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The Complete Guide to Resistance Training (with FREE Self-Customizable Template)

Resistance training, also known as strength training, weight training, or “lifting”, involves exercises that improve muscle power, strength, size, and endurance by making muscles work against a force (weights/loads, one’s own bodyweight, etc). This type of training is essential for anyone looking to improve their overall fitness, enhance athletic performance, or achieve a more sculpted physique. In this blog post, we'll explore the health benefits of resistance training, how to structure training days, understand microcycles and mesocycles, when to consider variation, and the role of recovery in a successful training program. A customizable template will also be provided to simplify your planning

Health Benefits of Resistance Training

Resistance training offers a myriad of health benefits, including

Improved muscle strength: Regular resistance training increases muscle mass and strength, making daily activities easier and enhancing physical appearance.
Increased bone density: Weight-bearing exercises stimulate bone growth and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Enhanced metabolic rate: Building muscle increases resting metabolic rate (calories burned at rest), helping with weight management.
Better joint function: Strengthening the muscles around joints can reduce pain and improve joint stability.
Improved mental health: Resistance training has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, improve mood, and boost self-esteem.

General Guidelines

Resistance training is a long, continuous journey. Establishing a healthy routine will maintain health for decades to come while mitigating injury risk through the years. Generally speaking:

Start conservatively: When embarking on a new resistance training program, it takes time for your musculoskeletal system (muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments, cartilage) to adapt/adjust to the weight/loads, especially for beginners. Even if the weight feels light, it may be prudent to stay at that load initially to allow for the body to adapt to the specific movements and positions of the program
Consistency is king: Training does not have to be perfectly optimal or ideal to get results. It is more important to stay consistent with a training plan and frequency that can be sustained for the long haul versus a lofty training schedule that fizzles in six weeks.
Slow and steady progressions: 2.5-5% changes from week to week are all that are needed to stimulate adaptations while potentially mitigating injury risk (Gabbett 2016). This percentage can be applied to the total amount of reps, the amount of weight selected for an exercise, speed of an exercise, and a variety of other factors.
Don’t be afraid to experiment: One should always consult a medical doctor prior to engaging in any exercise program. However, resistance training is a relatively safe activity, having one of the lowest injury risks amongst all sports (Keogh & Winwood 2017). Beginners can almost follow any strategy/program and gain results. If you begin to experience plateaus in your training, it may be prudent to consult a coach to come alongside you in your training goals (Click here for a free consultation)

Frequency: How Many Days Per Week? (Should You Do Resistance Training)

Determining the ideal number of days per week to engage in resistance training can be challenging, especially with varying fitness goals, schedules, and levels of experience. This guide will help you understand how to structure your training week to maximize results, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced trainee/lifter.

Key Considerations for Resistance Training Frequency

When deciding on your training frequency, consider the following factors:

Experience level: Beginners typically need more recovery time between sessions than advanced lifters. In some circumstances, advanced lifters will need more recovery following maximal strength sessions due to the high loads being lifted compared to the beginner lifter
Goals: Your fitness goals (strength, hypertrophy/increasing muscle size, endurance, power) will influence how often you should train.
Recovery: Adequate rest is crucial for muscle repair and growth. Larger muscle groups require a greater amount of time to recover than smaller muscle groups.
Time availability: Consider realistic scheduling based on your lifestyle and commitments.

Training Frequency Recommendations

It is generally recommended to train each muscle group at least two times per week for optimal progression of your goals (Schoenfeld 2016), and as little as one time per week for maintenance (Spiering et al 2021). Below are some general guidelines and examples of programming for beginners to experienced trainees. Always remember to consider individual differences and specific goals.

Beginners (0-6 months of training)

Frequency: 2-3 days per week

For beginners, focusing on full-body workouts 2-3 times a week is ideal. This frequency allows sufficient recovery time while promoting consistent progress. Each session should include compound exercises (exercises that target multiple muscle groups), such as squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows.

Example Schedule (Full Body):

Day 1: Full Body Workout
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Full Body Workout
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Full Body Workout
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Rest

Intermediate (6-12 months of training)

Frequency: 3-4 days per week

Intermediate trainees can benefit from increased frequency, either through full-body workouts or an upper/lower body split. This approach allows for greater volume and intensity, promoting further strength and muscle gains.

Example Schedule (Upper/Lower Split):

Day 1: Upper Body
Day 2: Lower Body
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Upper Body
Day 5: Lower Body
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Optional Active Recovery (light cardio, yoga, walking, mobility work, etc.) or Rest

Advanced (12+ months of training)

Frequency: 4-6 days per week

Advanced trainees typically follow a more specialized routine, such as a push/pull/legs split, to target specific muscle groups more effectively. This frequency allows for higher training volume and intensity, which is essential for continued progress at an advanced level.

Example Schedule (Push/Pull/Legs):

Day 1: Push (chest, shoulders, triceps)
Day 2: Pull (back, biceps)
Day 3: Legs
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Push
Day 6: Pull
Day 7: Legs

When structuring training days, it's important to balance different muscle groups and ensure adequate recovery. Here is a basic structure (General Push/Pull):

Day 1: Upper Body Push (chest, shoulders, triceps)
Day 2: Lower Body Pull (hamstrings, glutes, calves)
Day 3: Rest or Active Recovery
Day 4: Upper Body Pull (back, biceps)
Day 5: Lower Body Push (quads, glutes)
Day 6: Full Body or Weak Points (targeting specific weak areas)
Day 7: Rest

This split ensures that each muscle group is trained at least twice a week, allowing for optimal muscle growth and recovery.

Volume: How Many Exercises/Reps/Sets?

The amount of total work that is completed in a training session can be referred to as volume. This is normally derived by adding the total amount of sets x reps that are completed between the exercises of the workout. Generally, volume is determined by your experience/training age, specific training goal, and timing (e.g. athletic season). In most cases, the exercises in each session will be structured as follows:

Exercises: 4-8 exercises total per training session
- Will vary based on experience level and training goals
Sets: 2-6 per exercise
- Most muscle groups will progress with 12-20 total sets per week (Baz-Valle et al 2022)
Reps (goal dependent):
- Endurance: 12-20+
- Hypertrophy: 6-12+
- Strength: 1-6
- Power: 1-5

Weight: How Heavy?

There are many different methods of how to calculate the load/weight used for particular exercise. Traditionally, beginners can utilize a reps in reserve (RIR) model that leaves about two to four reps “in the tank” following a working set of an exercise. For instance, if one can perform another 10-15 repetitions following the conclusion of a rep range, the weight is too light to cause any significant muscular adaptations (need to go heavier, bro!). Eventually, one may use a percentage of their repetition maximum (RM) in calculating the loads for particular rep ranges. These ranges vary based on the individual’s goal, with loads as little as 30% 1-RM showing to elicit positive muscular adaptations (Weakley et al 2023).

The Key to Your Goals: Individual Session Structure, Microcycles and Mesocycles

Resistance training programs are often divided into single sessions, microcycles and mesocycles:

Individual session: Defined as the specific training that occurs in a single session (may have multiple in one day depending on your goals). Here are some general principles to consider when constructing an individual session:
- Start with a general (or specific) warm-up: Can last five to ten minutes of either steady state cardio, or incorporated with circuit based training specific to a prehab/rehab goal.
- Include higher power and explosive activity early: Generally it is recommended to complete more power and agility based movements (sprinting, change of direction, plyometrics, olympic lifting, etc) first before completing more general resistance training movements.
- Compound/multi-joint exercises to be performed prior to isolation/single-joint exercises: This is generally the rule of thumb, but can be modified for more advanced lifters (e.g. performing pre-fatiguing isolation exercises prior to compound lifts).
Microcycles: These are short training cycles, typically lasting one week. They consist of the individual training sessions of that week and focus on specific goals, such as increasing strength, hypertrophy, or endurance.
Mesocycles: These are longer training cycles, usually lasting a month or more. A mesocycle encompasses several microcycles and is designed to achieve a broader goal. For instance, a three-month mesocycle might start with a focus on hypertrophy (muscle growth), transition to strength (lifting heavier weights), and end with power (explosive movements).

Importance of Variation

Incorporating variation in your training program prevents plateaus and keeps workouts interesting. Variation can be achieved by:

Changing exercises: Regularly switch up the exercises to target muscles from different angles. This may be counterproductive with specific training goals for strength and/or power, as consistency and slow progressive overload for the long term may be indicated for particular movements and exercises. Train specific to your individual goals!
Adjusting reps and sets: Vary the number of repetitions and sets to focus on different aspects like strength (fewer reps, heavier weights) or endurance (more reps, lighter weights).
Modifying intensity: Use techniques like supersets (exercises of different muscle groups performed sequentially without rest), compound sets (exercises of the same muscle group performed sequentially without rest), drop sets (multiple sets of progressively reduced weight performed sequentially without rest after the last working set), and tempo changes (controlling the speed of different portions of the movement/exercise) to challenge muscles in new ways.

Recovery: The Key to Progress

Recovery is a crucial component of any resistance training program. Without adequate rest, muscles cannot repair and grow. Key aspects of recovery include:

Sleep: Aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night to support muscle repair and hormone regulation.
Nutrition: Consume a balanced diet rich in protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates to fuel workouts and aid recovery.
Hydration: Stay hydrated to support muscle function and recovery.
Rest days: Incorporate at least one or two full rest days per week to allow muscles to fully recover.
Active recovery: Engage in light activities like walking, stretching, or yoga on rest days to promote blood flow and reduce muscle stiffness. However, be careful not to overtrain on rest days, as any form of exercise is an excess load to the body and may impair the recovery process

Wrapping up

In conclusion, resistance training is a powerful tool for improving health and fitness. By understanding the benefits, structuring training days effectively, incorporating variation, and prioritizing recovery, you can maximize your results and enjoy a healthier, stronger body.

Try out your own FREE self-customizable workout template here. For any specific programming needs, please contact Primary Care Rehabilitation, LLC at docbrock@primarycarerehab.com.

by Dr. Stephen Brock

July 2024

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