Ranadeep Moitra demonstrates weight training

In my last article I had strongly recommended working with weights to improve total fitness. A lot of readers came back to me with requests to lay down the proper protocols for resistance training. I am a big advocate of weight training. Whether you are a professional sportsman, recreational athlete, dancer, actor or just a homemaker trying to keep your energy levels up, there is something in it for everybody.

The principle

Legend has it that the ancient Greek Milo increased his strength by carrying a calf everyday. As the calf grew, Milo’s strength also increased. Although he had no barbells or dumbbells, Milo had subconsciously discovered the essence of the principle of progressive resistance exercise — that in order to continue to get strong (or more muscular), one must gradually increase the weight (resistance) used.

What does this mean?

The theory of progressive resistance means that when you can achieve the desired number of repetitions and still find that you have not fatigued, it is time to increase the weightage lifted.

Exercise physiologists recommend that around 15 is a safe repetition pattern to begin with, the rationale being that if a person can lift a particular poundage 15 times, the weight lifted has limited potential of causing physical injury or trauma to the muscle and connective tissue. Therefore, start with a weight that allows you to (more or less) do around 15 repetitions using good, true form. If you can’t achieve close to 15 reps, you may be lifting too much and if you can do a lot more than 15, you need to lift more.

As your strength level increases, you will find that doing 15 repetitions is not taxing enough anymore. The only way to make the exercise effective once again would be to increase the weight so it becomes as physically taxing to do the desired repetitions as it was at the beginning.

For example, your trainer may have asked you to do 15 repetitions of shoulder presses with a 5 kg dumbbell. You do them for four weeks but find that on the fifth week, you can easily go up to 17 or 18 repetitions. It is time to add more weight. Your body is said to have “adapted” to the stress put on it and additional benefits will not accrue till the stress is increased somewhat. Increase the weight so that you can do only 15 repetitions or thereabouts. No more.

How many “repetitions” should you do?

Start with around 15 repetitions and add weight every four-six weeks so that the number of repetitions you can achieve drops by two-three every six weeks. As the body adapts to training stimulus and strength levels rise, the weights also have to be increased slowly.

In around six months, I like to see the repetition pattern drop to eight-10. Typically, the repetition pattern is dictated by the physical goals desired by the client:

The gospel of training

There is no such thing as a voluntary stop in weight training. Confused? This means that the desired repetition patterns are merely guidelines. You don’t stop a set because you have achieved the desired reps. You should stop only when you have fatigued to the point of failure. Say, your desired repetition pattern is 10. You must, by trial and error, choose a weight that makes you fail at or around 10 repetitions. However, if you find that after doing 10 repetitions, you still have life in you to do a few more repetitions, then you should continue till you fatigue. After you have finished that set, you should consider increasing the weight handled for the next set in order to fail exactly at the desired rep zone for the next set.

How many sets should you do?

Beginners can start with a single set but as “adaptation” sets in, one set will not be enough to induce stimulus for further change. Then, it is time to add one or two more sets for each exercise. Advanced lifters sometimes do four to five sets for each exercise.

How much time should you give?

When correctly performed, each repetition will take three-four seconds. So, a set of 10 reps should take around 30-40 seconds.

An exercise performed with three sets will take three minutes, allowing for a work-recovery ratio of 1:1. Performing 10 sets will take 30 minutes.

If you add 20 minutes for warm up and cool down, it works out to less than an hour.

How many sets per session?

 

 

 

 

How much should you rest between sets...

The more challenging an exercise, the longer it will take you to recover. A set of squats for the legs is a demanding exercise since it involves many joints and major muscle groups. A bicep curl, in comparison is far less demanding and will not require too much time for recovery. But, the following guidelines are useful reference points.

1. When training for all-out strength, two-three minutes recovery is needed.

2. Size and shape (hypertrophy) is best developed with 30-60 seconds rest.

3. When training for endurance and fat loss, keep rest periods short, below 30 seconds.

...and between sessions?

A trained muscle will need 40 hours to recover and should be rested. Remember all positive adaptation takes place during this rest period. They should not be trained again till they have recovered fully.

Machines or free weights?

Machines have in-built safety features where they score over dumbbells and barbells, but are not as effective as free weights. Free weights challenge the stabilisers (muscles that help to stabilise joints) and encourage a more natural plain and path of movement. Do a combination of both free weights and machines, or what suits you best.

What about safety?

An exerciser has to be aware of safety norms:

1. Work through the full range of motion.

2. Never compromise on correct form in order to lift additional weight.

3. Breathe normally throughout the exercise — exhale during the positive (concentric) phase and inhale during the eccentric or negative contraction phase.

4. Always warm up before lifting and cool down after the session.

And finally, the benefits…

1. Better muscle tone.

2. Increased bone density.

3. Stronger ligaments and tendons.

4. Better range of motion.

5. Improved muscle balance.

6. Reduced body fat.

7. Steady glucose levels.

8. Higher muscle strength.