How often does the american college of sports medicine recommend strength training?

What is strength training? #

Strength training is physical training with the express goal of changing the structural or mechanical properties of the human body. It is a fairly broad term that can encompass improving muscle size, force output, the rate of force development and efficiency of contraction. To differentiate it from other forms of resistance training (whether with your own body or weights ) its primary goal is to build improved force production capability of the muscular system.

What are the benefits of strength training? #

Strength training has benefits across a wide range of exercise modalities, and much like aerobic fitness has wide-reaching implications for general health. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) highlights that strength training should be performed at least twice per week for all to support a normal healthy lifestyle.

Increasing force production of the musculoskeletal system is key to improving function in daily tasks and maintaining the ability to do so in later life. Being able to carry a heavy object or stand up from a chair are tasks we all have to complete regardless of age and are facilitated by muscle strength.

Exercise requires putting the body through force far in excess of bodyweight, notably due to gravity and velocity multiplying force acting on the body. Greater muscular strength raises the capacity of each muscle to perform and thereby requires less effort to absorb these forces. Joints and bones are likewise supported by the muscular system and greater strength reduces the forces being transmitted to these structures, protecting them from overuse and injury.

Improving mobility is an important part of physical health. Increasingly the length of muscle or improving the range of motion about a joint without subsequently strengthening the increased length is often putting that structure at risk of injury. If the muscles have a certain force output then increasing the range they operate over will inevitably dilute this capacity and a structured plan to work on strength and stability alongside mobility is essential.

Muscle is an active tissue, unlike adipose (fat), and increasing the proportion of muscle to fat will raise our metabolic capacity. This is vital for increasing resting and exercising calorie expenditure and blood flow throughout the body, forming a key part of weight loss.

Speed, agility and endurance are all underpinned by fundamental muscle strength. All activities require force production as a key component and often strength increases are the easiest way to improve their qualities quickly.

How do I start strength training? #

Strength training need not be seen as something that’s only for elite athletes and instead can be gradually integrated into anyone’s weekly exercise routine and working life. Throwing yourself in at the deep end without proper instruction and guidance is not advised, so always seek advice from one of our Strength and Conditioning Coaches to find out where best to start

What guidance would you give regarding prescription? #

Ideally, strength training should be introduced in a graded and progressive manner taking into account your current exercise habits and injury history. ACSM guidelines recommend at least twice per week and doing multi-joint exercises that focus on lower body, upper body and trunk strength. The workouts need not be long and boring with session length ideally no more than 45 minutes with appropriate rest in-between sets and exercises of between 2 and 4 minutes, depending on load lifted. Sets and reps vary considerably but 2 – 5 sets or between 4 to 12 repetitions can be appropriate depending on load lifted, muscles worked and training history.

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The American College of Sports Medicine released new recommendations Tuesday regarding the quantity and quality of exercise for adults. So now when health club and fitness center staff members are asked by patrons, "How much exercise do I need?" they can respond definitively, the organization says.

In a position statement titled "Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy Adults: Guidance for Prescribing Exercise," the ACSM provides current scientific evidence on physical activity and includes recommendations on aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility. Consistent with the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, ACSM's overall recommendation is for most adults to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week.

"The scientific evidence we reviewed is indisputable," says Carol Ewing Garber, chair of the writing committee and an associate professor of movement sciences at the Teachers College of Columbia University. "When it comes to exercise, the benefits far outweigh the risks. A program of regular exercise - beyond activities of daily living - is essential for most adults."

The position statement's purpose is to offer health and fitness professionals scientific, evidence-based recommendations that help them customize exercise prescriptions for healthy adults, and it is published in the July 2011 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, the official journal of ACSM.

Here are the basic recommendations, by exercise category:

Cardiorespiratory Exercise: Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Exercise recommendations can be met through 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days per week or 20 to 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise three days per week. One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions of at least 10 minutes are both acceptable to accumulate the desired amount of daily exercise.

Resistance Exercise: Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment. Very light or light intensity is best for older individuals or previously sedentary adults just starting to exercise. Two to four sets of each exercise, with anywhere between eight and 20 repetitions, will help adults improve strength and power.

Flexibility Exercise: Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion. Each stretch should be held for 10 to 30 seconds, to the point of tightness or slight discomfort. Repeat each stretch two to four times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch.

Neurometer Exercise: Neuromotor exercise, also referred to as "functional fitness training," is recommended two or three days per week. Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait), proprioceptive exercise training, and multifaceted activities (yoga) to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults. Between 20 and 30 minutes per day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise.

In addition to outlining basic recommendations and their scientific reasoning, the position statement also clarifies three new points:

1. Pedometers are not an accurate measure of exercise quality and should not be used as the sole measure of physical activity.

2. Though exercise protects against heart disease, it is still possible for active adults to develop heart problems. All adults must be able to recognize the warning signs of heart disease, and all health care providers should ask patients about these symptoms.

3. Sedentary behavior is distinct from physical activity and has been shown to be a health risk in itself. Meeting the guidelines for physical activity does not make up for a sedentary lifestyle.

"It is no longer enough to consider whether an individual engages in adequate amounts of weekly exercise," Garber says. "We also need to determine how much time a person spends in sedentary pursuits, like watching television or working on a computer. Health and fitness professionals must be concerned with these activities, as well."

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