Training Methods

& Programme
Design
SESC 203: Lecture 7
Resistance Training Methods
Learning outcomes
• Compare various theories of resistance training,
analysing different approaches to resistance training
• Prescribe methods of resistance training, selecting
appropriate exercises based on needs analysis
• Prescribing the correct training load
• Identifying the appropriate training order and frequency
of activities
• Explaining reason for rest intervals between sets and
training days
Resistance
training
theories
Resistance training theories
• Resistance Training: a systematic program of exercises involving the
exertion of force against a load, used to develop strength, endurance,
and/or hypertrophy of the muscular system
• There are several types of muscular contractions:
1. Isotonic contraction is the most usual muscle contraction that occurs with
changing muscle length and determines joint movement, so it is considered a
dynamic contraction;
2. Isometric contraction – muscle tension increases, but the muscle fibers
length does not change, that is why they are also called static
3. Isokinetic contraction – is a type of dynamic contraction in which the
muscles contract at their maximum capacity on the entire range of motion
Resistance training theories
• Conventional training approach - Compound VS Isolated
exercises
• Triphasic training approach
• Poliquin principle
• Russian and Eastern approach
Conventional training approach -
Compound VS Isolated exercises
• Bodybuilding is considered a sport because it includes all elements of the
sport – proper and specific training, with its own means and methods, a
competitive circuit including organizers, coaches, judges and an impressive
number of practitioners.
• There are many decisive factors on the road towards success of a bodybuilder.
• It takes an iron will and an incredibly strong motivation to succeed in this
sport.
• As a science, it assumes that everyone who wants to reach the pinnacle of
sport mastery of this discipline must have significant notions on anatomy,
physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, recovery after effort, etc.
• As an art, it requires a special artistic sense to create a high aesthetic level
program of muscle presentation.
Conventional training approach -
Compound VS Isolated exercises
• Exercise selection, in terms of pure mass, strength, and power
gains, is a bit more cut and dry.
• Exercise selection can be divided into compound vs. isolation
movements
1. Compound exercises: exercise that targets and utilizes multiple
major muscle groups and joints at the same time. Squats would
suffice as an example of a compound movement because they
operate at the hips, knee, ankle, and lumbar region of the back
joints
2. Isolation Movements: movements that target a specific muscle
group and make use of only one joint like the biceps in a bicep
Conventional training approach -
Compound VS Isolated exercises
• Generally it is recommended that individuals perform large before small body part
exercises for both hypertrophy and strength routines. The reasons are as follows:
1. Large body part exercises require more coordination and energy and should be
performed when fresh
2. Large body part exercises stimulate the greatest hormone response. If these
exercises are done at the beginning the hormones will get a chance to interact
with all of the muscle groups trained for the remainder of the workout. For
example, performing back and then biceps, allows the latter muscle group to be
exposed to the massive hormone response from the back workout
3. If an individual performs small body parts before large they will not be able
to lift as much weight with the large body part exercises resulting in lower
adaptations
Triphasic Training Approach
• Triphasic training employs the concept of loading each
muscle action with the purpose of creating a specific
training adaptation – power production.
• By doing this, we can program triphasic training into
programs and lifts to enhance an athlete’s
performances by teaching them to more efficiently
produce power.
• In its simplest terms, the training program has 3
“phases,” each one focused on a specific muscle
contraction (eccentric, isometric, and concentric).
Triphasic Training Approach
• Phase 1
• For the first micro-cycle, or phase, you focus on the eccentric part of the movement. For
the squat, this is the lowering part. The eccentric part should be long (almost an extreme
slow lowering) of at least 4 seconds and the weight should be heavy (I use approx 85%
1RM). The athlete descends for the length of time, and then drives up. Ideally, the athlete
can’t even stand back up, and will need help from spotters.
• Phase 2
• The next phase is the isometric phase. To induce an isometric contraction, you would use a
pause at the bottom of your squat. You only need to pause for about 2 seconds to develop
that isometric contraction. Personally, I have my athletes holding for 3 seconds at the
bottom. Again, the athlete may need help getting back up after the pause.
• Phase 3
• The last phase is the concentric phase. The athlete will drop into their depth, and stand up
as fast as they possibly can.
Poliquin principle
• A unified approach to bringing up lagging body parts
• Some great "parts" in the area of bodybuilding protocols are pre-
exhaustion and post-exhaustion.
• The concept of pre-exhaustion was to work a muscle group to
failure with an Isolation exercise, and then work It even harder by
immediately performing another exercise that uses that muscle
group along with several others
• Examples of pre-exhaustion are performing leg extensions
followed immediately by a set of leg presses or squats, or
performing a set of biceps curls followed by a set of lat-pulldowns
or chin-ups.
Poliquin principle
• While pre-exhaustion was a popular training method and had its merits, reversing the
order of these exercises with a training method called post-exhaustion also has value.
• With this method the most neurologically demanding exercise and the one that uses
the most muscle mass is performed first instead of last.
• In effect, you prolong the total time a muscle is placed under tension, thus knocking off
as many motor units from the motor-unit pool as possible.
• Pre-exhaustion and post-exhaustion both have unique benefits, so how about
combining both into a training series?
• When designing these workouts, you want to maintain the same time under tension for
each set.
• Because the compound movements generally take more time to perform than an
isolation exercise, you will probably need to perform fewer reps of the compound
movements.
• Because this type of training Is extremely demanding, you'll need more recovery time
Poliquin principle
• The German Volume Training Workout
• The GVT has been advocated in the coaching and popular media as an effective training
method to help athletes gain lean body mass and muscle size
• According to Charles Poliquin, the GVT workout was purportedly developed by German
weightlifting coach Rolf Fesser to aid lifters who wanted to increase lean body mass during the
general preparation phase of training
• The original GVT workout entailed the performance of a larger number of sets per exercise (ten
sets per exercise) than is typically recommended for hypertrophy oriented training.
• Specifically, the original GVT training prescription was 10 sets of 10 repetitions performed with
about 60% 1RM or a 20 RM resistance.
• Typically each complex of the GVT starts every 3-minutes, consequently the entire GVT workout
lasts 30-minutes.
• However, this type of workout is time effective, may be very stimulating or challenging for
advanced athletes, and apart from the expected muscle fatigue / super-compensatory growth
considerations, there appears to be a moderate cardiovascular training effect
Russian & Eastern Approach
• The best performance can be derived from one of two events
1. Competition 1 RM (C1RM).
• This is the maximum weight lifted by the athlete under stressful conditions
and with heightened arousal levels (at competition). This is usually 12%
(+/- 2.5) better than maximum weight lifted in training (T1RM). An
example is a lifter with a competition best of 200kg and a training best of
180kg. The difference tends to be greater in heavier weight classes.
2. Training 1 RM (T1RM)
• This is the maximum weight lifted by the athlete without substantial
emotional stress and less arousal (training as opposed to competition).
Russian & Eastern Approach
• HOW THE RUSSIANS QUANTIFIED INTENSITY
1. Loads below 60 % of C1RM are used for warm ups or
restitution (8% of all lifts)
2. Main portion of weights lifted is 70 to 80% of C1RM
3. Lifts above 90% of C1RM account for only 7% of total
lifts
4. Average training intensity of Russians is 75% (+/-2%)
Russian & Eastern Approach
HOW THE RUSSIANS ASSIGNED REPETITIONS PER SET
• The number of reps assigned for each set varies by the
exercise in question.
• For the classic lifts (snatch and C&J), the major parts of
all sets are performed with 1 to 3 reps, with 2 reps
being the average. For lifts in which the motor
coordination only partially resembles the coordination
required in the snatch and clean (such as squats), more
than 93% of sets are done in the 2 to 7 rep range
Russian & Eastern Approach
• In Bulgaria, loads are assigned using the T1RM instead of C1RM.
Bulgarian lifters appear to lift more maximal weight per year,
however, maximal loads are based on the T1RM, which is usually
significantly less than the C1RM

• Specific Comparisons
1. The Russians use a significantly higher 1RM total than the Bulgarians
2. Many Russian lifts of 70 to 80% would classify as maximal or
submaximal in the Bulgarian system (because of the lower max used in
Bulgaria)
Learning Activity: Application of
resistance training theories
Based on a sporting code that you are involved in, decide on a resistance training
theory that you best associate with. Create an infographic highlighting the benefits of
the theory you have chosen based on the needs analysis of your sporting code.
Provide references (scientific proof).
• Click on 'Add a new discussion topic' below.
• Include the title Application of resistance training theories in the subject section.
• Upload your infographic or provide a link to it in the message section.
• Post the forum.
• View and comment on other course participants' forum posts. Use the rubric
provided against which to comment on their posts. See the link to the rubric below.
• Reply to comments made to your forum post.
Assessment Task 4 Demonstration
(20%)
Topic: Training methodologies
Due: 9th of May (Demo done in
Class)