Starting a new fitness routine can be tricky. And if that fitness routine involves weight lifting,
it could even be dangerous.
Kenneth Kirby, a physical therapist with OSU Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, offers his tips and tricks on how to introduce weights to your workout – and how to do so safely.
Healthy New Albany: Are there different ways to approach training if you want to bulk up, or just achieve more tone?
Kenneth Kirby: The type of training you choose depends on what you want to gain from your program.
Goals for strength training may include increases in muscular endurance, growth or strength. The number of sets and repetitions men and women should perform to boost muscular endurance does not change with gender. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests men and women should complete two to four sets of 10 to 25 reps, with 30-second to 1-minute rest periods between sets, to increase muscular endurance.
While men may genetically be able to get bigger and stronger than women, workouts that boost muscle strength and size do not differ between men and women. The ACSM recommends completing one to three sets of eight to 12 reps, or three to six sets of one to 12 reps (depending on experience level) with 1- to 3-minute rest periods between sets for increasing muscle volume, and one to three sets of eight to 12 reps, or two to six sets of one to eight reps, with 1- to 3-minute rest periods between sets for muscle strength.
HNA: How often should someone weight train before he or she notices the benefits? Are the benefits superior to cardio?
KK: You don’t have to be in the weight room for 90 minutes a day to see results. For most people, short weight training sessions a couple of times a week are more practical than extended daily workouts. You can see significant improvement in your strength with just two or three 20- or 30-minute weight training sessions a week.
You need both. Cardio is the only exercise that will lower your risk of heart disease, which is our nation’s No. 1 killer. Resistance training will help you stay strong, active and mobile as you age. The aim for exercise should be the ACSM goals of 30 minutes of cardio five days per week, plus 2-3 days of resistance training. If you cannot do that much, some exercise is better than no exercise, so exercise as much as you can.
HNA: Are there any risks associated with starting a weight training routine? What are they?
KK: It is important to check with your doctor before beginning a strength training program, particularly if you have any significant medical problems or physical limitations. If you have musculoskeletal issues, check with a sports medicine specialist or orthopedic surgeon to make sure that the strength training program will not aggravate the problem. An exercise professional such as a certified athletic trainer, sports physical therapist, personal trainer or strength and conditioning coach can be helpful in designing a safe, individual and appropriate strength training program.
According to epidemiological study of weight training-related injuries in U.S. emergency departments from 1990 to 2007, most injuries occurred with free weights (90.4 percent) and weights dropping on the patient (65.5 percent). The majority of weightlifting injuries occur among males, adolescents and older persons. Injuries occur most commonly in the low back and shoulders, consisting mostly of strains (46.1 percent). It appears risk for injury is multifaceted, meaning more than one factor plays a role in a given weight training injury.
HNA: Are there any risks associated with ending a weight training routine? What are they?
KK: Halting a weightlifting program can cause unfavorable detraining, or the loss of training adaptations such as enhanced strength or muscle size. Fitness benefits earned through years of weightlifting recede at a slower rate than those earned through two to six months of weight training. Factors of detraining, however, occur within a week of inactivity. Understanding detraining outcomes enables informed fitness decisions.
HNA: Do women and men need to approach weight training differently?
KK: Weight-training recommendations (frequency, sets, reps, resistance) don’t differ between men and women. However, men may have a slightly different response to strength training than women in certain areas.
While women and men both experience increases in muscle strength in response to weight training, men often experience larger muscle mass gains. A study published in 2010 in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise reports that strength training leads to slightly greater, but significant, muscle volume gains in men compared to women. Therefore, men are genetically prone to building bigger muscles than women as a result of strength training.
Men appear to show increased tendon strength in response to exercise compared with women, which may mean they are less susceptible to injury, according to a study published in 2007 in the International Journal of Experimental Pathology. However, women and men are both susceptible to injuries if they overtrain, lift weights that are too heavy or strength train using improper form.
HNA: Many people fear starting a weight training routine because they are worried about weight gain. Is this concern valid?
KK: Lifting weights is a great form of exercise that can help you tone and strengthen muscles while helping to lose unwanted fat. Unfortunately, it is sometimes set aside by those who fear that pumping iron will cause body weight to increase. While some people do indeed gain weight when lifting weights, they generally do so on purpose. There are several factors that go into weight gain via strength training that the average person doesn’t need to worry about.
While weightlifting may not necessarily make you gain weight, it may keep the numbers on the scale from dropping like you would like them to. The reason this happens is because muscle weighs more than fat. It also takes up less space. A person might become leaner with his or her weight staying relatively unchanged as a result of initiating a weight training program.
Another aspect is nutrition. In order for lifting weights to make you gain weight, you have to increase your caloric intake. The ACSM recommends that you aim for an additional 400 to 500 calories per day in order to gain weight. If you fail to meet that quota, then chances are, your weight will not increase. Be sure not to fall into the trap of thinking you can eat more because you did a weight workout; this will almost always result in weight gain. Your appetite may increase from the extra activity, but be smart about the quality and quantity of food you select to eat.
Protein is also a very important component of building muscle tissue and potentially gaining weight. But do not avoid protein for fear of gaining weight, because it is essential for a majority of your body’s functions. Most people require only 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, but the ACSM advises that athletes and those aiming for weight gain get as much as 1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. If you are lifting weights on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to up your protein intake a bit to accommodate your working muscles and speed up recovery. It can also help encourage muscle growth without making you gain weight or develop bulky muscles. Keep in mind that those who are actively trying to gain weight increase their protein intake considerably.
The last aspect is exercise volume. In order to gain weight, you have to lift weights – a lot. Performing two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of several different exercises using moderate to heavy weights three days a week will likely not have much of an effect on the chances of you gaining weight. In fact, the National Strength and Conditioning Association suggests that in order for muscle growth to occur, you should perform three to six sets of six to 12 repetitions using heavier weights three to seven days per week. And to really build muscle, you should perform at least three different exercises for each muscle group.
HNA: What are the best ways to cool down from and warm up for a session?
KK: Although the warm-up and cool-down are equally important, they are important for different reasons. Since weightlifting comes in various forms, the best way to warm up would depend on the type of weightlifting performed. Ideally, it would be customized to your strengths and weaknesses and include joint mobility, joint stability and muscle activation. This can be achieved with myofascial release (foam rolling or self-massage), dynamic stretching and muscle activation.
The cool-down, performed properly, will assist your body in its repair process. Elements that should be included to ensure an effective cool-down are gentle exercise (similar to muscle activation from warm-up), stretching or self-massage, re-fueling and re-hydrating. The items work together to repair and replenish the body after exercise.
About Kenneth Kirby
Kenneth Kirby has been involved in sports and physical therapy for many years. His clinical interests include utilizing mechanical diagnosis and treatment in patients with spinal pathologies as well as rehabilitation of athletes from all walks of life. He has also served as a medical site supervisor for Pelotonia.
In addition to his clinical roles, he is also a faculty member of the Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program, a member of the ACL P4 Medicine Team and an APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor for student physical therapists. Ken is an active member of the OSU Sports Medicine Outreach team
Hannah Bealer is an editor. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com.
