How do you go about designing a strength training program?

Several variables exist when designing an effective strength training program. The following considerations must be made:

• goals – long term and short term
• movement patterns
• number of sets
• number of repetitions in each set
• load (amount of resistance)
• rest period

How do you know you are working at an optimal level for the body to respond (and get results)?

The overall general goal for a strength training program is to get stronger or maintain strength. To do this, we must overload the muscles (overload principle explained in the section titled “Principles of Training”) in order to cause the body to adapt by building back stronger. How do we know we have achieved overload? Fatigue. At the onset of fatigue, we begin struggling to keep proper form throughout the movement pattern. This is when the specific exercise you are doing should be either made easier so you can continue with correct form, or else stopped completely. There is no benefit to continuing with improper technique. It re-enforces incorrect movement patterns and increases the risk for injury to occur.

Fatigue can be reached through a variety of ways. Sometimes it is done with heavy resistance and only a couple repetitions. Sometimes it is done with moderate resistance and many repetitions. It can be a combination of these, varying resistance and repetitions each set. We can also achieve fatigue with less time at rest between sets, although the heavier the resistance you are lifting, the more rest time you will find you need to recover before completing another set.

Other terminology

Concentric action (or contraction) – the muscle shortens as it overcomes resistance. Example: doing a cable row motion that involves pulling the handles toward your arm pits as the muscles in your back and biceps shorten.

Eccentric action (or contraction) – the muscle lengthens as it overcomes resistance. Example: lowering yourself down in a controlled manner from the top of a pull-up position. Avoid letting gravity pull you back to earth quickly.

Isometric action (or contraction) – the muscle does not change in length as it overcomes resistance. Example: holding a plank position.