Exercise Guide

Many studies at universities, conducted around the world have shown clearly that recuperation from strength training requires far more rest time than previously thought. The latest studies have indicated that high intensity strength trained muscles need more time than previously thought to recover and become stronger some studies show that muscles are still overcompensating and getting stronger for up to 21 days after the previous workout.

Researchers have found that fitness enthusiasts can reduce the time they spend working out by two-thirds and still achieve the same results. A study involving male weightlifters has suggested it is counter-productive to spend hours exercising.

Those who exercised less saw significant decrease in body fat. The study focused on 16 students aged 19 to 23, who already worked out regularly. They were split into two groups. Both carried out upper-body training three times a week for eight weeks. One group did one set of eight repetition: the other did three sets of the same exercise.

At the end of the study both groups had improved “significantly” in terms of muscular strength, said researchers from the health and exercise science unit at the University of Glamorgan in Pontypridd, Wales. Report author Dr Julien Baker said “This study indicates that it is counter-productive to spend hours at the gym, and that a shorter work-out can achieve exactly the same results.

Muscles take between 4-7 days to fully recover from a workout and another 2-3 days for over-compensation to take place. It can also take up to 7-14 days for the neuro - muscular system to fully recover from a high intensity strength training session.

I’ve observed in 20 years working in gyms, the same people continuing to train week in and week out, three to four and even more times a week even though they haven’t made progress in months or even years of training. I have found through experience that any strength training program that has you in the gym three or more times a week will have you plateau within four to five weeks and nothing you do will shift you from this plateau short of cutting back on training which will re-start the gaining processes again.

The only exception to this rule is the beginner whose strength will increase through neurological adaptations for up to three months after starting strength training. Also perfect technique must be maintained and followed to maximize the training stimulus on the muscle and to minimize the risk of injury during this period. Studies have also concluded that split strength training programs have been shown to be no more beneficial than full body training programs.

The training frequency that you, and everybody else, should use is variable, not fixed. I repeat not fixed, when you strength train, as a way to develop more muscle the intensity of your workouts has to progress upward. If they remain at the same intensity there is no reason for new muscle to grow. If you want to train effectively you have to understand the relationship between the increasing intensity of your workouts and the decreasing frequency of those workouts.

The two main components of strength training are the intensity of the exercise and the recovery after the exercise. Infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required amount of time to recover and become stronger is what is needed to increase functional muscle size. Your rest days are just as important as your training days. By giving your muscles more time to recover between strength training sessions you will be on the road to major gains in strength, muscle size and fat loss.

So there you have it, it’s not the training volume but the intensity and recuperation that’s important when it comes to Gains in Strength and Muscle.”

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your ‘free’ weight loss or muscle building e-courses.

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Weight lifting exercises cause your muscles to generate heat and strength. Your muscles need to be strong, in order to help you move, breathe and so on.

This article on weight lifting exercises will look at the relationship between the exercises you use when weight lifting and your muscles.

Your actual muscle tissue is made up of 2 types of muscle fibers, actin, which are a slim fiber and myosin which are substantially thicker. Both of these fiber types help to give your muscles a striated look about them.

When performing any exercises used in weight lifting the muscle being exercised must be able to contract properly. To do this they need to become stimulated by motor neurons. These are simply nerves.

One motor neuron and the muscle fibers stimulated during exercises used during weight lifting activities are called a motor unit. These motor units or muscle fibers play a large part in the force your muscles can produce during a contraction.

The more motor units you can activate during your weight lifting exercises the stronger the contraction. Meaning you’ll be able to lift a greater amount of weight for an increased number of repetitions.

Your muscle fibers are categorized as Type I, Type IIa and Type IIb muscle fibers. The more common term for muscle fibers are “fast” and “slow” twitch.

When performing high rep weight training exercises it’s your slow twitch muscle fibers (Type I) that will be recruited to do the majority of the work. Your body uses this type of muscle fiber when endurance activities, aerobic activity or high rep sets are used.

Fast twitch muscle fibers (Type IIa and Type Iib) are used by your body during explosive contractions. It’s these fibers that have the greatest potential for growth resulting from the weight lifting exercises you perform.

Your body will used fast twitch muscle fibers during high-intensity, short-duration exercises such as weight lifting exercises that use heavy weight for very low reps, or sprinting.

People who seem to be able to build muscle at will when performing almost any weight lifting exercises, usually will have an unusually large number of fast twitch muscle fibers in their body.

In the majority of people the muscle fiber make-up in each muscle group will be relatively equal in most muscle groups. Therefore you need to recruit both slow twitch and fast twitch fibers at some point in your exercise program.

One exception to the rule of equal types of muscle fibers is when it comes to your hamstrings. The hamstring muscles in the vast majority of people tend to be made up of mostly fast twitch muscle fibers.

For that reason, when performing weight exercises for your hamstrings, you should try to use heavier weights for a lower number of reps.

Now, when executing any weight training exercises your muscles will go through a few different actions. There are isometric, eccentric, concentric, and isotonic portions of most weight lifting exercises;

Isometric contractions can best be described as the same stress your muscle would go through when pushing against a wall.

The lifting portion of weight training exercises such as a dumbbell bicep curl is known as the concentric contraction. Lowering the dumbbell in a controlled fashion is the eccentric portion.

The more common terms for this part of weight training exercises are positive (concentric) and negative (eccentric).

The fourth type of contraction that can occur during weight exercises is the isotonic contraction. This can occur more commonly during plyometric training.

Patrick Mckeeman has very quick, easy & effective health & fitness solutions for you. For extensive information on weight lifting exercises please go to:
http://www.man-health-fitness-solutions.com/weight-lifting-exercises.html

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Weight training exercises for women are finally becoming widely recognized and applauded for their overall health benefits. It is difficult to pickup a woman’s magazine today that does not talk about the importance of weight training exercises for women.

With all this press you would think that women would be jumping on board to develop a weight training routine. Many women are still hesitant to embrace weight training however. They feel that it is still a “guy” thing or that weight training will make them bulky and less feminine. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Women are not biologically designed to get big and bulky like our male counterparts. It would take an extraordinary amount of weight training and most likely some type of enhancement pharmaceutical to achieve the same sort of bulk that men have after weight training.

The benefits of weight training especially in post-menopausal women are important to note and if would be to our benefit to adopt weight training as part of our exercise routine. Weight training exercises help older women to keep their muscle mass and control their weight. This often becomes a challenge as women age.

As we get older and life gets increasingly busier we can begin struggling with trying to fit in weight training exercises with all the other demands we face. Some of this is because certain weight training routines are quite time consuming.

In researching weight training exercises for women I found a routine that has allows you to keep up with weight training without the long time investment per weight training session.

It is called SuperSlow and this method of weight training is high intensity and low-force. The method is a bit unique with each repetition being a 20 second cycle from the beginning of one repetition to the beginning of the next. 10 seconds are used lifting the weight and 10 seconds are used lowering the weight with a smooth turnaround technique between the lifting and the lowering. The weight is loaded onto the muscle during the entire repetition and the movement is slow and precise

You spend approximately 2-3 minutes on each machine before moving to the next machine. The entire body is worked out in each session and you perform a session one to two times per week. The whole cycle takes between 20 and 25 minutes.

The training is performed one on one with a certified instructor. You remain quite focused and with the individual attention the routine can be tailored to the unique needs of the client. There is no music, TV, or other distractions. You can completely concentrate in the task at hand.

There are no more than two or three people working out at a time. If you are someone that does not enjoy the crowded conditions found at many gyms this is perfect. Also if you are a little shy about working out in public this is a very safe environment.

The sessions are 20-25 minutes long which allows you to get in, work out, and get on with your day. This can be valuable as schedules gets busier. You can usually squeeze that amount of time in once or twice a week.

This weight training method addresses gaining strength, retaining flexibility through a full range of motion during the repetitions, and increasing cardiovascular ability with the breathing used while training. It allows you to receive an overall workout and therefore any other exercise you can manage during the week is more for recreation than training.

Allowing the body to recover between workouts is imperative to derive the greatest benefits from this type of overall weight training.

If you would like more information on this type of weight training exercise for women you can research the method on the web.

If increasing you overall strength and weight loss are important to you, weight training exercises can be of great use. There are many out there to choose from. The important thing is to get started

Maureen Staiano is a Life Coach specializing in working with women and the unique challenges, opportunities and transitions we face in our lives. Please visit me: http://www.achieveyourdreamcoaching.com

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