Strength training is more than just lifting weights – it's the key to strong, healthy muscles and an improved sense of well-being. Whether you're a beginner planning your first workout or an experienced bodybuilder aiming for hypertrophy, powerful exercises are essential for everyone. Targeted training allows you to not only increase muscle mass but also optimize your performance and body composition. Let's dive into the fundamentals of strength training together and discover how you can achieve your goals!
Stimulus intensity: How "hard" should the training be?
Under intensity Understanding training load in relation to your Maximum strength (1RM), which is the weight you can lift for a single repetition. For example, if you are lifting with 80 % 1RM If you train, you can usually manage about eight (exceptions prove the rule, as always). RepetitionsThis is crucial to finding the right balance for your needs. Training plan to find.
The choice of intensity has a direct impact on your training goals. High intensities between 80–100 % 1RMThey especially promote Maximum strength, which are for Bodybuilder and athletes is essential. Moderate intensities of 60–90 % 1RM are ideal for the Muscle building (Hypertrophy), since they muscles to stimulate optimally and thus the muscle mass Increase. Lower intensities, below 50 % 1RM, however, focus on Strength endurance and general fitness, which can be beneficial for beginners.
An important tip is to find your individual range between "manageable" and "challenging". This will help you avoid being overwhelmed or underwhelmed while you progress. Body-Composition through targeted Exercises and the right mix of Carbohydrates and protein optimize.
Level of exertion: How far should you push yourself to your limits?
The Level of exertion describes how close you can get to the Muscle failure You approach it, meaning the subjective feeling of the last repetitions. Targeted training requires a good sense of this intensity in order to achieve the desired results. Muscle building and Bodybuilding to achieve.
Especially the last repetitions just before muscle failure, also known as "Near-failure phase" They are known to have a high training stimulus. Here, the volume of the workout is crucial, as the Height the effort directly with the Training plan correlated. However, it is not always advisable to constantly train to absolute muscle failure, especially with complex exercises or if you Technical elements you need to refine it.
An example: A sentence bench press with 8–10 Repetitions It can be sufficiently effective if the last 1-2 repetitions are noticeably strenuous but still executable with proper form. This helps to... muscles to train while avoiding injuries. Athletes should ensure they get enough exercise. protein and carbohydrates to consume in order to the mass to promote and Fat to reduce muscle mass. A well-thought-out workout thus becomes a key to long-term success in strength training.
Volume: The total amount of your training
Volume is a crucial term in strength training and describes the Total amount of your training Regarding the number of sets and repetitions, the question is: How many sets per muscle group per week are optimal to achieve maximum results?
For beginner are approximately 5 to 15 sets per week A reasonable number of repetitions per muscle group is recommended. This number can vary depending on individual recovery capacity. It's important that you give your body enough time to recover before training again.
Advanced However, the volume can be increased to 10 to 20 sets per week Increase the number of sets per muscle group. It is advisable to distribute these sets across several sessions to avoid overtraining. Here, the Technology Of great importance: More volume can indeed mean more stimulus, but only if you ensure that your execution is correct and that you adhere to sufficient recovery times.
In the world of Bodybuilding The right volume is crucial to mass to build up and at the same time Fat to reduce. Make sure that your Workout is well-structured to achieve optimal results and your muscles to train effectively.
Training frequency and duration: How often should you train?
The Training frequency and the Training frequency These are key aspects of strength training that are often confused. While training frequency describes how often you train overall per week (e.g., 1000 sessions), training frequency is the number of times you train. Training frequency (e.g., 2, 3, or 5 times) refers to how often a particular muscle or exercise is performed per week.
Why is this important? Scientific studies and practical experience show that it is beneficial for muscle building and strength gains to include every Muscle group 2-3 times per week to train. If you can only train twice a week, that's a Full body plan usually the best choice to adequately stress all major muscle groups.
However, if you train 3-5 times per week, it is often worthwhile to... 2- or 3-way split (e.g. B. Upper/lower body or push/pull/legs). One advantage of a higher frequency is that you can volume You can divide your training into several sessions. This allows you to train for shorter, more intense sessions, leading to better results. Ultimately, the right balance between frequency and intensity is crucial for your training success.
Training duration: How long should a session last?
The Training duration This refers to the duration of a single strength training session. The optimal duration depends heavily on your individual weekly schedule. For example, if you only twice a week If you're training, it makes sense to do a longer session of 90–120 minutes to plan ahead to give your body enough time for intensive training. If, on the other hand, you train 5 times a week, shorter units of 55–90 minutes That should be perfectly sufficient to achieve your goals.
A practical guideline The best approach is to divide your total weekly training time by the number of sessions. This will give you an approximate duration per session that fits your time management.
It is important that the Quality of the training always before quantity goes.It's better to train in a shorter, focused, and intense session than to lose concentration and motivation after 30 minutes in long sessions. A well-structured training day ensures that your muscles You will be effectively stimulated and make progress without overtaxing your body. Remember: Targeted training leads to better results in the long run!
Training density: The "break" factor
Training density describes the ratio of exertion to recovery during strength training and is crucial for the success of your workouts. A key aspect of training density is the length of rest between sets. If your primary goal is strength or muscle growth, the rest periods should be as long as possible to allow you to train again at the desired intensity. This approach enables you to maximize performance per set, which is essential for muscle growth.
Specific break lengths:
- Maximum strength: To increase your maximum strength, breaks are necessary. 3 to 5 minutes or even longer is recommended. This gives your body the necessary time to fully recover before you start lifting weights again.
- Hypertrophy: For muscle growth, breaks from 1.5 to 3 minutes Ideally, although in some cases up to 4 minutes can be beneficial. This timeframe promotes muscle fatigue and provides the necessary stimulus for growth.
- Strength endurance or circuit training: Here are shorter breaks from 30 to 60 seconds It's popular. However, this form of training has less focus on maximum strength.
If you have limited time, you can shorten the breaks, but you should be aware that the training stimulus will then shift more towards endurance and metabolism.
Exercise selection: What should be included in the training plan?
Exercise selection is a crucial factor for the success of your strength training. Principle of specificity This means that you should specifically choose exercises that directly work towards your training goals. For example, if you want to increase your maximum strength, it makes sense to do exercises like... bench press or Squats to include them in your training plan, as they are specifically designed to meet the demands of powerlifting.
For beginners, it is especially important to focus on Multi-joint exercises to concentrate. These exercises train multiple muscle groups simultaneously and promote functional strength and coordination. Examples include: deadlift, Squats and Overhead press, which not only target the main muscle groups, but also activate the stabilizing muscles.
By incorporating a balanced mix of specific and complex exercises into your training plan, you create a solid foundation for further muscle growth and improved performance. Make sure to regularly review and adjust your exercises to ensure continuous progress and prevent injuries.
Movement speed: How fast should you train?
Movement speed plays a crucial role in strength training and has a significant impact on muscle development. As a general rule, you should perform the positive (concentric) phase as explosively as possible to promote both strength and power. This explosive execution stimulates muscle recruitment and improves performance.
In contrast, it's important to execute the negative (eccentric) phase in a controlled manner. Lowering the weight too quickly can not only increase the risk of injury but also reduce muscle tension, making the workout less effective. A common cadence for this workout might be 3-2-X-1, which means: 3 seconds lowering (eccentric), 2 seconds holding at the bottom (reversal point), explosively pushing back up (X), and 1 second stabilizing at the top.
The following cadences are recommended for specific exercises: A 3-2-2-1 cadence is suitable for push and squat exercises, while pull exercises are often performed with 3-1-2-2. New exercises are an exception; they should initially be practiced slowly and with proper technique. Once the technique is ingrained, you can vary the intensity and thus target specific muscles.
Conclusion: All the adjustable parameters at a glance
The conclusion of the fundamentals of strength training summarizes the essential factors that will help you to effectively achieve your goals.
Intensity, exertion level, volume and frequency These are the cornerstones of your training plan. Make sure you train in the correct intensity range that suits your goals – for hypertrophy, for example... 60–90% 1RM Ideal. When performing exercises, go close to failure to create an effective stimulus, but without overdoing it every day.
The volume It should correspond to your recovery capacity; for beginners, it is often sufficient. 5–10 sets per muscle group per weekTrain your muscle groups 2-3 times per week, in order to achieve optimal results.
The Duration and density Your training sessions are also crucial. 45 and 90 minutesTo stay focused, choose rest periods that align with your goal and avoid chronic time pressure to effectively increase your maximum strength.
With a targeted Exercise selection and a reasonable amount Pace of movement You'll lay the foundation for sustainable progress. Use these tips as a guide to optimize your training and continuously get stronger.
