PRINCIPLES OF STRENGTH TRAINING

PRINCIPLE OF OVERLOAD  The most important principle in all strength training programs  In order to gain strength & muscle mass, muscles need to be stressed beyond normal daily levels  Stepping outside of your comfort zone = GROWTH  To overload muscles you must increase the volume of work  Increase resistance  Increase # of sets/repetitions  Repetition (rep) = the number of times you do a specific exercise  Set = any particular number of repetitions / group of reps

PRINCIPLE OF SPECIFICITY  What you do in a workout should be relevant to your desired outcome/goal  If I want to run a marathon I need to run  If I want to increase the strength of my leg muscles I need to strength train those muscles  To become better at a particular exercise/skill, you must perform that exercise or skill  Don’t expect to get faster if you are only bench pressing  Don’t expect your bench press to get better if you are only doing sprints

PRINCIPLE OF PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD  The human body will not change unless you force it to  As you get stronger, you need to progressively increase the volume of your workout to continue to gain strength & muscle mass  Increase the volume by increasing resistance, sets, and/or reps  Without PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD your body does not need to adapt and therefore will never get bigger or stronger beyond a certain point.  Make sure increases are gradual

PRINCIPLE OF RECOVERY  the body requires recovery periods between training sessions to adapt to the stress that is placed on it  a period of rest is essential for achieving maximal benefit from exercise  Without this rest, injuries can occur  workouts provide the stimulus for change; the change itself (hopefully an improvement in fitness level) takes place during the periods between workouts  Strength training breaks down muscle fibers, when you rest they build back up  Stretch after a training session to maintain flexibility & aid in recovery

EXERCISE SEQUENCE & BALANCE  Exercise Sequence: arrange the exercises in your workout in a logical order  Alternate between upper and lower body exercises  Alternate between front side and back side muscle exercises  Alternate between push and pull muscle exercises  Balance: work your muscles evenly  Train your leg muscles as much as your upper body muscles  Train your back muscles as much as your front muscles  Train your left and right side independently: unilateral exercises  Imbalances typically lead to injuries Attempting to flex invisible leg muscles

Safety Precautions for Strength Training 1. Use proper technique!  Learn how to correctly do the exercise and then master the technique/form before adding on heavy weight 2. Learn to breathe properly  Don’t forget to exhale! 3. Use spotters: partner that can assist with the weight if you become fatigued 4. Warm up: 5-10 min of cardio (running, jump roping, rowing) 5. Protect your lower back  Almost always keep a flat, straight back  Use your legs to lift 6. Lower weight slowly