Optimise Your Training Program - Strength Training

So far we've covered the huge need for a personalised program made especially for you as well as the best way to implement mobility, stability and flexibility training into your program.

Today is all about strength training.

Strength can be performed with or without external resistance (weights). 

Initially, it;s best to master bodyweight versions of exercises or movements before adding extra load to ensure safe and correct lifting mechanics over the long term.

For strength gains, beginners can get stronger from lifting relatively lights weights - as light as 40% - for up to 20 reps per set. 

Strength is the basis of all other strength and fitness qualities. 

The stronger you are, the more load you can use for a given movement to induce hypertrophy (muscle gain). 

Also, the stronger you are the more load you can use in your fat loss programs as it's going to require more calories to lift 80kgs x 10 reps then 60kgs x 10 reps isn't it?

The rest between strength sets should be at least 3 minutes to ensure you are as close to 100% recovered as you can be. 

As your training age and relative intensity (load being lifted) increases, then so should your rest periods between sets (up to 5 minutes).

The most important part of actual max strength training is progression. 

You HAVE to consistently add load to the exercise and once you plateau on loading, then you can start adding volume (more reps per set, sets per exercise or both).

So as a beginner you might do 3 x 8 each each session and increase the load the smallest loading you can each time you repeat the exercise. 

So week 1 might be 3 x 8 @ 25kgs, week 2 being 3 x 8 @ 27.5, week 3 being 30kgs and so on.

Once you get to a point where you don't think you'll get 3 x 8 the next session, decrease the reps per set (3 x 6) and continue with the load increases each week. 

So if you max out on 3 x 8 @ 40kgs then the next session will be 3 x 6 @ 42.5kgs and so on. 

Once you "out-train" 6 reps then move to 4 reps.

For fat loss you want to complete 30 - 50 total reps per exercise using sets of at least 6 reps per set using a mixture of set/rep schemes (6 x 6, 4 x 10, 3 x 15 etc). 

The most important part of fat loss training is density which can be performed in 2 ways.

The first way is to do more work in the same amount of time where you set a time limit and do as much work in that time limit as you can. 

For example you might be doing a circuit of squats and push ups x 10 reps each x 5 minutes. 

After 5 minutes you might get through 8 sets of squats and 7 sets of push ups equaling 150 total reps. 

Your goal next time is to beat that 150 reps in the same time limit.

The second way is do the same amount of work in less time so using our squats and push ups pairing again, you'd set a volume to each exercise which might be 7 x 10 reps of each. 

Simply alternate each set without rest and time it. 

Say you manage to do all 14 total sets in 4 minutes and 45 seconds, next time you do the same amount of work (14 sets), and perform it in a faster time.

This forces the body to draw from 'fat reserves" because you push further and further away from your "baseline" (your body fat set-point).

I want to touch again on progression as there's a saying in the PT game - "a program is only as good as it's progression."

If there is no progression, there is no program. 

What you have there is a workout. 

That means once you've done it then that's it, there's nothing more to gain from it.

There's a million ways to set up programs but there's only one way that they deliver results and that is through the progression of the program.

Please do not wait until "it's easy", by then you're already de-training by getting weaker and no longer forcing the body to draw on fat reserves for energy.

Increase the weight to get stronger and work faster or harder to get lean. 

As always I'd be happy to provide this service to you and if you have any questions please let me know.

Tomorrow - aerobic conditioning.