Newsletter of May I www.shapesrin.com I American Lifespan Decreases I

Since Dr. Kenneth Cooper published his first Aerobics book in 1968, there has been a
strong emphasis on physical fitness in the United States. We've experienced the
running revolution of the 1970s, the aerobic dance movement of the '80s, and the
strength-training boom of the '90s. Today, most people are aware that exercise is
good for their health and is an effective means of preventive medicine.
It is hard to understand why so few people regularly participate in an exercise
program. According to the United States Public Health Service Centers for Disease
Control, less than 10 percent of all Americans perform enough physical activity to
attain any measurable fitness benefits. Most of those who do exercise consistently
are walkers and joggers, leaving less than 5 percent of the general public who do
strength training.

Strength-Training Misconceptions

There are numerous reasons why people avoid strength training - almost all of them
myths. Some don't do it because they have heard that it may increase their blood
pressure. Fortunately, this is not true. Although every adult should have his or her
doctor's approval before starting a strength program, research reveals that properly
performed strength exercise is similar to aerobic activity in terms of blood pressure
response. That is, systolic pressure increases about 35 to 50 percent during exercise
and returns quickly to resting levels after the session. More important, studies show
that several weeks of strength training result in significant reductions in resting blood
pressure. In a study I conducted and completed this year, 785 men and women who
participated in a two-month program of strength and endurance exercise experienced
an average 4 mm Hg decrease in systolic blood pressure and a 3 mm Hg decrease in
diastolic blood pressure. Sensible strength training, by itself or in combination with
endurance exercise, has beneficial effects on resting blood pressure.
Fear of increasing body weight is another reason many adults avoid strength
exercise. They mistakenly believe that weight training is synonymous with weight
gain. It is true that strength training adds muscle, but this is actually the best way to
lose fat. In fact, strength exercise has a threefold impact on fat reduction. First, it
increases calorie use during each training session. Second, it increases calorie use
for several hours following exercise due to the after burn effect. Third, it increases
calorie use all day by adding new muscle tissue. This is because every pound of new
muscle uses about 35 calories each day just for tissue maintenance.
Of course, there are a variety of health-related reasons to do strength exercise. These
include increased bone density, improved glucose metabolism, faster gastrointestinal
transit, better blood lipid levels, reduced low back pain, and less arthritic discomfort.
Perhaps the most prevalent misunderstanding about strength training, particularly for
those who would like to do it, is the time requirement. Many adults simply do not have
time to do the multiple-set workouts they have been told are necessary for strength
development. Fortunately, time-efficient, single-set training can be just as productive
as time-consuming multiple-set training when performed properly.

Basic and Brief Strength Exercise

During the past five years we have made careful pre-and post-training assessments
of the 1,132 participants in our basic exercise program. These classes meet two or
three days a week, one hour per session, with 25 minutes of strength exercise (11
Nautilus machines) and 25 minutes of aerobic activity (treadmill walking or stationary
cycling).
The basic exercise program is two months long, which seems to be an ideal
introductory period for previously sedentary adults. Over 90 percent of the
participants rate their exercise class as highly satisfying, and about 80 percent join
the YMCA after completing the program. In other words, the eight-week training
period is sufficient to turn many inactive women and men into regular exercisers.
One reason for the positive lifestyle change is the excellent results attained by the
program participants. As shown in Table 1, the 383 men lost 6.4 pounds of fat weight
and gained 3.7 pounds of lean (muscle) weight for a 10-pound improvement in body
composition, and the749 women lost 3.4 pounds of fat weight and gained 1.7 pounds
of lean weight for a 5-pound improvement in body composition. At the same time, the
men reduced their average resting blood pressure by 4.5 mm Hg, and the women
reduced their average resting blood pressure by 3.1 mm Hg.
Another finding is that the younger (ages 21-40), middle (41-60), and older (61-80)
adults all attained similar improvements in body composition and resting blood
pressure. Just as important, those who began the program in the poorest shape (with
the highest percentage of body fat) experienced the most fat loss and lean (muscle)
gain. That is, the adults who had the greatest fitness needs made the greatest
improvements.
A practical reason for the success of the basic exercise program is the time-efficient
training requirements. The participants did only 25 minutes of strength exercise and
25 minutes of aerobic activity each training session. Even more helpful for many
time-pressured adults, only two workouts a week were necessary for excellent
results. As shown in Figure 1, the two-day and three-day exercisers made similar
improvements in body composition and resting blood pressure after eight weeks of
training.
In addition to an effective and efficient training program, most beginning exercisers
appreciate small classes and attentive instructors. We conduct all of our classes in a
separate exercise area, with six members and two instructors per class. This closely
supervised setting facilitates the training process and produces an 85 percent
compliance rate among program participants.
We have found that most adults can make time for a well-designed exercise program
that takes a sensible and systematic approach to strength training. When the proper
exercise principles are applied, excellent results can be achieved in just two
25-minute strength workouts per week.

The Strength-Training Program
Training Frequency
The standard recommendation of three nonconsecutive days per week is sound, and
should be followed whenever possible. However, in a large training study I completed
this year, the 416 subjects who strength-trained twice a week achieved almost 90
percent as much strength and muscle gain as the 716 subjects who did strength
workouts three days a week. For people who have a hard time getting to the gym
three times a week, it is good to know that two strength workouts per week produce
nearly as much training benefit.

The excellent results attained by the 1,132 research program participants required
only 25 minutes of strength exercise, two or three days per week. The recommended
strength-training protocol, based on the American College of Sports Medicine
guidelines, is as follows:

Training Sets
Two separate studies have found that one-set training and three-set training are
equally effective for increasing upper-and lower-body strength. If training time is
limited, it is good to know that single-set strength exercise is just as productive as
multiple-set workouts.

Training Resistance
The exercise resistance should be high enough to produce a high rate of strength
development and low enough to pose a low risk of injury. Empirical evidence clearly
indicates that using 75 percent of maximum resistance meets both of these training
criteria.

Training Repetitions
Research indicates that most people can complete eight to 12 controlled repetitions
with 75 percent of their maximum resistance. Generally speaking, if you cannot
perform at least eight repetitions the resistance may be too heavy, and if you can
complete more than 12 repetitions the resistance may be too light. Working within the
eight to 12 repetition range is recommended for safe and effective muscle
development.

Training Progression
Every strength-training program needs a protocol for progressing to heavier
workloads. While it is important to increase the exercise resistance periodically, it is
equally important to do so gradually. A safe and productive progression is known as
the 12 by 5 rule. That is, whenever you can complete 12 repetitions of an exercise in
good form, you increase the resistance by 5 percent or less. The 12 by 5 procedure
adds small but frequent weight load increments to progressively stress the muscular
system.

Training Speed
Unfortunately, there is little consensus on the best training speed for strength
development. Our research indicates, however, that slow movement may be preferred
over fast movement, because a slow speed produces less momentum and more
muscle tension. At six seconds each, eight to 12 repetitions require about 50 to 70
seconds of continuous muscle effort, which provides an excellent anaerobic stimulus
for muscle building. We have obtained consistently good results training with
six-second repetitions, taking two seconds for the harder lifting movement and four
seconds for the easier lowering movements.

Training Range
Full-range muscle strength is best developed through full-range exercise movements.
In other words, the training effect is greatest within the exercised portion of the joint
movement range. Full-range strength reduces injury risk and increases performance
potential. Try to perform each repetition through a full range of movement, but never
to a position of discomfort.

NEWSLETTER of August
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