Strength Training Articles

newsletter_teaser: Check out this great article from the IDEA Online Library, for eight practical keys to understanding and training connective tissue.

O’Connor, P.J., Herring, M.P., & Caravalho, A. 2010. Mental health benefits of strength training in adults. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 4 (5), 377–96.

Alternating strength sets with time on cardiovascular equipment is a popular way to train clients. When designed and executed correctly, this strategy can very effectively overload muscles, producing maximum results in minimum time. p class="subhead">Designing Strength and Cardio Supersetsnewsletter_teaser: Alternating strength sets with time on cardiovascular equipment is a popular way to train clients. When designed and executed correctly, this strategy can very effectively overload muscles, producing maximum results in minimum time. Strength and cardio supersets are a hybrid form of exhaustion supersets. A typical exhaustion superset alternates an isolated exercise (which involves only one joint and a specific muscle group) with a compound exercise (which involves one or more joints or muscle groups) for the same muscle group.

Many fitness experts maintain that exercisers must work within the 8- to 12-repetition range to initiate muscle hypertrophy. However, a study published in PLoS ONE (2010; 5 [8], 1–10) suggests that low-load, high-volume strength training can also impact muscle growth. Researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, studied 15 men as they performed four sets of unilateral leg extensions at 90% 1-RM and 30% 1-RM. The subjects were instructed to work until failure.newsletter_teaser: Many fitness experts maintain that exercisers must work within the 8- to 12-repetition range to initiate muscle hypertrophy. However, a study published in PLoS ONE (2010; 5 [8], 1–10) suggests that low-load, high-volume strength training can also impact muscle growth.

A common goal among male exercisers is to increase muscle mass and strength. For many men, achieving this goal can be a struggle. IDEA author Lance Breger, MS, head private trainer at MINT Fitness & Spa in Washington, DC, suggests some out-of-the-box techniques to help clients overcome strength and hypertrophy plateaus.

As more people head to gyms to reap the benefits of strength training, the prevalence of related injuries increases, according to a study conducted by the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Scientists at the institute’s Center for Injury Research and Policy discovered that U.S. hospital emergency departments treated more than 970,000 injuries related to weight training between 1990 and 2007. The injury rate increased by almost 50% during that 18-year period.

It’s early morning, and you arrive at the gym to discover a voice message from your 8:00 am client, Mary. She has called to let you know she will be unable to make her appointment because she has strained her back and is laid up in bed—for the third time this month. A consummate professional, you call to follow up with her. Mary explains that she “did something” to her back as she was rushing to get the kids off to the school bus. You wish her well, hang up the phone and contemplate her injury. Node Features: Has Video

The new report from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) regarding progression models in resistance training for healthy adults adds to the previous 2002 position stand, which established a structure for guiding healthy adults to develop muscular fitness (i.e., muscular strength, hypertrophy, power and muscular endurance). This latest review defines and

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, back problems accounted for 139 million doctor visits in the United States in 2005 and cost $17.6 billion. With such a prevalence of back pain, it’s more than likely that fitness professionals will come across those suffering from the condition. But research suggests personal trainers may be able to help clients relieve pain with strength training.