Every trainer knows that there are certain training fundamentals that always remain useful for any lesson.
These basics provide foundational knowledge for participants to build on, allowing them to comprehend more complex topics and principles.
Understanding these fundamentals will allow a trainer to ensure their program is geared toward participant development, preparing them with the right skills and attributes for their future endeavors.
In this case, though, you are both the trainer and the client, so let’s have a look at the 5 most fundamental things you should know and apply in your training by first starting from rock bottom and discussing the 2 main types of training.
Resistance Training
Resistance training, otherwise known as strength or weight training, is one of the best ways to build muscle and strength.
As opposed to other forms of exercise, resistance training helps increase both your overall muscle mass together with your muscular strength.
This type of training involves high-exertion bouts that last 5-20 seconds per set, followed by a 2-3 minute rest.
Not only can this make doing everyday tasks such as carrying groceries more manageable, but it can also boost metabolism and help prevent certain diseases.
It is also an incredibly effective form of exercise that can be done in a small space with minimal equipment needed.
For those looking to build their muscularity and strength quickly and safely, resistance training is the perfect workout from which to benefit.
Cardio Training
The second type of training to discuss is cardio training.
Now, cardio training and resistance training are two distinct forms of exercise with their own benefits.
Cardio training relies on low-intensity, long-in-duration exercises like running, jogging and swimming.
These utilize the body’s cardiovascular system to become more efficient at delivering oxygen to muscles.
On the other hand, as you learned, resistance training develops strength by lifting weights or using resistance bands to create tension in the muscles.
Both forms of exercise produce significant physical health benefits such as improved endurance, increased muscle definition and coordination, as well as enhanced metabolism.
As part of an overall healthy lifestyle, regular exercise regimens that combine both cardio and resistance components can produce optimal results.
For the average trainee with a goal of looking and feeling better as well as optimizing health, we would recommend that the focus is on resistance training, with a few cardio sessions weekly.
Resistance Training Fundamentals
As you learned, resistance training is a great way to get in shape and build strength, but it’s important to have a plan.
Working with a qualified professional can assist in developing an effective program that incorporates the four main considerations, but for most people, it is the more expensive option.
This is why we are going to lay out the 4 most fundamental considerations for you to build an effective training plan before hopping in the gym with a PT.
Let’s have a look.
Compound Movements
The most fundamental thing in resistance training, before anything else, is exercise choice.
Compound movements such as the squat, bench, and deadlift are favored among many athletes due to their ability to lift heavier weights.
That is not the only reason why they are so desirable – compound movements are known for working several muscles at once, leading to greater efficiency and faster results.
Think of compound movements as movements that engage multiple muscle groups but have one main target – for instance, squats engage the thighs primarily, but the glutes & hamstrings also come into play.
Or, the wide-grip bench press primarily engages the chest, but the triceps and shoulders also work.
Summary: Multi-joint exercises should be your main focus during resistance training due to the fact they allow you to lift heavier weights for more reps and therefore provide supreme stimulus.
Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is an essential concept when it comes to weight training.
It refers to the practice of increasing the amount of work you do in your workout over time in order to expose the body to a previously unknown stimulus.
This can be accomplished by making changes such as increasing training weight, repetitions, sets, training frequency, and decreasing rest times.
By committing to sticking with progressive overload, you will build strength and muscle mass more effectively than if you were to stay stagnant with the same routine.
Utilizing progressive overload will ensure that every workout provides your body variation and challenge while achieving long-term progress along your fitness journey.
Summary: In order to continue progressing, you must put the body through previously unknown muscle load by increasing the weight, reps, sets, training frequency, or decreasing rest times.
Rep Ranges
Effective fitness training involves finding the right rep range for your goals.
Rep ranges for fitness training may vary depending on if you’re looking to build strength or muscle mass.
Your chosen rep range should keep you in a certain intensity range in order to produce results safely without putting your body at undue risk.
Generally, lower rep ranges are used in strength training, and higher rep ranges are for strength endurance and building muscle mass.
However, it is important to note that the biggest driver for muscle growth is total volume.
Think of volume as the total amount of work done. Your Training Volume = weight * sets * reps.
For instance, 100 kg lifted for 1 set of 10 reps = 1000 kg of volume.
But that same volume can be achieved with 50 kg for 2 sets of 10 reps.
In terms of muscle growth, theoretically, there will be no difference, but the heavier weights will likely produce a greater strength stimulus.
This is why we ultimately advise experimenting with rep ranges and including the entire spectrum in your training sessions.
Nevertheless, you should still focus on 1-5 reps for building strength while occasionally dipping in the 6-15 rep range to stack volume.
And vice versa – if you’re looking to build as much muscle as possible, stick to the 6-15 rep range and occasionally dip in the 1-5 rep range to stimulate strength gains.
Summary: Low reps (1-5) stimulate strength gains, while higher reps (6-15) make muscle gaining easier. Utilize both rep ranges but focus on the one that is better suited for your goals
Rest Times
Most people who frequently hit the gym take a rest period between sets of around 60-90 seconds.
Although this is sufficient for some situations, taking a longer rest of 2.5 to 3 minutes can allow individuals to maximize their performance while delaying fatigue during the course of their workout.
This extended break allows muscles more time to recuperate, resulting in a better workout experience overall.
As such, it may be beneficial for athletes looking to maximize their workouts’ effectiveness to adopt this longer break structure during their sessions.
After all, remember – you’re doing 10-20+ seconds of high-intensity work, and that is quite strenuous for the nervous system!
Likely, 60 seconds of rest won’t be enough to sustain performance from set to set.
Summary: Resting 2.5 to 3 minutes between heavy sets will allow you to sustain performance from set to set, delay fatigue and, therefore, create a greater total volume, as opposed to resting 60-90 seconds.
Recovery Windows
Resting between resistance training workouts is incredibly important for muscle growth and continued progress.
Utilizing rest times of 72 to 96 hours between strength training sessions will give your muscles enough time to regenerate and repair themselves, as well as improve overall performance.
Using this timeline also allows your body’s nervous system to optimize activity, allowing for stronger motor unit recruitment within the same fibers, resulting in enhanced gains in strength and size over time.
Knowing when to rest between gym visits is essential for any athlete wanting to maximize their health benefits from resistance training.
After all, as they say – gains happen during rest, not at the gym!
Summary: Training only creates stimulus/damage, and the real gains happen when you’re out of the gym, recovering – for each muscle group, take 72 to 96 hours of rest before training it again.