Safety Elements in the Weight Room

  • Never lift alone
  • Ensure area is clear of obstacles/clutter
  • Inspect equipment and safety clips before proceeding
  • Wear proper clothing and footwear – tie up hair, remove jewelry
  • No horseplay (pushing, shoving, running about)
  • Use progressive weight advancement (start low)

– First 6-7 repetitions are relatively easy, but the last 3 are a challenge!

  • Concentrate on form and technique (do not talk while lifting/lowering).
  • Lift and lower SLOWLY – should never hear masses slamming down – focus on smooth controlled motion with a slight pause at each end of a movement
  • Alternate on machines in partners, be considerate of those waiting on you
  • Breathe out on a lift, and in when lowering – never hold your breathe

Stop if you feel dizzy or light-headed – you might drop the weight and hurt yourself or someone else!

When do we get stronger?

  • A muscle will be strengthened when it is forced to operate beyond its normal intensity level (this means you have overloaded it)
    • Hypertrophy will result – this means the muscle will increase in size

Increasing the Challenge

A) increase the resistance (more weight)

B) increase the # repetitions

C) increase the # sets

D) increase the intensity (reduce recovery time)

How much weight?

Generally, the maximum weight a person can lift is referred to as the one repetition maximum (1RM).  Loads are calculated as a percentage of the 1RM and strength training occurs in the range of 60-100% of the 1RM.  Examples of the load to number of recommended reps are listed below.

READ:
Carl Jung Biography
Percentage of 1RM Number of Repetitions
60 17
70 12
80 8
90 5
100 1

Weight Training Theory

1.  A good physical warm-up should elevate the body’s temperature.  It is generally recommended that a light, easy exercise (jogging, skipping) precede flexibility exercises (stretching), as a warm muscles stretch more easily than cold ones.  A good warm-up will improve performance and will lessen the possibility of injury.

2. Terminology

  • Load – the amount of resistance placed on the muscle (the weight)
  • Repetition – each repetition is a single complete action of the exercise
  • Set – is the number of continuous repetitions of a specific exercise
  • Rest Interval – the amount of time allowed between sets for recovery

3. Components of Health-Related Fitness

Cardiorespiratory – Muscle Endurance – Muscle Strength – Flexibility – Body Composition

Cardiorespiratory – the efficiency of heart, lungs and blood vessels to supply muscles with oxygen and remove waste products.

Muscle Endurance – the ability of muscles to sustain or repeat muscle contractions against resistance.  The maximum that can be lifted for 1 repetition is the RM.  This type of training consists of many reps (9-25) against a relatively light load (40-75% RM) for   2-5 sets with a minimum rest of about 1 minute between sets.  This type of program is used for general toning and sport specific training to reduce fatigue during long periods of activity.

READ:
Alvin Toffler: Biography & Theory

Muscle Strength – the maximum force that a muscle can exert when making a single contraction.  The best way to train for strength is to use 1-5 reps of a near maximal load (90% RM).  Rest intervals should be longer at 1-3 minutes.  This type of training is recommended for hypertrophy.

Flexibility – the range of motion of movement possible at a particular joint or series of joints.

Body Composition – the ratio of fat to muscle, bone and other tissues that compose the body

4.  Advantages of Muscular Fitness

A) Maintain good posture

B) Prevent/correct curvature of the spine (80% of back pain is from weak abdominal muscles)

C) Fit muscles protect from joint injury

D) Fit muscles are resistant to aches, pains and injury

author avatar
William Anderson (Schoolworkhelper Editorial Team)
William completed his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in 2013. He current serves as a lecturer, tutor and freelance writer. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, walking his dog and parasailing. Article last reviewed: 2022 | St. Rosemary Institution © 2010-2024 | Creative Commons 4.0

1 Comment

  1. A proper warm up, basic stretching cool down before and after a weight training schedule adds a lot to the effect.It is a good injury management also

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