Strength

The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts

W.O.W. - Working Out Works!

Strength training is a form of exercise that develops self esteem and confidence as one's body begins to take shape and feel stronger. In response to the question, "Why do you exercise?" 93 percent of a survey sample over 55 years of age reported they exercise "to feel better". Yes, "feeling good" is important when projecting an image of oneself. The ability to merely make it through a very long day is significantly enhanced as your level of energy is much greater. This benefit is difficult to quantify, yet the increased ability to perform daily physical activity with less effort is undeniable. Those who begin a strength program find the results can be dramatic. As so aptly stated by a 52 year old female client at the U.S. Army War College, "If my old, almost 52 year old body can change and get stronger, so can yours! This is strength for living!" The few minutes of work in the gym will equal benefits every hour of your day and night, awake and asleep. This is truly a win-win deal for you!

Up at "0 Dark Thirty"...I'd Like To Have A Dime For Every Pushup And Sit-up I've Done!

You've spent the last twenty-six years performing pushups, sit-ups and running two miles. Pushups are a form of strength training, as the muscles are working against a resistance or force, namely your body weight. The force you work against can be your body weight or an external force such as machines or free weights. "Body weight exercises are some of the best to do for all-around, total fitness. They're easy to do, they're functional and they work", says David Oliver, strength and conditioning coach for the Orlando Magic. One of the advantages of using body weight is that it requires coordination, since balance must be maintained to perform the exercises.

Pushups and sit-ups are great strength conditioning exercises. But it's important to keep in mind a physiological principle called specificity. That means that when you train one muscle group, the benefit doesn't automatically spread to your other muscles. Many runners have poor lower extremity strength, for example, because the muscle fibers that are used for running endurance aren't the same as those needed for strength or quick bursts of energy. You only gain strength in a muscle group when you train for it. The American College of Sports Medicine, the national organization of fitness and sports sciences, recommends that all persons should regularly practice a strength workout of eight to ten exercises involving the major muscle groups at least twice a week. A well-balanced program could include these groups: the abdominals, back, upper back, chest, front of arms, back of arms, shoulders, front of thighs, back of thighs, and calves. To accomplish this goal twice a week, it's convenient to have a structured training program, and possibly use weight equipment for this purpose.

So, if you Desire to Begin a Structured Strength Training Program, will it Impair your Aerobic Training?

Actually, the evidence is beginning to show it may actually help your aerobic performance. We've established that muscles grow stronger as a result of strength training. As muscles become larger, stronger and more efficient, they use oxygen more efficiently as well. This means your body utilizes more oxygen more readily and places less demand on your heart. A group of runners who were engaged in a 10-week strength training program along with their regular running, improved their overall running performance. They gained approximately 25% in upper body strength and nearly 35% in the lower body. Body composition did not change, but they ran more efficiently, meaning they ran the same pace using less oxygen.

Establishing balance is very important when strength training. Balance refers to the development of the specific muscle and its antagonist (or the muscle that opposes the action of the first muscle). For example, the pectorals of the chest are opposed by the latissimus dorsi, the large back muscle. By ensuring your training efforts address balance, the chance of injury is less likely while maintaining a level of functional performance.

These exercises should be performed at least twice a week, executing one set of eight to twelve repetitions for each exercise. The frequency per week is dependent upon personal preference and other factors, such as time. If you are a beginner, three times weekly is recommended. However, numerous studies have shown you can achieve roughly 75% - 80% of the results obtained from a three day program by working-out twice weekly.

How Many Sets of Repetitions are Best?

Studies on the bench press show that you may not find two sets much more advantageous than one, and three are only a little more effective. The extra is "something like 27 percent increase in strength compared to 23 percent," says Dr. Pollock. Similar strength improvements have been shown to result from single-set versus multiple-set training programs. It certainly requires far less work to perform one set rather than three sets per exercise; therefore, single set exercises would seem preferable for practical reasons.

The amount of rest between sets may vary from a respite of less than one minute, a moderate rest of one to three minutes, or longer than three minutes. Generally, the heavier the weight lifted the longer the rest between sets. For a significant cardiorespiratory effect, rest periods between sets should be brief to ensure the heart rate remains elevated.

A sound strength training program is based on the overload principle, or variable loading, which means the muscles are stressed beyond what they normally encounter in the course of regular daily activities. Stressing the muscles beyond this threshold forces them to adapt and increase in strength. It has been said that "muscles have a memory", and basically this is a true statement. Muscles adapt to the initial stress of strength training within a few days to several weeks, depending on adaptation rate and training status of each individual. Consequently, the stress imposed from the training must be continually increased or changed to provide varying stimulus to the muscles. If the training load is not increased periodically, the muscles will adapt to the predetermined level of strength to handle the load of training and simply maintain that level of strength. However, it's also valuable to build recovery into your progressive training program, so that the stressed muscle fibers can adapt best. The program below is a variable loading strength training program currently implemented at the U.S. Army War College. It seeks a middle ground between training for strength and training for endurance, and accommodates both progression and recovery in the training plan.

Where Do I Begin?

The first part of establishing a program is to determine your one-repetition-maximum value, your personal strength baseline for a muscle group. This is simply done by lifting five to six repetitions of progressively heavier weight with each successive repetition, until you reach a weight that you can only lift through the complete range of motion one time, with proper form. This is your maximal effort for one repetition, or "1RM". Repeat the same procedure for each exercise in your program. Next, multiply the 1RM by .75 (75%) to give you the approximate weight you'll lift 10 times successively. This now becomes your "10RM". The chart below illustrates what percentage of the 10RM weight should be performed for each exercise bout.

For Muscle Strength

Day #	1	2	3	4	5	6
Percent of 10RM	70	80	90	80	90	100 (%)
Perform one set of 8 to 12 repetitions, two or three times per week with at least a 48 hour rest in between workouts.

For Muscle Endurance

Day #	1	2	3	4	5	6
Percent of 10RM	40	50	60	50	60	70 (%)
Perform one set of 15 to 30 repetitions.

Here's an example: Ed Executive routinely lifts 190 pounds in the bench press and neglects to alter the stimulus given the muscle from workout to workout. He struggles with each repetition and compromises on his technique to the point of inventing a numerous array of body contortions. Right next to him is Steve Stamina, who methodically performs each repetition with correct technique, lifting 110 pound on the bench press. Who derives the most benefit from this scenario? "Stamina" prevails by virtue of the correct technique, but let's look at how we can change their respective routines to incorporate the "Overload Principle".

Ed is struggling, which probably indicates his current weight of 190 pounds is higher than his true 1RM. Let's say his 1RM is 175 pounds. If we follow the prescribed chart, multiply the 175 by .75 = 131 pounds. If Ed is able to lift 131 pounds ten times, this is his 10RM. His variable loading program would look something like this if his desire was to increase overall muscular strength:

Day #	1	2	3	4	5	6
Weight used based on Percent of 10RM	91	105	118	105	118	131 (pounds)
Steve's 1RM is 156 pounds. So 156 x .75 = 117. Once again, if he can successfully lift 117 pounds without struggling, this is his 10RM.

Day #	1	2	3	4	5	6
Weight used based on Percent of 10RM	82	94	105	94	105	117 (pounds)
What happens when they reach the sixth cycle? The 10RM weight is then increased by 5%, and the lifting cycle will increase by 5% as well.

Most strength authorities agree that about 70% - 75% of maximum resistance represents a safe and productive training load. Actually, if the last two or three repetitions seem difficult and the hands tremble at the end of the workout, it's the appropriate amount of weight. The initial phase, which may last from four to six weeks, is often characterized by rapid progression. An improvement phase has slower gains and may last four to six months, and the maintenance phase occurs after six months of consistent strength training.

Strength exercises should be performed with controlled speed. Research conducted by Dr. Wayne Westcott indicates the use of four-second, six-second or eight-second repetitions is equally effective for improving muscle strength. The most common protocol is the six-second count, with two seconds for the exertion phase and four seconds for the recovery phase of each repetition. Range of motion is a critical component in a successful program. Full range movements are necessary for full range muscle strength. Best results occur when the muscle is exercised from the fully stretched to the fully contracted position. In addition to controlled speed and full range of movement, exercise technique is also important.

Probably the most critical aspect of strength training is proper breathing techniques. To avoid elevated blood pressure, practice continuous breathing and continuous muscle movement. Simply stated, don't hold your breath and avoid holding the weight in a static position.

So now you have a program and you're headed off to the gym. Should you take the time to warm-up before your routine? Absolutely! As with any other form of exercise, the brief period before the bulk of your exercise bout should be designated as a "warm-up". This time is specifically devoted to those muscle groups that will be required to perform. The recommended time to sufficiently warm the muscles is five to ten minutes, incorporating some form of exercise that elevates the heart rate and increases blood flow to the muscles. However, special care should be taken to perform one set with a reduced weight prior to your "regular" set to warm the specific muscle group. This should be done with little to no weight and high repetitions. A set of pushups or some other form of calisthenics will help prepare the body for strength training.

It is also advisable to spend some time stretching after your strength bout. There may be a sensation of muscle tightness after training, or more of a "muscle bound" feeling. Stretching is a means of alleviating the tightness felt during and after training.

Initially, there may be some associated muscle soreness within the next day or two. There is a sound reason why your muscles may feel a little tender. Each repetition involves both a positive and negative phase. The positive is the exertion phase of the lift, for example, pushing the weight up in the bench press. The negative phase is generally more difficult to control as gravity is working with the weight and against you! The negative phase exercises tend to cause more muscle soreness initially, but this soreness will resolve over the next session or two. It's important to perform both the positive and the negative phase of the exercises, since we use both types of muscle contraction in our daily activities. The degree of muscle soreness also depends on the amount of weight lifted and the extent of the pre-exercise warm-up. If you elect to push a lot of weight the first time in the gym, thinking "no pain - no gain"... your chance of being so sore that mere movement hurts is 100%! Take the time to warm-up and challenge your muscles slowly.

What Happens If I Cannot Train Regularly?

If training stops altogether, the muscles will adapt in the other direction. This decrease in muscle volume is commonly known as atrophy. Strength will decline and is maintained at a level necessary to maintain the activities of daily living. This is called detraining and may occur within three days after cessation of regular strength training exercise. In one study, participants had detraining effects of about three percent over seven days of inactivity. This somewhat parallels what occurs as a result of age and inactivity. No one is immune from the reversibility principle, thus the emphasis on strength training throughout life. The time it takes to make gains is much longer than the time it takes to lose them; hence, consistency is the key.

We cannot stop or even slow the progress of time. However, we are more than able to slow the undesirable changes in our body. Unequivocally, strength training will produce the degree of stamina to sustain the rigors of executive life. Strong, firm muscles will give you more vim and vigor throughout the day, every day!

Body Weight Exercises

Jump Squat: Targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks and calves. Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder width apart and your arms crossed. Keeping your head up and your back straight, squat until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Jump straight up, concentrating on generating the force from the lower body only. Return to the squatting position, repeat. Perform 12 repetitions.

Lunge: Targets quadriceps/hamstrings. Standing with your back and neck straight and your feet shoulder width apart, take a large step forward with your right foot, so that your right leg forms a ninety degree angle. Your left knee should be touching the floor. Ensure that your toes on the left foot do not leave the floor and the knee of the right leg remains over the ankle. As you bring yourself to an upright position, tighten the leading leg and perform the same movement. Perform 10 repetitions with each leg.

Seated Leg Tuck: Tightens the abdominals. This may be done on an exercise bench or on the floor. Place your hands about six to eight inches behind your buttocks for support. Lean back slightly, tighten your abdominals to keep your body in position and extend your legs in front of you. Keep your legs together, bend both your knees and slowly lift them toward your chest. As you lift your legs to your chest, lower your chest towards your knees. Keep your abdominals tight through the repetition. Do 12 to 15 repetitions.

Pushup: Builds the chest, triceps and shoulders. This exercise may be performed with the feet on a bench, or in a decline position. Place your hands shoulder width apart, keeping your back straight and your head up. Slowly lower your body to the floor and hold for a one to two count and raise the body up until the arms are fully extended. Variations are wide arm pushups and negative pushups. In the negative pushup exercise, the lowering of the body is emphasized and held longer in the down position.

Pull-up/Chin-up: Best exercise for the back and arms. Grasp a pull-up bar with your hands facing forward and your arms wider than shoulder width. Pull your body weight up until your chin is above the bar. Hold in this position for a one count, then lower your body slowly. Perform as many pulls as possible. Variations include reversing the grip on the bar to focus on biceps and inner back and perform the pull-up with a narrower grip.

Hip Raise: Targets the buttocks, lower back and quadriceps. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hands by your side. Keep your shoulder blades on the floor and raise your hips to the ceiling. Tighten your buttocks and lower back with each repetition. Keep heels on the floor and hold for a one to two count. Perform 20 to 25 repetitions.

Source: Strength-- The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts by Ms. Melanie T. Richardson, US Army Civilian, in A Guide for Senior Leaders

This article represents a chapter from "Executive Wellness: A Guide for Senior Leaders", an online book written and edited by staff and contributors at the U.S. Army Physical Fitness Research Institute (USAPFRI), U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.