The Anatomy of Your Resistance Training Workout – Part 1

You lift weights right? Besides to look great in the mirror, feel better about yourself and to take care of your body, do you know why you are choosing the different aspects of your workout? This article is the first of a six part series covering a scientific and detailed discussion of key variables that impact how successful your weight workouts will be at helping you achieve your goals (Kerksick 2011; Spiering et al. 2008). I hope to arm you with a better understanding of what changes occur as a result of making changes to your workouts and with a better understanding you can develop a more effective workout program for yourself. For starters if Obama was still a senator in Illinois when you last changed your workout, you really need to read this series. If lifting heavy to you is having to put the phone down while you lift weights, you really need to read this series. Finally, if your idea of a weight workout is running or some other form of cardio and you justify it because of the impact or pounding (whether you are a man or woman), you really need to read this series. The acute training variables as they are commonly referred to were first characterized by Bill Kraemer (Univ. of Connecticut) and are the central considerations every resistance training athlete should make when choosing the various aspects of their program (Spiering et al. 2008). These variables are choice of exercise, rest between sets, load or intensity, volume and order of exercise. The last part of this series will also discuss exercise intensity and muscle fiber recruitment.