Home > Fitness
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| Weight training is the most efficient technique for developing muscular size, strength and/or endurance. It involves progressively lifting increasing amounts of weight. It includes a variety of exercises and items of equipment to target specific muscle groups. |
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Weight training is also known as strength training or resistance training, and is often confused with bodybuilding. Bodybuilders make use of weight training, amongst other techniques, but most weight trainers are not bodybuilders. Weight training is an anaerobic form of exercise—not a sport—and it should not be confused with either weightlifting or powerlifting.
1 History
The first record of resistance training occurs in the legend of Milo of Croton. Legend has it that he would train by carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until the calf was fully grown.
2 Basic principles
A repetition (or "rep") is the act of lifting and lowering a weight once, in a controlled manner. A "set" consists of a several repetitions performed one after another with no break between them. The number of repetitions per set depends upon the aims of the individual performing the exercise:
* Sets of 1 to 5 repetitions develop strength alone, with little impact on size or endurance.
* Sets of 6 to 12 repetitions develop strength, size and endurance.
* Sets of 13 to 20 repetitions develop size and endurance, with little impact on strength.
* Sets of more than 20 repetitions are considered to be an aerobic exercise.
Individuals typically perform 1 to 6 sets per exercise, and 1 to 3 exercises per muscle group, with short breaks between each set. Weights for each exercise should be chosen so that the desired number of repetitions can just be achieved. Each exercise must be performed exactly according to its description, otherwise an injury may result. This is known as "good form".
2.1 Progressive overload
Weight training uses the principle of progressive overload. The muscles are overloaded by an attempt to lift more weight than they have strength for. They respond by growing a little stronger. This is repeated with progressively heavier weights until the desired level of strength is achieved.
However, performing exercises at the absolute limit of one's strength (so-called "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. They therefore lift somewhat smaller weights for more repetitions.
2.2 Recovery
Weight training creates muscle growth by causing microtrauma to the muscles. Muscles grow during the rest period following a workout by repairing these areas of muscle so that they are stronger than before. Weight training programs should therefore allow for a period of rest after a workout, otherwise overtraining can occur. Muscle growth is normally complete within 36 to 96 hours, depending upon the intensity of the workout. Novices commonly work out every other day, often scheduling workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. More advanced practitioners may exercise specific muscle groups only every three or four days. This gives their muscles time to repair and grow.
As weight trainers grow fitter and stronger, it takes longer and more intense workouts to fully challenge their muscles. Many of them begin to split their routine between several workouts, by exercising certain muscle groups on one day and the remainder on another. One common two-day split is the upper body - lower body split. Another is the front - back split, in which the pectorals, triceps and quadriceps are exercised on one day, and the lats, biceps and hamstrings on another. There are also three-day and four-day splits. By targeting different muscle groups, workouts can be scheduled more frequently that would otherwise be possible.
3 Benefits
* Men can develop substantial muscles. Women lack the testosterone to do this, but they can develop a firm, "toned" physique. Both genders can improve their physical attractiveness.
* Stronger muscles improve performance in a variety of sports.
* 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 reverse the loss of muscle tissue that normally accompanies ageing, and by doing so become less frail. They may be able to avoid some types of physical disability.
* Heavy, weight-bearing exercise helps to prevent osteoporosis.
* The body's basal metabolic rate increases with increases in muscle mass, which promotes long-term fat loss and helps dieters to avoid yo-yo dieting.
* Intense workouts elevate the metabolism for several hours following the workout, which also promotes fat loss.
* Weight training relaxes tense muscles by working them through their full range of motion. This can help to reduce levels of stress, and can mitigate some repetitive stress injuries.
* Intense exercise increases levels of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, which can help to improve mood and counter feelings of depression.
4 Safety issues
Weight training can be one of the safest forms of exercise. 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. But this may shift the effort to weaker muscles that cannot cope with it. For example, the squat is used to exercise the largest muscles in the human body—the leg and buttock muscles—so it requires a substantial weight. Beginners are often tempted to round their back while performing this exercise, but 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".
An exercise must be halted as soon as pain is felt, to prevent further injury. But not all discomfort is caused by injury. Weight training exercises are brief but very intense, and many people are unaccustomed to this level of effort. This is where the expression "no pain, no gain" comes from: it does not suggest ignoring pain that comes from injury, but rather the discomfort that comes from intense effort.
Discomfort can arise from other factors. Individuals who perform large numbers of repetitions, sets and exercises for each muscle group may experience lactic acid buildup 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.
Beginners are advised to build up slowly to a weight training program, ostensibly to minimise delayed onset muscle soreness. It is true that a sudden start to an intense program can cause significant muscular soreness. Unexercised muscles contain cross-linkages that are torn during intense exercise. A more important reason, though, is that 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 the appropriate strengths relative to each other.
Weight trainers commonly spend 10 to 20 minutes warming up their muscles with aerobic exercise before starting a workout. They also stretch muscles after they have been exercised. Exercises where a barbell is held above the body, such as the squat or the bench press, are normally performed 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.
5 Types of exercises
5.1 Isometric exercises vs isotonic exercises
Isometric exercises are exercises where the muscles flex and hold a stationary position. No movement of a load takes place. An example of an isometric exercise is placing the palms of the hands against each other and pushing. Isometric exercises are primarily used in physical therapy and injury rehabilitation because the intensity can be rapidly and precisely adjusted, which makes them very safe.
Isotonic exercises are exercises where the muscles are used to push or pull a weight. 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. Some exercises, such as the push-up, use the individual's bodyweight instead. Advanced practitioners often add weight to bodyweight exercises such as the crunch by, in this case, holding a dumbbell or a cast iron weight disk ("plate") on their chest.
5.2 Isolation exercises vs compound exercises
An isolation exercise is one where the movement is restricted to one joint and one muscle group. For example, the leg extension is an isolation exercise for the quadriceps. No other muscle groups are involved, and movement occurs only around the knee joint.
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. 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 any of the compound exercises.
5.3 Free weights vs exercise machines
Free weights refer to exercises that use only dumbbells, a barbell or the individual's own bodyweight. Unlike exercise machines, they do not constrain users to specific, fixed movements and therefore require more effort from the individual's stabiliser muscles. Some people argue that free weights are superior for precisely this reason. But because exercise machines prevent users from performing the exercises with poor form, they are considered safer than free weights—particularly for beginners. Moreover, since users need not think about maintaining good form, they can focus more on the effort they are putting into the exercise, which may lead to more rapid progress.
There are a number of exercise machines that are commonly found in neighbourhood gyms. The Smith machine is a barbell that is constrained to move only vertically upwards and downwards. The cable machine consists of two weight stacks with cables running through adjustable pulleys (which can be fixed at any height) to various types of handles. There are also exercise-specific machines such as the leg press. A multigym includes a variety of exercise-specific mechanisms in one apparatus. Newer types of exercise-specific machines include an oval cam to ensure that the force remains constant throughout the full range of motion of the exercise.
6 Exercises for specific muscle groups
Weight trainers commonly divide the body's individual muscles into ten major muscle groups. These do not include hip, neck and forearm muscles, which are rarely trained in isolation. The twenty most common exercises for these muscle groups are described below.
The sequence shown below is one way to order the exercises. The larger muscles of the lower body should be trained before the smaller muscles of the upper body. The core muscles of the torso should be trained before the shoulder and arm muscles that assist them. Exercises should 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.
The descriptions given here are sufficient to identify and discuss these exercises, but for reasons of space they omit numerous details that are crucial to performing them safely. Anyone attempting these exercises for the first time must do so under the supervision of an experienced personal trainer.
6.1 Lower body
6.1.1 Quadriceps (front of legs)
* The squat is performed by squatting with a weight across the upper back, and then standing up straight again. It is a compound exercise that also involves the glutes and, to a lesser extent, the hamstrings and the calves.
o Equipment: bodyweight, barbell, Smith machine or hack squat machine.
o Major variants: front ~ (weight across the upper chest).
* The leg press is performed while seated by pushing a weight away from the body with the feet. It is a compound exercise that also involves the glutes and, to a lesser extent, the hamstrings and the calves.
o Equipment: leg press machine.
* The deadlift is performed by squatting down, and then lifting a weight up off the floor with the hands until standing straight again. It is a compound exercise that also involves the glutes, lower back, lats, trapezius and, to a lesser extent, the hamstrings and the calves.
o Equipment: dumbbells, barbell or Smith machine.
o Major variants: sumo ~ (wider stance to emphasise the inner thighs).
* The leg extension is performed while seated by raising a weight out in front of the body with the feet. It is an isolation exercise for the quadriceps.
o Equipment: dumbbell, cable machine or leg extension machine
6.1.2 Hamstrings (back of legs)
* The leg curl is performed by lying face down on to a bench, and raising a weight with the feet towards the buttocks. It is an isolation exercise for the hamstrings.
o Equipment: dumbbell, cable machine or leg curl machine.
o Major variants: seated ~ (using a specialised machine), standing ~ (one leg at a time).
6.1.3 Calves
* The standing calf raise is performed by flexing the feet to lift the body, and also a weight that is resting on the shoulders or is held in the hands. It is an isolation exercise for the calves, and particularly emphasises the gastrocnemius muscle.
o Equipment: bodyweight, dumbbell(s), barbell, Smith machine or hack squat machine.
o Major variants: one leg ~ (the other is held off the ground), donkey calf raise (bent over with a weight on the lower back).
* The seated calf raise is performed by flexing the feet to lift a weight held on the knees. It is an isolation exercise for the calves, and particularly emphasises the soleus muscle.
o Equipment: barbell or seated calf raise machine.
6.2 Upper body
6.2.1 Pectorals (chest)
* The bench press is performed by lying face up on a bench, and pushing a weight away from the chest. It is a compound exercise that also involves the triceps and the front deltoids.
o Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, Smith machine or bench press machine.
o Major variants: incline ~ (more emphasis on the upper pecs), decline ~ (more emphasis on the lower pecs), narrow grip ~ (more emphasis on the triceps), push-up (face down using the bodyweight).
* The flye is performed by lying face up on a bench with arms outspread holding weights, and then bringing the arms together above the chest. It is an isolation exercise for the pectorals.
o Equipment: dumbbells, cable machine or "pec deck" machine.
o Major variants: incline ~ (more emphasis on the upper pectorals), decline ~ (more emphasis on the lower pectorals).
6.2.2 Lats (upper back)
* The pulldown is performed while seated by pulling a wide bar down towards the upper chest. It is a compound exercise that also involves the biceps and the rear deltoids.
o Equipment: cable machine or pulldown machine.
o Major variants: chin-up (using the bodyweight while hanging from a high bar), close grip ~ (more emphasis on the lower lats), reverse grip ~ (more emphasis on the biceps).
* The bent-over row is performed while leaning over by holding a weight hanging down in the hands, and then pulling it towards the abdomen. It is a compound exercise that also involves the biceps, the rear deltoids and (usually) the lower back.
o Equipment: dumbbell(s), barbell, Smith machine or T-bar machine.
o Major variants: cable ~ (while seated).
6.2.3 Deltoids (shoulders)
* The upright row is performed while standing by lifting a weight held in the hands to the upper chest. It is a compound exercise that also involves the trapezius and the biceps.
o Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, Smith machine or cable machine.
* The shoulder press (or military press) is performed while seated by lowering a weight held above the head to just above the shoulders, and then raising it again. It is a compound exercise that also involves the trapezius and the triceps.
o Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, Smith machine or shoulder press machine.
* The lateral raise is performed while standing or seated with hands hanging down and palms facing inwards, by lifting weights out to the sides until just below the level of the shoulders. It is an isolation exercise for the deltoids.
o Equipment: dumbbells, cable machine or lateral raise machine.
o Major variants: front raise (lift weight out to the front, emphasis on the front deltoids), bent-over ~ (emphasis on the rear deltoids).
6.2.4 Biceps (front of arms)
* The bicep curl is performed while standing or seated with hands hanging down and palms facing forwards, by lifting a weight to the shoulders. It is an isolation exercise for the biceps.
o Equipment: dumbbell(s), barbell or cable machine.
o Major variants: hammer curl (palms turned inwards), preacher curl (upper arm resting on sloping bench), concentration curl (seated with one elbow against the knee).
.2.5 Triceps (back of arms)
* The pushdown is performed while standing by pushing down on a bar held at the level of the upper chest. It is an isolation exercise for the triceps.
o Equipment: cable machine or pulldown machine.
* The triceps extension is performed while standing or seated by lowering a weight held above the head, keeping the upper arms motionless, and then raising it again. It is an isolation exercise for the triceps.
o Equipment: dumbbell, barbell, cable machine or triceps extension machine.
o Major variants: lying ~ (lying face up with the weights over the face).
6.3 Waist
6.3.1 Abdominals (belly)
* The crunch is performed by lying face up on the floor with knees bent, and then curling the shoulders towards the pelvis. It is an isolation exercise for the abdominals.
o Equipment: bodyweight, dumbbell, cable machine or crunch machine.
o Major variants: reverse ~ (curling the pelvis towards the shoulders).
* The leg raise is performed by sitting on a bench, and then raising the knees towards the shoulders. It is a compound exercise that also involves the hip flexors.
o Equipment: bodyweight or dumbbell.
o Major variants: hanging ~ (hanging from a high bar).
6.3.2 Lower back
* The back extension is performed by lying face down partway along a flat or angled bench, so that the hips are supported and the heels secured, and then bending down at the waist and straightening up again. It is a compound exercise that also involves the glutes.
o Equipment: bodyweight, dumbbell or back extension machine.
7 Advanced techniques
* Drop sets
* Supersets
* Partial reps
* Negatives
* Super slow
* Pre-exhaustion
8 See also
Body for Life for a sample weight training regimen.
9 References
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.
* Delavier, Frederic. Strength Training Anatomy. Human Kinetics Publishers, 2001. (ISBN 0736041850)
* Hatfield, Frederick. Hardcore Bodybuilding: A Scientific Approach. McGraw-Hill, 1993. (ISBN 0809237288)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Weight training". |
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