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Program Design 101

David DiFabio

This is your ultimate guide to designing your own resistance training program. It is well understood that everyone should engage in some type of resistance training program. However, not everyone's program design will be the same. Whether your goal is to prevent osteoporosis, gain muscle mass, burn fat, or improve strength and power (speed) for sport, there's a program that can be designed for you. It is important to understand that your body responds to resistance training in many ways and many of your body's systems (endocrine, metabolic, musculoskeletal, nervous, etc.) respond simultaneously. Certain program designs will affect certain systems more so than others. Unfortunately, the more we learn about the science behind resistance training, the more we realize we don't know everything. That's where the art of weight training comes in and that's ok too. It's a great reason for adding variety to your workout. Furthermore, it leaves room for debate amongst trainers and scientists so that we can learn more. Therefore, the nature of the beast would indicate that the chart below could be debated. Entire textbooks have been written on program design but I don't expect you to earn a degree just to design your own program. Just apply the guidelines bellow to assist you in your efforts to design your program.

Resistance Training Guidelines

Strength: 3 to 5 sets, 6 reps or less, 85% 1RM or greater, a tempo of 2/1/2, rest 1 to 3 minutes between sets, weekly frequency of 2 to 3 full-body sessions/ or 2 to 3 sessions per muscle group, should include compound exercises such as Squat, Deadlift, Rows, Chest Press, and Shoulder Press. Supersetting (Push/Pull) can be beneficial.

Power:

Single effort event: 1 to 2 sets, 1 to 2 reps, 90 to 90% 1 RM, lifts should be done as explosively as possible, rest 3 to 5 minutes between sets, weekly frequency of 2 to 3 full-body sessions, should include exercises such as Snatch, Cleans, High Pulls, and Push Press among others.

Multiple effort event (most sports): Most of the guidelines are similar to that of the "single event" protocol described above except number of sets and reps are increase to 3 to 5 and the load is decreased to

75-85%

Hypertrophy: 3 to 6 sets, 6 -12 reps, 67-85% 1 RM, a tempo of 3/0/2, 30 to 90 sec of rest between sets, 2-3 sessions per muscle group per week, should include compound exercises such as Squats, Lunges, Dead lift, Rows, Chest Press, and Shoulder Press. Various set schemes such as Supersets (Push-Pull), Compound Sets, Pyramid Sets, and Strip Sets can be used to increase intensity and/or volume.

Muscular Endurance: 3 to 6 sets, 12 to 20 reps, 67% 1 RM or less, a tempo of 4/0/3, 30 to 60sec of rest between sets, 2-3 full-body sessions per week, exercises can include, Squats, Lunges,

Leg Curl, Leg Extension, Push-ups, Pull-ups, Lateral Raises, Bicep Curl, and Triceps Extension . Set schemes such as Supersets (Push-Pull), Compound Sets, Pyramid Set, and Strip Sets can be used to increase muscular endurance.

General Fitness and Weight Loss programs usually consist of a blend of muscular endurance, hypertrophy and strength.

General Fitness: 1 to 6 sets, 6 to 15 reps, 65% to 85% 1 RM, a tempo of 3/0/3, 30 to 90sec of rest between sets, 2-3 full-body sessions/ or 2-3 sessions per muscle group, use exercises such as Squats, Lunges, Leg Curl, Leg Extension, Chest Press, Pull-Ups, Shoulder Press, Bicep Curl, and Triceps Extension. Use a blend of set schemes seen above.

Weight Loss: 2 to 6 sets, 8 to 15 reps, 65% to 80% 1 RM, a tempo of 3/0/3, 30 to 90sec of rest between sets, 2-3 full-body sessions/ or 2-3 sessions per muscle group, use exercises such as Squat, Lunges, Leg Curl, Leg Extension, Push-ups, Pull-ups, Lateral raises, Bicep Curl, and Triceps Extension. Use a blend of set schemes seen above

Definition of Terms:

Tempo: the first number is the amount of seconds to initiate movement and get to end range of motion. The middle number is the amount of time to pause and the end of the range of motion. The last number is time to return the weight back to the starting position.

Straight sets: Also called traditional sets. One set of a particular group of reps followed by a rest period, then repeat for desired amount of sets.

Supersets: Back to back sets for opposing muscle groups (chest / back or triceps / biceps, push/ pull) with no rest between the individual sets. In actually one muscle group rests as the other is working.

Compound Sets: Similar to supersets, except it involves back to back sets of two different exercises for the same muscle group (push ups/chest press) with no rest between individual sets. This is not appropriate for beginners.

Pyramid Sets: Weight does not remain constant for each set. Weight is either added or reduced (2.5%-10%) for each set. Example: 1st set of 8 @ 30 lbs, 2nd set of 10reps @ 25lbs and 3rd set of 12 reps @ 20lbs. This is not appropriate for beginners.

Strip Sets: Similar to a pyramid set, the weight is reduced (2.5 to 10 %) but there is very little to no rest between sets. Reps are completed until muscular failure for each set before the weight is "stripped off". This is not appropriate for beginners.

General Guidelines: Muscular Endurance General Fitness/Weight loss Hypertrophy Basic Strength Power Hypertrophy Strength 2 Power 2 Recreation & Low Volume Resistance Training

Jan to Mid Feb Mid Feb to end March April & May June July August & Sept October November December

About the Author:

Dave DiFabio MA, CSCS, USAW, is the Founder of Team Speed Fitness. He is also a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Professor at Rutgers University. Dave is also available for online personal training.

Dave has 12 years of training experience and holds a Masters and Bachelors in Exercise Physiology. He is certified by the National Strength & Conditioning Association and by USA Weightlifting. Dave’s clientele includes collegiate and high school athletes, adults and children, and those with special needs or medical concerns. Dave is a regular contributor to Men's Fitness Magazine and has coauthored two research studies dealing with antioxidant supplementation and overtraining. The results of the above studies were presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's 52nd and 53rd Annual Meetings. Dave can be reached via his website TeamSpeedFitness.com. Be sure to view the free “Food for Fitness” videos to learn how to make intelligent, healthy choices at the supermarket.