Resistance training is a fantastic way to boost your physical and mental well-being. It involves exercising your muscles against external resistance, which can come from various sources such as gravity, free weights, or machines.
How does it help?
It is done mainly to increase strength, power, and endurance. Listed below are a few more benefits of resistance training:
Develops joint health and stability
Increases muscle strength and mass
Improves bone density
Enhances sports performance
Boosts cardiovascular health
Works on mental health
Progression and Regression
Gradual progression in resistance training is the best way to see improvements and get better results. Progression can be done in multiple ways, such as increasing the number of sets or repetitions, decreasing the amount of rest taken between sets, intensifying the load, augmenting the exercise, raising the velocity, etc.
When we think about regression, it is as essential as progression. An individual indulging in resistance training should understand the importance of regression. Not knowing when to regress may lead to a decrease in results and injury and can cause burnout in the individual.
When to progress?
Ongoing exercises become too easy
Set realistic goals and progress once those goals are achieved
Seeing continuous improvement in strength and endurance
Progression may vary from person to person and should be done in a timely manner as it can cause harm and injury if not done right.
When to regress?
Injury or pain
Plateau in progress
Overtraining or burnout
Incorrect form
Psychological factors
What happens during resistance training?
Muscle hypertrophy: Increase in the muscle volume due to an increase in the size of the muscle cells.
Muscle hyperplasia: Increase in the muscle volume due to an increase in the number of cells in that muscle.
Myoglobin content: Myoglobin is a protein that stores and carries oxygen and releases this O2 to the mitochondria, providing energy to the muscles. This myoglobin content increases with exercise.
Capillary supply: Capillaries surrounding a muscle increase with resistance training, providing more nutrients and O2 to the muscles.
Mitochondrial function: As cell size increases, the mitochondria also enlarge, which increases their ability to produce more energy.
Neuromuscular adaptations: These include-
Increased muscle fiber recruitment
Change in type of muscle fiber recruitment
Autogenic inhibition
Resistance training is a dynamic and multifaceted exercise that benefits individuals of all fitness levels. Understanding the principles of progression and regression is essential in maximizing the benefits of resistance training while minimizing the risk of injury and burnout. Furthermore, resistance training induces various physiological adaptations, which contribute to improvements in strength, endurance, and overall physical performance.
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