Many of my personal training clients as me “What is the best exercise”? My answer is always; “the best exercise for YOU depends on what you want to achieve and what you enjoy doing”. This is true for both cardiovascular training and resistance training (weight lifting). However, this entry will only resistance training.
So, what results do you want to achieve? Increased strength? Larger muscles?, increased endurance?, or more power? The protocols below are from the National Strength and Condition Association (NSCA), which is the gold standard of strength and conditioning guidelines. For each of the protocols below, you want to use the most weight or resistance that you can complete the desired number of repetitions while maintaing good form.
For strength (moving the weights slowly):
You want to do 2-6 sets of 6 or less repetitions with a 2-5min rest between sets. This allows you to improve (what we exercise scientists call) neural drive. What I mean by improving neural drive is the ability to train the nervous system to be more efficient at recruiting more muscle fibers. Recruiting more muscle fibers allows you to move more weight. By doing this you will build maximum strength without building bulk.
For bigger muscles (Called Hypertrophy):
You want to do 3-6 sets of 6-12 repetitions with a 30s-1.5min rest between sets. You do build some strength from doing this protocol, but you mainly deposit more non-contractile protein, which causes the size of the muscle to increase.
For endurance (doing the same action repeatedly for a long period of time):
You want to do 2-3 sets of more than 12 repetitions with a 30s or less rest in between sets. This allows you to build muscular endurance by forcing your muscles to use a certain amount of weight for longer periods of time.
For power (power is a combination of strength and speed, think Olympic lifts):
You want to do either one set of 1-2 repetitions with a 2-5 min rest or you want to do 3-5 sets with 3-5 repetitions with a 2-5min rest. These exercises are done very quickly in an explosive manor.
One of the most common mistakes I see at the gym is when people move the weights to fast. The tempo or speed should be 2 seconds for the contraction phase and 4 seconds for the relaxation phase. Another way to think about it is 2 seconds when you move the weights against gravity and 4 seconds when you move the weights with gravity. This applies to all the above exercises with the exception of the power (explosive) exercises.
So, there you have it for resistance training. I will have a journal up by the end of the week about cardiovascular training. Do you realize I did not say anything about toning or fat loss? I did that because toning (aka fat loss) comes from losing fat. For this you need a shift in your energy balance. Burn more calories than you eat and you will lose fat! Let me know if you have any questions about these protocols.
-Alexandra Jasinowski
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I want to achieve conditioning in both strength and endurance. Is it appropriate to use the protocols above on alternate days, or is there a better way to achieve this goal?
ReplyDeleteIt depends on what kind of endurance you are trying to build. If you are training for a marathon or an endurance sport then you should only follow the endurance resistance protocol. It will build some strength on top of the muscular endurance. If you are not training for an endurance sport then for resistance training just stick to the strength protocol and do cardiovascular exercise on the days you do not do strength or in the afternoons. I say this because the energy you need to lift weights is used when you do cardiovascular exercise for 20min or more and you want all the energy you can get to engage the whole muscle. I will go over cardiovascular training next week and the different protocols for that.
ReplyDelete-Alexandra Jasinowski
Thanks - a follow up question: that's a lot of time between sets! What should I be doing with my 2-5 minute 'rest'? Could I do a set with a muscle group - say biceps - then use a different set of muscles - say quads - during the 'rest,' then switch back? I workout during my lunch break and I want to use my time most efficiently.
ReplyDeletethanks!
Your best bet is super-setting. Super-setting is when you work opposing muscle groups and you do not rest between sets. Say if you were going to do a leg workout, you would do squats (leg extensions) and then immediately do deadlifts (leg curls) and then repeat. By doing super-sets you can do more exercises in a shorter amount of time because rest is not necessary. Just in case you are not sure which muscles are opposing here they are:
ReplyDeleteQuads and hamstrings
Biceps and triceps
Back and chest
I would work my calves after I super-set my hamstrings and quads and I would work my shoulders before I super-set my triceps and biceps. Remember to work the bigger muscles before the smallers muscles when lifting.
I hope this helps! Let me know how it works for you!
-Alexandra Jasinowski
Great concept that you are talking about.I wish I had better trainers who would guide me in the same procedure as I am just a lay person with all this but anyways good to learn from your blog about this.
ReplyDeleteHealth Advocate
Stuart here;
ReplyDeleteLee I would plan on varying your protocol for best results. For instance your week might look like this; one day do the protocol for strength, the next day you workout for muscle building and then the next day do endurance. By changing the routine you will not allow the muscle to adapt and become more efficient at doing any one routine.
Another option is doing one week using one protocol then the next week another protocol and then third week another than repeat.
Personally I love to do the strength protocol, using the heaviest weight I can lift. However, I find for myself and others that this protocol is very hard on your joints, workout after workout. I try not to do the strength protocol more than once per week. Also, days I just do not want to work as hard as is needed to lift such heavy weights.
Many women worry about bulking up when doing the muscle building protocol. You do not need to worry, about bulking up even with the muscle building protocol. You just do not have enough testosterone. If you have ever seen very muscular women it is due to either they are taking steroids or they are working out 6 hours per day.
This is very helpful, Stuart. I like all kinds of cross-training and I get bored easily with routines, so this will be a good plan for me - always!
ReplyDelete