Resistance Training

My personal philosophy on resistance training follows a logical and step-wise progress towards your personal goals.  No matter your goal, however, each individual should constantly strive towards forward progress.  I chart and track all my personal training clients to ensure that during each session we can increase resistance stimulus in repetitions or increase resistance (weight).

If your goal is to lose weight, your resistance training goal is to accumulate muscle mass.  Muscle mass will help you burn fat (from which point we will simply refer as "stored calories" or "stored energy").  For every pound of muscle you can add to your body you will burn approximately 75 kcal (calories).  Thus, weight training will help you burn off those stored energy units around your legs and abdomen. To add muscle and increase your energy burning capacity, one must add to its size and density.  The resistance should be sufficiently difficult with repetitions of 8-12 reps.

If your goal is to gain strength, the resistance is HEAVY and repetition is low, 2-6 repetitions.  Remember to execute each rep with immaculate technique to prevent injury.  I recommend this for most athletes.

Resistance training techniques

• Compound setting

• Super setting

• Plyometrics

• Eccentrics

• Super slow

• Pyramiding

• Reverse-pyramids

• Descending

• Strength

• Power-lifting

• Interval training

Other types of resistance include:

• Running uphill

• Cycling (in a heavy or hard gear)

• Pilates

• Yoga

• Stair climbing

• Rock climbing