The case for resistance training.

What exactly is resistance training?

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines resistance training as “a form of physical activity that is designed to improve muscular fitness by exercising a muscle or muscle group against external resistance.

For many people, the distinction training comes from anaerobic verses aerobic style of training. Cardiovascular focused training such as running, swimming, or cycling generally falls into the category of aerobic training which means “with oxygen”. This is because breathing and heart rate increase consistently for a length of time under this style of work. In contrast, most resistance training falls into the category of anerobic (“without oxygen”) because although breathing and heartrate still increase, it takes place over shorter bursts and not for the entire duration of the session.

If you follow my IG (@lexicristabelle), you know that I make the case for the benefits of resistance-training. For me, it makes sense because as we age, our lean muscle-mass begins to atrophy, which is linked to many preventable medical conditions and to decreased quality of life and function. Strong muscles are a very important aspect in that they are required for our ADL’s (activities of daily living; such as getting up from a chair, standing, walking, lifting groceries, etc.)

Most of us know at least one if not multiple elderly people. We have likely all known someone who struggles with daily living tasks such as grocery shopping, getting up from a chair or sofa.

Having had patients for several years who sometimes have preventable conditions brought upon or worsened by lack of muscular strength, I began structuring my training around the goal of adding strength in order to keep healthy muscles and increase my power and bone-density.

Deteriorating Bone Density in Females

In addition to helping us in fighting off the some of the preventable, deleterious effects of aging, resistance training (especially moderate-to-heavy weight relative to the strength of the individual), has been linked to increased bone density and growth hormone production in women (Science Daily).

Why is this important? Bone density speaks for itself. Research shows that 80% of those with osteoporosis are women and 1 in every 2 women over the age of 50 will break a bone due to the negative effects of osteoporosis (National Osteoporosis Foundation). Only about 20% of women engage in resistance training two or more times per week or more. We can and need to do better than that.

What is growth hormone and why does it matter?

Male anatomy relies primarily on testosterone (among other things) to build and repair muscle as well as to strengthen their bones. For females, our process of building healthier and stronger muscles, recovering, and building stronger bones is aided by more by growth hormone (Science Daily) Growth hormone has varying responses to different forms of training. The scientific consensus is that to optimize use and production of GH, we need to be lifting heavy enough weight to stimulate a response and we also need to be training correctly. What is training correctly?

One of the complications regarding research is that we read articles all the time that speak generally about the benefits of training. However, without a plan, without strategy, and without a direction, we are not likely to experience maximal benefit of any training modality.  Different training styles create different results. Lack of planning or programming limits our ceiling in terms of experiencing the best possible results. In other words, it is fine to switch things up, but we also need to have an idea of where we are going and what our goals are and ensure that we are working towards them.

In my own experience, I rely heavily on a principle called progressive overload.

Progressive Overload… Let’s make a plan

For starters, one of the most effective ways of building strength is to use progressive overload. This means that our strength is increasing over time by changing the load on our muscles. This could mean adding weight or adding reps as our strength increases.  However, keep in mind that according to most research, an ideal rep-range for building muscle and bone-density is about 3-12 reps at the most.  

In my experience, my body responds very well to a rep range of 3-6 reps.  In other words, to optimize each movement, I program anywhere from 4-6 sets of 3-6 reps and increase the weight on as regular a basis as possible with good form. This has had a positive effect on my body as my strength has tripled over the past few years.

While I switch programs on a fairly regular basis, I structure my training around squats, deadlifts, and presses. In addition to the main movements, I use accessory lifts to target weak areas and supplement my compound movements.

I will be writing more specific details of my training very soon, as well as the psychological barriers of lifting as a female.  But in the meantime, ponder what your goals are and what you’d like to see out of a training modality.  

Let me know your thoughts 🙂

References:

Hurley, Kimberly S, et al. “Practices, Perceived Benefits, and Barriers to Resistance Training Among Women Enrolled in College.” International Journal of Exercise Science, Berkeley Electronic Press, 1 May 2018, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5955292/.

Mosti, Mats P, et al. “Maximal Strength Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Neuromuscular Performance in Young Adult Women.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2014, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24736773.

“Varying Weight Training Intensity Increases Growth Hormone In Women.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 4 Dec. 2006, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061201105951.htm.

“What Women Need to Know.” National Osteoporosis Foundation, http://www.nof.org/preventing-fractures/general-facts/what-women-need-to-know/.