Back to Basics: Strength 2

So:  you’ve got a workout.  Now what?

First things first:  you want to aim for two or three strength training sessions per week.  (OK:  some people do more.  That’s beyond the basics, for one thing, and also gets into dividing the body up into segments for things like “leg day.”  If you want to know about that stuff, poke me and we’ll talk.)  The overall principle is that you give muscles you’ve worked a day off between workouts.

 

There are multiple variables in weight workouts.  What you choose depends on your body, your goals, and your current state.

 

For each exercise, you need to consider how much weight to lift, how many reps and sets to do, and how quickly or slowly to do the lifting.  In general, if you are choosing lighter weights, you will be choosing to do more reps and/or sets.  Most of us will choose a moderate tempo for our lifts, unless we are working on power, which, by definition, is the ability to move a heavy weight fast.

 

However, once a workout starts, you may need to adjust.  Maybe last week I did my lifts with 7 gabillion pounds, but today I can hardly unrack 6 gabillion.  Or maybe I’m even stronger this week and need to use 8 gabillion.  (Yes, I am using fictitious measures because some of us get over-attached to the numbers.  That’s not useful.)  In general, I want the weight I choose to be heavy enough that it is challenging to complete the number of reps with good form.

 

Go play.