pull-down basketball hoops. ... Health and fitness magazines usually cover physical fitness and well-being, nutrition, beauty, strength. ... Muscle dysmorphia is a disorder in which an individual becomes obsessed that they are not muscular enough. ... Physical Culture Physical Culture, (or Physie - pronounced fizzy) is a sport for girls and women from 4 years up which aims to build confidence, good posture, strength, grace, and flexibility through exercise. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sports medicine or sport medicine is an interdisciplinary subspecialty of medicine which deals with the treatment and preventive care of athletes, both amateur and professional. ... A weight training bench is a piece of equipment that has a resemblance to a normal (e. ...

Bibliography

Many of the most useful books about weight training contain the word "bodybuilding" in the title, but they should not be overlooked just for this reason. Weight trainers who are not interested in bodybuilding can ignore the material devoted to contest preparation, and still obtain much valuable information.

• Bostrom, Todd E. (2006). "Z Last Book You'll Ever Need On Strength Training" Self. ISBN 978-1-4243-3306-6.
• Darden, Ellington (2004). The New High Intensity Training. Rodale Books. ISBN 1-59486-000-9.
• Delavier, Frederic (2001). Strength Training Anatomy. Human Kinetics Publishers. ISBN 0-7360-4185-0.
• DeLee, J. MD and Drez, D. MD, Eds. (2003). DeLee & Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine; Principles and Practice (vols 1 & 2). ISBN 0-7216-8845-4.
• Hatfield, Frederick (1993). Hardcore Bodybuilding: A Scientific Approach. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-8092-3728-8.
• Kennedy, Robert and Ross, Don (1988). Muscleblasting! Brief and Brutal Shock Training. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN 0-8069-6758-7
• Kennedy, Robert and Weis, Dennis (1986), Mass!, New Scientific Bodybuilding Secrets, Contemporary Books, ISBN 0-8092-4940-5
• Lombardi, V. Patteson (1989). Beginning Weight Training. Wm. C. Brown Publishers. ISBN 0-697-10696-9.
• Pearl, Bill (2001). Getting Stronger: Weight Training for Men and Women. Shelter Publications. ISBN 0-936070-24-2.
• Powers, Scott and Howley, Edward (2003), Exercise Physiology. McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-07-255728-1.
• Schoenfeld, Brad (2002). Sculpting Her Body Perfect. Human Kinetics Publishers. ISBN 0-7360-4469-8.
• Schwarzenegger, Arnold (1999). The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-85721-9.

Footnotes