Strength Training Guide: Types, FITT Principle & More

Strength Training: Specific Systems

Weightlifting

Weightlifting involves using barbells and dumbbells to develop maximum strength. It is performed at low speed and high intensity.

Isometric Training

Isometric training involves contracting a muscle against maximum resistance from a fixed object. It develops maximum strength and is ideal for recovering from injuries.

Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding consists of a series of exercises using dumbbells and weights, performed with fast repetitions at medium to high intensity. It develops dynamic strength and muscle coordination.

Plyometrics

Plyometrics involves linking the fall from a height with a subsequent jump in a vertical or horizontal direction. It improves explosiveness by starting with an eccentric contraction followed by a concentric contraction.

Electroestimulation

Electroestimulation involves contracting the muscle by replacing the natural nerve impulse with an electrical impulse through electrodes placed on the muscle ends or motor nerve. It is ideal for injury recovery.

The FITT Principle of Training

The FITT principle is a set of rules that should be followed to benefit from any fitness training program. These rules relate to the Frequency, Intensity, Type, and Time (FITT) of exercise.

These four principles of fitness training apply to individuals exercising at low to moderate training levels and can be used to establish guidelines for both cardiorespiratory and resistance training.

Frequency

After any form of fitness training, the body goes through a process of rebuilding and repair to replenish its energy reserves consumed by the exercise. The frequency of exercise is a balance between providing enough stress for the body to adapt and allowing enough time for healing and adaptation to occur.

Resistance or Strength Training

The frequency of resistance training depends on the individual and the program format. For example, a program that works every body part in each session should be completed 3-4 days a week with a day's rest between sessions.

On the other hand, a program that focuses on only one or two body parts per session could theoretically be completed up to six days per week. Many bodybuilders follow such a routine.

Remember that each time you complete a strenuous strength training session (regardless of the body part), you are taxing your body as a whole, including all physiological systems and major organs.

Intensity

The second rule in the FITT principle relates to intensity. It defines the amount of effort invested in a training program or any single session.

Like frequency, there must be a balance between finding enough intensity to overload the body (so it can adapt) but not so much that it causes overtraining.

Workload is used to define the intensity of resistance training.

Resistance or Strength Training

For resistance training, workload is the primary measure of intensity. Workload can have three components:

1. The amount of weight lifted during an exercise
2. The number of repetitions completed for a particular exercise
3. The length of time to complete all exercises in a set or total training session