Body Shop
Resistance training: How to get started

Resistance training is not rocket science, but there are some things you need to know to be successful. The process can seem complicated, because there are many muscles and so many different exercises from which to choose.

To simplify matters, think of the major muscle groups — the chest, shoulders, arms (biceps and triceps), upper and lower back, thighs and calves. For each muscle group there are many different exercises, but all you need is one.

Often, there is overlap with several different muscle groups involved in one exercise. In the bench press, for example, you lie on a bench, face up, and push the weight from your chest to arm's length. The muscles involved include the chest, shoulders and triceps. You get three benefits from just one exercise.

To get started on a productive routine, visit a commercial gym and ask the staff to show you the ropes, or consult a personal trainer. To simplify matters and keep interest high, ask for a limited routine that won't take much time.

I suggest including a small group of standard exercises: the bench press (chest, shoulders, triceps), lat machine pull down (upper back), curls (biceps and forearms), partial squats (thighs and lower back) and calf raises.

Eventually, you might want to add a few specialized exercises, but these will suffice for a while.

Frequency, volume, intensity

Important considerations are the frequency of workouts (how often), the volume of work (how much), and the intensity of effort (how hard).

Two workouts per week are plenty, each separated by several days of rest.

Volume is determined by the number of sets and reps you perform. A rep is one repetition, or one complete movement. Pushing the bar from your chest to arm's length is one rep of the bench press. Doing this 10 times would be a set (of 10 reps). Typically, three sets of 10 reps per exercise is sufficient volume.

Intensity is determined by the amount of weight you use. This will vary from exercise to exercise. Therefore you must determine a starting weight for each exercise you include in your routine.

This is easier than you think. Experiment by starting with a very light weight and performing 10 easy reps. Rest briefly (one minute or so), add 5 pounds and try it again. Keep going until you arrive at a weight that will allow you to perform only 10 reps. This is your exercise weight.

In your workout routine, perform 50 percent of this weight for the first (warm-up) set of 10 reps, 75 percent in the second set of 10 reps, and 100 percent in the final set of 10 reps. Then move on to the next exercise.

Maintenance

I used to work out hard, lifting weights for hours daily, and I added considerable muscle mass over several years as a young adult. Today, I am a shadow of my former self, but I am interested in sustaining some of the muscle mass I built earlier.

To do this I lift dumbbells (they are easier on the joints than barbells) about once every five days, sometimes less often if I get too busy. My workouts are free-flowing and last about 30 minutes. I don't have a preconceived list of exercises I follow, nor do I concern myself with a given number of sets and reps. Rather, I more or less "play" at working out, spontaneously selecting exercises and using light weights and high repetitions, not resting long between sets.

This kind of workout gives my muscles plenty of attention and maintains them well, but obviously, I'm not working hard enough to gain muscle. The free-flowing format is mentally refreshing; the high reps are gentle on my joints.

Muscle shaping

When building muscle, you may be seeking a certain look — the lean look, for example, in which muscle definition allows the muscles to show through the skin. This is a matter of diet and how much fat you have between the skin and the muscle. Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with the kind of workout (high vs. low reps) that you perform or your selection of exercises.

Similarly, the shape of your muscles is determined genetically. A high "peak" in a flexed-biceps muscle is not created by special exercises but rather is a genetic predisposition that is manifested through resistance training.

The bottom line

Everyone needs to regularly engage in some type of resistance exercise, whether it's climbing stairs or heaving dumbbells. Let your muscles know you care about them by making them work, whether they want to or not.

Bryant Stamford is an exercise physiologist and director of the Health Promotion and Wellness Center at the University of Louisville. If you have questions about sports injuries, health, exercise or fitness, write to Body Shop, Gannett News Service, care of The Courier-Journal, 525 W. Broadway, P.O. Box 740031, Louisville, Ky. 40201-7431, or e-mail bryant@louisville.edu.