Getting the support that you need

If you find that you’re having a hard time keeping up with your program on your own, consider working with a personal trainer or hiring a lifestyle coach to support you.
Find ways to get the support of friends, family members, co-workers, and training partners. Studies show that social support is the single most important factor for sticking to a workout program. Share your goals with people you’re close to and who care about you. Beware of those who may try to sabotage your goals. Let people know how important your training is and why you want to succeed. Share what benefits you expect to achieve and show your appreciation to those around you who do help you to succeed.

Using S.M.A.R.T. goals

People who use a system of setting S.M.A.R.T. (see the following bulleted list for definitions) goals have a much better chance of success at achieving their goals. This system consists of taking small, specific steps toward a particular goal and focuses on changing your habits gradually. When you set your training goals, check to see if they meet the following criteria:

• Specific: If you’re having a tough time with consistent workouts, set a specific goal that you want to achieve that isn’t too extreme. For example, set a specific goal to go through your weight-training program each week.
• Measurable: A measurable goal is one that you can objectively determine whether or not you met the goal. For example, make a measurable goal be to train at least 2 times per week for at least 25 minutes per session.
• Achievable: If you’ve been having a hard time finding a spare hour to train, don’t plan to do a one-hour workout. Instead, set a more achievable goal for your schedule such as two 25-minute workouts.
• Reasonable: If you’re having a tough time training twice a week, don’t set a goal to train three times a week. First, master finding time to train twice a week and build from there. If even two times a week is tough, start out with a goal of once a week and build from there. Remember, you don’t have to achieve your fitness goals all in the first month.
• Timed: Give yourself a set time to meet your goal. For example, if you set the goal of training at least 2 times per week for a minimum of 25 minutes per session, decide that you want to achieve this over a twomonth period. If two months seems too long to you, start with a goal of one-month.

Fifty percent of people typically drop out of a new exercise program within the first six weeks, according to research evidence. Studies also tell us that it takes about eight weeks of doing a new behavior to create a new habit. Know that after you’ve passed the first eight weeks of consistent training, you’re well on your way to successfully achieving your goals and maintaining a lifetime of fitness.

Keep in mind that life happens. If you fall off track, don’t waste precious time beating yourself up with negative thoughts. Simply assess what interfered with your regular training, benefit from the experience, and get right back into your program. As the ancient Chinese saying goes, “The journey of 10,000 miles begins with a single step.” This wisdom is applicable to your training. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and believe in yourself.

Identifying why your goals are important

You’re much more likely to stick to a plan of action if you remind yourself often why it’s important to you. For example, if you’re starting up a strength training program because you have borderline osteoporosis, increasing your bone density and preventing fractures is a huge motivator, not to mention avoiding looking like a hunchback. You know your life will be better if you don’t end up in the hospital with broken bones on a regular basis. Alternatively, you may be weight training because you want to tone up and have more energy to get through each day. The specific reasons need to be individual and relevant to your life.

Whatever inspires you is key to keeping you on track with your training. Remind yourself of all the benefits you want to enjoy as a result of continuing with your weight-training program. Post your goals (and what you gain from achieving them) on your refrigerator, desk, or computer terminal. Or post pictures of good role models of what you want to achieve. Studies show that the best way to keep you motivated is to remind yourself frequently of the benefits as well as the negative consequences if you don’t stay on track with your plans.

Comparing your abdominal strength

The crunch test is another commonly used assessment that is easy to do at home with a friend, family member, or training partner. Lie on your back on your training mat with your knees bent and arms resting at your sides, palms down. Have your partner mark a horizontal line with masking tape on each side of your body at the end of your fingertips. Place a second piece of tape parallel to the first piece toward your feet — about 21⁄2 inches down the mat.

To begin the test, align your fingertips with the first marking. Crunch upward and slide your fingers along the mat to the second line. Lower completely to the starting position. Continue to do as many reps as you can. Move rhythmically in a smooth, controlled manner. Avoid using momentum and bouncing your body up and down rapidly. Record the date and number of reps for your records.

Comparing your upper-body strength

Knowing how you stack up against others who’ve taken similar fitness tests can motivate you to work hard. A commonly administered test for upperbody strength is the push-up test. Men do military push-ups. Women do modified push-ups. Do as many push-ups as you can until you can no longer do another one with good form. The best way to take the test is with a friend, family member, or training partner who counts your reps out loud for you.

Testing Your Strength and Endurance

When you start an exercise program, you need to test more than the strength of your muscles. It’s also important to evaluate your cardiovascular fitness (on a stationary bike or treadmill, for example) as well as your flexibility. These additional evaluations provide you with a more complete picture of your fitness instead of only looking at your level of strength. Record the following information in your fitness journal before you begin weight training:

• Height
• Weight
• Resting heart rate
• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol levels
• Waist measurement
• Body composition
• Body mass index
• Blood glucose levels

All these factors give important metabolic indicators of your overall health. Recording the above information helps you track your progress and see proven, documented results, even when you may not be seeing your waistline decrease or biceps increase as quickly as you want. When you do a weighttraining program consistently, you’ll see improvement in three areas:

• Body composition
• Body mass index
• Blood pressure

All three of these improvements reflect overall in your health. Most fitness facilities offer fitness assessments for their members for a fee. Some clubs include these assessments as part of your introductory membership package. Research studies tell us that being fit to lower your risk of disease and to improve your quality of life is more important than simply being thin.

For example, in a landmark study conducted at the Cooper Institute of Research, people who were both fit and overweight had a lower risk of disease and greater longevity than people who were thin and inactive.
The term strength testing is somewhat of a misnomer. Strictly speaking, your strength refers to the maximum amount of weight that you can lift one time —also called your one-rep max. For example, if you squeeze out only one shoulder press with 45 pounds, that’s your one-rep max for that exercise.

In general, it’s not such a hot idea to go around testing your one-rep maxes, especially if you’re a beginner. Some veterans like to go all out sometimes, but they typically test their one-rep max for just one or two exercises in a given workout. Pushing to the max places a lot of stress on your body parts and can cause extreme muscle soreness even in experienced weight lifters. A safe alternative to testing all-out muscle strength is testing your muscular endurance; you use a lighter-than-max weight and perform as many repetitions as you can. Most health clubs choose to do this type of testing. You can safely test your muscular endurance at home, too.

We haven’t included a machine option for abdominals because exercises performed on the floor are more effective. The results simply give you a reference point. Strength improves quickly after you begin lifting weights regularly. We can’t tell you how much weight to use for your strength tests because everyone’s abilities are different, but here is a helpful guideline: For each exercise, choose a weight that you think you can lift at least six times. If the weight still feels exceptionally light after six repetitions, put it down and rest a couple of minutes. Then try a weight that’s a few pounds heavier.

For exercises that use no weight — such as the abdominal crunch and the push-up — simply perform as many repetitions as you can. When you test your strength, create a chart that lists each body part that you need to test. Next to the body part, note what exercise you performed, how much weight you lifted, and how many reps you were able to perform. Be sure to date your chart. Create a file folder for the information, keep it on your computer, or record your stats right away in your workout log. Use the results to design a weight-training program that helps you reach your goals.

Organizing Your Long-Term Training: Seeing the Big Picture

After you’ve been training regularly for at least three months, you’re no longer considered a beginner. Congratulations! You can now attend group exercise classes suitable for intermediate to advanced participants. More important, if you want to avoid hitting a plateau and continue to make gains in strength, you need to progress your program.

Studies show that the most effective method to progress your program is through a process called periodization (another bit of weight training jargon that we feel compelled to foist upon you). Periodization involves varying volume and training intensity and simply means organizing your program into different periods, each lasting about four to eight weeks. Each period has a different theme. For example, one month you may use weight machines, and the next month you may switch to dumbbells and barbells. Or you can change the number of sets, repetitions, and exercises you perform from one period to the next. Athletes use periodization to vary their weight lifting (and other types of training) from their off-season to their competitive season.

Periodization is more than a fun diversion; this strategy gives you better results. The ACSM recommends periodization for experienced exercisers based on the number of research studies that show its benefits. Consider this study of more than 30 women conducted at Penn State University. Half the women did a typical circuit of 12 weight machines, performing one set of 8 to 10 repetitions per machine.

They continued this workout three times a week for nine months. The second group engaged in periodized training, systematically changing the number of sets, reps, and exercises they performed. Initially, the groups showed comparable strength gains. But after four months, the circuit group hit a plateau. The periodization group continued to make steady progress throughout the nine months.

We recommend that an introductory periodization program include five distinct phases, each lasting about a month. (However, depending on your goals, each phase can be as short as two weeks or as long as eight weeks.) You can repeat this cycle over and over again. Here’s a look at each phase:

• Prep Phase: During this period, you prepare your body for the challenges ahead with a basic workout. Use light weights, perform one to four sets per muscle, do 12 to 15 repetitions per set, and rest 90 seconds between sets.
• Pump Phase: In this phase, you step up your efforts a bit. You lift slightly heavier weight, perform 10 to 12 reps per set, do three to eight sets per muscle group, and rest only 60 seconds between sets. The pump phase is a good time to introduce a few of the advanced training techniques we describe later in this chapter, such as super sets and giant sets.
• Push Phase: In this period, you do 8 to 10 reps per set, resting 30 seconds between sets. You do only two or three different exercises per muscle group, but you do several sets of each so you can use the advanced training techniques, such as pyramids, that we describe later.
• Peak Phase: In this phase, you focus on building maximum strength. Do 6 to 8 reps per set, 15 to 20 sets per muscle group, but fewer different exercises. For instance, you may only do one or two leg exercises, but you do multiple sets of each exercise and six to eight repetitions per set. Rest a full two minutes between sets so that you can lift more weight. This phase is your last big effort before you take a break from heavy training.
• Rest Phase: In this phase, either you drop back to the light workouts you did in the prep phase, or you take a break from weight training altogether. Yes, that’s right, we’re giving you permission to stop lifting weights — for as long as two weeks. Resting gives your body (and your mind) a chance to recover from all the hard work you’ve been putting in. After your break, you move back into your next periodization cycle with fresh muscles and a renewed enthusiasm for your training. If you’re hell-bent on toning or building up your body, you may be tempted to skip the rest phase. Don’t. If you never rest, at some point your body starts to break down. You stop making progress, and you may get injured. If you want to get fit, resting is just as important as working out.

We present just one model of periodized training. The possibilities are endless. Depending on your goals, you may want to emphasize or play down a particular phase. For example, if you aim to get as strong as possible, spend more time in the peak phase; if you’ve been lifting weights for years, shorten the prep phase or skip it altogether. An experienced and well-educated personal trainer helps you design a periodization program to meet your needs.