General Strength Training Guidlines for Healthy People

By Dustin Seegars, LPTA, ATC/L

Generally, there are nine parts of your body that need strength training. These nine are listed as follows:

• Hips
• Thighs
• Calves
• Shoulders
• Back
• Chest
• Arms
• Waist
• Neck

An effective training program would dictate that you train your entire body one to three times per week (as opposed to splitting it up), and that you perform one to two exercises per body part. Usually the total number of exercises per workout varies from seven to twelve, with more advanced trainees requiring fewer exercises because of their higher levels of strength and intensity produced during their workouts. In other words, the stronger and fitter you get, the harder you can exercise, and so the more rest you need.

Each exercise should be performed slowly and smoothly for one set of approximately 8 to 12 repetitions. Each set should take from 40 to 90 seconds. There should be no longer than 60 seconds rest between exercises. Thus, a typical workout should take between 20 and 30 minutes.

The next time you’re in the gym, time your workout from the beginning of the first exercise to the end of the last exercise. How long did it take?

If you’re like most fit and healthy individuals, it probably took you well over an hour, or perhaps two hours. And that two hours may have been for only half of your body. This is way too long and shows that you are not working hard enough and are probably doing too many exercises in the wrong manner.

If you are spending more than 30 minutes in the gym actually training, then you are probably not getting anything close to maximum growth and strength stimulation. You are probably not working hard enough and you are probably resting too long between sets.

In summary, rather than increasing your frequency and volume of workouts while decreasing your intensity and rest time, work harder for shorter periods of time with more rest between workouts and watch your general fitness and strength levels increase!