Lesson 4: Developing Muscular Strength and Endurance
Introductory Statement:
Individuals of all ages should devote a portion of their fitness program to the
maintenance or improvement of muscular strength and endurance. Indeed, the
development of muscular strength and endurance is currently the hottest area in
fitness training. People of all ages, genders, and athletic ability are using strength
training to improve their health, appearance and physical capacity.
Objectives:
1. Explain the benefits of developing muscular strength and endurance.
2. Discuss the difference between “muscular strength” and “muscular
endurance.”
3. Define the following terms and discuss how they relate to strength training: set,
repetition, Valsalva effect, DOMS.
4. Discuss the various types of muscle actions.
5. Outline the general guidelines involved in developing a resistance/strength
training program for health-related fitness.
6. Discuss the objectives during each stage of a progressive strength training
program.
Assignments:
After studying this lesson and related resources, design a resistance/strength
training exercise program for yourself. Your typed 1-2 page program is due when
you take examination #1.
Textbooks:
Wellness, Concepts and Applications (Required Textbook)
Anspaugh, Hamrick & Rosato, 3rd Edition, 1997, Mosby, ISBN# 0-8151-0714-5
Pages 92-121
Fitness Tests & Related Activities: Pages 111-121
Wellness, Choices for Health & Fitness
Donatelle, Snow & Willcox, 2nd Edition, 1999, Wadsworth, ISBN# 0-534-34836-X
Pages 88-120
Muscular Strength and Endurance Tests: Pages 118-120
Total Fitness, Exercise, Nutrition, and Wellness
Powers & Dodd, 2nd Edition, 1999, Allyn & Bacon, ISBN# 0-13-095894-8
Pages 104-130
Strength Training Log: Page 131
WWW Links:
Shape Up America: http://www.shapeup.org
This site, by Ex-U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Coop, is really neat. It has just
the right amount of information to be easily used and some great fitness
assessments you can complete yourself to have the site interpret for you. This is
a must site to hit!
Georgia State University Dept. of Kinesiology and Health Website:
http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/
This site contains research-based information on fitness: aerobic, strength, and
flexibility training, exercise adherence, nutrition and body composition, and
advice for special populations. Another must site to visit if you are developing
your own fitness program.
Fitness Partner Connection Jumpsite:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/
A huge fitness site with a searchable library, links to other sites, and a caloric
expenditure calculator. A good place to start a search on fitness-related topics.
Wellness Interactive Network: http://www.stayhealthy.com
A good place to start an information search because it links to so many other
good sites--allowing the student an overview of the many additional sites
available for inspection. This comprehensive wellness site includes links to all
aspects of health and wellness. It contains a good health risk assessment
questionnaire, a searchable database for drug/medical information, electronic
newsletters, and information concerning electronic mailing lists and newsgroups.
Sympatico: http://www.ns.sympatico.ca/healthyway
Includes articles about health/fitness, book reviews, and links to other nutrition,
fitness, and wellness sites.
Disabled Sports USA: http://www.dsusa.org/~dsusa/#sports
Information of interest to disabled athletes and their supporters.
Key Terms (click to go to):
resistance training
muscular strength
muscular endurance
static action
dynamic action
concentric action
eccentric action
DOMS
Valsalva effect
accommodating resistance
variable resistance
isokinetic
progressive resistance
periodization
set
repetition
mode
intensity
frequency
duration
RPER
initial stage
improvement stage
maintenance stage
Summary Lecture Notes:
Reasons for strength training include: resistance to osteoporosis and low-back
injuries, enhancement of physical capability (including activities of daily living and
ability to react to emergency situations), increased metabolic rate for weight
control, and improved appearance.
“Resistance training,” or “strength training,” is a broad term meaning the
development of muscular strength and endurance using free weights, machines,
stretch bands, or simply body weight.
Muscular strength is defined as the maximal amount of force a person can
apply (usually demonstrated in a single repetition).
Muscular endurance is the ability to repeatedly apply a percentage of maximal
strength.
Types of muscle actions (contractions) include: static (tension development with
no change in joint angle), and dynamic (tension development with a change in
joint angle). Dynamic actions include concentric (muscle shortening) and
eccentric (muscle lengthening). Most forms of resistance training involve both
shortening and lengthening dynamic muscular movements.
Eccentric actions occur quite frequently during most human movement. In
resistance training, they occur when lowering weight slowly against gravity. They
are effective in tension development,(which promotes muscular strength) but also
contribute to delayed onset muscular soreness (DOMS).
DOMS results from training too hard without an initial break-in period, and results
in muscular soreness felt 2-3 days after the training session.
Static actions temporarily increase blood pressure to high levels and may cause
abnormal heartbeats if the breath is held during the movement (Valsalva effect).
For this reason, dynamic actions without breath holding are preferred for most
adults.
Some weight training machines are considered “accommodating or variable
resistance,” meaning they are specially designed to vary the resistance, with the
goal of creating a more uniform, maximal resistance throughout the full range of
movement.
Isokinetic machines are accommodating resistance machines that ensure a
constant speed throughout the full range of movement. They are often used in
rehabilitation because they may be performed without the eccentric action (which
is a necessary part of most other types of resistance training).
The principles of overload, specificity, reversibility, progression, and overtraining
apply to resistance training just as they did to cardiorespiratory training in lesson
3. Additionally, the terms “progressive resistance” (method of progressively or
systematically overloading muscle), and “periodization ” (method of cycling
through the various stages in training for competition) are often used.
There are numerous methods of overloading and progressing in resistance
training. General guidelines for busy adults include: using a few basic exercises
that involve several muscles in their execution, employ 2-3 sets of 10-12
repetitions per exercise at moderate difficulty, for 15-45 minutes, on 2-3 days per
week. A “set” is one series of continuous repetitions. A “repetition” is one
execution or lift, from start to finish.
There are many modes of resistance training. The recommended activity for
adults engaging in health-related fitness is simply the one that is most
convenient, safe and comfortable. This might be free weights, machines, stretch
bands, body weight or other activities.
Because aerobic training requires from 30-60 minutes per session, the duration
of the resistance training session should be kept fairly short (15-45 minutes) in
order to keep the total training session within 60 minutes. Incorporating the
resistance training fitness component into the workout session may necessitate a
shorter duration of aerobic training on strength training days or alternate day
training. Remember, keep it short and effective--busy adults normally don’t have
time to become “bodybuilders.” Many adults benefit from a 15-20 minute
resistance training session at the end of their aerobic workout.
The frequency of resistance training for health-related fitness should be 2-3
days per week during the improvement stage and 1-2 days per week to maintain.
This is for workouts where the total body is trained in a single session. It is not
wise for a busy adult to “split” their strength workout into several sessions unless
they are training for performance-related fitness (bodybuilding).
Intensity of resistance training is often difficult to monitor since heart rate cannot
be used and the RPE scale was designed for steady rate aerobic exercise. Also,
the use of a percentage of a person’s single maximal repetition (% 1RMAX) is
not practical for use except with experienced athletes. Normally, an adult should
begin training very light during the initial stage, and gradually progress to
moderate or moderately-hard at the end of the improvement stage.
The following rating of perceived exertion for resistance training (RPER) is easy
to use and fairly accurate when used with resistance training:
(The link to the RPER scale has not been completed at this time)
The initial stage of resistance training should begin with 1 set of 10-12 very light
repetitions (1X10 very light), gradually increasing to 2 or 3 sets of 10-12
moderate repetitions (3X10 moderate) during the improvement stage, and 1-3
sets of 10-12 moderate (1-3X10 moderate) repetitions during the maintenance
stage.
The relationship between sets, repetitions and the amount of weight used is:
heavier weight and fewer repetitions to emphasize muscular strength and size;
lighter weight and more repetitions to develop muscular endurance. A good
combination for most individuals is 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions for each
movement.
For more specific strength training programs, click on the following:
(Specific weight training program guide not completed at this time)
Resistance training movements should be slow and controlled—breathing out
during the execution of the movement, and in on the return to the starting
position. A person should continue to breathe during the execution of the
movement. The breath should not be held.
A good rule of thumb is to rest between sets until breathing rate returns almost to
normal. Make certain to use a spotter if necessary—never lift heavy weights
without a spotter.
Practice Questions:
1. The development of muscular strength and endurance using free weights,
machines, stretch bands and body weight is called
a. weight training
b. cross training
c. free weight training
d. resistance training
e. none of the above
2. The ability to repeatedly apply a percentage of maximal strength is called
a. dynamic strength
b. muscular strength
c. muscular endurance
d. static endurance
e. none of the above
3. Concentric actions are types of
a. dynamic actions
b. static actions
c. isokinetic actions
d. isotonic actions
e. none of the above
4. Tension development without a change in joint angle is called a
a. dynamic action
b. static action
c. isokinetic action
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
5. Dynamic actions which involve muscle lengthening are called
a. isokinetic actions
b. accommodating actions
c. concentric actions
d. eccentric actions
e. none of the above
6. Machines that are specially designed to vary the resistance for a more
maximal force production throughout the full range of motion are called
a. isotonic resistance
b. eccentric resistance
c. accommodating or variable resistance
d. dynamic resistance
e. none of the above
7. Muscular soreness that occurs 2-3 days after an initial heavy resistance
training period is called
a. DOMS
b. POMS
c. RPE
d. ACTE
e. none of the above
8. Breath holding during a training movement resulting in high pressure within the
thoracic region is called the
a. training effect
b. Heimlich maneuver
c. aortic response
d. Valsalva effect
e. none of the above
9. Adults conditioning for health-related fitness should train using
a. free weights
b. weight machines
c. stretch bands
d. their body weight
e. any of the above
10. Research indicates that adults conditioning for health-related fitness should
train ___________ days per week while in the improvement stage.
a. 2-3
b. 4-5
c. 5-6
d. every day
11. Adults should train at least an hour per training session in order to benefit
from resistance training.
a. true
b. false
12. Adults conditioning for health-related fitness should train with __________
resistance in the improvement stage.
a. light
b. moderate
c. heavy
13. A good set-repetition combination for most adults conditioning for healthrelated fitness would be
a. 3 X 3-4
b. 6 X 3-4
c. 3 X 10-12
d. 3 X 15-20
e. none of the above
14. Normally, the resistance training component of a training session should be
longer in duration than the aerobic (cardiorespiratory) component.
a. true
b. false
15. Resistance training movements should be completed
a. in a slow, controlled fashion
b. in a fast, rhythmical fashion
Answers:
1. D
2. C
3. A
4. B
5. D
6. C
7. A
8. D
9. E
10. A
11. B
12. B
13. C
14. B
15. A
Interpretation:
14 – 15 correct = excellent
12 – 13 correct = good
10 – 11 correct = average
08 – 09 correct = below average
< 08 correct = needs improvement
Other: