Resistance Training: Building A Resilient Body

"I choose to live by choice, not chance,
To be motivated, not manipulated,
To be useful, not used,
To make changes, not excuses,
To excel, not compete.
I choose self-esteem, not self-pity,
I choose to listen to my inner voice, not to the random opinions of others.
I choose to do the things that you won't so I can continue to do the things you can't."
— Ron Wolters

There are so many types of programs out there. With the plethora of online fitness gurus. It seems that there is no end in sight.

While there are plenty of reputable coaches in the space. That provides a thorough approach to their programming and the science behind it.

There are as many unqualified "trainers" that wing it and do whatever they have in mind. Creating chaos and poor results throughout the fitness industry at large.

What makes up a good program?

A good program isn't a bunch of cool-looking TikTok exercises that you do for however many reps you feel like.

A good program implements different phases to tax your body in a variety of ways.

What are these different phases you ask?

Good question. Let's discuss below.

Muscular Endurance

If you're new to resistance training. You should begin doing very lightweight and a high amount of repetitions. The focus shouldn't be anything other than executing the movement with good form.

This will allow you to perform the movement slowly, and with control. So you can develop the mind-muscle connection to target the correct muscle groups.

Not only will this ensure you're able to move the following day. But you're going to develop a positive relationship with the gym. Stacking up small wins and knowing that you have what it takes.

Having a foundation of fitness to build upon.

Hypertrophy

After you've worked on your form. Feeling confident in performing a large variety of exercises.

You're ready to progressively overload. By increasing the intensity of the exercises that you're doing.

To increase the intensity. You don't need to mindlessly add weight.

You can,

• Manipulate the speed of movement, slow or fast.
• Manipulate the lever arm, (think of knees on the floor, or hands-on elevated surface push-up)
• Manipulate the base of support. Increasing your base provides more stability. Parallel stance. While decreasing your base. Think - (single leg squat), puts greater stress on the entire muscular chain.
• Manipulate the range of motion, a few more inches of depth can turn an exercise from easy to hard.
• Adding dynamic movement, lunges rather than split squats.
• Applying external resistance. Via barbells, machines, kettlebells, dumbbells, bands/pulleys or medicine balls, etc.

Continue to challenge yourself. Make sure you're always applying the progressive overload mentality. When your focus is building muscle.

Strength

You can have a lot of muscle. Yet not lift as much weight as someone who prioritizes strength training.

There's a reason why I named the title of this blog, "resistance training" not "strength training".

If you're referring to lifting weights in general as strength training.

Stop it. You're putting all the different phases of the performance continuum. Under an umbrella term that you call strength training.

This is a fallacy.

Strength training is in itself, a separate phase of training. Not an entire spectrum of training.

Resistance training incorporates all the different types of training we're discussing here. The whole spectrum.

Strength training in a nutshell is high intensity, low volume. Not all of the above.

It's specifically focused on developing the central nervous system. With a high number of motor units recruited to execute a movement.

I get why people always refer to their training, as strength training. It sounds cooler and in a sense you are getting stronger.

But let's stick with the exercise science here.

Power

Many people stay stuck in the hypertrophy phase. Ask them how many sets/reps they're doing. They'll usually say 3-5 sets of 10. Never progressing into the strength. Let alone the power phase of training.

Power = force x velocity (speed)

When talking about power, many may think of Olympic lifts. The everyday person isn't doing Olympic Lifts though. The everyday person. More than likely. Wants to increase the power of let's say, their pickleball serve or their football throw.

To do this. You need to move light loads at a high speed. Not heavy loads at a somewhat slower speed, for example, Olympic lifts.

Following this logic above. You'll fall under the SAID principle, a Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands.

You're training in a way that is specific to your sport or movement of choice. You're not throwing a ball that weighs 45lbs. So why would you train to move heavy weights? In the power phase of training that is.

You can use bands, medicine balls, or body weight to explode at a high speed. That will transfer to your activity of choice.

Power training recruits type 2 muscle fibers. These fibers are for high power output and explosive training.

When not used, like anything.. they atrophy.

To remain functional throughout your life. It's important to train for power. So you can remain responsive. To emergency situations, sports, or any other life situation you may find yourself in.

Use it or lose it.

Power Endurance

Power endurance takes the same mindset that we laid above for power. Except take out the resting component. Like in sports or life, you don't have the luxury of scheduled rest periods.

When you train for power. You should feel mentally drained from the sheer amount of effort you're exerting. You shouldn't be sore like you would with hypertrophy training.

You want yourself in the same exact mindset as you would be during those crucial moments in sports or life threatening situations.

Giving it your all, not half-assed.

Be Prepared For Life

When I'm out surfing..

If there's a clean-up set coming and I'm stuck inshore. If I want to make it back out past the break. I need to paddle hard and fast. Not stopping until I'm in the safety zone.

(A clean-up set is larger more powerful waves than the typical sets at a given time)

(The break, is the point where the typical sets are usually crashing.)

Clean-up sets will break even farther out than the typical sets. Requiring you to be farther on the outside. This is the safety zone.

So whenever I want to train and prepare myself. Let's say I go on a surfing trip.

I'll follow this entire program I've laid out here. So I can have a baseline of muscle, strength, and power to go off of.

Where my body is then ready to develop the endurance along with the power I've cultivated.

Once again. It's important to not jump right into this power endurance phase of training. Ensure you've established a solid foundation for yourself. As each phase of training plays off one another.

To program in different phases of training. Reverse engineer off the event you're preparing for. In this case, a surfing trip. Then fill in your schedule with appropriate training blocks, leading up to the event.

It doesn't have to be perfect. If you already have a good base of hypertrophy training.

You could completely skip that training block, and then allocate more time for strength and power.

Back to the story,

If I were to take a complete noob and have him/her paddle out past the break. This person will gas and get washed ashore. That same noob never having gone out surfing before. Could have trained in a way that sets himself/herself up for success.

Increasing their chance to make it out past the break. Even if they aren't an experienced surfer. This person has trained in a way, that translates well to their sport.

They've optimized their body down to the cellular level to carry out the task at hand.

Remember what you were taught in school? Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell ;)

Resistance training can increase mitochondria in muscles.

I'll take the biologically, naturally enhanced individual. Training sport-specific movements, along the performance continuum.

Over the scrawny person who hasn't done anything to prepare themself any day of the week.

By not only focusing on hypertrophy. Like most gym bros/gals, but by following the performance continuum.

Muscular Endurance, Hypertrophy, Strength, Power, and Power Endurance.

You're setting yourself up for success not only for your sport of choice.

But for life.