Exercise Guide
 

Important

If you feel pain, dizziness or shortness of breath at any time during any of the exercises or use of other equipment at this website, you should STOP exercising & consult your physician.

Alert gym staff if assistance is needed.

 
 

Strength Training Guidelines

Design your weight training program by utilizing these basic training principles:
  • Specificity states that you are selecting specific muscles and exercises to develop them. You may choose to develop muscle strength, muscle size, or endurance using the chart below. This will be one of your goals.

  • Overload is to force the muscle to work harder than normal during training.

  • Progression is when the muscles have adjusted to the workout and the workload must be increased to adapt to new demands of overload.
Training / Program Goal
(Mode)
Resistance
Repetitions
Sets
Rest Period Between Sets
Frequency of Workout

Muscle Tone
Health Fitness

60%-80% of 1 Rep Max

8-12

1-3

30 sec.- 2 min.

2-3

Muscle Strength

85%-100%
1 Rep Max

1-6

3-8

2-4 min.

2-3

Muscular Endurance

50%-70%
1 Rep Max

12-20

2-6

30 sec.- 2 min.

3-6

Muscular Size

70%-85%
1 Rep Max

6-20
Near Max and 1 Rep Max

3-8

0-90 sec.

4-12

Mode (Column One): Include 8-10 training exercises that involve the major muscles groups. Choose your focus from the left column of the table

Resistance (Column Two): The amount of weight determined by 1 maximum lift to near fatigue.

One Rep Max Test: Do a lightweight warm-up of the exercise prior to attempting the maximum amount of weight you can lift one time. Perform this test for these major areas:

Pectoralis Major (chest)

Latissimus Dorsi (back)

Quadriceps, Gluteus Maximus and Hamstrings (legs)

Biceps (front upper arm)

Deltoid, Trapezius (shoulders/upperback)


Repetitions (Column Three): Number of times the weight is lifted. One complete repetitions should take about 5 seconds to complete. Usually 3 seconds is used to complete the concentric phase and 2 seconds is used to complete the eccentric phase. The repetition is a slow and controlled movement through the full range of the joints used for the exercise.

Set (Column Four): A group of repetitions equals one set separated by rest periods. Complete the number of repetitions for at least one set. Beginners may choose to add the required sets as strength improves.

Rest (Column Five): Recovery of the muscles can take place by complete rest without another exercise or by alternating muscle(s) exercised with different muscle(s).

Frequency (Column Six): This the number of sessions dedicated to weight training. Some day(s) may include more than one workout session. Strive to meet the minimum days recommended in the sixth column.

Training Schedule

There are many ways to train.

Split Training: Working one group of muscles one day and allowing them to recovery while addressing the other group of muscles the next day in this alternating pattern throughout the week(s).

For info on Workout Mythologies, go to:
http://www2.austincc.edu/shopland/Weight-Workout%20Mythology.htm
 
 
For Cardio Guidelines