|
The strength training
content is your on-line "how to" manual. Everything you need
to know about strength training and exactly how to achieve the
results you desire, is taught in this manual.
The strength training
content is 37 page long and can be viewed on your computer or
printed out. All the examples in this content are linked to
demonstrations that will enhance your understanding.
Below is a list of all the very important topics we'll discuss
throughout the strength training content. Members receive full
access to the strength training content (and all of the WF website).
In addition, sample topics are provided FREE for non-members. Please
refer to the chart below.
In the strength training component, you will find information on:
-
The benefits of
strength training
-
Strength training
for older women
-
Strength training
for Adolescent women
-
Strength training
for Pregnant women
-
Strength Training
for Postpartum women
-
Weight - lifting
Terms
-
Ways to stay
motivated
-
Your body type and
what results you can expect
-
The importance of
concentrating during your workout
-
The best ways to
measure progress
-
How to best combine
cardiovascular exercise, flexibility training, and good nutrition
into your strength training program
-
The factors that
affect strength
-
What to expect if
you discontinue your strength-training program
-
The disadvantages
and dangers of steroids
-
Safety precautions
and basic gym safety
-
Pain, soreness and
injury
-
Differences among
types of strength-training equipment
-
Principles and
guidelines for :
-
Warming up,
cooling down, and stretching
-
The importance of
blood supply to your muscles and common mistakes that hinder the
process
-
How to select the
best exercises for a safe and effective program
-
The proper lifting
speed for maximum effectiveness
-
The importance of
proper form/technique and how to achieve it
-
How to be sure
you're exercising through the full range of motion
-
The best exercise
sequence for maximum effectiveness
-
How to calculate
the number of sets and repetitions and the amount of weight you
should use to reach your goals
-
The importance of
progressive resistance
-
How to avoid
over-training
-
How to develop a
program that is right for you
-
How to overcome
plateaus through intermediate training techniques that alleviate
boredom and produce new results
-
Advanced (intense)
training techniques that overcome plateaus, prevent boredom, and
produce new results.
Back to TOP
More For Members
Back to TOP
 INTRODUCTION
Women
pursue fitness for a myriad of reasons. According to WF, true
physical fitness encompasses a three-tiered equation, including
strength development,
cardiovascular training
and
flexibility. An
integral part of the fitness equation is strength training. Women
are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that lifting weights
provides them with a sleek, toned look instead of the muscle-bound
physic of a body builder. Women, by nature, do not develop large
muscles. This is because we do not produce enough male hormone,
testosterone, to develop that type of musculature.
Weight bearing exercise builds
sturdier bones. This is of particular importance to women who may
be prone to
osteoporosis due to decreasing estrogen levels during
menopause or a genetic predisposition.
Similarly maintaining a healthy diet
and exercise program during
pregnancy can help a woman also
maintain her self-esteem. Regaining muscle tone and losing weight
after childbirth is also easier for those women who stayed active
throughout their pregnancy. Unless a woman is experiencing
complications with the progression of her pregnancy it is
perfectly safe for her to continue an exercise program, with some
adjustments like avoiding sports where she can easily fall.
Pregnant women should not work out as hard as they might have
before pregnancy.
Historically, gyms were the domains
of men and the old bench and dumbbells in the garage only took up
space where the car should be parked. But with increasing
awareness, women have come to realize that strength training is an
essential component of life long fitness-mind and body.
Back to TOP
BENEFITS
OF STRENGTH TRAINING
Strength training is exercise that
uses resistance for example, weights, to strengthen and condition the
muscle-skeletal system, improving muscle tone and endurance. WF uses
‘strength-training’ as a general term synonymous with other
common terms: “weightlifting” and “resistance training”
as a general term synonymous with other common terms:
“weightlifting” and “resistance training”. Physiologically the
benefits of consistent strength training include an increase in
muscle size and tone, increased muscle strength, and increases in
tendon, bone, and ligament strength. Strength training has also been
shown to improve psychological health as well, by increasing
self-esteem, confidence and self-worth.
These improvements have a great
influence on our physical performance, metabolic efficiency,
physical appearance and risk of injury. We will go into each of
these in detail, outlining some very exciting benefits of a good
strength-training program that most people overlook or don’t
realize.
IMPROVED PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE AND
APPEARANCE
One important result of strength
training is increased physical performance. Muscles quite literally
utilize energy to produce movement, functioning as the engine or
powerhouse of the body. Strength training increases the muscle size,
strength, and endurance, resulting in improved physical performance
in accomplishing a specific task. Stronger muscles enable us to lift
or move something that is heavy, which is considered muscle
strength, and to lift or move something that is light more times,
which is called muscle endurance. Increases in both muscle strength
and muscle endurance contribute to improvements in our work, our
favorite sports and hobbies, and our general day-to-day activities.
Many studies have shown that
strength-training beginners gain about three to five pounds of
muscle and 25-45 percent more strength and endurance after 10-12
weeks of consistent weightlifting. This is wonderful news for anyone
considering a strength-training program. Implement the
principles
and guidelines presented in this component and train consistently
with the program designed specifically for you and you will achieve
outstanding results.
Another benefit of a good
strength-training program is its effect on our overall appearance
and body composition, which can directly influence self-esteem,
self-worth, and level of confidence.
Both our physical appearance and our
physical performance can be improved by muscle gain or hampered by
muscle loss. Research indicates that unless we strength train
regularly, we lose more than one-half pound of muscle every year of
our lives after age 25. Unless we implement a safe and effective
strength-training program, our muscles gradually decrease in size
and strength in the process called “atrophy”.
Strength training is therefore
important for preventing the muscle loss that normally accompanies
the aging process. A common misconception is that as we get older,
it is normal to stop being active and to start using ambulatory
aides like canes and wheelchairs. Many people think we have no
choice; they think this is normal.
But this couldn’t be far from the
truth. There is absolutely no reason why all of us can’t be
physically, mentally, socially, and sexually active, living a
healthy vibrant life until the very day we die. The reason many
elderly people rely on ambulatory aides and become slower and fatter
is simply that over the years their muscles are decreasing. So their
physical performance and metabolism also decrease, becoming less
efficient.
METABOLIC EFFICIENCY
 That
one-half pound of muscle loss every year after age 25 produces a
one-half percent reduction in
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
every year.
A reduction in BMR means that our bodies are less able to use the
food we consume as energy thus more gets stored as body fat.
Everyone has an individual metabolic
rate. “Basal metabolic rate” refers to the energy used by our
body at rest to maintain normal body functions.
Our muscles have high-energy
requirements. Even when we are sleeping, our muscles use more than
25 percent of our energy (calories). When you implement the
principles that we teach, and if you are consistent in your
strength-training program, you will achieve an increase in lean
muscle mass throughout body and increase your BMR. In other words,
you can actually condition your metabolism to work better and more
efficiently even when you are at rest. An increase in muscle tissue
causes an increase in metabolic rate, and a decrease in muscle
tissue causes a decrease in metabolic rate.
Once again: adults who are not
on a safe, effective strength-training program will experience an
annual half-pound loss of muscle and half-percent reduction in
metabolic rate unless they begin some form of strength training. The
gradual decrease in muscle and BMR is related to the increase in
body fat that most people gain as they get older if they do not
strength train. With a decrease in muscle, less energy is used for
daily metabolic function, so calories previously necessary to
perform the activities of daily living now end up stored as fat.
You can see that anyone interested in
decreasing
body fat percentage and their risk of disease as well as
in increasing physical performance and appearance, should be
strength training to help condition their metabolism (BMR).
One of the biggest mistakes women make
when starting a weight-management program is not including a
strength-training program with their cardiovascular exercise and
low-fat eating regimen. This is unfortunate because when we cut
calories without exercise, we can lose muscle as well as fat. Many
do not choose to do strength training because: 1) they mistakenly
think they are going to make their body big and bulky, and 2) they
do not realize how beneficial and important strength training is in
a weight-management program. Whether it is strength, endurance,
muscle size or muscle tone (or a combination) you desire, WF will
show you exactly how to get those results.
DECREASED RISK OF INJURY
 Our
muscles also function as shock absorbers and serve as important
balancing agents throughout our body. Well-conditioned muscles help
to lessen the repetitive landing forces in weight-bearing activities
such as
jogging or playing basketball.
Well-balanced muscles reduce
the risk of injuries that result when a muscle is weaker than its
opposing muscle group. For example, jogging places more stress on
the hamstrings and calves than it does on the quadriceps, creating a
muscle imbalance that often leads to knee injuries. So it is very
important that runners be on a good strength-training program that
includes training the quadriceps as well as the hamstrings and
calves.
To reduce the risk of imbalanced
muscle development, you should make sure that when you are training
a specific muscle group, the opposing muscle groups are being
trained as well (though not necessarily on the same day). For
example, if you are doing strength training exercises for your chest
you should include back exercises in your program as well. Of
course, you will have no problem with muscle imbalance when using
the WF Strength Training programs; we cover every group in the body,
promoting well-balanced muscle development.
Please realize that a sound
strength-training program that includes all major muscle groups is
the most effective way to decrease risk of injury. For safe,
effective strength-training programs work well not only for injury
rehabilitation, but for injury prevention as well.
As a WF member you are now ready to
begin the WF Strength Training content. We begin with basic
terminology, safety precautions, and the necessary mind-set you need
in order to be successful. We will then discuss the principles and
guidelines of an effective strength training program, and then
proceed to the intermediate and advanced techniques that will
alleviate boredom, prevent plateaus, and produce new results, again
and again.
Back to TOP
|
