Measure your health by your sympathy with morning and Spring.
-Henry David Thoreau

April 2007, Brett

Resistance Training: So Much More Than Pushing Iron

Mention resistance training and most people will think of a sweaty gym full of chiseled abs and Austrian accents. The good news is that resistance training is for everyone, but it doesn’t take bench pressing a Buick to get significant results.  When the term weightlifting is used, it is pretty easy to see the focus on the weight itself.  I have seen many people injure themselves by trying to lift too much weight, struggling to lift that weight one last time without paying attention to how their body is feeling. Resistance training focuses instead on moving the body against resistance, no matter what that resistance is. 

Resistance can be in the form of dumbbells, barbells, and other weights, but it can also be found in resistance bands (basically big rubber bands, often with handles), body weight, moving in the water, and many other ways. An advantage of this approach is that you can find resistance everywhere, not just the gym. This isn’t a critique on gyms and fitness centers that use dumbbells and barbells.  Instead, it is opening up the possibility that you can improve your health by incorporating resistance training wherever you go: on a trip, at home, or at work. The main issue is that you are moving a muscle against a resistance that is challenging enough to see physical changes in your body. If you aren’t moving against enough resistance, you won’t see these changes. There are several principles to keep in mind when doing resistance training for you to get the most out of your workout.

  • Form—Doing things in the right form will give you the safest workout, targeting the muscles that you are trying to focus on, as well as keep people from cringing or correcting you at the gym.  To learn the right form, talk to a personal trainer or strength coach, check out a book at your local library, or get some ideas at www.checkyourhealth.org under “Workouts on the Web.” It is better to learn form when you are just starting to prevent injury, and prevent hitting a plateau in your progress later on.
  • Control—Form is not the same thing as being in control.  When you start doing resistance training, you may feel like your brain and your body are not in contact with each other. You may wobble and adjust your positioning as you learn the correct form, but many people don’t allow their body to adapt. If you feel out of control, use a lighter weight until you can gain enough strength in the accessory muscles to control your movement.
  • Progression—If you are doing the same workout you have been doing for the past 10 years, expect about the same results.  Unless you are making progress, you are not getting all of the benefit out of your workout. Try to increase the amount of resistance you use, the number of exercises you perform, etc. no more than 10% per week.  Even if you feel strong and want to make big jumps, doing too much, too fast, too soon will only lead to injury and burnout.  Seek progress, but be smart about it.
  • Fatigue—The goal of your resistance training workout is to use your muscles in a way or intensity that you are not used to doing. By the end of your final set, you should be unable to do one more repetition with good form and control. It is at this point you will see results. For general strength building and calorie burning, aim for 1-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.
  • Rest—The amount of rest you get is just as important as how much you lift. Give yourself 48-72 hours of rest between workouts, adding up to about 2-3 workout sessions per week. 

Doing some form of resistance training will help you have strength to do daily tasks, increase your bone density to prevent osteoporosis, burn extra calories, and improve your mood. If you need more information send your questions to Brett McIff, MSPH, CSCS at bmciff@utah.gov.  Keep Moving!