Weight training is critical to your success as an athlete, and by becoming stronger and increasing your muscular endurance, you’ll be able to perform more efficiently. It also lowers your risk of injury, along with a number of other benefits to your workout regime. The strength of your tendons and ligaments will be increased, your bone density gets higher so you’ll be less susceptible to fractures and breakages, and your maximal heart rate will be improved, which increases your metabolism. All in all, any workout regime you do should include some weight training. There are various variables to consider though when designing a weight training programme, which include a needs analysis, exercise selection and training frequency, among others. Here are some to consider when you begin weight training.
Needs Analysis
This refers to a two-stage process which considers the activity or sport you’re doing and the history of your training record. The unique characteristics of the sport you’re training for needs to be considered in your planning, so that you can make your training as specific as possible. Specific muscular patterns, cardiovascular endurance levels and your flexibility requirements are all things to think about. Likewise, your current level of fitness, training experience and medical history should all be taken into account. If you’re training with a personal trainer, these are things that you can discuss with them when setting up your programme.
Exercise Selection
This deals with choosing the exercises which reflect your needs, whilst considering the training history you have. There are two different types of weight resisted exercises; core exercises and assistance exercises. Core exercises use larger muscles which are primary movers at one or more joints, and these stabilise your proximal segments of the body. Assistance exercises use smaller muscles, such as the biceps or calf muscles, which are considered less important in athletic performance. Exercise should be as sport specific as possible, so that it can be transferred to the athletes performance. For example, forward and lateral lunges would be a sports specific exercise for tennis or baseball players – be sure to set the right exercises to your needs.
Training Frequency
Training frequency looks at the number of training sessions in a given period of time, where the goals and experience of the athlete should be taken into consideration. Traditionally, three workouts each week are recommended for many athletes, as the intervening days are used to recover and rest. If you have less experience with weight training, you should begin with fewer sessions and build up slowly. If you’re new to exercise in any capacity, you should speak to your GP to ensure you’re safe to embark on physical activity and then you should take things slowly so as not to put too much strain on your body and risk injury.
Rest Intervals
This refers to the amount of time between your exercises, and generally rest intervals are based on your experience and goals of the training itself. Typically, an athlete with a limited amount of weight training exercise will need more time for muscle recovery between sets. The other thing to consider is the goal of training. When you’re training for power or strength gains, you should set your rest interval between two to five minutes. But if muscle endurance is the goal, the rest interval should be 30 to 90 seconds. Be sure to know your goals before embarking on your regime so that you can make the correct choices for your needs.