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Weight Resistance Training
Weight
Resistance Training
Weight resistance training deals with working
the muscles beyond the usual intensity, i.e. the overload. You can increase
the overload by increasing the resistance in your workout or increase
the number of reps with a particular weight or increase the number of
sets in your workouts. Every bit of resistance that you add beyond your
maximum capacity will give much better results. The aim is to cause
damage to your muscles, which is the root cause of muscle build up.
The muscles get damaged during workouts, and after workouts, the muscles
goes into the repair mode to repair the damaged cells. While doing so,
it actually over compensates for the loss and builds more muscle. In
strength training you must include effective reps in your weight resistance
training.
Weight resistance training can take important lessons from the marathon runners. Marathon runners train to the limit which activates their ability to handle lactate. In the training for marathon runners, the effort must be to enable the marathon runners run at faster and faster speeds without going off the lactate limitations. The best method to rate the marathon runners in the laboratory are the speed at which the lactate increases and gets into the blood. It is the V OBLA and not the MAX VOb or their maximum oxygen uptake ability that helps the runners. An average person lactates even at much slower speed. But highly experienced and elite marathon runners can run at extremely high speeds before the blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) starts in their muscles. In the case of swimmers, for a freestyle 100 meter swim, the energy requirement is shared equally by the aerobic and anaerobic systems. When the swimmer swims too fast in the early stages, pyruvate accumulates, which the aerobic system cannot withstand and lactic acid gets forming. This can lead to failure in the final stages of the race. These important facts must find consideration in your program on weight resistance training.
Weight resistance training can benefit from the ‘negative splits’ followed by the runners and swimmers. This is a pacing method to avoid the lactate problem. In negative splits, the swimmers swim each 50 or 100 meter leg faster than before, instead of starting faster and ending up slower. In this system, the pace is quickened only when the body warms up and aerobic juices begin to flow. This system also enables you to stay within the limits of the aerobic system. In a marathon, the idea should be to time the sprint so that you reach the lactate handling capacity right at the finish line. Similarly strength training should start off with lower weights and gradually increase the weights and the reps or sets. The muscles must be properly warmed up before strength training. A warmed up muscle will flex more than a cold muscle. Include a lot of such positive aspects in your weight resistance training.
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