Resistance training workouts

Resistance training workouts allow gym users to exercise and tone their muscles. In a good balanced overall fitness training program gym users should exercise their muscles by lifting weights and using resistance machines as well as exercising the aerobic systems of the heart and lungs.

The body is made up of a number of major muscle groups, including:

• Legs
• Back
• Chest
• Arms
• Abdominal muscles
• Core muscles

Resistance training workouts: Why bother?

Many gym users looking to get fit or lose weight tend to avoid resistance machines and free weights in the belief that they will develop large muscles. However, unless this is your goal, using resistance machines and free weights have many benefits, especially for those people looking to lose weight and tone up.

Resistance training workouts challenge the muscles to work hard and increase in strength. For those people looking to get fitter by rowing, running, cross training, swimming or cycling etc, this increase in muscle strength will mean that they will be able to exercise harder during fitness workouts. Stronger muscles will be able to work harder and for longer than weaker muscles.

For those looking to lose weight resistance training workouts increase muscle tone which in turn boosts the metabolism - the body's ability to burn calories both during eercise and at rest. That means people who workout using resistance machines and free weights and fitness machines as part of a calorie controlled lifestyle, will lose more weight than those people who don't use resistance-based exercise as part of their workouts.

Resistance training workouts: The basics

Gym users have a number of options when it comes to resistance training. Most gyms and health clubs have a wide selection of resistance machines and free weights. The difference between resistance machines and free weights is that machines work on a single plane of movement, which train the muscles well but do little in the way of challenging muscle stabilizers, including ligaments and tendons, where as free weights are completely controlled by the lifter. This means that the stress of lifting free weights fully exercises ligaments, tendons, muscles and the general nervous system.

It is widely believed that using free weights is the best way to develop muscle mass, tone and strength. However, beginners to resistance training should use resistance machines as they will allow the beginner to train safely and effectively without having to control a free moving barbell or dumbbells.

Read more about free weights vs resistance machines

Resistance training workouts: Sets and reps

Resistance training workouts are based on the principle of overload using sets and reps (or repetitions). A repetition is a single movement of an exercise. A set is a series of repetitions strung togther without any rest.

The following guidelines quickly explain how many reps and sets you should complete to achieve a given goal.

Goal Repetitions Sets Exercises Muscle strength / power 1 - 5 5 2 Muscle strength / mass 6 - 8 3 3 - 4 Muscle mass 8 -12 3 3 - 4 Muscle tone 12 - 15 2 3 - 5 Muscle endurance 15 - 30 2 3 - 5

NOTE: By varying the rep range used during resistance exercises allows trainers to develop strong, lean and calorie efficient burning physiques.

Resistance training workouts: Frequency and volume

Aim to train each muscle groups twice a week, with at least 1 day of rest between each workout. As your resistance training experience grows gym users should look to develop their training knowledge - Read more about resistance training workouts here.

The volume of resistance training workouts refers to the number of total sets performed per muscle group. The general rule of resistance training workouts when it comes to the number of sets per muscle is:

• 10 - 12 total numbers of sets per large muscle groups (legs, chest, back)
• 6 - 8 total number of sets per small muscle groups (shoulders, biceps, triceps, abs)

As a rule of thumb resistance trainers should exercise for less than 60 minutes per workout. Resistance workouts that last longer than 60 minutes will place the body under unnecessary extra stress, which may lead to a condition called overtraining.

Resistance training workout: A sample workout

There are a variety of workouts available when it comes to resistance training. The sample below outlines a full body workout, ideal for people with less than a years resistance training experience.

Monday - Wednesday - Friday

Exercise Repetitions Sets Rest Squat 10 - 12 3 60 secs Leg press 10 - 12 3 60 secs Bench press 10 - 12 3 60 secs Incline press 10 - 12 3 60 secs Lat pull downs 10 - 12 3 60 secs Seated row 10 - 12 3 60 secs Bicep curls 10 - 12 3 60 secs Tricep pressdown 10 - 12 3 60 secs

For more resistance training workout examples visit the bodybuilding training workouts section here.

NOTE: Do be alarmed by the term 'bodybuilding'. This simple refers to those people looking to change the shape of their body with the use of exercise and resistance training.

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