Have you ever tried lifting a full bucket of water? It’s harder to move from one place to another than an empty bucket is, right? Well, essentially that is because you are encountering resistance from the weight that you are lifting when the bucket is full.
Resistance training exercises are those in which you are working against some force or load that will ‘resist’ your movement. The most popular example of this is weightlifting, but there are other kinds of activities that classify as resistance training even without using plates (removable weights) in the gym.
Resistance training is a highly effective method to increase your muscle size and promote change in your body’s composition. You can use this method to lose some weight, gain bigger and better body proportions and increase your overall strength.
When starting your resistance training, it is always good to have a basic knowledge that will serve as your foundation throughout the months of your training. This will help you to understand the true purpose of each exercise you perform, and apply these principles to your training program for better results. After all, knowledge is power.
Knowing Parameters
When starting out on a new workout routine you should remember these commonly used parameters to aid you in your training.
a) Repetitions (REPS) – this is the number of times you are about to consecutively repeat or perform an exercise movement.
For example: 10 reps of squats means you need to do 10 squats (10 repetitions) in a row.
Most exercises are performed between 8 to 12 repetitions at a time depending on your goal and strength. This range is generally used for hypertrophy or increase in muscle size and strength.
A single repetition is considered done only if you have completed the full cycle of muscle lengthening and shortening. For example, when doing a biceps curl your muscles contract in a way that you are lifting the dumbbell closer to your upper arms (muscle shortening), and then you bring the dumbbell back to its starting position (muscle lengthening) away from your upper arms.
b) Sets – this tells you how many times you will repeat a particular number of repetitions of a given exercise.
For example: 2 sets of 10 reps of squats means you are about to perform 20 squats, with rest intervals after every 10 repetitions.
c) Rest – This is the amount of time you take as a break in between each set. This could range from 15 to 90 seconds depending on your workout program.
Choosing the Proper Exercise
Choose the exercises that will target the muscles you want to work-on. For example, if you are going to work on your pectoral muscles or chest area, you may want to consider doing bench presses. This exercise will actively engage your pectoral muscles against the selected resistance or weights.
Ideally you want to focus only on 1 or 2 exercise variations per your target area. This will give your body enough time to adapt to the complexity of the movements you are doing. According to research, frequently changing your resistance training routine may actually impede your muscle growth as your body will spend another week or so in adjusting to the movements.
Choosing the Proper Resistance
Choosing the right weight for your reps is a crucial step in your training. Choosing too light a resistance may not get you the expected result, while choosing too heavy resistance may increase your risk for injuries and overtraining.
The idea here is to choose the right amount of weight, so that it will challenge your muscles while producing the results safely.
Generally we use the concept of Repetition Maximum or (RM) when choosing the right amount of resistance for the exercise. RM is the most weight a person can lift for a defined number of Repetition (REPS).
For example:
- 1 RM means the heaviest weight the person could lift for 1 REPS
- 10 RM means the heaviest weight the person could lift for 10 repetitions
You can choose the amount of resistance based on your goal below:
| Goal | RM | Intensity |
| Muscle Power | 1 to 6 RM per Set | Explosive |
| Muscle Strength/Power | 3 to 12 RM per Set | Fast or Controlled |
| Muscle Strength/Size | 6 to 20 RM per Set | Controlled |
| Muscle Endurance | 15 to 20 or more per Set | Controlled |
For beginners, you may prefer to use 8 to 12RM per set as your baseline, and then progress only as you gain more strength.
Practice the Motion
In the learning phase of your training it is important to first study and then practice the movement patterns that are new to you, and do so before you engage in any heavy load lifting and complex exercises.
Practice the components of your exercise in front of the mirror so you can see how your muscles and joints work. Keep doing this until you become comfortable with the form and movements. Make sure to keep your attention to your form and beware of compensatory movements (breaking from the correct form to short-term assist the routine) that you might instinctively do.
Warm up!
Never underestimate the value of warming up. Before you engage in explosive activities you should prepare your muscles, soft tissues and joints – not doing so is setting up your body for potential injuries.
Warming up also psychologically prepares you for performing various exercises. A good 5 to 7 minutes of dynamic warm-up is all you need to get started.
Control the Motion
Whether you are lifting a light or heavy load, always control the movement. You want to keep your muscles continuously engaged throughout the motion. Remember that the whole cycle ends only when you successfully lower the load, so control the motion and do not simply drop the weight and let gravity do the work for you.
Studies show that the biggest gains in muscle mass and muscle strength are at the point of eccentric contraction (muscle lengthening while under load), such as while performing a controlled lowering of a weight during a bicep curl, so do not simply drop the weight!
Progress Gradually
When you are consistently doing 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps and you feel that there’s not enough challenge or resistance in your muscles, then you can start adding more weights to increase the workout.
When you are adding weights, it is best to do it conservatively instead of adding 20 to 25lbs immediately. Increase and progress slowly, this is where the 1 step back 3 steps forward comes into play, start by adding 2 to 5lbs of weight in your exercise and optimize it until you reach your newly adjusted 8 to 12 RM.
Control Your Breathing
In every exercise you are doing, pay attention to your breathing. If you don’t, it is very easy to put so much effort into the exercise that you eventually find yourself grasping for the next breath.
One quick tip is to breathe through your mouth, since this is the “path of least resistance”.
As you exhale, you don’t want to let all that air out at once as this will collapse your lungs immediately. Instead, make use of pursed lip breathing when exhaling to slow the process.
You also want to exhale during your exertion or while you are actually lifting the weight. This will help to ensure you have an adequate amount of oxygen throughout the set.
Set your expectations
Deciding to undertake resistance training is a long term commitment and it is important to remember, if you are a beginner, that you will only be seeing noticeable changes in your body from between 6 to 8 weeks of starting the program.
After each exercise session, you may find your body feels sore and out of energy. This is just the normal reaction of your body as it undergoes metabolic changes. Don’t worry and instead just cherish your rest time and recovery.
Nutrition
Exercise is just one part of the equation, you must support your body growth with enough nutrition to replenish your energy and promote protein synthesis or muscle rebuilding.
Ideally, you must eat protein-rich meals to maximize the effects of your exercise. On an average, you should be trying to reach a daily protein intake of 1.6 to 2.2g per kilogram of your total body weight.
For example: You weigh 80kg, you would need at least 128g – 176 grams protein in your diet every day. Don’t worry, you don’t have to eat this in one single meal. You can try different methods that will fit your lifestyle and eating habits.
For instance if you are something of a nibbler, try dividing your meals into 4 or 5 small protein-rich meals per day, according to your recommended protein intake. This will help to guarantee your continuous progress in building your muscles.
Some choose to take protein supplements in order to support their dietary needs, but it is still best to try and get your protein needs from a variety of whole foods, as there’s no study that has proven that supplements are superior to whole food in gaining muscle mass and strength and whole foods provide other beneficial nutrients.
In conclusion, just focus on meeting your caloric needs and protein intake.
Schedule Your Workouts
There is nothing more like a progress killer than an unplanned schedule. As a beginner, you want to schedule your workout intervals and incorporate them into your lifestyle. Remember, you can only achieve meaningful progress through effort and consistency.
Ideally, you want to have at least 3 to 4 resistance training sessions per week, with a 24 to 48hours rest interval before targeting the same muscle groups again.
You can also group your exercises per body segment, such as by having a leg day, an arm day, a back day or a core day. Although, it is much more effective to do compound exercises rather than segmental exercises.
Plan and Set Goals
Over the course of your training you must plan according to your specific goals, and it is much easier to train when you divide your goals into your training weeks. You can follow the example below if you need somewhere to start:
Week 1 to 2
- Familiarize yourself with the equipment you will be using
- Learn the proper form and execution of each exercise, especially the compound movement
- Start with 2 sets of one exercise for major muscle groups. Start with 15 RM
Week 3 to 5
- Increase the intensity of your exercise by adding 1 more set for each exercise
- Increase the weight and try to work on 10 to 15 rep rage
- Focus on the quality of your movements rather than the quantity of your repetitions
Week 6 to 8
- Increase your training days
- Improve your compound exercises such as squats, bench press, overhead press and pull ups
- As you are getting more and more comfortable with your technique you can add different variations to your exercises
- Increase your weight gradually and switch to 8 to 12 RM with emphasis on clean form
There’s a lot more to talk about resistance exercises, but for those who are looking to start this training it is best to learn the above steps first, and then actually try it in your program.
They always say that the first step is the hardest step, but staying motivated and true to your goals is a whole other topic.
This guide is based on evidence that can help you achieve your goal. Just stay consistent and remember to enjoy the journey.
