Body Solid GCEC-340 Manual page 21

EXERCISE
PRESCRIPTION
Sets
Sets are d e fin e d as a co m b in a tio n of a n y n u m b e r o f re ps of o n e ex ercise . T he nu m b e r
o f sets u s e d in a w o rk o u t is d ire c tly re late d to tra in in g results. T y p ic a lly tw o to th ree sets
a re u s e d b y in te rm e d ia te a n d a d v a n c e d lifte rs to a c h ie v e o p tim u m g a in s in strength.
E xp e rts a g re e th a t m u ltip le -s e t s yste m s w o rk b e s t fo r th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f s tre n g th and
m u s c u la r e n d u ra n c e . G a ins w ill b e m a d e a t a fa s te r ra te b y u s in g a m u ltiple-set
system than gains a c h ie ve d th rou gh a sing le-set system . T he use o f a sing le se t o f an
e x e rc is e is re c o m m e n d e d a n d v e ry e ffe c tiv e fo r in d iv id u a ls w h o a re u n tra in e d or
ju s t b e g in n in g a re s is ta n c e tra in in g p ro g ra m . O n e -s e t p ro g ra m s m ig h t a ls o b e u s ed
fo r s im p le m a in te n a n c e o n c e yo u a re in sh ape . It is im p o rta n t to note th a t low -volu m e
se t p ro g ra m s w ill in cre a se s tre n g th in u n tra in e d in d iv id u a ls , b u t m o re c o m p le x
p h y s io lo g ic a l a d a p ta tio n s , su ch a s g a in s in m u s c le m a ss, to ne, size, a n d p e rfo rm a n c e
us u a lly re q u ire s h ig h e r-v o lu m e se t tra in in g fo r th e b e s t results. M u ltip le sets o f an
e x e rc is e p re s e n t a m o re intense tra in in g stim u lu s to th e m u s c le s d u rin g e a c h set.
O n c e y o u r d e s ire d initial fitn ess level has b e e n a c h ie v e d , m u ltip le -s e t p e rfo rm a n c e s
o f th e e x e rc is e u s in g th e p ro p e r re s is ta n c e (w ith s p e c ific re st p e rio d s b e tw e e n se ts)
will ta ke yo u to th e ne xt level o f s trength training, en d u ra n ce , a n d m u scu la r de velopm ent.
Resistance Used
T h e a m o u n t o f re s is ta n c e u s e d fo r a s p e c ific e x e rc is e is p ro b a b ly th e m o st im p o rta n t
va ria b le in re s is ta n c e tra in in g . W h e n d e s ig n in g a re s is ta n c e tra in in g p ro g ra m , a w e ig h t
fo r e a c h e x e rc is e m u s t b e c h o s e n . T h e use o f re p e titio n m a xim u m s (RM ): th e e x a c t
re sistan ce th a t a llo w s on ly a s p e c ific n u m b e r of re pe tition s to b e p e rfo rm e d , is p ro b a b ly
th e ea sie st m e th o d fo r d e te rm in in g a resistan ce. T y p ic a lly o n e uses a tra in in g RM ta rg e t
o r a RM ta rg e t zone. E xam ple : If y o u r RM zo n e is 8 to 12 re p e titio n s a n d yo u c a n n o t lift
th e w e ig h t at le a st 8 tim e s u sin g p ro p e r fo rm , th e w e ig h t is to o heavy. O n th e oth e r
ha nd , if yo u c a n e a s ily lift th e w e ig h t 12 tim es, th e w e ig h t is to o light. In e ith e r ca se, the
w e ig h t n e e d s to b e c h a n g e d . A s th e streng th level o f th e lifter c h a n g e s ov e r tim e, th e
re sista n ce is a d ju s te d so a tru e RM ta rg e t o r ta rg e t zo n e re s is ta n c e is used.
Rest Periods Between Sets and Exercises
O n e fre q u e n tly o v e rlo o k e d v a ria b le in e x e rc is e p re s c rip tio n is th e le n g th o f th e rest
p e rio d b e tw e e n sets a n d b e tw e e n d iffe re n t e x e rcise s. Y our d e s ire d fitn e ss g o a ls will
n o rm a lly d e te rm in e th e a m o u n t of tim e yo u a llo w y o u r b o d y to rest. E xercises
in v o lv in g h ig h re p e titio n s (15 to 20 ) a n d a h ig h n u m b e r o f sets (3 to 4) w ith s h o rt rest
p e rio d s (30 s e c o n d s ) b e tw e e n sets will ra ise m e ta b o lic d e m a n d s . T his in turn w ill bu rn
e x c e s s b o d y fa t a n d in cre a se m u s c u la r e n d u ra n c e . S h o rt re st p e rio d s a re a
c h a ra c te ris tic o f c irc u it w e ig h t tra in in g , a n d th e re s is ta n c e s u s e d are ty p ic a lly lig h te r
T his ty p e o f w o rk o u t is b e s t fo r trim m in g b o d y fa t a n d to n in g m u scle . E xercises w ith
h e a vie r re s is ta n c e a n d fe w e r sets u s u a lly h a ve a lo n g e r re stin g p e rio d b e tw e e n sets.
T h e re sults o f u s in g th is m e th o d a re n o rm a lly in c re a s e d m u s c u la r s tre n g th a n d m ass.
If th e d e sire d o u tc o m e is to g a in overall m u scle m ass, y o u r e x e rc is e p re scrip tio n
sh o u ld lean to w a rd a h ig h e r w e ig h t re s is ta n c e d o in g 2 to 6 re p e titio n s p e r set, w ith a
re st p e rio d o f 3 to 4 m in u te s b e tw e e n e a ch set.
Rest Periods Between Workouts
T he a m o u n t o f re st b e tw e e n tra in in g s e ssio n s d e p e n d s on th e re c o v e ry a b ility o f the
ind ividua l. M o st e x p e rts a g re e th a t th ree w orkou ts pe r w e e k w ith o n e d a y of rest b e tw ee n
se ssio n s a llo w s a d e q u a te re cove ry, e s p e c ia lly fo r th e b e gin ner. If th e re sistan ce
tra in in g is n o t e x ce ssive , o n ly m o d e ra te a m o u n ts o f d e la y e d m u s c u la r so re n e ss sh ould
be e x p e rie n c e d o n e d a y a fte r th e se ssion. A s th e lifter a d v a n c e s a n d his o r he r b o d y
is b e tte r a b le to to le ra te a n d re c u p e ra te from th e re s is ta n c e e x e rc is e se ssions, the
fre q u e n c y o f tra in in g c a n b e in c re a s e d . W e ll-c o n d itio n e d a th le te s m a y b e c a p a b le of,
a n d n e e d tra in in g fre q u e n c ie s o f 4 to 5 d a ys in a ro w to im p ro v e s ig n ific a n tly a n d
a c h ie v e th e ir d e s ire d go als. W he n c o n s e c u tiv e -tra in in g -d a y se que nce s are used, it is
usually b e ne ficial to d o different exercise s fo r the sa m e m u scle g ro u p s a n d use differe nt
re sista n ce s fo r th e e x e rcise s. W he n tra in in g is p e rfo rm e d on c o n s e c u tiv e da ys, it often
invo lves th e use o f a s p lit ro u tin e (d iffe re n t b o d y p a rts e x e rc is e d e a c h da y), o r a sp lit
p ro g ra m (d iffe re n t e x e rc is e s fo r th e sa m e b o d y p a rt p e rfo rm e d e a c h da y). T h e re are
m a n y b o o k s a v a ila b le a t th e lib ra ry o r y o u r loca l b o o k sto re fo r th e in te rm e d ia te a n d
a d v a n c e d w e ig h t tra in in g e n th u sia st. It is also re c o m m e n d e d th a t yo u w o rk w ith a
q u a lifie d p e rso n a l tra in e r to a c h ie v e y o u r u ltim a te goals.
Order of Exercise
Le ad ers in th e fie ld o f strength a n d co n d itio n in g be lie ve th a t w o rk in g th e la rg e r m u scle
g ro u p s firs t (ch est, b a ck, leg s), sh ould ta ke priority ov e r tra in in g th e sm aller m u scle
gro u p s (b ice p s, tric e p s, d e lto id s , ca lv e s). T h e re aso n b e h in d th is e x e rc is e o rd e r is th at
th e e x e rc is e s p e rfo rm e d in th e b e g in n in g o f th e w o rk o u t are th e o n e s th a t are g o in g to
re qu ire th e g re a te st a m o u n t of m u scle m ass to pe rfo rm . H e n ce , e x e rc is in g th e sm aller
m u scle gro u p s first will d e p le te the b o d y o f the e n e rg y ne ce ss a ry to stim ulate th e larger
m u scle g ro u p s . A rm -to -le g o rd e rin g a llo w s fo r so m e re c o v e ry o f th e a rm m u s c le s w hile
th e le g m u s c le s a re e x e rc is e d . "S ta c k in g " e x e rc is e s is a c o m m o n p ra c tic e a m o n g
b o d y b u ild e rs as a w a y to a tte m p t to b rin g a b o u t m u s c le h y p e rtro p h y . S ta c k in g is
lo a d in g u p d iffe re n t e x e rc is e s on th e s a m e m u s c le g ro u p (ie. sta n d in g b ic e p cu rls,
p re a c h e r cu rls, o n e a rm c o n c e n tra tio n c u rls). T he e x e rc is e o rd e r w ill h a ve a sig n ific a n t
im p a c t on th e tra in in g stim u lu s stress level in a tra in in g session.
Scheduling Training
F in d in g th e tim e to d o it is o n e o f th e m o st d iffic u lt a s p e c ts o f a tra in in g p ro g ra m . O n ce
yo u h a ve e s ta b lis h e d a tim e to w o rk o u t yo u sh o u ld p la n a tra in in g ro utin e b a s e d on
w h a t m u s c le s to in vo lve on w h ic h day. A s p re v io u s ly d is c u s s e d , th e la rg e r m u scle
gro u p s su ch as th e ch e st, b a ck, a n d le g s sh o u ld ta ke p rio rity o v e r w o rk in g th e sm aller
m u s c le g ro u p s . G ive y o u r m u s c le s a t le a st 4 8 ho urs (b u t no m o re th a n 7 2 ho urs) of
re st in b e tw e e n sessions.
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