Antidepressants Blog

When beginning a resistance exercise program, remember to consider your age, fitness level, and the personal goals you would like to achieve. Strength training exercises are done in a set, or a single series of multiple repetitions using the same resistance. Current research tells us that for healthy people of all ages (and for many individuals with chronic illnesses), single-set resistance programs of up to 15 repetitions per exercise, performed a minimum of two days per week, are recommended. Each workout session would include 8 to 10 different resistance exercises that involve the major muscle groups of the upper and lower extremities and the trunk. Somewhat surprisingly, single-set resistance programs have been recently recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine for the majority of the U.S. population because they produce most of the health and fitness benefits associated with much more time-consuming, traditional multiple-set programs (e.g., 3 sets of 10 repetitions of each exercise three days per week). Remember that resistance training exercises cause microscopic damage (tears) to muscle fibers, and the rebuilding process that increases the size and capacity of the muscle takes about 24 to 48 hours. Thus resistance training exercise programs should include at least one day of rest and recovery between workouts before overloading the same muscles again.

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