Weight Training Principles:  FROM ACSM

American College of Sports Medicine

The one thing all doctors agree on is people need more exercise.  I occasionally see a patient with a regular exercise program going, but it is rare.  I came across these updated recommendations and thought you’d like them.

Their Recommendations:

• An optimal strength-training program will include shortening, lengthening, and static muscle contractions including single and multiple joint exercises.  Dr. Altman here-this is really good advice except if you do single joint exercises you are opening your self up to imbalance and injury.

• Maximize your intensity by training large muscle groups before small muscles.  Do multiple joints before single joints and high intensity before low intensity exercises.  Dr. Altman here- Again, skip the single joint exercises and for the most bang use high intensity exercise unless you have lots of time on your hands.

• Beginners should do 8-12 reps per set, two to three days per week.

• Intermediate and advanced weight trainers should vary their program between 1-12 reps per set using a program that varies the volume and intensity of the workout.  It should be between three and five days a week.

• The rest of the article contains recommendations for heavier loads and hypertrophy, which I am not concerned with.  Most of you are not anywhere near that level or need to be as big as a football player.  To me it is better to be in good shape so you can do anything life throws at you versus being huge.  There are many disadvantages to being really large with either fat or muscle.

• “The important thing is to train regularly and consistantly.”

• Gee, that sounds a lot like our exercise program.  If you need some regular encouragement or ideas on what to do next, you can follow along with me at area365.com  Winter is coming.  This program will keep you in shape all winter long and never leaving your house.

(American College of Sports Medicine, 2009)
For those of you not exercising, when you start, expect some soreness the next day.  When your body isn’t used to doing exercise or anything else that challenges your muscles, you can expect some soreness.

Does that mean it is bad?  No

Should you notice weight loss or muscle gains? No

Your body changes slowly and over time.  But it does change.  If you workout once and don’t feel anything but sore, don’t quit.  One month, or even two months down the road you might hop on the scale and notice, “wow, I dropped 10 lbs.”

Each day is like the journey of a 1000 miles.  It sounds daunting to think about walking 1000 miles.  But, if you put one foot in front of the other and walk a mere 12 blocks (1 mile) in New Ulm.  In 2 3/4 years you will have covered 1000 miles.  If you did just 12 minutes of exercise a day, in 2 3/4 years you will have a significantly better body and fitness.  Each day if you choose to eat an apple instead of a donut you will make the small changes that will also add up.

Give yourself time.  Make small choices everyday and don’t have huge expectations, but do them because you know better and want to be healthier.  No one is watching over you, these are your choices alone.  If you eat the donut, you won’t be immediately fatter.  That is also the danger.  It seems harmless.  We are a culture of “right now”.

I think that is how someone can get to 500lbs.  They add it so slowly they adapt to the new size.  Just as someone can get that large, be doing the healthy things again, they can lose the weight and get back into shape, but it takes years.  It can be done.  It boils down to daily choices, they make up a lifetime.

Some of my easy daily routines:

1. I get up and drink a big glass of water.
2. I try and get as much protein as I can for breakfast.  No cereal.  (This morning I had left-over curry chicken with pineapple, peppers and broccoli.)
3. I take supplements (always Catalyn, Cruciferous complete, Cataplex B, Cardio-Plus, Adrenal Complex, Rhodiola & Ginseng).  I take other stuff depending on my needs.  But this is the basics.
4. I spend a little quite time before patients start coming.  (mental health)
5. I love a big lunch, more protein if possible.

Some less than daily things for health:

1. I lift weights every 2-3 days at home.  Area365.com forces me to keep up and publish more workouts and fitness information.  It helps me and patients.
2. I get adjusted weekly.  I feel so much better and my body works better.  The older I get the more I appreciate this.  This is a secret to growing old gracefully.  Here is this mornings story:

“It took a year and a half, but my knee feels better now.  I had knee pain going down the stairs.  I never thought to tell Dr. Altman about it, and I come every month.  After a couple of adjustments, it was quite a bit better.  Now I don’t even notice it.”
-Agnes Bushard

Just in case you don’t know what we do, here is a short list of what I adjusted today.

• Ankles

• Knees
• Hips
• Elbows
• Wrists
• Fingers
• Ribs (front and back)
• Collar bones

3. Help the world get a little healthier one day at a time, sign them up to get these emails on our website  www.docaltman.com  A few articles a week will keep you on track.

4. Try this,  give away your clothes that are “too” big for you right now.  French women don’t really use a scale to measure their bodies, they use clothes.  If they start to get tight, they workout more or eat better and get back in shape to fit in the clothes again.  They don’t go buy bigger clothes.

5. Remember to just do a little each day.  Put down the donuts at church and have an apple when you get home.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 10th, 2009 at 12:48 pm and is filed under Exercise. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.