Strength Training Programs

Once you understand the health and fitness benefits of strength training, it’s time to design a specific program around your body type, goals and schedule. Strength training programs are important because they organize your workout toward a single purpose and provide you with a step-by-step guide to weight lifting.

The first thing you have to decide in creating your strength training program is exactly what your goal is. Do you want to bulk up? Do you want to tone your muscles? Do you want to lose weight?

Strength training can help you achieve all of these goals but they are accomplished on different timeframes and with different exercise techniques so it’s important to begin with a clear goal in mind. These goals will determine how many reps you do per set and how much weight you’ll employ in each exercise.

If you’re looking to bulk up, you’ll do four sets of four reps lifting your maximum weight; if you’re looking to tone muscles or lose weight, you’ll perform one or two sets of 10-12 reps each at a lower weight.

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Once your goal is selected, it’s time to decide how much time you’re willing to put into your training every week. This will determine how quickly you see results and how intense your individual workouts will be.

I prefer to work out between four and six times a week, a fairly rigorous program that will produce results in a matter of weeks. Two of the most effective strength training exercises that produce results quickly are the pec fly and chest press.

These are both upper body exercises that should be introduced into all strength training programs because of their efficiency and fast results.

- Chest Fly –

The chest fly can be done with free weights or a machine. To do the chest fly with free weights, begin on your back with your arms at your sides. Holding dumbbells in both hands with elbows slightly bent, complete the exercise by bringing your arms together above your chest. This is similar to a standard bench press but allows your arms to work individually instead of together.  Doing this exercise also keeps you from doing more work with one arm than with the other, they both have to work equally as hard.

The chest fly primarily works the pecs but also works the delts. I recommend doing chest flys in sets of four reps with your maximum weight if you’re trying to see results quickly.

- Bicep Curls -

Once you have the chest fly down it’s time to work on some bicep curls. The bicep curl is one of the simplest upper body exercises and can be performed either sitting or standing with barbells or dumbbells.

Begin with your elbows at your side, the weights in your hands and your palms facing upward. With your elbow stationary, lift the weights upward in an arc until you can’t move them any further and then return to the start position.

Then simply press your arms straight up to complete the exercise. This works your chest, triceps and shoulders. Like the chest fly, do the chest press in sets of four.

Both of these exercises are key to successful strength training programs aimed at toning, bulking up and losing weight. The goal is up to you but the exercises should remain the same no matter what you’re trying to accomplish through strength training.