Weight-Training Smarts for Everyone

From Bottom Line's Daily Health News June 12, 2007

Weight-Training Smarts for Everyone

It's well known that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three to five days a week helps prevent cardiovascular disease. My favorite ways to fit this in are brisk walking or bicycling, because I love being outside in good weather. If that's not an option, I hit the elliptical machine. What's less well known -- or at least less practiced -- is that strength training (e.g., lifting free weights or using weight machines) is equally important to good health, especially as we grow older. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that adults perform two to three strength-training sessions each week.

According to Wayne Westcott, PhD, fitness research director for the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, strength training not only boosts metabolism and keeps blood pressure and glucose levels stable, it is also the only way to prevent the five-pound loss in muscle mass that we experience each decade as we age. Dr. Westcott told me more about the health benefits of strength training, and offered some useful tips on how to safely and effectively work out with weights...

STRENGTH TRAINING: THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL AGING

Lean muscle mass naturally decreases with age, but strength training (especially training with weights) can help reverse this trend. As you grow stronger and muscle mass increases, benefits multiply -- you'll find that you are more energetic, have more stamina and feel better overall.

According to Dr. Westcott, strength training...

Lowers blood pressure, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. After two months, regular weight training can cause incremental drops in both systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure.

Encourages muscles to utilize glucose more efficiently. This means less glucose circulating in the bloodstream, which lowers your risk of diabetes.

Stimulates the skeletal system, which helps maintain bone density. This becomes increasingly important as we age, to prevent bone-thinning osteoporosis.

Enables you to manage weight more effectively. Your best bet is to combine aerobic and strength-training exercise to raise your metabolism and burn off excess calories.

GETTING STARTED

Weight training with progressively heavier resistance is far and away the best way to build strength and muscle mass, notes Dr. Westcott. But if you're not familiar with free weights or weight machines, what's the best way to get started? Join a beginner's weight training class at the local gym, or schedule a session or two with a personal trainer who is knowledgeable in weight training. There are also helpful how-to books, such as Dr. Westcott's own Strength Training Past 50 (Human Kinetics). If you're over 40 or have health issues, also see your health-care provider before taking on a new fitness program.

As for whether to choose free weights (barbells or dumbbells) or weight machines, such as Nautilus or Cybex, try both forms and see which you prefer. Free weights and machines work equally well, observes Dr. Westcott -- though, of course, free weights can easily be done at home, without investing in expensive equipment or a health club membership. Muscles can't tell the difference.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WORKOUT

Once you learn how to work with weights, you'll want to focus on maximizing benefits of your workouts. An average strength-training regimen consists of two to three sessions a week, with one to three sets, using sets of resistance exercises to cover all the major muscle groups. For optimal results, Dr. Westcott recommends...

Begin with eight to 10 repetitions of a series of resistance exercises. Consult a fitness trainer at the gym to determine appropriate starting weights, which should call on approximately 65% to 75% of your maximum resistance. At the gym, it's often not necessary to book a session with a personal trainer since many have "floor trainers" available to answer questions and offer advice on proper weight levels and lifting technique. At home, most women exercise with five- to 15-pound free weights, and most men lift 10 to 25 pounds.

Learn to lift weights properly, in a slow and controlled fashion. It's not the amount of weight you lift, but how you lift it that counts. As a general rule of thumb, each repetition should last five to six seconds, and a series of 10 repetitions should take 50 to 60 seconds. When in doubt about technique, seek advice from a fitness professional.

Be sure sessions last 20 to 40 minutes. Weight training should be performed three days a week, non-consecutive days, at first. As time goes on and you grow more experienced, you can cut back to only two sessions a week, three days apart. This allows the muscles ample time to recover and prepare for the next workout.

Remember to breathe. Holding your breath during weight training can lead to a dangerous elevation in blood pressure. Exhale when you lift, and inhale when you lower weights.

Vary your exercises. For example, do one set of repetitions to the shoulders, move down to the abs, and then on to the legs. Don't overwork any one muscle group, as this can contribute to muscle fatigue and the risk of injury.

Increase weight when you successfully work your way up to performing 15 reps with proper technique and without fatigue. However, to avoid strains and sprains, don't add more than 5% -- of pound weight -- at a time.

Stretch the muscles you just worked after each strength exercise -- or, if you prefer, following your entire strength workout.

MORE STRENGTH-TRAINING OPTIONS

Other forms of strength training also work well, if you don't enjoy weights or want to incorporate some variety into your fitness regimen. Classes or activities you might consider include...

Circuit training. This handy, all-in-one exercise program combines strength training with aerobic activities such as the treadmill and stationary bike.

Pilates. This approach emphasizes slow-moving stretches and resistance exercises (including using popular exercise resistance bands) to increase flexibility and strength.

Body sculpting. While body sculpting -- the modern day version of calisthenics with some light weights -- does not pack the same oomph as other strength-training exercises, it will help slow muscle loss and moderately increase strength.

For optimal fitness, make it a point to add strength training -- with weights, Pilates or whatever other strength-training exercise you enjoy the most -- to your regular fitness routine. You'll feel better, look better and enjoy your later years with greater strength, energy and independence.

Source(s):

Wayne Westcott, PhD, fitness research director, South Shore YMCA, Quincy, Massachusetts. Dr. Westcott is author or coauthor of 20 books, including Strength Training Past 50 (Human Kinetics).

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