LAKE PARK HIGH SCHOOL
SOPHOMORE WEIGHT TRAINING UNIT
TERMS AND CONCEPTS
ABDUCTION: Movement away from the center line of the body.
ACTIVE STRETCH: This is also done slowly. These are done with a bounce or a bob. Do many reps.
ADDUCTION: Movement toward the center line of the body.
AGONIST/ANTAGONIST MUSCLE GROUPS: Pairs of muscle groups which oppose each other (i.e. the biceps of upper arm is the
agonist during the arm curl and the triceps is the antagonist).
ATROPHY: A decrease in the size of the muscle as a direct result of muscular training.
BREATHING TECHNIQUES: During weight lifting exercises the lifter should inhale when lowering the weight and exhale when
lifting the weight.
CIRCUIT WEIGHT TRAINING: Exercise by stations in short, all-out bursts, with limited rest before beginning the next station.
CONCENTRIC CONTRACTION: Involves shortening of the muscle, which moves the resistance.
DURATION: Refers to the length of time one actually works in a training session. One way of increasing duration is to increase the
number of repetitions or sets; answer the questions, “how long?”
DYNAMIC: Doing the motion quickly and with any repetitions.
ECCENTRIC CONTRACTION: Entails lengthening of the muscle (usually when a weight is lowered).
ENDURANCE OVERLOAD: Lift them longer.
ENDURANCE: Lift longer.
EXTENSION: An increase in joint angle (usually to a straight position).
F.I.T.T. principle relating to strength training: Frequency—every day IF alternating muscle groups or every other day if doing entire
body workout; Intensity—each set worked to muscular failure/exhaustion; Time—each repetition takes 6 seconds, overall work out
time can vary; Type—use a variety of strength training exercises.
FLEXIBILITY: The ability to use joints freely, everyone needs to have it.
FLEXIBILITY: The range of motion (ROM) in a joint or series of joints.
FLEXION: A decrease in joint angle (usually to a bent position).
FREQUENCY: Refers to the regularity (number of times per week) that one trains, answers the question, “how often?”
FULL RANGE OF MOTION: Help lengthen muscles around a joint.
HYPTERTROPHY: An increase in the size of the muscle as a direct result of muscular training.
INTENSITY: Refers to the amount of work being greater than the normal work load on the body. An example of increased intensity
is increasing the amount of weight used; answer the question, “how long?”
ISOKINETIC EXERCISE: Controlling the speed of the contraction mechanically, allowing maximal contraction to be achieved
throughout the entire movement.
ISOMETRIC EXERCISE: Muscle contraction involving no joint movement.
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MUSCULAR BALANCE: Having opposite muscles equal, i.e. working both biceps and triceps equally
MUSCLE BOUND: Exercised incorrectly.
MUSCULAR STRENGTH: The maximum amount of tension the muscle or muscle group can apply in a single effort.
MUSCULAR ENDURANCE: The capacity to continue submaximal muscle contractions repeatedly.
MUSCULAR STRENGTH: Amount of force a muscle can exert.
MUSCULAR ENDURANCE: Ability of muscles to work for long periods of times without getting tired. (Other than heart and
lungs).
NEGATIVE WORK: The lowering of the weight.
NUTRITION: The process by which we absorb or take in and utilize food. Proper nutrition is an important part of all exercise
programs.
ONE (1) RM: One repetition maximum resistance, 100% effort
OVERLOAD: Stretch muscles farther than normal.
OVERLOAD: A load or resistance greater than that normally required, resulting in improved performance. Types of overload
include increasing the amount of resistance, increasing or decreasing the rate (speed) of movement, increasing the duration
(time/repetitions) or decreasing rest intervals.
PASSIVE STRETCHING: This is an exercise that a partner assists. This is done slowly. These are held for 10-15 seconds.
POSITIVE WORK: The raising of the weight.
POWER: Rapid muscular contraction to produce explosive movement.
PRINCIPLES:
Overload: Work more than normal
Progression: Lift more each time
Specificity: Exercise a particular area
PROGRESSION: Increasing weight loads every several weeks.
PROGRESSION: Going from an easy stretch to a difficulty stretch.
REPETITION (Rep): The raising and lowering of a weight in an exercise.
RESISTANCE (WORKLOAD): The amount of weight to be used when performing an exercise.
REST INTERVAL: The time in between sets that you are not exercising. Rest intervals often depend on how fast your muscle
recovers and your motivation.
SETS: The number of repetitions performed in an exercise. An example would be 8 to 12 rep’s in one set.
SKELETAL MUSCLE: Attached to bones gives good posture, prevents injury, reduces fatigue, and prevents health problems (such
as a backache). This is important for girls as well. No building muscles. These are some o the effects that eight lifting has on your
body.
SPECIFICITY: This is to exercise a particular area or muscle.
SPEED: The rapidity with which one contracts a muscle or group of muscles; running speed in sports is thus a series of rapid muscle
contractions.
SPOTTER: A partner or someone who helps to perform an exercise or workout.
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STATIC: Slowly moving through the range of motion.
STRENGTH: Lift more.
VARIABILITY: Changing the activity/workout so that the body/muscles do not become overly accustomed to that particular
activity/workout. When the muscles are too frequently worked in the same manner, they are no longer overloaded for maximum
benefit. In addition, variability helps prevent injury.
BASIC STRENGTH TRAINING GUIDELINES
To ensure properly applied weight training, the following principles must be used:
1. How many repetitions? Perform 8-12 repetitions (reps) of each exercise. Use 6 seconds to execute each
repetition. 2 seconds to raise the weight and 4 seconds to lower the weight. Special attention should be
given to the lowering portion (eccentric contraction) of all exercises. Research has shown that for
building muscular strength, lowering the resistance is more important than raising the resistance. All in
all, it should take about one minute to complete a set of 10 repetitions. “Jerky” movements should be
avoided at all costs. The range of movement (from full extension to full flexion) of each repetition
should be as great as possible.
2. How much weight? Select a weight that will cause the individual to reach a point of muscular failure
somewhere between 8 and 12 repetitions. The point of muscular failure has been reached when the
individual can no longer raise the weight in good form. Initially, an individual will use trial and error
method to select a weight load. If 12 reps are too easy – increase weight. If the individual cannot life the
weight 8 times, decrease weight. It is more important how you life, now how much you lift.
3. How many sets? A set is the number of repetitions executed each time an exercise is performed. One
“properly performed” set will stimulate maximum gains in muscular strength and endurance. Never
terminate a set simply because a certain number of repetitions have been completed. A set is properly
finished only when additional movement is utterly impossible.
4. How much rest between exercise? An individual should move from one exercise to the next while
allowing very little time to rest between exercises.
5. How many workouts per week? A muscle must be exercised every 48-72 hours or it will grow weaker.
Also a muscle when overloaded needs at least 48 hours to fully recover. Therefore, a basic program
would be three workouts per week on an every other day basis.
6. In what order should the exercises be performed? A great deal of flexibility exists in determining the
order of exercises. However, it is good to group the exercise program according to body parts (legs,
torso, arms, neck) and alternate pushing and pulling movements for the torso and arm muscles. All
workouts should begin with the largest muscle groups and proceed to the smallest. Faster rates for
growth will result if growth is proportionate.
7. The building of strength is related to the intensity of exercise; the higher the intensity, the better the
muscles are stimulated.
8. Individual muscle fibers perform on an “all or nothing” basis; only the number of fibers that are actually
required to move a particular amount of resistance are involved in any movement.
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9. A set that is terminated prior to the point of failure will not involve the maximum available muscle
fibers.
10. A slight decrease in the intensity of effort will cause a disproportionate reduction in the results.
11. It is more important to lift weight properly than it is to lift a great deal of weight improperly. Each
exercise has specific techniques to ensure maximum results.
12. Proper breathing techniques should be practiced. Never hold your breathe – inhale when lowering the
weight, and exhale when lifting or raising the weight. This is to avoid performing a Valsalva Maneuver,
which elevates blood pressure and interferes with the return of blood to the heart.
13. Strength training programs should be designed to promote strength development in all of the major
muscle groups.
14. Muscles should not be trained in isolation; if the muscles on one side of the joint are exercised, then the
muscles on the opposite side of the joint should also be trained.
15. Spot reduction or selective losses of body fat in specific regions of the body does not occur. Performing
5,000 sit-ups over a 27 day period was shown to have no effect at all on the size of the abdominal fat
cells.
16. Momentum is involved in virtually all strength training exercises; the faster the lifting movement, the
greater the momentum; as the momentum component increases, the training stimulus applied to the
muscle decreases.
17. Engaging in a proper program of strength training while on a low-calorie diet (1,200 – 1,500 calories)
has been shown to be effective in minimizing the loss of lean body mass usually associated with dieting.
18. When a muscle is stressed beyond its normal demands, it reacts to that stress. If the stress if within
reasonable limits, the muscle adapts to that stress; if the stress is excessive, an injury can occur.
19. In any given joint action the muscle that is principally responsible for controlling the movement is
designated as the prime mover muscle.
20. Well conditioned muscles reduce your risk of injury, increase your physical capacity, and enhance your
personal appearance.
21. Strength training is based on the overload principle in which the muscle is required to perform more
work than it is accustomed to handling.
22. Participation in a 12-week strength training program was shown to not only increase strength, but also
improve self-concept for a group of college aged women.
23. After puberty, males exhibit higher strength levels than females in virtually all muscles.
24. Never lock your joints while performing a lift, such as bench press or leg press.
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